authoritie he promised here vnto al equally in these wordes Peace be vnto you as my father sent me euen so sende I you when he had said that he breathed vpon them they receiued the holy Ghost adding Whose soeuer sinnes ye remit they are remitted vnto thē whose soeuer sinnes ye retain they are retained Here we sée he giueth his peace vnto them al he breatheth on them all they all receiue the holy ghost alike they are al endewed with the same power of forgiuing reteining sins Where is then Peters prerogatiue especially now when it should specially haue bin specified But what if any principall authoritie and power had béene giuen to Peter by Christ here what doth that belong to the Bishop of Rome where is Peters will and testament by which he hath bequeathed his keyes rather vnto him than vnto the Bishops of Ierusalem or Antioche by what Scripture can they proue that Christ hath made them rather Peters successours in this authoritie and commission then other Bishops If the keyes were promised giuen to Peter alone and to none of the other Apostles howe dare they giue them vnto the Bishops of Rome There is not one worde in the Scripture of their succession by inheritance Seing then that neither the course of the dialogue nor yet the authoritie and function is other that is here giuen then was giuen to all the Apostles of Christ himselfe afterwarde in like manner and that although some more speciall and excellent office was cōmitted to Peter then to any other Apostle yet that the B. of Rome cannot claim that more than any other Bishop it maketh nothing for the establishing of the supreme power ouer the vniuersall Church of God which the Pope arrogateth vnto himself But let vs sée what the auncient learned fathers thinke on this point That which Origen writeth is most plaine against them which think any speciall thing was giuen to Peter An soli Petro dantur claues regni coelorum c. Doest thou thinke that the keyes of the kingdom were only giuē to Peter and to no other neither any other should receiue them If these words were not common to all men as they are I will giue thee the keyes of the kingdome of heauen how can al these sayings things which are applyed to Peter before be common to all men For Christ thus spake in common to them all Whome do ye saye that I am and Peter answered in the name of all Doeth he not vtter the same in plainer wordes in the 20. of Iohn saying to all the Apostles Ioan. 20. and breathing vpō them receiue the holie Ghost whose sinnes ye forgiue c. They were all of like authoritie with Peter Thus much Origen then which wordes what can be more plaine Cyprian Cyp. de simp praelat also in his booke de simplicitate Prelatorum against the Nouatians confirmeth this The Lord sayth he saith vnto Peter thou art Peter The Lord after his resurrection gaue vnto his Apostles like power yet to declare the vnitie he disposed the originall of vnitie beginneth at one The rest of the Apostles were euen the same that Peter was endewed with like fellowship both of honour and power but the beginning procéedeth of vnitie to declare one Church Basil Basil 23. cap. de vita solit also sayeth Christus Petrum post se suae Ecclesiae pastorem constituit c. Christ appointed Peter to be Pastor of his Church after and so consequently giueth the same power and authoritie to all Pastours and doctours a token whereof is this that all Pastours doe equally binde and lose as they list as well as he Augustine de Agone Christiano Cap. 32. Cum Petro dicitur pasce oues meas omnibus dicitur When it is sayde to Peter féede my shéepe Aust de Agon Christ cap. 31. cap. 32. it is saide to all And in the 31. Chapter Wretched men while in Peter they vnderstande not Christ which is the rocke and while they wil not beléeue that the keyes of the kingdome of Heauen are giuen vnto the Church not vnto Peter alone they haue lost the keyes out of their handes and in another place hee sayeth the Churche which is founded in Christ Aug. tract 124. saper hath taken the keyes of him so that not Peter onely but the whole Church receiued the keyes of him Beda Beda sayeth the power of bynding and loosing although it seeme to be giuen onely vnto Peter without doubt this is to bee knowen that it is giuen also vnto the other Apostles Haymo one of their owne doctors well weighing the text affirmeth contrarie vnto them Wee must not thinke sayeth hee that vnto blessed Peter alone this power was giuen but as hee for all aunswered Thou art Christ the sonne of the liuing God so in the person of one all heard whatsoeuer thou shalt binde in earth c. Cyrill Cyr. in Ioan. li. 3. cap. 20. Christ gaue full power vnto the Apostles and vnto others that succeeded them in the Churches To conclude then if by the testimonyes of the auncient and learned fathers Christ gaue full and like power to all his Apostles If the rest of the Apostles were the same