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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A34969	Exomologesis, or, A faithfull narration of the occaision and motives of the conversion unto Catholick unity of Hugh-Paulin de Cressy, lately Deane of Laghlin &c. in Ireland and Prebend of Windsore in England now a second time printed with additions and explications by the same author who now calls himself B. Serenus Cressy, religious priest of the holy order of S. Benedict in the convent of S. Gregory in Doway.	Cressy, Serenus, 1605-1674.; Pearson, John, 1613-1686.; Falkland, Lucius Cary, Viscount, 1610?-1643. Discourse of infallibility.	1653 (1653)	Wing C6895; ESTC R29283	288,178	694

Let them chuse whether of these two they had rather believe They call themselves Christians we propose to them Jesus Christ and Donatus Let them consider what will become of them if they bestow only words upon Jesus Christ and their bearts upon Donatus So that this conclusion of his is unalterably t●ue not for his times only but til Christs second coming viz. That all separation which is made before the drawing the net on shore or before harvest i. e. the end of the world is a eamnable separation Being Sacrilegium Shismatis quod omnia scelera supergreditur i. e. being the sacriledge of Schisme which surpasses all other crimes Aug. con Ep. Parm l 2. 10. Therefore to shew the extreme in justice of English Protestants against the Catholique Church and the just judgement of God upon 〈◊〉 for it we may desire them to consider that in their owne congregations they are constrained to connive at both errours in doctrine and abuses in practise to support a Schismaticall Unity which they would not suffer for Catholique Unity So S. Augustine speakes to the Donatists lib. 2. Why do they saith he perniciously suffer such kind of men in the crime of a Sacrilegious Schisme which they might and ought to have tolerated profitably in the integrity of Catholique Unity Again let them consider with what justice they can condemne the other Sects Presbyterians and Separatists if they seek the same destructive way of reforming them which themselves practised upon the Catholiques For the Presbyterians will alledge Scripture as well as they they will pretend errours and superstitions as well as they And the Separatists beyond this will alledge for themselves that which it will be impossible for them to reply reasonably to for they will say Since you your selves have taken away all obliging humane authority in points of Religion give us leave to enjoy that liberty for our own consciences which you have purchased us we desire not to tyrannize over other men only we would not suffer that you should pretend by a shew of liberty to introduce tyranny If Protestants shall oppose secular power or multitude to such allegations that will be to confesse that their reformation was a meere worldly design If they shall say that it is not fit that a smal conventicle of Sectaries should prevail against a Nationall Synod of the English Clergy then they must not take it ill to have those efficacious words of S. Augustine applyed unto them Is the just weighing of matters come to this passe that a Councell of the Maximianenses who are an under-segment of your Sect shall have no force or consideration against you because in comparison of your numbers they are but a very few and shall a Councell of your own prevaile against Nations against the heritage of Christ and the ends of the earth his possession I wonder if that man have any bloud left in his body that should not blush at the mentioning of such a thing as this Aug. Ep. 154. ad Emer Don. 11. I will conclude this conclusion with a brief consideration of an accusation which Protestants lay against Catholiques whom they charge with extreme uncharitablenesse for affirming that Protestants dying in their Religion without repentance cannot be saved Hereto it is answered that Catholiques do not pretend to judge of the salvation or damnation of Protestants in particular yea they will not doubt to say that to many thousands of them neither their Heresie nor Schisme shall prove de facto damnable but that supposing they dye with an intention to renounce whatsoever their opinions should appear to them to have been erroneous their invincible ignorance caused by education misinformation of Catholique doctrines c. may probably find pardon from our mercifull Judge in case they be truly penitent for all other faults committed by them upon supposition that any such have been committed But surely it is no uncharitable judgement to say in generall That it is damnable to dye in a damnable or mortall sinne without repentance And therefore since even by Protestants confession Heresie and Schisme are in a high degree damnable sins and since Catholiques are verily perswaded that Protestants are guilty of these two crimes it may be called in them a mistake but it cannot be called uncharitablenesse