uer: re ας 282 THE PRACTICE OF PRELATES.
Then he goeth forth unto that which followeth: Unto thee I will give the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and Whatsoever thou bindest in earth, it shall be bound in heaven,” &e. “1,0, saith he, in that he saith, whatsoever thou bindest in earth, he excepteth nothing; therefore, I may make laws, and bind both king and emperor!; when Christ, as he had no worldly kingdom, even so he spake of no worldly binding, but of binding of sinners. Christ gave his disciples the key of the knowledge of the law of God, to bind all sinners; and the key of the promises, to loose all that repent, and to let them into the mercy that is laid up for us in Christ.
Then eometh he unto another text, which Christ rehearseth, Matthew last, saying, “All power is given me in heaven and earth: go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and the Son, and of the Holy Ghost; teaching them to keep all that I commanded you: and behold, I am with you unto the world’s end.” Lo, saith the pope, Christ hath all power in heaven and earth without exception, and I am Christ’s vicar; wherefore all power is mine, and I am above all kings and emperors in temporal jurisdiction, and they but my servants, to kiss not my feet only, but my.x. also, if I list not to have them stoop so low: — when Christ, as I said, because he had no temporal kingdom, to even so he meant of no temporal power, but of power to save sinners, which the process of the text declareth, by that he saith, Go ye therefore, and teach and baptize; that is, preach this power unto all nations, and wash off their sins, through faith in the promises made in my blood.
Then he cometh unto another text, (Heb. vii.) which is, ne “The priesthood being translated, the law must needs be translated also.” Now, saith the pope, The priesthood is translated unto me; wherefore it pertaineth unto me to make laws, and to bind every man.’ And the epistle meaneth no such thing;
[[! Item Adrianus Papa. Generali decreto censemus et constituimus, x]
[ut execrandum anathema sit, et velut prsevaricator fidei catholics]
[semper apud Deum reus existat, quicunque regum seu episcoporum]
[vel potentum deinceps Romanorum pontificum decretorum censuram:]
[in quocunque crediderit vel permiserit violandam.— Decret. 2%, pars,]
[Caus. xxv. qu. 1. can. 11.] [2 So both in the folio and M, and S. S. ed.]]
Li
THE POPE CORRUPTETH SCRIPTURE. 283 but proveth evidently that the ceremonies of Moses must cease: for the priests of the old Testament must needs have been of the tribe of Levi, as Aaron was, whose duty for ever was the offering of sacrifices; wherefore, when that priesthood ceased, the sacrifices and ceremonies ceased also. Now that priesthood ceased in Christ, which was a priest of the order of Melchizedec, and not of the order of Aaron; for then he must have been of the tribe of Levi, and that he was not, but of the tribe of Judah, and of the seed of David: wherefore they that are under Christ’s priesthood are under no sacrifices or ceremonies. And of this manner juggle they with all the scripture: which falsehood lest the laymen should perceive with reading the process of the text, is all their fear, whatsoever they pretend.
Moreover, that thou mayest perceive the pope’s falsehood, mark, Christ said unto Peter, I will give,” and not I give;” neither said he, ‘I will give unto thee only.” Therefore, look in the twentieth chapter of John, where he gave them the keys after his resurrection, and thou shalt see he gave them unto all indifferently, saying, As my Father sent me, so send I you.” Whither sent he them? Unto all the world, and unto all nations, What to do? To preach the law, that the people might repent; and the promises, that they might believe in Christ for the remission of sins; saying, Receive the Holy Ghost: whosoever’s sin ye forgive, they shall be forgiven By which Holy Ghost he gave them understanding of the scripture, and of all that they should preach: as thou mayest see, Luke last, where he opened their wits to understand the scripture, and said, That repentance and forgiveness of sins must be preached in his name to all nations,” and that they were witnesses to preach it. Whereby thou seest, that to bind and to loose is but to preach and tell the people their faults, and to preach mercy in Christ to all that repent.
And when he saith, “All power is given me,” he saith not, Go thou, Peter, and preach: but saith unto all indifferently, Go ye and preach this power given me of my Father to save all that repent; and to damn them that repent not, but follow the lusts of their flesh, with full desire to live beastly, being enemies unto the law of God.
And (Matt. xviii.) Peter asked Christ, how oft he should
forgive his brother!, whether seven times? And Christ said, “Seventy times seven times.” As who should say, As oft as he repenteth, and asketh forgiveness. S Now, though this was spoken unto Peter only, because; Peter only moved the question, yet pertaineth it not unto us ’ 8] as well as unto Peter? Are not we as much bound to to.. z our forgive our neighbours that repent and ask forgiveness as Peter? Yes, verily. But because Peter only asked the — question, therefore did Christ teach us by Peter. If another had asked, he would have taught us by that other. And in Li Peter, like manner, when Christ asked, Who say ye that I am?” if any other of the apostles which believed it as well as Peter had said as Peter did, Thou art Christ, the Son of the living B God, which art come into the world of sinners, to save them;” “unto him would Christ have answered as he did to Peter, That upon the rock of that his confession he would have B built his church; and would have promised him keys, as well d» as he did Peter. Yea, and in the eighteenth chapter of Mat-? thew Christ saith to all the apostles, yea, and to all congre- π᾿ gations where sinners be, That whatsoever they bound should 5 be bound, and whatsoever they loosed should be loosed.