that Peter was endewed all with like honour and power If Christes wordes were common to all the rest If all Pastours doe equally binde and loose as well as Peter then is there no speciall priuilege giuen vnto Peter aboue others by this place Wherefore I trust this first poynt is manifest by the circumstance of the place and opinion of ancient writers that there is no speciall prerogatiue or function giuen vnto Peter that was not committed to all that whatsoeuer was spoken by Christ here vnto Peter did not belong here vnto him only but to them al in common Now secondly haue wee to consider what was that power authoritie that was giuē vnto Peter here that was to haue the keyes of the kingdom of heauen the authoritie of binding loosing but herein haue wee to weigh what is meant contained in these words how farre they ought to stretch For the B. of Rome claimeth by right of succession inheritance whatsoeuer power iurisdiction was giuen vnto Peter therfore by the vertue of these wordes promise of Christ claimeth al power authoritie whatsoeuer may be contained included in these speaches Hereof hath he challenged to himselfe to be aboue kings Princes to haue the authoritie of consecrating deposing them to be aboue all general councels to haue fulnes of power to expound the scriptures to whose determination the Church of God must necessarily stand to haue authoritie to dispense with Gods worde to make that lawfull which before was vnlawfull to haue absolute frée power to decree whatsoeuer he liketh of and that of the church is to be obserued as an heauenly Oracle that he hath power to giue heauen to throwe downe into
and in the penitent as in the receyuer So that the offering hereof is in the minister but the effect and force thereof in the sinner But for as muche as they offer the merites of Christ and full pardon to such as haue lowly and contrite harts and doe vnfainedly repent themselues pronoūcing vnto the same a sure and vndoubted forgiuenesse of their sinnes and hope of euerlasting life therefore they are sayde to binde and lose to reteine and forgiue sins not because God hath endued his ministers with this absolute power to forgiue and reteine them at their pleasure as our popishe Priests woulde beare vs in hand for that hee hath reserued vnto him alone and it only belongeth vnto him Euen the verye malicious Scribes and Phariseis knew this for when as Christe had sayde vnto the man sick of the Palsey sonne thy sinnes are forgiuen they not acknowledging him to be God sayd among thēselues Marc. 2.5 this man blasphemeth who can forgiue sinnes but God only And God by the Prophet Esai Esai challengeth this vnto himselfe I euen I am he that putteth away thine iniquitie euen as to create to alter change the heart to destroy body and soule belongeth only vnto God and so also to forgiue and reteine sinnes The antient Fathers haue iudged that the Priest ought to haue no right to challenge any authoritie to forgiue sinnes Ambrose Ambr. li. 9. Epist 76. sayth it is not the Embassadour it is not the Messenger but the Lord himselfe hath saued his people He remaineth one for this cannot bée common to any man with Christe to forgiue sinnes that is only the office of Christ who hath borne the sinnes of the worlde And Austine August God gaue the ministerie of forgiuing of sinnes to his seruauntes but the power thereof he retained to himselfe August de scalis Paradisi So in another place the office of baptizing God hath graunted vnto many the power and authoritie of forgiuing sinnes he hath reserued to himselfe alone Saint Ierome expounding this place very well declareth what power and commission is giuen to Gods ministers in this behalfe Hierony We reade in scriptures that the Leapers are bidden to shew themselues vnto the Priest that if they be Leapers they should be so made of the Priest not that the Priest doe make the leaprous or vncleane but that they haue knowledge of the leaprous and clean person that they are able to iudge who is cleane or vncleane euen therefore as the Priest maketh the cleane or vncleane so doth the Bishop here bind and lose hereby we sée that Ierome thought Ministers had no further power then to declare them to be lose or bound euen as the Priests in the time of the law had no power but to iudge and pronounce the man eyther cleane or vnclean but not to clense them or to make them vncleane So sayth Bonauentura Bonauentura they did clense because they shewed the cleane Peter Lumbard Pet. Lumb one of their owne Doctors sayth hauing well weighed this matter Christ gaue to priests authority to binde or lose that is to declare to men they bee bounde or lose What therefore the authoritie of binding and loosing the forgiuing and reteining of sinnes is that is giuen to the ministers of God it is apparant not to haue giuen ful power to absolue and binde of themselues at their will