in Catholiques upon such a supposition to make such a judgement Yea on the contrary I wonder how the English Protestants c. who pretend that Catholiques are guilty of these two crimes can notwithstanding contrary to the doctrine of all Antiquity affirm that such persons are not in a damable estate surely it is self-guilt and not charity that makes them so charitable CHAP. LI. The fourth Conclusion Proofes of it out of Fathers THE FOURTH CONCLUSION is That the Catholique Church ever after the times of the Apostles was is and shall be visible continuing in an uninterrupted succession of lawfull Pastors and true doctrine to the end of the world 1. FOr confirmation of this conclusion out of Scripture Texts sufficient both for number and perspicuity have already been produced both out of the Old and New Testament in the second conclusion 2. The same doctrine is no lesse conspicuous in the writings of the Fathers It is easier saith S. Chrysostome Hom. 4. in Esa. that the Sun should be extinguished then that the Church should be obscured And again The Sun is not more manifest nor the light proceeding from it theu the actions of the Church The Church saith S. Cyprian de Unit. Eccl. being cloathed with the light of our Lord spreads its beames through the whole world The Church saith S. Augustine hath this most certain mark that she cannot be hidden And again Do not these men grope at noone day as if it were midnight It is a quality common to all Heretiques not to see the thing of all things in the world most clear viz. the church which is placed in the light of all Nations out of the unity whereof whatsoever they do though it may seem to be done with great exactnesse and diligence yet can no more secure them from the wrath of God then the spiders webs from the rigour of the cold Hereupon the same Saint de unit Eccl. calls Christ the most true declarer of his body insomuch as be suffers us not to be mistaken neither in the Bridegroom nor in his Spouse Upon which grounds he makes severall exclamations to this purpose Id. cont cres l. 3. O the mad perversenesse of men Thou conceivest that thou deservest to be praised for believing Christ whom thou seest not and believest thou shalt not be damned for denying his Church which thou seest Since that Head is in heaven and this body is upon earth Thou acknowledgest Jesus Christ and that which is written of him O God be thou exalted above the heavens and doest not acknowledge the church in that which follows and let your glory be spread through all the earth The like expressions he

the rich of the earth have eaten and worshipped And they also saith he are brought to the table of Christ and partake of his body and bloud but they adore him only they are not satisfied because they doe not imitate him Let S. Chrysostome in 1. Cor. say This body the wise men worshipped in the manger c. Let us at least imitate those barbarous men we who are the Citizens of heaven Thou seest him not in a manger but upon the Altar not a woman holding him in her armes but the Priest himself present and the Spirit abundantly powred upon the sacrifice presented there Lastly let Theodorct Dial 2. say The mysticall Symbolls are understood which are celebrated and believed and adored likewise as being the very things which they are believed to be What is all this to a Socinian though all antiquity agree in the like language and not one Father explicitly dissent from it But as for Protestants not having the confidence to renounce the Fathers authority they make it their task to prove out of such places that the Fathers intended by such speeches that it was Idolatry to worship Christ present on the Altar But Nobis non licet esse tam disertis Of Communion under one Species 11. This is not a matter of doctrine but meer practise The church sayes not it is unlawfull to take it in both kinds but onely that upon reasons sufficiently prevailing with her she thinks fit in the ordinary practise it should be so administred The Governours Ecclesiasticall therefore are to be answerable for it But to demonstrate that even those who is their private opinion think it were better it should be administred in both kinds yet ought not upon pretence thereof to break forth into a sacrilegious separation I will only recommend these few considerations to our English Protestants viz. 1. That there is no explicit command in Scripture that the Sacrament should be communicated under both Species If they urge the example of our Saviour and the manner how he administred it they know that they themselves allow authority to the church to alter formes not essentiall to the Sacraments and accordingly practise both the form in Baptism and the holy Eucharist otherwise then they were first instituted 2. That it is evident and no ingenuous Protestant will deny it but that even in the Primitive churches it was an ordinary practise in severall occasions to receive it only in one kind 3. That not one proof