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.

TO pray for the dead, is a worke neither pleasing before God, because he hath no where commanded it, nor auailable for them that are departed, because they haue their iudgement alreadie. While we liue, let vs one pray for another, but when we are gone, the praiers of the liuing helpe vs not.

Argum. 1. The ground of this popish opinion of prayer for the dead, is their superstitious deuise of Purgatorie: for none els doe they hold it lawfull to pray for but for the soules onely in Purgatorie. But there is no Purgatorie, as we haue shewed before, after this life: our purging is onely in this life: Christ hath by him selfe purged our sinnes. Hebr. 1.3. Christ his bloud is the chiefe and onely pur∣gation of our sinnes: there are also other inferiour and ministeriall purgings, whereby that onely soueraigne purging is made beneficiall, and applied vnto vs: as the inward operation and worke of the spirit is compared to fire, Math. 3.11. 1. Corinth. 3.13. There is also a purging fire of affliction compared by the Prophet to fullers sope, Malach. 3.3. There also shall be a third purging fire in the day of the Lord, 1. Pet. 3.7. when as the corruption and mortalitie of our bodies shall be purged away, and then shall our mortalitie put on immortalitie, 1. Corinth. 15.53. Other Purgatorie after this life we acknowledge none. Seeing then that there are no soules in Purgatorie, and for none els it is lawfull to pray but for the soules tormented in Purgatorie: it followeth, that we are to pray for none at all that are dead.

Argum. 2. No prayer is acceptable to God without faith. We must pray without wauering and doubting, Iames. 1.6. But so can we not pray for the dead: for we cannot tell in what case they are for whom we pray, whether they be in heauen, hell, or purgatorie, and therefore we cannot assure our selues that our prayers are heard, but must needes pray with great doubting and wauering of the mind: Ergo, such praiers are in vaine, Iames 1.7.

Argum. 3. Our praiers profite not the dead, because there is no place after this life for repentance or remission of sinnes: for this should be the end and in∣tendment of our praier, that they might be released of their sinnes, and eased of their paine. There is no remission of sinnes after death, because there is no true repentance: repentance there is none, because there can be no amendment of life, which alwaies followeth repentance: for Iohn Baptist that was a preacher of repentance, bid not onely the people to repent, but to bring forth fruites worthie repentance, Math. 3.2.8. So saith the Prophet Ezechiel, If the wicked

will returne from his sinnes, and doe the thing that is lawfull, he shall liue and not dye, 18.21. There are two parts then of repentance, as Isay sayth, Cease to doe euill, learne to doe well, 1. Isay. 16.17. But there is no place of working out of the bodie: Ergo, then no repentance.

To this Augustine agreeth: Non est apud inferos poenitentia ad salutem pro∣ficiens, ecce nunc tempus est salutis, nunc tempus remissionis. In hac vita poenitentiae tantum patet libertas, post mortem nulla correctionis est licentia: De tempor. serm. 66. In hell, or among the dead, there is no repentance vnto saluation: behold now is the time of saluation, the time of forgiuenes: In this life onely haue men libertie to repent, after death there is no place for amendment. What is become now (I pray you) of your Purgatorie repentance? after this life there is no salua∣tion to be had, because there is no remission of sinnes: no remission of sinnes, because there is no repentance: there is no repentance, because there is no a∣mendement.

Rhemist. Our Sauiour saith, Math. 12.32. that blasphemie against the spirit shal neither be forgiuen in this world, nor the world to come: Ergo, some sinnes may be forgiuen in the world to come.

Ans. Mark expoundeth Mathew: He saith, It shall neuer be forgiuen, Mark. 3.29. So that not to be forgiuen either in this world or the world to come, is no∣thing els, but neuer to be forgiuen: for if it be not forgiuen in this life, it shall ne∣uer be forgiuen.

Bellarm. Yea, but Mathew must expound Marke, because he setteth it downe more fully, and Marke doth but abridge the Gospell written by S. Matthew, De Purgat. lib. 1. cap. 4.

Ans. But why should not Mark rather expound Mathew, seeing he writ after him? and we vse to expound the former writers by the later, not contrariwise.