but to publish that pardon that God in Christ offereth vs which if we take hold on by faith then we are assoiled if we contemne it our sinnes are reteined to oure condemnation and because he hath committed the publishing of forgiuenesse of sinnes vnto his ministers therefore his ministers are said to forgiue and reteine not because the power thereof resteth in themselues as our popish priests would chalenge For therefore haue they made the Priest to holde a consistory and to be a iudge ouer the sinnes of the people and to driue them to make particular confession of their secrete sinnes vnto the Priest that they may absolue thē and enioyne them a penaunce answerable to their offence Howsoeuer they go about to cloke and colour the matter in very déed they take vpon them that which is proper to God to iudge of the weight gréeuousnesse of sinnes to appoint and alot to euery one a iust satisfaction to chaunge eternall paynes into temporall to haue the disposing of the merites of Christ euen as the Executors haue the disposing of dead mens goods as though Christ were not or knew not after his death how to bestow them to geue Heauen and throwe downe to Hell whome they will to rehearse the particular blasphemies and impieties whiche by the keyes of heauen and authoritie of binding and loosing they claime they haue run into although it were profitable to consider the abhominations of that Church yet least I should grow infinite it shal be sufficiente to haue but lightlye touched these thinges Thus I trust I haue sufficientlye declared first that God reuealeth the knowledge of all heauenly thinges Secondlye that not Peter but Christe is the Rocke whereon God doth build his Church and last of all that the keyes of the kingdome of heauen and the authoritie of binding and loosing consisteth in the preaching of his word God of his mercye graunt vnto vs the reuealing of his Christ and to be builte vpon him the true rocke and the opening of the kingdome of heauē by the preaching of his worde that wee maye obtayne that blessednesse which Christe hath prepared for them that truly acknowledge and confesse him To whome with the Father and the holy Ghost be al honour and glory and power now and for euermore Amen
are not possible for man to vtter yet did he not therefore broche anye new reuelations or dreames but confirmed his doctrine by the testimonie of the law and the Prophets He exhorteth his scholer Timothie 1. Tim. 4.13 to giue attendance vnto reading to exhortation to doctrine to learning and to continue therein to saue himselfe and them that should heare him God reuealed vnto Peter and the rest of the Apostles that he was the sonne of the liuing God but by preaching so vnto Cleophas and the other Disciple going to Emaus Luc. 24.45 expounding the Law and the Prophets hée opened the doctrine of his passion God opened the heart of Lidia conuerted her vnto Christianitie but by Paules ministerie Wherefore although God reuealeth all thinges Act. 16.14 yet is not the spirite to be seuered from the word neither yet the word from the spirite God doth vse both these instruments ioyntly And thus much for the first part The second point I sayd we had to consider was what the foundation and rocke is wherevpon the Church of God is builte for that is expressed in the 18 verse Thou art Peter and vpon this rock I will builde my Church and the gates of hel shal not ouercome it Concerning the true meaning and sence of these wordes what it is that Christ appointeth to be that rock wherevpon he will build his Church there is no small variance betwéen vs and the church of Rome We according to the tenor of the rest of the scriptures and circumstance of the place affirme that Christ by this word Petra a Rocke meaneth that whiche Peter confessed whiche was Christe himselfe But the Popishe Cleargie to establishe the authoritie of the Bishop of Rome and his superioritie power and dominion ouer all other churches hath applied this saying of our Sauioure Christ vnto Peter alone making him that Rocke whereof Christ here speaketh against which the gates of Hell cannot preuaile affyrming that Christ in this place hath giuen by these wordes a certayne chiefetie and preheminence to Peter aboue all other Apostles and made him the foundation and heade of his church here in earth and his vicar generall for the gouernmente thereof enduing him with especiall power and authoritie aboue all others Whiche exposition as also Article of Religion to bee most vntrue being the mayne poste of their religion and suche an Article of fayth the whiche who beléeueth not as they saye cannot bée saued and this place being vsed of them all especiallye aboue all others as the cheefest for the confirmation of the Supremacye and authoritie of the Bishop of Rome it shall not bee amisse being apparante sithens this Progresse that howsoeuer this Doctrine hath