can be shewed that the sick ever received the cup. 4. That notwithstanding in the opinion of Antiquity those who received it so were believed to have enjoyed the whole benefit and vertue of the Sacrament 5. That the Greek church though she gives it ordinarily in publique in both Species yet neither in private nor to the sick no nor as it is said in Lent Neither doth she make that difference any ground of her separation from the Roman church 6. That Protestants confesse that those who have a naturall antipathy against wine may receive the body alone and may notwithstanding assure themselves that they want no fruit or effect of the holy Eucharist Upon which grounds if they would duely consider what a horrible crime Schisme is they would no doubt believe that this were not a sufficient excuse for them 12. The only proof that I will give of the opinion and allowed practise of antiquity in this point shall be to set down here in English the 289. Epistle of S. Basile ad Caesariam Patriciam a memorable monument of the usage of private communicating of the holy Eucharist and that only under one Species among the antient Christians His words are these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. that is And truly every day to communicate and participate the holy body and blood of Christ is a good and profitable thing seeing he himself hath said in expresse words He that shall eat my flesh and drink my blood hath eternall life Now who does doubt but that daily to participate of life is no other thing but daily to live Therefore it is that we our selues do communicate four times every week to wit on our Lords day on the fourth day on the sixth day and on the Sabbath day And moreover upon other dayes if the memory of any Martyr be celebrated Now it would be superfluous for me to demonstrate that that custome is not to be condemned by which Christians were necessitated in the times of persecution in the absence of the Priest or Ministsr to receive the Communion privately with his own hands since an inveterate practise hath effectually confirmed it For all those who lived Monastically in the Deserts where there was no Priest reserving the Communion in their Cells received it of themselves In Alexandria likewise and in AEgypt each one of the common sort of people for the most part hath the Commnnion reserved in his own house For the Priest having once offered the Sacrifice and distributed it he that receives it entire all together and afterward daily communicates of it ought to believe that he communicates and receives the very same which the Priest gave him For likewise in the Church it self the Priest delivers a part of the Sacrifice and the Communicant receives it with an entire power to dispose of it and so with his own hands lists it to his own mouth Now it is the very same in power or vertue whether any one shall receive one only portion from the Priest or many portions together Hithert● S. Basil. CHAP. III. Of Invocation of Saints Of Veneration of Images Of Prayers and Offerings for the Dead and Purgatory Of Indulgences And of publike service in the Latin tongue With what charity and modesty the doctrines of the church are to be examined 1. COncerning Invocation of Saints to shew the opinion of the antient church about it it may suffice to take notice that for denying the lawfullnesse of it Uigilantius was accounted an Heretique as Dr. Fulke the Centuriators Osiander c. acknowledge out of S. Hierome I am sure S. Ambrose sayes in the very language of the Councell of Trent We ought to pray unto the Angells in our owne behalf who have been given for guards unto us we ought to pray unto the Martyrs whose bo●●dies remaining among us seem to be as it were a gage and hostage of their protection And S. Augustine in Psal. 85. in the language of the Church Litanies All Martyrs intercede for us adding To the end that they may rejoyce in our behalf who pray for us And Theodoret l. 8. de Martyr gives the very sense of the present church in this point We do not adore the Saints as Gods but we pray unto them as divine men that they would intercede for us A Tradition this was of the antient Jewish church also as those words of Josophus witnesse The pure souls which hear those that call upon them obtain in heaven a most holy place And the

