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 Papists.

* 1.1THey haue deuised and imagined in their foolish conceit foure infernall and subterrestrial places: Hell, Purgatorie, Limbus infantium, where children re∣maine dying without baptisme, and Limbus Patrum, where the Fathers were be∣fore Christs comming. These places they distinguish three waies: first by the situation: Hell is lowest, Purgatorie is next, Limbus infantium in the third place, Limbus Patrum vppermost. Secondly, they differ in measure of punishment, some of them haue poenam damni, and poenam sensus, a double punishment, both of losse, in that they are excluded heauen, and of paine also, as Hell, and Purga∣torie: the other two Limbi, are but dungeons of darknes onely, where they suf∣fer no other smart or paine, but are onely absent from God. Thirdly, they differ in time and continuance, say they, Hell and the dungeon of children shall abide for euer: but Purgatorie and the dungeon of the fathers are temporall: the one, that is, Limbus Patrum is many yeeres agoe dissolued: and Purgatorie also shall cease, say they, at the comming of Christ, Ballarm. de purgat. lib. 2. cap. 6.

This then is their opinion, that the Patriarkes and Prophets before Christs comming were not in heauen, but were kept in an infernall place of darknesse, yet without paine, and were deliuered by Christs descending into hell, Bellarm. de Christi anima. lib. 4. cap. 11. Rhemist. Heb. 9.8.

Argum. First, Heb. 11.40. God prouiding a better thing for vs, that they with∣out

vs should not be perfect: That is, (say the Rhemists) the Fathers of the law could not be admitted to the ioyes of heauen, till the Apostles and other of the new lawe, were associate with them, and a way made into heauen by the death and ascension of Christ, Rhemist. ibid.

Ans. First, by this reason the Patriarkes could not enter into heauen before the death of the Apostles, if there were no enterance found, vnlesse they were asso∣ciate with them. Secondly, if the way were not opened before Christs ascen∣sion, then the Patriarkes could not ascend before: where were they then al those 40. daies? for they were deliuered out of Limbus Patrum before Christs resur∣rection. Thirdly, there is therefore no such meaning of this place: but it is to be vnderstood of the resurrection, when as all the elect shall be consummate toge∣ther, and enter bodie and soule into heauen. Fulk.

2 Zachar. 9.11. I haue loosed thy prisoners out of the pit, where there is no water; That is out of Limbus Patrum, Bellarm. de Christi anima. lib. 4. cap. 11.

Ans. Augustine giueth a cleane contrarie sense of the place, by the pit with∣out water he vnderstandeth, Humanae miseriae siccam profunditatem & sterilem, vbi non sunt fluenta iustitiae, sed iniquitatis lutum:* 1.2 The drie and barren dungeon of humane miserie, where there are no springs of iustice, but the puddle and mire of iniquitie: That is, the Prophet speaketh of the deliuerance of the people from their cruel and vniust bondage and captiuitie.

3 1. Pet. 3.19. In the which spirit he also went and preached vnto the spirits that were in prison, which sometime had been disobedient in the daies of Noe. This place proueth euidently (sayth Bellarm.) that Christ descended into hell, and deliuered the fathers from thence, De Christi anima. lib. 4.13.

Ans. The place can haue no such meaning: First, by the spirit here the humane soule of Christ cannot be vnderstood, but is diuine power: for he was not quickned or restored to life by his humane soule, but by his diuine power his soule was ioyned againe to his bodie. Augustine also giueth another reason, why he cannot be said to be quickned or made aliue in spirit, that is, in his soule: for then he must haue died before in soule. But, Mors animae peccatum est, à quo ille immunis fuit: But the death of the soule is sinne, from the which Christ was free.

2 The Apostle speaketh onely of those which were incredulous and disobe∣dient, not of the faithfull, such as the Patriarkes were and Prophets. Yea (sayth Bellarm.) they might be vnbeleeuers at the first, but after repented before they dyed.

Ans. Then the Apostles comparison could not hold, if any were saued with∣out the Arke: for as then eight persons onely were saued, all without the Arke perished: so now without baptisme and faith of the Church (for by baptisme he vnderstandeth not the washing of water, but the inward grace of the spirit) none can be saued. If then any were saued out of the Arke, there may now also be saluation out of the Church. Augustine also sayth, Ii modò, qui non credide∣runt Euangelio illis intelligantur esse similes, qui tunc non crediderunt, cum fabrica∣retur

arca. They which now beleeue not the Gospell, are like to them which be∣leeued not then while the Arke was in making. And they which doe now be∣leeue and are baptized, are like to those which then were saued in the Arke. Augustine thinketh therefore, that they were incredulous persons, and vtterly perished both bodie and soule: And so is our opinion.

3 The text saith not, he went and deliuered, but went and preached: for Au∣gustine calleth it an absurd thing to thinke, that the Gospell was preached to them that were dead, which in their life time were incredulous: for if the Gos∣pell bee preached in Hell (sayth he) it would followe that it is not necessarie it should be preached here in the world, if men when they are dead, may heare it, and be conuerted. And againe, it would ensue (sayth he) that there should bee a Church in hell: for where the word is preached, there is a Church. Wherefore he concludeth, that it must needes be vnderstood of Noah his preaching in the spirit and power of Christ: Arcae fabricatio, praedicatio quaedam fuit. The building of the Arke was a kinde of preaching, Epistol. 99. So also he expoundeth that 1. Pet. 4.6. The Gospell was preached to the dead: Ex circumstantia loci apparet, eum intelligere eos, qui nunc mortui sunt, sed olim in vita Euangelium audiuerunt. Commentar▪ in epistol. ad Roman.

4 The text is not, that were in prison, but doth better beare this sense, that are: So the Apostles meaning is this, that they which were incredulous and diso∣bedient in time past, when Noah in the spirit of Christ, or Christ by his spirit in Noah preached to the world, were then destroyed in the flood, & now for their increduliti•• are punished in the prison of hell.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Haeres. 9.
• * 1.2

  De ciuitat. dei. lib. 18. cap. 35.