bene heretofore beaten downe that notwithstanding it remayneth rooted in many mens mindes it shall be expedient to shew and declare this their interpretation to be erroneous and their collection vaine and friuolous Which I will doe first by the very words and circumstaunce of the place Secondly by that this their exposition is contrarye to the expresse wordes of the Scripture and rules of Fayth Thirdely by the opinion and practise of the Apostles And last of all by the iudgement and interpretation of the antient and learned Fathers and practise of their age Firste that euen the verye wordes of the Texte do argue that when Christ sayth vppon this Rocke I will builde my Church by this worde Petra a Rocke hée meaneth not the person of Peter the Apostle but that which Peter confessed which was Christe it maye appeare by this in that it pleased the holye Ghoste the Euangelist shoulde alter and chaunge the name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 into 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when as hee mighte haue vsed the selfe same worde to expresse that their meaning to make Peter the Rock wherevpon he would build his church for although the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doe agrée in significatiō in that both of them by interpretatiō doth signifi a stone or rock yet the alteration chāge of the word in propriety of spéech termination in gender in construction of persō doth import that the holy ghost by these diuerse words would mean a diuers thing For the one word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is nomen atticum after the proprietie of the Attike tongue the other 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is nomen communis linguae after the propriety of the vulgar tōgue the one word is the masculine gender the other the feminine the persō in cōtruction differeth for from the second person he goeth to the third he saith not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vpō thée Peter but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vpon this rock By this varietie and change it is plain the Euangelist ment to expresse some diuerse thing otherwise it néeded not to haue made any alteration at all there is no doubte therefore but the holye ghost vpon purpose did alter and chaunge the worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 into 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 euen to auoyde that erroure that mighte bée gathered thereof if Christe woulde haue taughte vs in this place so weightye an Article of oure Fayth as that is as they make it that Peter muste bée the Heade of the Churche vppon whome excepte wée bée builte we cannot bée saued hée woulde not in declaration thereof so haue varied from his ordinarie name hée gaue him séeing it mighte so well haue serued the turne and by whiche hée mighte playnely haue declared this grounde of Fayth Wherefore by the worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is meante not the Person of Peter but Christe whome Peter confessed and beléeued on For whiche cause Peter immediatelye before in the former verse was pronounced blessed by our sauioure Christe for that GOD had opened and reuealed vnto him that Christe was the sonne of the liuing GOD and further for the knowledge and beleefe hereof hée did not onely terme him blessed but hée also gaue him another name that whereas before hée was called Simon Bar Iona hée shoulde nowe bée named 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is a Rocke according as hée had promised in the firste of Iohn because hée knewe and beléeued in the Rocke vpon whiche not onlye hée but the whole Churche of GOD shoulde bee builte For hée was so named of Christ not because hée shoulde bée Petra the rock wherevppon the Congregation of God shoulde bée builded but hée was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because hee was builte vpon that Rocke whereon the Churche should be founded Petra whiche is the Rocke as Augustine August serm 21. de verbo domini sayth hath not his name of Peter but Peter of Petra the Rocke as Christ hath not his name of a Christian but a Christian of Christe Ierom in 8. Math. and Sainte Ierome affirmeth that Peter had his name of Petra whiche is Christ whiche name agréeth not onely to the person of Peter but vnto all Christians and faythfull people which beléeue
