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 Protestants.

THat the Pope is by right, and ought to be subiect to generall Councels, and that they haue authoritie to iudge, examine, suspend, punish, & depose him, if there be iust cause, it is proued thus. This matter was pithilie disputed vpon by the Fathers of Basile, some of whose reasons, it shall bee sufficient heere to followe.

1 They proue this conclusion out of Scripture. First, whereas Panormitane had saide, that the Pope was Lorde of the Church, vnto him Segouius answered, that it was the most honourable title of the Bishop of Rome, to be called the ser∣uant of the seruants of God: and Peter, saith hee, forbiddeth pastors to behaue themselues as Lords ouer the Clergie, 1. Pet. 5. And if Christ the sonne of God, came not to be ministred vnto, but to minister and serue, how then can his Vicar haue any dominion? So was Panormitane answered.

Againe, the Diuines thus argued: Christ saith to Peter, dic Ecclesiae, Peter is sent to the Church or Councell: Ergo the veritie doth remit the Bishop of Rome to the Councell. But to this the Iesuite saith, that Peter was not yet entred into his office to bee chiefe Bishop, but was as a priuate person. So then belike, this rule of our Sauiour Christ, dic Ecclesiae, tell it to the Church, did but binde Pe∣ter, till Christ were ascended, and he receiued his Vicar-dome.

This cauillous answere the Fathers of Basile wisely foresaw, and preuented it, for they shew how Peter was subiect to Councels euen after the ascension, as Act. 11. Peter is rebuked (say they) by the congregation, because he went to Cor∣nelius an heathen man, as if it had not been lawfull for him to attempt any great matter without the knowledge of the congregation: but that seemeth to make more for the purpose, Galath. 2. where Paule rebuked Peter to his face, because

contrarie to the decree of the Councell of the Apostles, hee did cogere gentes Iu∣daizare, hee would constraine the Gentiles to doe like the Iewes. Ergo, Peter was subiect vnto the Councell, ex Aenea Syluio.

Other reasons many were alleaged by the Fathers of Basile. First the Bi∣shop of Burgen: As in euery well ordered Kingdome, the whole realme should be of more authoritie then the King, so the Church ought to be of more autho∣ritie then the Pope, though he were Prince thereof.

The Diuines brought these argumēts: the Church is the mother of the faith∣full, and so of the Pope, if he be a faithfull man: the Pope is then the Churches sonne, as both Anacletus and Calixtus Bishops of Rome confessed. Ergo how much the sonne is inferiour to his mother, so much is the Church superiour to the Pope. Secondly, the Pope is inferiour to Angels, he is not greater then Iohn Baptist, of whom it is said, that the least in the Kingdome of God is greater then he: but the Angels doe reuerentlie accord vnto the doctrine of the Church. Ephes. 3.10. Ergo the Pope is bound to doo the same, who is lesse then the An∣gels. These Fathers thought none so absurd to denie the Pope to be inferiour to Angels, and therefore labour not to proue it. Yet Antoninus an olde Papist saith, Non minor honor datur Papae, quàm Angelis, there is no lesse honour due to the Pope then to the Angels. Nay another saith (I thinke it be Pope Paschalis) Datur Episcopis, quod ne Angelis, vt Christi corpus crearent: it is graunted to Bi∣shops, which is not giuen to the Angels, to create the bodie of Christ. But the Fathers of Basile thought not these men worthie the answere, no more doe we, and so let thē passe. Thirdly, the Pope (say they) being the Vicar of the Church, for he is more truely so called, then the Vicar of Christ▪ he may be deposed of the Church: for a Lord may put out his Vicar at his pleasure. Ergo the Pope is vnder Councels.

4 If the Councels might not ouerrule the Pope, there were no remedie left to resist a wicked Pope: Shall we suffer all things, say they, to run into ruine and decay with him? for it is not like, that hee would congregate a Councell against himselfe. To this the Iesuite answereth, that there is no remedie left, but to pray to God in such a case; who will either confound or conuert such a Pope. Here is goodly diuinitie: we know that Antichrist shall at length be destroyed at the comming of Christ: but if he should be let alone in the meane while, and not be bridled, he might doe much hurt, as he hath done too much alreadie. Yet the Ie∣suite confesseth, that a wicked Pope may bee resisted by force and armes: and why not, I pray you, as well by peaceable meanes? these sayings are contrarie. Bellarm. cap. 19.

So then this is Popish diuinitie, that be the Pope neuer so wicked, doe he ne∣uer so much harme, hee is not to bee controuled of any mortall man. Such doul∣tish schoole poynts maintained especially by begging friers, the fathers of Ba∣sile complained of: As that they should say, that no man ought to iudge the high and principall seate, that it cannot be iudged, either by Emperour, Clergie, King or people. Other affirme, that the Lord hath reserued to himselfe the depo∣sitions

of the chiefe Bishop: Others, yet more mad, are not ashamed to affirme, that the Bishop of Rome, though hee carrie soules in neuer so great number to hell, yet is he not subiect to any correction, or rebuke. For all these straunge and blasphemous positions, the fathers concluded, as yee haue heard, that the Pope ought to obey generall Councels.

4 Lastly, I will adioyne the iudgement of Augustine, who writing in his 162. Epistle concerning the Donatists, whose cause was heard and determined by the Emperours appoyntment at Rome before Miltiades then Bishop there, and other Bishops assistants: and yet for all this the Donatists would not bee quiet: Thus he saith, Putemus, illos iudices, qui Romae iudicauerunt, non bonos iu∣dices fuisse: Restabat adhuc plenarium Concilium, &c. Put case (saith hee) that the Bishop of Rome and the rest, iudged corruptly: there remayned yet ano∣ther remedie: A generall Councell might haue beene called, where the iudges and the cause might further haue been tried, and examined, & their iudgement, if there were cause, reuersed. Whereby it appeareth, say the fathers of Basile, that not onely the sentence of the Pope alone, but also the Pope with his Bi∣shops ioyned with him, might be made frustrate by a Councell. Here the Iesuite paltreth & saith, that a matter determined by the Pope in a particular Councell may be called againe in question by the Pope in a general Councel. First what neede that, seeing that a particular Councel hauing the Popes authoritie, as the Iesuite confesseth, cannot erre? Againe, Augustine saith, vbi cum ipsis iudicibus causa possit agitari: In the which generall Councell the cause and the former iudges, of the which Miltiades was one, may bee tryed and examined, so that the Pope himselfe might be adiudged by the Councell, and not the cause onely. Vpon the Premisses we truely and iustly conclude, that the Pope is and of right ought to be subiect to generall Councels.