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 FIRST PART CONCERNING THE solitarie and austere life of Monkes.

The Papists.

TO liue in solitarie places, to weare sack-cloth, to be giuen continually to [error 94] fasting, to lie hard, to fare meanely, and by other such wayes to punish and afflict the bodie, they say, are notable meanes to bring the soule to the contem∣plation of heauenly things.

1 John Baptist liued in the desart, fared coursely, and was barely appa∣relled, he ate Locusts and wilde honie, and ware a garment of Camels haire: he was a right paterne of true Eremites, Bellarm. cap. 39. lib. 2. de Monach.

Answer. First, Johns life was not so austere, as they make it: for the place where he liued was not so solitarie, but that there were villages and houses not far off, as it may appeare by the peoples resort vnto him: his apparel was of Camels hayre, and was somewhat course, yet no such thing as sack-cloth,* 1.1 or haire-cloth, for of the finest of the Camels haire Chamblets and Grograines are made that are had in price amongst vs: his diet also in eating Locusts & wilde honie was vsual in that coūtrey. Secondly, we denie not but Iohn liued an austere life, because he was a preacher of repentance, & had a singular office to prepare men for the cōming of Christ: Therfore his calling being extraordinary, he can∣not be an author of an ordinary calling among Christians. Thirdly, seeing Christ came eating and drinking, liued amongst men, and was apparelled as o∣thers were, why should Christians rather choose to imitate the Baptist, who had no office or ministerie in the Gospel, Math. 11.11. then our Sauiour Christ, whose life and doctrine is for our imitation?

The Protestants.

THat the solitarie life of Eremites, in flying the comfortable societie of men, and their rigorous manner in the vnnatural chastising of their bodies, is con∣trarie to the rule of the Gospell, thus we shew it.

1 Heb. 10.24.25. Let vs consider one another, and prouoke one another to good workes, not forsaking the assemblies of our selues together, as the ma∣ner of some is, but exhorting one another: here the Apostle speaketh manifestly against those that shunne the societie and companie of their brethren, because they must needes fayle in the dueties of charitie, as in exhorting one another, and prouoking to good works: these dueties Eremites can not performe, there∣fore their life is vnlawfull: and Math. 24, it is a note of false prophets and false Christs to liue in the desarts. Againe, they that loue solitarie places, doe offer themselues to tentation, and fall into the snares of the diuel: God saw it was not good for Adam, no not in Paradise, to liue alone: but I think their desarts are farre vnlike to Paradise: Christ to be tempted of the diuell was lead into the Wildernes: Therfore such places are fit for Sathans working. The preacher sayth, Two are better then one, for if one ouercome him, two shal stand against him, Eccles. 4.12. We are better able being ayded by our brethren to resist Sa∣than then being alone: We ought not then to tempt God, and not knowing our own strength, to goe forth into solitarie places, and as it were prouoke Sa∣than to the Combat.

2 That cruel and inhumane kind of chastising their bodies by fasting & o∣ther discipline vtterly is vnlawful. The Monks called Grandimōtenses, did weare shirts of maile next their bodies, the Charter Monkes, haire-cloth: the Monks Flagellants went bare-foote in linnen shirts, leauing an open place in the backe where they did daylie whip themselues before the people, till the blood follo∣wed. Moses a certaine Abbot did so afflict his bodie with fasting and watching, that for 2. or 3. daies together many times he had no appetite at all to his meat, neither could sleepe. An other Eremite (as Cassianus writeth) did purpose with himselfe not to eate meate, vnlesse he had some guest or stranger with him, and so was constrayned to abstaine somtime fiue dayes together: two other Mona∣sticall brethren, trauayling in the desart of Thebaide, did vow not to take any sustenance, but such as God should send them: and as they went, a certaine wilde people,* 1.2 contrarie to their custome, offered them meat, the one tooke it as sent of God, the other refused it, because he thought it to be sent rather of man then of God, and so died.

Basilius magnus, and Gregor. Nazianzene, did so pluck downe themselues by immoderate fasting, that when they were called to bee Bishops they were not able to sustaine the labour thereof.

Where in all the scriptures learned these men, thus to punish their bodies? this is not with Saint Paul to subdue and bring vnder the flesh: but to kill and destroy it: contrary to that saying of Saint Paul▪ No man euer yet hated his own flesh,* 1.3 but loueth & cherisheth it: see I pray you, how these men loued and che∣rished their bodies?

Let vs heare what Aug. sayth, Tudeseris res humanas, & segregas te, vt nemo te videat: Cui proderis? tu ad hoc peruenisses, si nemo tibi profuisset?* 1.4 An quia veloces pedes tibi videris habuisse ad transeundum, praecisurus es pontem? Thou leauest the care of humane things, and separatest thy selfe that no man should see thee: to whom doest thou good in so doe doing? Hadst thou come to this perfection thy selfe if no man had done thee good? because thou hast quickly passed ouer, wilt thou cut off the bridge, that no man else should passe? See then Augustine maketh the heremiticall life altogether vnprofitable to men.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Fulk Matt. 3. sect. 1.
• * 1.2

  Fox. p. 154.
• * 1.3

  Ephe. 5.29.
• * 1.4

  In Psal. 49.