the same Epistle of his flesh his bones for saith he Christ nourisheth and cherisheth his Church Ephe. 5.30 because we are members of his bodie flesh and bones wherefore if the Church be the bodie of Christ and God hath appointed Christ to be the head thereof and that head be of the same nature and substance of the same flesh and bone the rest of the bodie is what cause is there to make any other head except we should thinke either that one head not to be sufficient to giue life and to rule the bodie or to be too mightie and of too great rule and authoritie and therefore do adioyne another thereunto as when two Consuls or Caesares be created of one place the one to abridge the others power and might But neither of these inconueniences can be feared in Christ and therfore we néede not to assigne another head to his bodie Besides the head of the Church is that part of the bodie which giueth life nourisheth and augmenteth the whole bodie of the faithfull vnto eternall life but who doth or can performe this but onely Christ euen as a man cherisheth his own flesh so nourisheth he the Church which consisteth of his own flesh and bone as the Apostle Paul testifieth he therefore is the onely head There is the same reason betweene Christ and his church that is betwéene man and wife as the same Apostle testifieth for as the husbande is the wiues head so Christ is the head of the church as the church is in subiection to Christ so the wiues to their husbands As Christ loued his church so wiues their husbands As wiues are their husbandes flesh so is the church the flesh of Christ So that then he that is the head of the church is the husband and spouse thereof For therefore he is the head because he is the husband but there is but one husband therefore whosoeuer shall make any other head of the church then Christ must also make another husbande if another husband then an adulterer and the church an harlot for one wife cannot haue two bridegromes or husbandes Paul sayth of the Corinthians I haue prepared you for one husband to present you a pure virgin to Christ Iohn Baptist in the Euangelist Iohn sayeth he is the bridegrome his Apostles be the only ministers frinds of the bridegrome they are only the makers of the mariage betwéen Christ his church How can Peter then be accounted as the head of Gods church Christ himselfe being the head and the husband thereof Let him therefore be estéemed as a minister frinde of the spouse as Christ himselfe hath termed him and all the rest of the Apostles and no further And surely it is not lightly to be regarded that after Christ had said to Peter thou art Peter and vpon this rocke will I build my church whereby they would establish a chiefetie preheminence giuen him ouer all other the Apostles and congregation of God arising this controuersie among them which of them should be the greatest and that euen then when he was readie to go to suffer depart from them supposing as it shoulde séeme after the departure of Christ some one of them should be chief and beare rule ouer the rest euen then our Sauiour Christ beateth downe vtterly that conceite and imagination of theirs shewing that rule and soueraintie belongeth vnto Kings and Princes The Kings of the Gentiles they reigne they beare rule they are called gratious Lordes But ye shal not be so it shal not be so among you whosoeuer wil be the chiefe among you let him be your seruaunt and he setteth himselfe an example before them that he came not to haue seruice done vnto him but to serue and to giue his life for the redemption of many Hereby although it were the especiall purpose of our Sauiour Christ to take away that ambition which reigned in his disciples by reason they dreamed to obtaine by him an earthly and terrestriall kingdome notwithstanding being so often occasioned to declare thorough their desire of soueraintie and rule and especially before his death passion whome after his death he would leaue his deputie and vicegerent of whome they should depende and be gouerned it may giue iust occasion to thinke that as when he was conuersant with them in flesh he would not giue any supremacie or preheminence to any one more than to another but made them all equall so also after his ascension he would haue them so continue especially the reason of Christ being such as is appliable to the whole course of this life This strife and contention would not haue risen if they had knowne at any time Christ had appointed Peter their chiefe gouernour or else might easily haue béene ended if aunswere had béene made by Christ that Peter was he who shoulde be in his stead after his death But what if this doctrine of theirs be contrary to the groundes of our faith shall we think then their interpretation to be true if Peter be the rocke wheron the church is to be built then must the church also beléeue in Peter for the church cannot be built but by faith and beliefe but to beléeue in Peter is to ascribe that to the creature which onely is to be yelded vnto the creatour and therefore it cannot want great impietie to giue this vnto Peter which they doe Besides the church of God containeth the whole companie of the faithful euen from the beginning of the worlde vnto the ende why then if Peter be the rocke of the whole and vniuersall church of Christ then must the faithfull that were before Peter was born be founded vpon Peter