An apology, or answer in defence of the Church of England concerning the state…An apologie, or aunswer in defence of the Church of England concerninge the state…

unto the unbelieving and unfaithful persons, the saver of death unto death, to the intent that the minds of the godly being ones astonied with the conscience of their life paste & of their since, after they should begin to behold the light of the Gospel and believe in Christ,¹ even as a door with the key, so might they be opened with the word of God, & that the wicked and ⟨image 13⟩stubborn and such as would not believe & return into the high way, as men that were fast locked & shut up should be left to themselves, & become every day as S. Paul saith, worse and worse. This (say we) is the reason and order of the keys, and by this means, mens consciences are other opened or closed up. The minister we deny not is the Judge,² but as Ambrose saith, he hath no title of right to take any rule and power upon him. Wherefore Christ for to reprove their negligence in teaching, cried out upon the Scribes and Pharisees in these words: Woe (saith he) be unto you Scribes and Pharisees,³ which have taken away the keys of knowledge,⁴ and have shut up the kingdom of heaven before men. And for as much as the key wherewith the entry into the kingdom of God is opened unto us, is the word of the Gospel, & the interpretation of the law and of the scriptures: whereas Gods word is not, there we say is not the key. And by reason that one Word is given unto all, and all have but one key, the authority of all ministers, concerning opening and shutting, must needs be one. Yea moreover the Pope himself, although his Parasites singe this song never so sweetly unto him, Unto thee will I give the keys of the kingdom of heaven.⁵ as though they appertained unto him only and to no man else, unless he endeavour himself so that the consciences of men may be turned, and submit themselves unto Gods word, we deny that other he openeth or shutteth or hath any keys at all. And albeit he should teach and instruct the people, the which would God he would both do it in deed, and find in his heart at the length to think, that it were at the least some part of his office, yet his key should be neither better nor greater