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 Protestantes.

WE do beleeue and hold that it is requisite, expedient and necessarie for the Scriptures to be vttered and set forth in the vulgare and commō speach, and that none vpon any occasion ought to be prohibited the reading thereof for knowledge and instructions sake: and that Christian Magistrates ought to prouide, that the people may haue the Scriptures in their mother & knowē toung. Wherefore great wrong was offered to the people of England that diuerse 100. yeares, till king Henrie the eight, could not be suffred to haue the Scriptures in English. And how I pray you did the Papistes storme, when as Tindals translatiō came forth? some affirming that it was impossible to haue the Scriptures trāslated into English, some that it would make the people he∣retikes: others that it would cause thē to rebell. Fox. pag. 117. col. 1. What fowle and shamefull slaunders were these? For the vulgare translations of Scripture we reason thus.

1 It is Gods commandement, that the Scriptures should be read before the people, that they may learne to feare God, Deut. 31. vers. 11.12. The people are commanded to write the law vpon their gates, and in their houses to conferre and talke with their children and teach them the law▪ Deut. 6.6.7.8. And our Sauiour biddeth the people search the Scripture, Iohn. 5. v. 39. Ergo what God hath commaunded, no man ought to prohibite or forbid: the people therfore

must not be kept from reading of Scripture.

2 Without Scripture there is no faith, faith is necessarie for all people, Ergo the knowledge of the Scripture: that faith cōmeth by the scriptures, read Iohn. 20.31. these things are written, that ye might beleeue Iesus Christ to be the sonne of God. Againe the weapons of Christiā men, are not denied to any, whereby they should fight against their spirituall enemies, but the word of God is a speciall part of our harnesse,* 1.1 and a principall weapon, euen the sword of the spirite Ergo.

3 The Gospell may be preached in the vulgare toung, as our blessed Sa∣uiour and the holy Apostles taught the people: Ergo the word of God may be read and writtē in the vulgare toung. The proposition our aduersaries graunt, that Sermōs may be made in the vulgare toung: but it foloweth not, say they, that therefore Scripture should be in the mother toung. Rhem. 1. Cor. 14.8. But I pray you how can the preacher alledge Scripture in his Sermō, vnlesse it be recited in the vulgare toung? or how should the people know they preach the word, vnlesse they may compare their doctrine, with Scripture as the Ber∣rheans did? Act. 17.

4 We haue the practise of the Church of God in times past for our war∣rant: for in Chrisostomes time the people had vulgare translations: whereupon he exhorteth them to get them Bibles, or at the least the new Testament, the Actes of the Apostles, the Gospels. Homil. 9. Epist. ad Coloss. We heard before that the Armenians, Sclauonians, Gothes had the Scripture in their own lan∣guage: so many hundred yeares ago in England king Alured translated the Psalter: a copie whereof was found in Crowland Abbey, called S. Guthlakes Psalter, as M. Lābert witnesseth: and Bede our learned country man, translated S. Iohns Gospell. Fox. pag. 1115. col. 2. The Rhemistes also confesse that more then 300. yeare ago the Italians had the Bible translated, and the French men aboue 200. yeares ago. Praefatan Testam. 4. sect. Why should not the people of God haue the same libertie now freely to read the Scriptures, as they haue had in times past?

5 Let vs heare Augustines opinion: Lectiones diuinas (saith he) & in Ecclesia, sicut consuestis, audite, & in domib. vestris relegite. I would haue you both to at∣tend vnto the publike readings in the Church, and in your house to read ouer againe the holy lessons: but how could the people read them at home, if they were not in their vulgare toung?

Notes

• * 1.1

  Ephe. 6.