and depend on him as their head but to affirme that I think cannot want absurditie therefore except you will make euen the visible church of God to haue had many visible heads this their assertion must prooue but a vaine imagination If we further call to minde that which Paul writeth of Peter that hee was the Apostle of the Iewes onely and Paul himselfe the Apostle of the Gentiles can Peter be accounted the foundation and head of the vniuersall church when as to preach vnto the Gentiles belonged not to him this reason driueth Cardinall Poole into such streightes that whereas other of his adherents saye Peter was appointed head of the church here other immediatly after his resurrection he is compelled to saye that Peters supremacie tooke no place before Paules conuersion for that before that Peter could not represent the person of Christ and leaue twelue Apostles to figure vnto vs the twelue tribes of Israell Wherefore these things being well weyghed together first that the Apostle flatly setteth downe that no man can or ought to laye any other foundation then Christ himselfe the Corinthians seeking especially to depende vppon some one principally as their cheife teacher I denying it to bee lawfull for them to depende vppon Cephas himselfe who was Peter Secondly
of his head or chiefe of the Church naming Iames and Iohn pillers of the Church as well as hee and not yelding to him any thing aboue him selfe In the seconde to the Corinthians 1. Cor. 11.5 Paul declareth that he thinketh himselfe nothing inferiour vnto the chiefest Apostles Peter in his Epistles he neuer challengeth any superioritie neither by title nor by doctrine he maketh Christ the electe precious and chiefe corner stone and all the faithfull liuing stones of the spirituall house a like hee claymeth not ciuill gouernement or that Kinges and Princes ought to bee subiect vnto him as the Pope doeth but commaundeth all Subiectes to bee obedient vnto their Princes and gouernours he termeth him selfe but compresbyterum a fellowe elder with the rest and exhorteth his fellow ministers not to be as Lordes ouer Gods heritage in his whole writing he doth not imperiously commaund but humbly exhorteth not to be ouerlong in this it cannot be thought that Paul and Peter and the rest of the Apostles hauing so fully and plentifully taught all thinges appertaining to the Church of God yea euen the least functions that they would in all their writings haue concealed so great weightie and necessarie point as this of Peters supremacie and one general head vnder Christ for the gouernment of his Church being suche as it is made of thē that whosoeuer acknowledgeth it not cannot be saued Now if this which I haue taughte by the opinion and iudgement of the Apostles shall appeare also by their practise and dealing towarde Peter what can be required further for the ouerthrow of their interpretation And for a perfect view hereof let vs but consider the whole order and manner of the firste councell holden of the Apostles in the 15. Actor 15.5 of the actes there it is mentioned that certaine variance and dissention falling oute by reason some of the sect of the Phariseis vrged the obseruation of circumcision and other ceremonies of the law as necessarye to saluation it was determined that Paule and Barnabas should go vp to the Apostles Elders at Ierusalem about this question At their cōming the matter being declared the Apostles Elders assēbled together to reason of the matter after much debating Peter arose and declared what God had reuealed vnto him cōcerning this point meaning at Cornelius conuersion After him arose Paul Barnabas who also tolde their opinion what God had opened vnto thē Thirdly ariseth Iames hee approueth the former iudgemēt confirmeth it by the scriptures and hauing done so giueth aduise to send their determination in writing concerning the questiō it was taken approued the Apostles and elders the whole congregatiō sent chosen men namely Barnabas paul with their letters First here is to be obserued that it is not mentioned that Peter sūmoned this Councel by his authoritie but it is done by the consent of the Apostles and elders contrary to that prerogatiue the Pope chalēgeth to himselfe Peter although he spake first alone yet followeth it not that he was therefore accounted the chéefest for neither spake he only and often times in great Councels the lowest and yongest begin first the eldest head of all speaketh last Secondly in the assemblye after Peter had opened his mind and al the rest had don last of al not Peter but Iames pronounced the sentence whiche belonged to the head and President of the Councell Thirdly the Legats embassadors which were sent were not appointed by Peter nor sent by his authoritie after the maner of the Pope but they were chosen by all the Apostles and Elders the whole congregation and sent by them