An apology or answer in defence of the Church of England with a brief…An apologie or answere in defence of the Churche of Englande with a briefe…

Moreover that Christs Disciples did receive this authority, not that they should hear private confessions of the people, and listen to their whisperings, as the common Massing priests do every where now a days, and do it so, as though in that one point lay all the virtue and use of the keys: but to the end they should goo, they should teach, they should publish abroad the Gospel, and be unto the believing a sweet savour of life unto life, and unto the unbelieving and unfaithful, a savour of death unto ⟨image 25⟩death: and that the minds of godly persons being brought low by the remorse of their former life and errors, after they once begun to look up unto the light of the Gospel, and believe in Christ, might be opened with the word of God, even as a door is opened with a key. Contrary wise, that the wicked and wilful folk, and such as would not believe nor return into the right way, should be left still as fast locked and shut up, and as S. Paul sayeth,¹ wax worse and worse. This take we to be the meaning of the keys: and that after this fashion mens consciences either to be opened or shut. We say that the priest in deed is Judge in this case, but yet hath no manner of right to challenge an authority or power,² as saith Ambrose. And therefore our Saviour Jesus Christ to reprove the negligence of the Scribes and Pharisees in teaching, did with these words rebuke them saying: Woe unto you Scribes and Pharisees,³ which have taken away ⟨image 26⟩the keys of knowledge, and have shut up the kingdom of heaven before men. Seeing then the key whereby the way and entry to that kingdom of God is opened unto us, is the word of the Gospel and the expounding of the Law and Scriptures, we say plainly, where the same word is not, there is not the key. And seeing one manner of word is given to all, and one only key belongeth to all, we say there is but one only power of all ministers, as concerning opening and shutting. And as touching the Bishop of Rome, for all his Parasites state• ringlie singe in his ears those words, To the will I give the keys of the kingdom of heaven, (as though those keys were fit for him alone and for no body else) except he go so to work as mens consciences may be made pliant, and be subdued to the word of God, we deny that he doth either open or shut, or hath the keys at all.