promises to his Church So that the Church even when she does upon supposition erre yet she does not even then lead any man out of the way to heaven or within the danger of hell gates seeing the promises of Christ are infallible that his Spirit shall conduct or rather preserve his Church in the belief and profession of all truths at least necessary and as for points supernumerary or unnecessary neither unwilfull ignorance nor unavoidable mistake shall be imputed as sinfull to any man 6. To the second proof viz. That if the promise of infallibility had been made to any Church of one denomination certainly the Scripture would have named that Church and have directed all Christians to have recourse unto her it being a point of so main importance I answer 1. The inference is not at all concluding as I shewed before in the first conclusion 2. The Scripture ha's expressely mentioned such promises made to the Church and if we will follow either reason or Catholique Tradition interpreting Scripture we must at least apply those promises to the whole body and succession of the Catholique Church united under one Head since no particular man or Church considered only as a distinct member of the whole can pretend to these promises as peculiarly applicable to themselves Now this whole body was as apparent and distinguishable from particular sects in the times of S. Augustine and S. Gregory as if it had been a Church of one denomination since they framed all their arguments and discourses from the apparent visibility of it and surely to any one that would not shut his eyes would have appeared as clear and demonstrable in Luthers time also 7. To the third proof of Mr. Chillingworth viz. That Catholiques build their assurance of the infallibility of the Church only upon fallible and uncertain grounds and marks I answer that I have made the contrary appear in severall places before demonstrating that it is grounded upon the most firm unshaken foundation that reason can have viz. Universall Tradition by which it is more effectually proved then any particular book of Scripture hath been 8. To his last proof against the Churches infallibility from his two examples wherein the Church is said to have erred universally in points pretended to be of Tradition as namely about the giving the blessed Sacrament to Infants mentioned by S. Augustine and the doctrine of the Millenaries by S. Justin Martyr and S. Irenaeus For the first example I refer my self to the satisfactory answer given by Cardinall Perron to the same objection made by King James Perr repl l. 2. obs 3. c. 11. 2. Concerning the other example of the doctrine of the Millenaries c. I answer that S. Justin Martyr dial cum Trypho saith not that it was a Catholique Tradition nor received by the whole Church but only of himself and many other Christians but withall that there were many also who were of a pure and pious Christian beliefe which did not acknowledge it And when all that could be alledged to prove that doctrine to have been an Apostolique Tradition was said the proof ended upon the report of Papias a very credulous man one that loved to tell stories many of which could not find belief in the Church a man meanely learned and by consequence one that might very probably mistake what he sayes S. John told him concerning that point CHAP. XLII An answer to Mr. Chillingworth's objection of circles and absurdities to the resolution of Faith of Catholiques 1. A Third rank of arguments with which Mr. Chillingworth combats the infallibility of the Church is grounded upon the absurdities Meanders and circles which he sayes most unavoidably follow the resolution of the faith of Catholiques Let us hear the sum of his allegations in his own words cap. 2. 118. 119. For Gods sake Sir tell me plainly in those Texts of Scripture which you alledge for the infallibility of your Church do not you allow what sense you think true and disallow the contrary and do you not this by the direction of your private reason if you do why do you condemn it in others If you do not I pray what direction do you follow Or whether you follow none at all If none at all this is like drawing Lots or throwing dice for the choice of a Religion If any other I beseech you tell me what it is Perhaps you will say the churches authority and that will be to dance finely in a round thus To believe the Churches infallible authority because the Scriptures avouch it and to believe that Scriptures say and mean so because they are so expounded by the Church Is not this for a Father to beget his son and the son to beget his Father For a foundation c. The Church you say is infallible I am very doubtfull of it How shall I know it The Scripture you say affirmes it as in the 59. of Esay My Spirit that is in thee c. Well I confesse I find there these words but I am still doubtfull whether they be spoken of the Church of Christ and if they be whether they meane as you pretend You say the Church sayes so which is infallible Yea but that is the question and therefore not to be begged but proved neither is it so evident as to need no proof otherwise why brought you this Text to prove it Nor is it of such a strange quality above all other Propositions as to be able to prove it self What then remains c. But Universal Tradition you say and so do I too is of it self credible and that ha's in all ages taught the churches infallibility with full consent But that it ha's I hope you would not have me take upon your word for that were to build my self upon the Church and the Church upon you Let then the Tradition appear for a secret Tradition is