The Institution of Christian Religion

In an other place we shall have occasion more fully to declare this matter again, where we shall entreat of the government of the church: & there shall we see that all the power to bind and to lose, which Christ hath given to his church, is bound to the word. But this is most true in the ministry of the keys, the whole force whereof standeth in this, that the grace of the Gospel be publicly and privately sealed up in the hearts of the faithful, by them whom the Lord hath ordained: which can not be done but by only preaching.

In an other place we shal haue occasion more fully to declare this matter againe, where we shall entreate of the gouernement of the churche: & there shall we see that all the power to binde and to lose, whiche Christ hath geuen to his churche, is bounde to the worde. But this is moste true in the ministerie of the keyes, the whole force wherof standeth in this, that the grace of the Gospel be publikely and priuately sealed vp in the heartes of the faithfull, by them whome the Lord hath ordeined: which can not be done but by only preaching.

But what say the Romish divines? They decree that every one of §15either kind,¹ so son•e as they come to the years of discretion, must yearly ones at the least confess all their sins to their own priest: and that their sin is not forgiven, onlesse they have firmly conceived an intent to confess it: which intent if they perform not when occasion is offered that they may do it, there is now no more entry open for them into Paradise. And that the priest hath the power of the keys, where with he may lose & bind a sinner: because the word of Christ is not in vain, What so ever ye bind. &c. About this power they stoutly fight among them selves. Some say that there is but one key in substance, that is the power to bind & loose, and as for knowledge, that it is in deed requisite for a good use, but that it is only as an accessary & is not essentially joined with the other. Some other, because they saw this to be to much an unbridled licence, have reckoned up two keys, discretion, & power. Other again, when they saw the lewd boldness of priests to be restrained by this moderation, have forged other keys, that is to say, authority of discerning which they should use in giving determinate sentence: and power, which they should practise in executing of their sentence: & that knowledge standeth by as a counsellor. But they date not simply expound this binding & loosing to be to forgive and put away sins, because they hear the Lord crying out in the Prophet: It is I,