Synopsis papismi, that is, A generall viewe of papistry wherein the whole mysterie of iniquitie, and summe of antichristian doctrine is set downe, which is maintained this day by the Synagogue of Rome, against the Church of Christ, together with an antithesis of the true Christian faith, and an antidotum or counterpoyson out of the Scriptures, against the whore of Babylons filthy cuppe of abominations: deuided into three bookes or centuries, that is, so many hundreds of popish heresies and errors. Collected by Andrew Willet Bachelor of Diuinity.

THE SEVENTH QVESTION, of satisfaction.

THis question containeth these parts: First, whether the sinne being forgiuen, there remaine any punishment.

2. Whether the temporall punishment of this life may be redeemed by good workes.

3. Whether the wrath of God may be satisfied for sinne, and the punishment due vnto the same.

4. Whether one man may satisfie for another: of these now in their order.

THE FIRST PART, WHETHER THE PVNISH∣ment remaine, the sinne being once pardoned.

The Papists.

[error 17] THey doe affirme, that it may stand with the iustice of God to forgiue the sinne committed, & yet reserue the punishment, Concil. Triden. sess. 14. can. 14. Argum. The Lord forgaue vnto Dauid the sinne of adulterie and murder, which he had committed, yet he punished him in the death of his child, 2. Sam. 12.13.14. Bellarm. lib. 4. cap. 2.

The Protestants.

Ans. THat crosse was laid vpon Dauid, not as a punishment of his sinne, but as a fatherly correction or chastisement, to exercise him & make him more carefull for the time following: as Augustine sayth, writing vpon the same ex∣ample:* 1.1 Subsecutus est illius comminationis effectus, vt pietas hominis in illa humilitate exerceretur, at{que} probaretur: The effect of the threatning immediat∣ly followed, that Dauids godlines might thereby be tried and proued: He saith not, that Dauid might thereby be punished.

Argum. Christ sayd to the sicke of the palsie, Mark. 2.5. Sonne, thy sinnes are forgiuen thee. Whereby our Sauiour would haue them to vnderstand, that the sinne being once forgiuen, the sicknes of the bodie, which was the punish∣ment of sinne, could not continue: for the cause being remoued, the effect ceaseth.

The afflictions of this life are the louing corrections of God to admonish vs, not plagues to punish vs: as Augustine sayth well, Tota miseria generis humani dolor medecinalis, non sententia poenalis: The miserie of man is but a medicinall griefe, not a sentence of punishment: In Psalm. 138.

THE SECOND PART, WHETHER THE TEMPO∣rall punishment of this life may be redeemed by good workes.

The Papists.

[error 18] THat we may redeeme and buy out as it were the punishments due to sinne in this life, by other good works, it is their generall sentence: and they proue it thus.

Argum. Daniel sayd to Nabuchadnezzar the King, Redeeme thy sinnes by righteousnes, and thine iniquities by shewing mercie to the poore, cap. 4.24. Bellarm. cap. 3.

The Protestants.

Ans. THe text is rather thus to be read: Breake off thy sinnes by righteousnes: that is, leaue off to doe euill: as it is by Tremellius translated more a∣greeably to the Hebrue: for if redemption be here properly vnderstood, it would follow that men may redeeme not onely the punishment of their sinnes, but the sinnes themselues: and so take Christs office out of his hand.

By true and faithfull repentance, and other good works proceeding of faith, we may auoyde Gods heauie iudgement due to our sinnes, yet not for the merit or satisfaction of any worke, but through the merites onely of Christ.

Argum. Looke how our sins are forgiuen, so is the punishment due vnto them: but our sins are forgiuen vs freely in Christ, Ierem. 31.34. Ergo, so is the punishment.

THE THIRD PART, WHETHER A MAN may truely satisfie the wrath of God, for the punish∣ment due vnto sinne.

The Papists.

IT is not a sufficient satisfaction, to beleeue that Christ hath abundantly satis∣fied [error 19] for vs; neither yet is it enough to amend and correct our liues: but God also must be satisfied for our sinnes, by the punishment and chastisement of our selues, as by affliction laid vpon vs by God, or penance enioyned by the priest, or by praier, fasting, almes deedes, which we doe take vp our selues, Concil. Trid. sess. 14. can. 13. Rhemist. Matth. 11.21.

Argum. 1. Matth. 3.8. Bring forth fruites worthie repentance: he prea∣cheth satisfaction by doing worthie fruites of penance, as fasting, praier, almes, and the like, Rhemist.

Ans. Fruites worthie of repentance, are no satisfaction for sinne, but argu∣ments of true repentance, effectes, not any part thereof.

Argum. 2. Iudge your selues, that you bee not iudged, 1. Corinth. 11.31. We must punish our selues according to the waight of the sinnes past, Rhemist. And againe saith the Apostle, What great punishment hath it wrought in you! 2. Corinth. 7.11. This is nothing else but the satisfactorie punishment for our sinnes, Bellarm. lib. 4. cap. 8.