somewhat like a silent Thunder You will perhaps produce c. 2. For answer hereto 1. If Mr. Chillingworth's adversary had grounded the doctrine of the Churches authority meerly and only upon Texts of Scripture capable of contrary senses there might have been just ground for Mr. Chillingworth to have pleased himself as he oft does in insulting thus on him and intangling him thus in his circles But Mr. Chillingworth himself absolves him toward the latter end of the former passage where he sayes But universall Tradition you say and so do I too is of it selfe credible and that ha's in all ages taught the Churches infallibility c. Whereby he shews clearly that his adversary though he serves himself as reasonably he may and ought of some Texts of Scripture to fortifie the Traditionary doctrine of the Churches authority yet makes not those Texts understood in his own sense his onely foundation but universall Tradition which is the proper foundation even of the credibility of Scripture it self and therefore all Mr. Chillingworth's inferences and retortions do not even in his own opinion

conversion not significative but reall true and substantiall 4. Because the same Fathers to make their auditours more capable of the mystery exemplifie in other kinds of changes or conversions as of the change of the Bread which Christ did eat into his owne flesh of the miraculous conversion of water into wine of Moyses rod into a serpent and the waters of Nile into blood Which language would be extremely ridiculous if they intended not a reall and substantial change 5. To prove that they understood not only a presence of Christ in the action of the Sacrament as some English Protestants explain themselves or a presence consistent with a Lutheranical coëxistence of the substance of bread and wine S. Ambrose will satisfie us who answering that very objection that the difficulties would be less if it were affirmed that the substance of bread and wine remained together with the body and blood of Christ after the consecration hath these words de Sacr. l. 4. To the first objection we must thus answer That in matters of faith a man ought not to make choice of that which is accompanied with less difficulties for otherwise we should affirm that in God there is one only hypostasis c. But he ought to affirm that which is most conformable to the testimonies of the holy Fathers and to the Tradition of the Church although never so many difficulties present themselves seeing that he ought to captivate his understanding under the obedience of Faith So likewise S. Ignatius quoted by Theodoret in Dialog 3. speaks of certain Heretikes who received not the Oblations and Eucharists because they believed not that the Eucharist was the flesh of our Lord Jesus Christ. Which is a proof undeniable that the most primitive church taught this Catholike dgctrine of the reall Presence for if there had beene onely a spirituall presence what pretence could those Heretikes have to resuse them 6. Because both the antient Liturgies and Fathers of the church do testifie the generall custome of Gods people to adore Christ present upon the Altar after Consecration and this not onely in the time of administration but afterwards also as supposing that that which remained was and continued truly the body of Christ according to those words of S. Cyrill of Alexandria I know what they say namely That the mysticall benediction if any reliques remain of it to the next day is unprofitable to sanctification But they that say thus are mad For there is not another Christ made neither can his holy body be changed but the vertue of the benediction and the quickning Grace remains perpetually in it 7. Lastly because by this argument of the reall transmutation of the visible elements into the body of Christ the third Generall Councell of Ephesus and severall antient Fathers confuted the Heresies of Nestorius and Eutyches about the two natures of our Saviour as I mentioned occasionally before So that such a world of testimonies of Antiquity concurring the Tradition being so constant and uniform S. Leo the Great had just cause to say Ep. 23. In the church of God this is so consonantly witnessed by evemans mouth that the truth of the body and bloud of Christ is not even by the tongues of infants concealed among the Sacraments or Mysteries of the common Faith 6. An Universall Tradition therefore of the Reall Presence hath been so forcible and unconquerable as that it constrained even the English Protestants themselves to acknowledge it and that simply and unhypocritically How could I then defend my self from submitting and captivating my understanding to the same Tradition as constant for a reall change and conversion I must professe ingenuously that during the time of my being a Protestant the only or I am sure principall hinderance from an entire conformity to the Faith of Catholikes in this point was the inextricablenesse of those arguments which my reason