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 THIRD PART, OF PARDONS and Indulgences.

The Papists.

1. THe principall Magistrates of the Church are no lesse authorized to par∣don, then to punish, & to remit the temporall punishment due to sinners, [error 23] the offence being first forgiuen, which wee call an Indulgence or pardon, Rhemist. 2. Corinth. 2.4. Concil. Trid sess. 25.

Argum. To whome you forgiue any thing, I forgiue also, 2. Corinth. 2.10. Here the Apostle forgiueth the young man a peece of his punishment, when he might haue kept him longer in penance for his offence, Rhemist. ibid.

Ans. 1. Wee denie not, but that the Church may release such publike exer∣cise of humiliation, which is enioyned offenders for triall of their repentance, and some satisfaction of the Church, when it seeth, that they are sufficiently humbled. But it followeth not, that the Church therefore may dispence with any necessarie part of repentance towards God. Secondly, whereas you say, the Apostle, notwithstanding his rebuke was sufficient, might haue kept the young man still in temporall punishment: it is cleane contrarie to the Apostles owne rule, who perswadeth the Corinthians to forgiue him, least he should bee ouercome of too much heauines, vers. 7. The Apostle therefore would neither forgiue nor release him, before they had forgiuen him, and hee had satisfied the whole Church, verse 10. Neither would hee keepe him longer in punishment, hauing once sorrowed sufficiently, verse 6. The Apostle therefore did neither binde nor release him at his owne pleasure, but as hee sawe repentance to bee wrought in the offender.

The Protestants.

THe power which the Pope and popish Bishops doe challenge vnto them∣selues, in giuing Pardons and Indulgences, is most blasphemous.

1 They doe take vpon them to release both the punishment of this life, and the paines of purgatorie also, and say, that their pardons profite both the dead and the liuing, Bull. Leon. 10.

2 They pardon not only the punishment, but the sin both past, and to come, for dayes, yeares, hundreds, thousands of yeeres: how so euer the Rhemists

would beare vs in hand that an indulgence is a release but of the punishment. Such was the first Iubile pardon granted by Boniface 8. an. 1300. And another by Leo the 10. an. 1513. See also the Boston pardons graunted by Pope Inno∣cent, Pope Iu••ye, Pope Clement, which gaue them release of all their sinnes for fiue hundred yeares, Fox. pag. 1178.

3 And, which filled vp the measure of iniquitie, they set their pardons to sale: as in Pope Leo his time, his pardoners for ten shillings would giue to any man power,* 1.1 to deliuer one soule at his pleasure out of purgatorie.

Argum. The scripture saith, that God onely forgiueth sinnes, Mark. 2.7. And that Christ no otherwise, then as God, forgaue sinnes, vers. 10. His Apo∣stles onely as his ministers and Ambassadors, and in his name, declare and pro∣nounce remission of sinnes, 2. Corinth. 5.19. Wherefore there is no such power giuen vnto men, at their pleasure to binde or loose.

* 1.2Augustine saith, Non secundum arbitrium hominum tenentur, aut soluuntur peccata, sed ad arbitrium Dei, & orationes sanctorum: Sinnes are not loosed, or re∣tained at the pleasure of men, but according to the will of God, and praiers of his Church.

The Papists.

[error 24] 2. THe satisfactorie and meritorious workes of the Saints which doe a∣bound, being communicable, and applicable to the faithfull that want, are the very ground of the indulgences and pardons of the Church, and the very treasure thereof, and to be dispensed according to euery mans neede by the pa∣stors of the Church, 2. Corinth. 2. sec. 5. Coloss. 1. sect. 4.

The Protestants.

HEre are many blasphemies and vntruthes couched together:

1 That a mans penalties may exceede and bee greater then his sinnes, and so his abounding may supplie another mans want: for thus the Rhemists say: which cannot stand with the iustice of God, to punish a man more then he hath deserued. And it is contrarie to the Scriptures:

Enter not into iudgement with thy seruant: for in thy sight shall none that liueth be iustified, Psalm. 143.2. And Iob saith, If the Lord should call him to account, he should not answere one to a thousand, 9.3.

2 How can the Church gouernours dispense the merites of one to another▪ Who made them stewards of another mans good? Yee say also the contrarie your selues, That the abounding passiōs of the Saints are applicable to others by the sufferers intention, Rhem. 1. Colo. 2.2. Then not by the Churches dispensation.

3 It is a great blasphemie, that one may bee holpen by another mans me∣rites, and it doth derogate from the death of Christ, whose onely merites are the treasure and storehouse of the Church: The most righteous man that euer was,

can but saue his owne soule, Ezech. 14.14. And that onely by Christ.

Augustine saith:

Vnusquisque pro se rationem reddet,* 1.3 nec alieno testimonio quis∣quam adiuuatur apud Deum, & vix sibi quisque sufficit, &c. Euery man shall giue account for himselfe, before God no man is holpen by the testimonie of another: the testimonie of his owne conscience doth hardly suffice for him∣selfe.

The Papists.

3. THe dispensing of pardons and indulgences, is onely committed, they say, [error 25] to the chiefe magistrates the Popes and Bishops: and as the Bishops in their Diocese haue especiall cases reserued to themselues, wherein inferiour Priests are not to deale: so the Pope hath also his proper reseruations, wherein other Prelates are not to meddle, Concil. Trident. sess. 14. cap. 7. The cases reser∣ued to the Pope are 51. in number, Fox. pag. 785. The Bishop of Paris, ann. 1515 reserued these cases to himselfe, to dispense in murder, witchcraft, sacrilege, he∣resie, simonie, adulterie, ex Tileman. Heshus. loc. 9. de poeniten. err. 63. Likewise the yeares of their pardons are limited: Bishops may not exceede 40. dayes pardon: the Pope may be lauish in his hundreds and thousands, yea, and this reseruation of cases, standeth not onely with the externall policie of the Church, but is of force euen before God, Concil. Trident. sess. 14. cap. 7.

The Protestants.

WE will not much contend with them about reseruation of cases: for wee acknowledge no such power to giue pardons, or indulgences, either in su∣perior or inferior Priests: yet wee will shew how this deuise of theirs standeth not with their owne doctrine.

Argum. 1. It is a greater power to remit the sinne, then to release the pu∣nishment: but euery Priest hath the greater power, as they say, to remit sinnes, yea as fullie as hath the Pope himselfe: Allen in his booke of pardons, cap. 2. Ergo, why haue they not the lesse power, which is by indulgence to dispense with the punishment? And that of these two, the remission of sinnes is the grea∣ter, it is confessed by the Rhemist. 2. Corinth. 2. sect 6.

Argum. 2. In the point of death, the reseruation of cases hath no place: but at that time euery Priest may absolue from all manner sinnes and punish∣ment, Concil. Trident. sess. 14▪ cap. 7. But euery houre is with some, and ought to be with all, the point of death: because we are vncertaine when it commeth, and therefore ought alwaies to be in a readines. Therefore euen by their owne rule euery Priest hath at all times authoritie to absolue in all cases.

Againe, if those words of Christ be spoken to all ministers and preachers of the Gospell, Iohn. 20.22. Whose sinnes ye reteine, &c. (which cannot bee deni∣ed) to them all then is committed equally that power of binding and loosing, which is exercised by the preaching of the word.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Fox. p. 844.
• * 1.2

  De Baptis. lib. 3. cap. 18
• * 1.3

  In Matt. serm. 22.