pp. 107 passages
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The Lord addeth unto the premisses: And I will give thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou bindest upon earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatsoever thou loosest upon earth shall be loosed in heaven. ⟨image 16⟩By which words the Lord showeth again, that this charge concerning blessedness and eternal life, which he hath hitherto laid forth, pertaineth not only to Peter or the rest of the Apostles, but also unto all men through the whole world. Moreover he showeth the mean and manner how men are brought into the Church, that is to say, how they be builded upon the Rock and made members of Christ and the Church, and so enter into the kingdom of heaven. You Apostles (saith the Lord) shall open the way, and as it were by reaching out your hands bring men into the company of me and of my Saints, and consequently into the kingdom of heaven: and that shall be done by the preaching of the Gospel. For by faith we be grafted into Christ and his Church. But faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the preaching of the Gospel. And therefore (saith the Lord) I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, that is, I will commit unto you the charge of preaching the Gospel, to this end, that you shall go out into the whole world, and by declaring unto all men the remission of sins through me, set them loose that be fettered in the chains of their sins, and open the kingdom of heaven to them that believe: and on the other side bind those that shake of the preaching of the Gospel, that is to say, declare and witness unto them that they be subject to eternal damnation. And this your declaration and witnessing shall be so ratified and assured, that whomsoever ye loose or bind by my word upon earth, them will I also account as loosened or bound in heaven. And this is the simple meaning of Christs words, flowing out of the words them selves, without any racking of the words at all. Which meaning I will more clearly enlighten and more assuredly confirm by that which ensueth.
THe Lorde addeth vnto the premisses: And I will geue thee the keyes of the kingdome of heauen: and whatsoeuer thou byndest vpon earth shall be bound in heauen, and whatsoeuer thou loosest vppon earth shall be loosed in heauen. ⟨image 16⟩By which wordes ye Lord sheweth againe, that this charge concerning blessednesse and eternall life, which he hath hetherto layd forth, perteineth not onely to Peter or the rest of the Apostles, but also vnto all men through the whole world. Moreouer he sheweth the meane and maner how men are brought into the Church, that is to say, how they be builded vpon the Rocke and made members of Christ and the Church, and so enter into the kingdome of heauen. You Apostles (sayth the Lord) shall open the way, and as it were by reaching out your handes bring men into the company of me and of my Saintes, and consequently into the kingdome of heauē: and that shall be done by the preaching of the Gospell. For by fayth we be graffed into Christ and his Church. But fayth commeth by hearing, and hearing by the preaching of the Gospell. And therfore (sayth ye Lord) I will geue you the keyes of the kingdome of heauen, that is, I will commit vnto you the charge of preaching the Gospell, to this end, that you shall go out into the whole world, and by declaring vnto all men the remission of sinnes through me, set thē loose that be fettered in ye chaines of their sinnes, and open the kingdome of heauen to them that beleue: and on the other side bynde those that shake of the preaching of the Gospell, that is to say, declare and witnesse vnto them that they be subiect to eternall damnation. And this your declaration and witnessing shall be so ratified and assured, that whomsoeuer ye loose or binde by my worde vpon earth, them will I also account as loosened or bound in heauē. And this is the simple meaning of Christes wordes, flowing out of the wordes them selues, without any racking of the wordes at all. Which meaning I will more cléerly enlighten and more assuredly confirme by that which ensueth.
The word Keys, are not uttered always in one signification in the Scripture: For otherwise there is no man but he knoweth what they be in their proper signification: that is to wit, tools wherewithal the locks of ⟨p. 11⟩doors, chests, and such other things are opened or shut. And they be conveyed over from bodily things to spiritual things, from earthly things to heavenly things: and sometime they be taken for sovereign and full power, like as when we read in the Apocalypse that Christ hath the keys of David, of death, and of hell. For by that phrase of speech is betokened that Christ hath the sovereign and most absolute power or authority to govern the kingdom of David, and also full power over death it self, and over hell, and that he is able to deliver from death, or to thrust down into hell whomsoever he listeth. These Keys, that is to say, this power, belongeth only unto Christ, and no creature is partaker of it. Whereupon also in the Apocalypse the Lord saith with a vehemency, I have the Keys: and he saith not, I have had, but I have, I say I have them yet still, and will have them ever, & I resign them to no man.