suggested to me out of naturall Philosophy against it as how it could be possible that the same body could be in heaven and upon the Altar at the same time how accidents could remain without their proper subjects c. considering with all the small or rather no satisfaction which the Scholasticall subtilties gave me 7. But now if it be demanded what new Philosophy I have learned since I learned that the Catholique church was to be believed and obeyed and what preservative I have found against those former arguments of naturall reason I must answer freely and ingenuously that I have not learned to answer such arguments but to despise them and to say God forbid that vain Philosophy should 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 make a prey of me defrauding me of the most necessary communion with the church of Christ and most essentiall vertue of captivating my understanding to the obedience of all Evangelicall Mysteries I do therefore freely confesse my ignorance and inability to demonstrate how this particular Mystery can consist even with those rules of Philosphy which I my self receive But withall I must not conceale that when I was a Protestant also I did the same for other points as the Mystery of the blessed Trinity the Incarnation of the Son of God c. And I did not find any scruple in those mysteries because I could not reconcile them with Aristotle or any other Patriarch of Heretiques as Tertullian calls the Philosophers 8. I will further add that that which gave me entire satisfaction and obliged me in conscience to silence and not to answer my reason when it would raise objections against Transubstantiation was that the same authority for whose sake I believed it taught me to believe it to be a mystery inexplicable and incomprehensible and that it was not lawfull so to examine it as that it should stand or fall according to the dictates of naturall reason Insomuch as S. Gregory called the Divine spoke like one that deserved that surname in the second Generall Councell of Constantinople That it was not permitted to the Maobites and Ammonites to enter into the church of God that is saith he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. to Logicall and vainly curious and subtill discourses I refer the Reader to an abundant collection of the testimonies of Fathers forbidding this curiosity of examining the possibility of this mystery upon the grounds of naturall reason which are to be found in Cardinall Perrons Reply to King James Repl. lib. 4. cap. 1. 2. c. Therefore far be it from me to determine this Mystery by the subtill and too too curious disputations of the Schoolmen I do not envy them their leasure to employ their fancies about such matters within their owne walls but if they begin to passe for competent Judges of this Mystery I must prosesse that I disclaim them and I cannot without grief remember what dangerous use Protestants make of their vaine and sometimes ridiculous Philosophicall Questions about this Mystery who satisfie themselves that the Mystery it self is

Kingdome of God during the times of their infirmity when they were not able to bear them 9. These being the principall points of controversie between Catholiques and Protestants I judged fit to signifie how when I considered what the church had declared to be her sense of them separating them from private opinions to which no man is obliged they appeared so reasonable and so consonant to antiquity that if I should have continued in a separation from her for their cause I must at the same time have professed to have renounced all interest in the most glorious Saints and Martyrs that ever the church enjoyed And if it were Gods good pleasure that all other Protestants lovers of unity would think fit not to judge of the Catholike church by the character given of her by Calvinist Controvertists who lay to her charge whatsoever imprudent or erroneous positions they find in any particular Catholike author insomuch as I am confident not one objection among twenty in their writings proceeds directly against the church but that if they would be perswaded to hear her testifying of her self in her publike doctrine they would find that they have been cousened into the guilt of this pernicious exterminating crime of Schisme by the passions and iuterests af men enemies to peace and Christian charity and that they have been enemies to Gods church for telling them the truth that perhaps themselves believed in the sense and latitude that she proposeth it Lastly if they would but think the judgement of their own Bucer in Mat. c. 26. worthy to be hearkned to who tells them Nihil esse damnandum quod ull ● ratione bonum esse queat i. e. That nothing is to be condemned especially in the Church the Spouse of Christ and Mother of us all that by any way or in any sense or respect can be good they would think themselves obliged to consider the doctrines of the church with all possible caution modesty