Fourthly the stile of the letter doth argue they gaue no preheminence to Peter aboue other in this assemblie for thus it runneth The Apostles Elders and Brethren send greeting c. For as much as we haue heard c. It séemed good to vs when we were come together to send chosen men to you c. it séemed good to the holy ghost vnto vs to lay no more burthen c. Thus we sée how the whole action is made common to them all equallye none named or preferred before another in anye respecte farre diuerse from the Popes determination and stile of his letters the tenour of which runneth much otherwise Act. 8.24 Besides in the eight of the Acts when the Apostles heard that Samaria had receiued the Gospell the Apostles sent Peter and Iohn to confirme them whiche sending declareth plainelye that they did not acknowledge him as a superiour and in that he obeieth and followeth he declareth himselfe to bee but their fellow For be it that Eckius sayth true that oftentimes the chéefest of the company be sent in matters yet there is no Senate nor councell that will send their chéefe and gouernour And the same Apostle in the 11 Acts Act. 11.3 being reproued for going to Cornelius he excuseth and cleareth himself giuing a reason of that his doing And of Paul in the second to the Galathians Gal. 2.11 he was reprooued to his face for that he was worthye of rebuke wherefore to conclude if neither in planting of the church of God neither in deciding of controuersies in matters of religion neither in enioyning commaunding thinges to be done neither yet by any title dutie seruice or signification of dealing Peter either bare himselfe or the rest receiued him as their head and vniuersall Bishop but contrariwise both he vsed him selfe and they made themselues equall in all their doings vnto him I maye iustlye conclude that euen the opinion and practise of the Apostles and primitiue churche doth manifestly conuict the interpretation of the Papists in this place making Peter the rock foundation and heade of Gods Churche to bée most vntrue This point notwithstanding by this I haue already said it be sufficiently proued yet for diuers mens further contentation let vs sée howe the auntiente and learned Fathers haue expounded this place whether by this worde Petra they haue vnderstoode the person of Peter or him whom Peter confessed whiche was Christ Chrysostom in the 55 Chrys hom 55. in Mat. Homily vpon Mathew expoundeth Petra to be the faith and confession Super hanc Petram .i. in hac fide confessione aedificabo ecclesiam that is vppon this Fayth and Confession I will build my Church and vpon the 32 Psalm Statuit pedes nostros super petram id est super fidem c that is he hath set our féete vpon the rocke that is vpon Faith Chrys super Psal 52. for Fayth in Christ may well be called a Rocke which cannot be broken wherefore when Peter had declared and sayd thou art the sonne of the liuing God Christ immediatelye added thou art peter and vpon this rock I wil build my church Thus it is apparāt Chrysostom toke not the person of Peter to be that rock here mentioned but that which Peter reposed his beléefe in
hell whome he will that he hath power to assoyle mens sinnes and to deliuer them both a pena culpa both from the fault penaltie and to reteine and kéepe them at his pleasure that he may binde and loose aboue all other Bishops for he may loose whome other Bishops binde he may bind whome other Bishops loose but whome he bindeth or looseth can no man assoyle or binde but onely he himselfe for Bulles pardons indulgencies anathematizations and all the rest of such trishtrash hath béen founded vpon this power and prerogatiue he challengeth vnto him self by this place the refutation of which particuler pointes being too ample a matter to be handled at this time and besides hauing sufficiently both in this seconde part and also in the thirde declared and proued that no prerogatiue is giuen vnto Peter aboue others by this place that his ministerie was endewed with no greater power and authoritie then the ministerie of the rest of the Apostles it shal bee needelesse to deale with them at this present onely that is needefull to shewe what is meant by the keyes of the kingdome of heauen and the authoritie of bynding and loosing By the keyes is meant nothing else here but the preaching of the Gospell and herein wee agree with Chrysostome Crysostom that sayeth they are the knowledge of the Scriptures with Tertullian Tertullian which tearmeth them to bee the interpretation of the lawe and with Eusebius Eusebius that they are the worde of GOD. and verie well may the preaching of the worde bee expressed by the Metaphore of a keye For as by it wee are let into the house so by the preaching of the worde are wee brought into the Church and housholde of GOD and haue accesse to his kingdome For Christ being the dore as Saint Iohn testifieth by whome wee