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, WHETHER CHRIST suffered in soule.

The Papists.

THey vtterly denie, that Christ felt any paine or anguish in soule vpon the [error 100] Crosse, otherwise then for griefe of his bodily torments: but doe charge them with horrible blasphemie that doe so affirme, Rhemist. Math. 27. sect. 3.

1. The scripture doth ascribe the worke of our redemption and reconcilia∣tion only to the blood of Christ vpon the Crosse, Coloss. 1.20. Ephes. 1.7. Ergo, the death of the bodie of Christ, without any further anguish in soule, was sufficient, Bellarm. de Christi anima. lib. 4. cap. 8.

Ans. 1. By the blood of Christ vpon the Crosse, must needes bee vnderstood all the parts and circumstances of his passion, both his sufferings in bodie and soule: for if it should be vnderstood properly, the blood of Christ onely were sufficient, and so his bodie and flesh should be excluded: and if the shedding of his blood be taken simply, we shal finde, that it was no part of his death: for his side was pearced, whereout issued water and blood, after he had yeelded vp the ghost, and all the torments of death were past: yea after he had vttered these words vpon the Crosse, It is finished, that is, he had payd the full raunsome for mankind, Iohn. 19. vers. 30.34. Wherefore by his blood must be vnderstood, by a Synecdoche, when one part is taken for the whole, all the other paines and tor∣ments which he suffered in his flesh.

Secondly, yea and the paines of the soule to are by that speech fitly expressed: for the blood of euery creature, is the life thereof, Genes. 9.4. Leuit. 17.14. But the soule is the life of man: Ergo, not vnproperly by the shedding of Christs blood, euen the vexation, and at the last the expiration of his soule, and so his whole passion both in body and soule is signified. Wherefore as in those pla∣ces alleadged, we read the blood of Christ, or the blood of the Crosse, so other∣where in more generall termes the Apostles call it, The dying of Christ, 2. Cor. 4.10. And the suffrings of Christ, 1. Pet. 4.13.

Argum. 2. If Christ, when he cried out vpon the Crosse, O God my God, why hast thou forsaken me? had felt the wrath of God, and despaired of his help, he should most greeuously haue sinned: Bellarm. ibid.

Ans. 1. It cannot be, that Christ thus cried out for the paine of bodily death: for then he had beene of greater infirmitie then many of his seruants, that in the midst of extreme torments neuer complained. And therefore it must needs be the burthen of the wrath and curse of God, that he endured for our sinne, that made him so to cry out vpon the crosse.

2. Neither doth it follow that Christ vttered those words in despaire, but only to shew the great anguish, trouble, and perturbation of his spirite, being vpon the crosse considered now as a meere man, his diuine nature and power repres∣sing and hiding it selfe for a time: and although in the vexation of his soule he thus cryed out, yet he was not altogether left comfortlesse in spirite, in that he said, My God, my God: which wordes must needs declare an inward confidēce and assured trust in God.

The Protestants.

WE holde, it was necessary for our redemption, that Christ should not one∣ly suffer bodily paines, but also feele the very anguish and horror of soule: that as by his death we are redeemed both body and soule, so he should pay the ransome for both in his body and soule.

1. That our Sauiour suffered great anguish in soule, the scripture testifieth: for before his suffring in his body vpon the crosse, being in the garden, he saith of himselfe, My soule is heauy vnto death: at the same time being grieuously trou∣bled: he sweat water and blood: and last of all, hanging vpon the crosse he cryed out. By those effectes it is euidently proued, that there was a greater feare in him, then of the death of the body: for many holy Martyrs haue without any shew of such griefe endured horrible torments in the flesh, and therefore conse∣quently it followeth, that those things proceeded from the griefe of his soule, as the Apostle sheweth: Heb. 5.7. He offered vp praiers with strong crying and teares, to him that was able to saue him from death, and was heard in that which he feared. If it had beene onely feare of bodily death, what need such strong cries with teares? And the text is plaine, that he was heard, that is, saued frō the death which he feared: but he was not saued from the bodily death: for he died

and gaue vp the ghost: wherefore it was the great horror of soule that caused him to feare.