humility and charitable construction and not ruine their souls by forsaking her Communion till they found that charity her self which covers a multitude of sins could not excuse her that is till they found that notwithstanding the promises of Christ the gates of bell had actually prevailed against her CHAP. IV. The Holinesse taught and practised in the Catholique Church a great motive to embrace the Doctrines The Authors former exceptious against certaine practises ascribed to the Church with their answers Of the Carthusians Of Mysticall Theology c 1. I Will now discharge the promise which I made in the XVII chap. of the first Section which was to give a narration what effect the eminent rules of holinesse and true solid devotion which contrary to my expectation I found in the Catholike Church had upon me and that not onely to incline my will to love them and desire the practise of them but to dispose my understanding also to be more docible and more easily perswaded of the truth of speculative points which were professed in a Church so enriched and by persons whose whole employment was to love serve glorifie and admire the goodnesse wisdome and all other perfections of Almighty God to meditate day and night upon the holy Mysteries of our Salvation and to mortifie all manner of vice passions and lusts farre more intrinsecally spiritually and perfectly then any thing that I had seen or read before could give me a notion of I hope I need not be ashamed to professe this and however I will not forbeare to publish mine own shame by professing that the life and Councells of S. Charles Borromée and the truly Christian Spirit of humility and meeknesse shining in the writings of Monfieur Sales Bishop of Geneva gave more satisfactory answers to all the objections of Protestants then any I had hitherto found in all the volumes of those famous Cardinalls Baronius Bellarmin and Perron or at least that the former gave a point and a pierceing vertue to the discourses of the later which in former times I had often and without much effect perused 2. That way of satisfying doubts and controversies was the stranger to me because it came directly contrary to my expectation for I must professe I had in former times a far stronger aversion from the Catholike Church considered by me as an enemy to Holinesse then as an enemy to truth I had observed 1. In generall that most of the points in controversie betweene Catholiques and Protestants were such as contributed either to avarice or ambition 2. I saw that rich men to whom our Saviour said it was impossible that they should enter into the Kingdome of heaven were the easiliest admitted of all others by the prostitution of pardons and Indulgences 3. I saw that many Casuists had handled the sins of great men Usury and Simony so tenderly and favourably allowing so many qualifications that it was become almost impossible to deprehend them 4. I saw the antient discipline of the church almost quite vanished and absolution given upon a small penance for such sins adultery blasphemy and that most horrible and atheisticall gallantry of Duelling which the antient church would scarce have pardoned after ten years macerating of the body and soule with fastings weepings and yet greater austerities and for which she would not have received to peace the persons guilty by recidivation by admitting them to the Communion no not in Articulo mortis See the annotation of Petavius upon S. Epiphanius ad Haeres 59. 5. I saw me thought that absolutions were given as of course and that persons though habitually addicted to mortall sins yet upon an outward profession of sorrow expected and challenged pardon and admission to the blessed Sacrament and all this toties quoties 6. I saw that attrition i. e. sorrow for sin meerly out of fear of being damned with the Sacrament was counted a sufficient qualification to remission of sins whereby in my opinion charity it self became unnecessary Such prejudices as these was I possessed withall all which I imputed to the church her self insomuch as though I suspected that my understanding might be over-reached by subtill Disputants to excuse the errours which I believed to be in the Roman church yet I was resolved that it was impossible my will should be seduced so far as to approve such enormous practises 3. Now the occasion and manner how I came to be satisfied of the eminent sanctity taught and practised in the Catholique Church and concerning those practises not that they were excuseable but that they were not to be imputed to the church which was most innocent of them was as follows It hap'ned not long after my arrivall at Paris that my curiosity led me among other places to visit the Monastery of the Carthusians whom we deprehended in their ordinary employment of prayers and in the place of their almost continuall residence the church A sight that was which made a strange impression upon my mind being at that time also in some