Ans. The Apostle meaneth nothing else, but an hartie and earnest sorrowe for our sinnes, whereby we doe iudge and condemne, and as it were punish our selues, yet wee are farre from making any satisfaction hereby for our sinnes: as Augustine saith,

Omnis iniquitas puniatur necesse est, aut à poenitente homine, aut vindicante Deo: vis non puniat? puni tu: antequam ipse intendat vt puniat, tu confitendo praeueni & puni.* 1.2 All sinne must needes be punished either of man him∣selfe repenting, or God reuenging: if thou wilt not haue him punish, punish

thou, before he intend to punish: preuent him by thy confession, and punish thy selfe.

So then this punishment of our selues is nothing else, but true repentance and confession of our sinnes.

The Protestants.

THat satisfaction ought to be made vnto men, either by restitution, as Zache∣us restored that which hee had wrongfully gotten: or by reconciling our selues to those, whom wee haue offended, as Matth. 5.24. wee doe willingly grant: but that the wrath of God may be appeased and satisfied for our sinnes, or the punishment due vnto the same by any worke of ours, it is a great blasphe∣mie, and cleane contrarie to the course of Scripture.

Argum. 1. That it is sufficient to returne vnto God by true repentance and amendement of life, without any satisfaction, either for our sinne, or the pu∣nishment of sinne: the Prophet Ezechiel sheweth, where speaking of the con∣uersion of a wicked man, he saith, His iniquities shal no more be mentioned, or laid to his charge, chap. 18.22. But if after the sinne remitted, there should re∣maine some punishment behinde, his sinnes should still bee remembred and mentioned: there is therefore no satisfaction for the punishment of sinne, be∣cause none remaineth.

Argum. 2. Isai. 43.25. I am he that putteth away thine iniquities for mine owne sake. Likewise, 53.4. He hath borne our infirmities, and carried our sor∣rowes: the chastisement of our peace was vpon him, and with his stripes are we healed. God of his free mercie doth forgiue our sinne: Christ also hath fully sa∣tisfied for vs: Ergo, there is no satisfaction in vs: wee are made whole by his stripes, and not our owne.

Argum. 3. Our praiers, fastings, almes, and what workes soeuer, are neither meritorious, nor satisfactorie: for when we haue done all, we are but vnprofita∣ble seruants, and we did no more then was our duetie, Luk. 17.10.

* 1.3Augustine saith, Peccasti in fratrem? fac satis, & sanatus es. Hast thou offen∣ded thy brother? satisfie him, and thou art healed. Qui multos offendit peccando, placare multos debet satisfaciendo: He that hath offended many in sinning, must appease many by satisfying them. These kindes of satisfaction both publikely and priuately we acknowledge: but satisfaction to God, neither hee, nor we ac∣knowledge. Lachrymas lego, satisfactionem non lego: I reade of Peters teares, saith he,* 1.4 but of no satisfaction.

THE FOVRTH PART, WHETHER ONE man may satisfie for another.

The Papists.

[error 20] SAtisfactorie workes are not onely profitable to the sufferers themselues, but also for other their fellow members in Christ, and one may beare the burthen, and discharge the debt of another, Rhemist. Coloss. 1. sect. 4.

Argum The passions of the Saints are suffered for the common good of the whole bodie, as Saint Paul saith: Now I reioyce in my sufferings for you, and fulfill that which is behinde of the afflictions of Christ for his bodies sake, which is the Church, Coloss. 1.24. Here Saint Pauls afflictions are meritorious and satisfactorie for the Colossians, Rhemist.

Ans. The Apostles sufferings were for the glorie of God, and the confirma∣tion of their faith: but therefore it followeth not, that they were meritorious, ei∣ther for himselfe, or others. His sufferings are said to be Christs, who suffereth in his members, not that they receiue any force from Christ to bee satisfactorie, but because hee was made like and conformable by his sufferings vnto Christ, Rom. 8.17. Augustine also thus expoundeth the place, Non dixit, pressurarum mearum, sed Christi, quia membrum erat Christi: He saith not, of my sufferings,* 1.5 but of Christs, because hee was a member of Christ: they are not then the suffe∣rings of Christ, as though they receiued a satisfactorie power from Christ: but because hee was a member of Christ, who suffered together in and with his members.

The Protestants.

NOne can merite or satisfie for themselues, much lesse for others: neither can one man beare the burthen, or pay the debt of another mans sinne.

Argum. The Scripture saith, The soule that sinneth, the same shall die, Ezech. 18.20. Euery man shall beare his own burthen, Galath. 6.5. None can redeeme his brother, or giue a price to God for him, Psalm. 49.8.

Augustine vpon those words, Iohn. 16.23. Whatsoeuer yee shall aske in my name, he will giue it you:

Exaudiuntur quippe omnes sancti pro seipsis: non autem exaudiuntur pro omnibus, vel amicis, vel inimicis, &c. The Saints are heard pray∣ing for themselues:* 1.6 but they are not heard praying for all their friends or ene∣mies, because it is not said simplie, He will giue, but, He will giue to you.

Ergo, much lesse can they satisfie for others, if their praiers bee not heard alwaies for others.

Notes

• * 1.1

  De pecca∣tor. merit. & remiss. lib. 2 34.
• * 1.2

  In Psal. 58.
• * 1.3

  In Matth. serm. 16. De poeni∣tent. cap. 10
• * 1.4

  De tempor. serm. 117.
• * 1.5

  Tract. in Iohan. 10••.
• * 1.6

  Tract in Iohan. 102.