Bellarm. answereth for all this, that it was the bodily death which he feared: but not of necessitie, because he could not otherwise choose, but willingly, he would abide this brunt also of the feare and sorrow of death: Voluit poenam mae∣roris & timoris subire vt redemptio esset copiosae. And heerein he exceedeth all o∣ther men that haue suffered: for they are ridde from feare, because God giueth them greater comfort, and they regarde not the present torment: but Christ willingly and of his owne accord drew himselfe into this agonie of feare.

Ans. 1. That Christ as he was God, had determined and set it downe to dye for the world, it is not to be doubted of: but that as he was man, he had not a de∣sire to escape death, as being ignorant of Gods determination, it is contrary to the Scriptures: which make mention of his earnest praier that he made thrice, that the cup might passe, Math. 26. Therefore Christ willingly entred not into that agony of feare in his humane desire, but as submitting himselfe and his will in obedience to his fathers will.

2. He is contrary to him selfe, in saying that Christs bodily sufferings were sufficient for our redemption, and yet graunteth, that Christ, vt redemptio esset copiosa, That our redemption might be more full, would abide also the smart of the feare of death: If he feared but the bodily death, as he saith, yet was he trou∣bled in soule, and therefore besides bodily paine, he suffered anguish in his soule.

Argum. 2. Act. 2.24. Whom God hath raised vp, saith S. Peter, and loosed the sorrowes of death, for it was impossible that he should be holden of it: Ergo, Christ suffered the sorrowes of death, and felt the wrath of God, which caused those sorrowes. The vulgare Latine hath the sorrowe, of hell (solutis dolorib. in∣fern••) which pincheth the Papists very sore: for how could Christ be loosed from the sorrowes of hell, if first he had not beene helde of them?

That which Bellarmine answereth, that Christ loosed the sorrowes of hell for others, which were to be deliuered, is but a poore shift: for the text is plaine, It was impossible that he, that is, Christ himselfe, should be stil holden of it: it is spoken of the holding of Christ and not of any other.

Argu. 3. The prophet Esay saith, He was wounded for our sins, and broken for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was vpon him, and with his stripes are we healed, Esay 53.5. But we could haue no peace with God, vnlesse all the punishment due vnto vs for our sinne, had beene vndertaken by Christ: where∣fore seeing we by our sinne, had deserued to be punished both in body & soule, it was necessary, that our redeemer should be wounded and broken wholly for vs: for how els by his stripes should we wholly be healed?

Augustine thus reasoneth against Felicianus the Arrian, and proueth that Christ tooke not onely humane flesh, but an humane soule. Si totus homo pe∣ri••••, &c. If man wholly were lost, saith he, he had wholly need of a Sauiour, and if he wholly needed a Sauiour, Christ by his comming wholly redeemed him:

therefore Christ tooke vpon him the whole nature of man, both body & soule: for if, since the whole man hath sinned, Christ onely had taken our flesh, the soule of man should still remaine guiltie of punishment: haec Augustine cont. Felician. cap. 13. By the same reason we proue it was necessary that Christ should suffer both in body and soule: by the which Augustine inferreth, that Christ tooke both body and soule: he did assume them both, to redeeme both: But he redeemed vs, not in being borne for vs, or walking, or preaching heere vpon earth, (although these were preparations to his sacrifice) but by dying and suffering for vs: Ergo, he suffered both in body & soule the punishmēt due vnto sinners. They graūt that Christ suffered anguish in soule, yet not properly in the soule, but onely for the bodily death, which was no part of the punishmēt of the soule: which consisted in the very sense and feeling of Gods wrath, and the tor∣ments of hell due vnto mankinde for their sinnes. This punishment of the soule ought also necessarily to haue beene vndertaken by Christ, being the redeemer both of body and soule.