must enter if wee will be saued and the ladder by which wee must ascende vp into heauen as appeareth by Iacobs dreame and the preaching of the Gospell opening and manifesting vnto vs Christ as Paul witnesseth that vnto him the least of al Saints was giuen this grace that hee shoulde preach among the Gentiles the vnsearchable riches of Christ and being the meanes whereby wee are reconciled vnto Christ Paul tearming his ministerie therefore the ministerie of reconciliation the publishing and preachinge of Christ and his Gospell may well therefore be tearmed a keye This Metaphore is vsed of our Sauiour Christ in the same sense Woe be to you interpreters of the lawe Luc. 12.52 for you haue taken away the keye of knowledge Ye entred not in your selues and them that came yee forbad in which wordes our Sauiour Christ termeth the true interpretation of the lawe and preaching of the Gospel the key of knowledge For it was that the Scribes Pharises did suppresse adulterate It is apparant enough that the worde of God according to the sundry effectes and properties therof hath sundrie names So for that it encreaseth and multiplyeth it is called séede for that it cutteth the heart and deuydeth the fleshe from the Spirite it is called a Sworde For that it taketh vs and encloseth vs and bringeth vs togither it is called a nett For that it washeth vs cleane it is called water For that it enflameth vs it is called fire For that it féedeth vs it is called bread euen so for that it openeth giueth vs an entrance into the house it is called a keye This house is the kingdome of heauen Christ is the dore the worde of God is the keye and Preachers the keye bearers So sayeth Chrysostom Chrys opere â—nperfect cap. 23. The keye bearers be the Priestes to whome is committed the teaching of the worde and of the expounding of the Scriptures So then that by the Metaphore of the keye the Euangelist should declare that Christ committed vnto his Apostles the preaching of his worde by which his Church should be gathered togither and built vppon Christ the rocke is no strange speach but verie fit and significant to declare that vnto vs and hereby also he sheweth that he hath committed vnto them a great office and weightie function and that he putteth them in chiefe place and authoritie For he hath the chiefest authoritie in the house or citie to whome the keyes are committed and who hath authoritie to let out and let in by them To this end God vseth this Metaphore in the Prophet Esay Isa 22.22 when he promiseth to Eliachim the chéefe power and authoritie in the King Ezechias house saying with my garments I will cloath him with my girdle I will strengthen him and the keye of the house of Dauid will I lay vppon his shoulder so he shall open and no man shall shut Hereby haue we to learne that as those to whome this charge is committed to beare the keyes of the Kingdome of heauen ought to haue a great care of the well ordering of them so we must also with no lesse carefulnesse and reuerence embrace and receyue them The vse of these keyes is in more perticular manner declared by our Sauiour Christ when as he saith that whatsoeuer he bindeth on earth shall bée bound in heauen c. by the power of binding and losing is meant that which is expressed by Saint Iohn Whose sinnes yee forgiue they are forgiuen him Ioan. 20. and whose sinnes ye retayne they are retayned for when our sinnes are forgiuen we are losed from them when they are not forgiuen wée remayne bound in them these things are brought to passe in vs by the ministerie of his word and by the vertue and power thereof So sayth Ierome Hieron Esai lib. 6 〈…〉 whatsoeuer yée loose in earth shall be losed in Heauen the Apostles lose them by the worde of God and testimonies of the scriptures and exhortations vnto vertue And Ambrose Sinnes be forgiuen by the worde of God the expounder thereof is the Leuite and Priest Ambr. de Cain Abel cap. 4. The Prophet Esai prophecying the sending of Christ sayth that the Lorde had annointed him that he shoulde preache the Gospell to the poore that he shoulde heale the broken hearted and preach deliuerance to the Captiue recouering of sighte to the blind and setting at libertie them that are loosed so that to binde and loose to forgiue and retaine sinnes is a propertie and effect of the worde of God preached For that publisheth vnto vs remission of sinnes worketh in vs mortification deliuereth vs from the power of Sathan and restoreth vnto vs the libertie and fréedome of the children of God which thinges bée brought to passe not by the bare publishing and hearing of the worde but when as by faith we lay hold vpon the swéete promises and greate benefites which bée offered vs in Christ which be deliuered vnto vs by his ministers as by his Legates for remission of sinnes is in the Priest as in the messenger in the worde of God as in the instrument