The worde Keyes, are not vttered alwayes in one signification in the Scripture: For otherwise there is no man but he knoweth what they be in their proper signification: that is to wit, tooles wherwithall the lockes of ⟨p. 11⟩doores, chestes, and such other thinges are opened or shut. And they be conueyed ouer from bodily thinges to spirituall thinges, from earthly thinges to heauenly thinges: and sometime they be taken for souerein and full power, like as when we read in the Apocalips that Christ hath the keyes of Dauid, of death, and of hell. For by that phrase of spéech is betokened that Christ hath the souerein and most absolute power or authoritie to gouerne the kingdome of Dauid, and also full power ouer death it self, and ouer hell, and that he is able to deliuer from death, or to thrust down into hell whomsoeuer he listeth. These Keyes, that is to say, this power, belongeth onely vnto Christ, and no creature is partaker of it. Wherupon also in the Apocalips the Lord sayth with a vehemencie, I haue the Keyes: and he sayth not, I haue had, but I haue, I say I haue them yet still, and will haue them euer, & I resigne them to no man.
There is also the Key of knowledge, and the Key of the kingdom of heaven, whereof we entreat at this present. The Key of knowledge is instruction, whereby a mans understanding is opened, and his want of skill amended. And the Key of the kingdom of heaven is a plain or lightsome declaration or laying forth of things, whereby men are taught, what way they may go into heaven, or how they may be saved. I feign nothing of mine own head in this behalf, in these things I follow the Scripture, and for mine exposition I allege the very word of Christ saying in the Gospel after S. Luke:1 Woe be to you Lawyers, which have taken away the key of knowledge: ye entered not in your selves, and them that came in, ye forbade. Which words of the Lord, Matthew uttereth in this wise: Woe be to you Scribes and Pharisees, for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven before men: ye your selves go not in, neither suffer ye them that come, to enter in. Behold, look what Luke called the taking away of the key of knowledge, 2that doth Matthew call the shutting up of the kingdom of heaven. And therefore what else I pray you is it to bring forth the keys of the ⟨image 17⟩kingdom of heaven, then to bring forth the keys of knowledge, that is to say, the doctrine which concerneth the kingdom of heaven, through the instruction whereof we may know how to become partakers of the everlasting salvation? Again, to take away the keys of knowledge or of the kingdom of heaven, is nothing else but to withstand the doctrine of the Gospel concerning the kingdom of God, or to assault it, or to give commandment that it be not preached. You therefore enter not in (saith the Lord) I mean by hearkening to my doctrine: ye believe not, that ye might be saved: neither suffer ye them to enter which come and are desirous of my doctrine concerning the kingdom of God, that is to say, which would fain hear and believe my doctrine, that by faith they might be made heirs of Gods kingdom, while you slander my doctrine and my works, as though they proceeded from Satan, and therefore were to be abhorred and eschewed of good men. And by these words of the Lord it appeareth most manifestly, that the keys whereof he speaketh here in S.
There is also the Key of knowledge, and the Key of the kingdome of heauen, whereof we intreate at this present. The Key of knowledge is instruction, wherby a mans vnderstanding is opened, and his want of skill amended. And the Key of the kingdome of heauē is a plaine or lightsome declaration or laying forth of thinges, whereby men are taught, what way they may goe into heauen, or how they may be saued. I faine nothing of mine owne head in this behalfe, in these thinges I followe the Scripture, and for mine exposition I alledge the very worde of Christ saying in the Gospell after S. Luke:
Matthew, saying, and to thee will I give the keyee of the kingdom of heaven, are not any other thing then the charge of preaching the Gospel, committed by the Lord to the ministers of his Church, that by the said publishing of the Gospel, they might open the kingdom of heaven to the believers, and shut it against the unbelievers.
Matthew, saying, and to thee will I geue the keyee of the kingdome of heauen, are not any other thing then the charge of preaching the Gospell, committed by the Lord to the ministers of his Church, that by the sayd publishing of the Gospell, they might open the kingdome of heauen to the beleuers, and shut it against the vnbeleuers.
But if these things which notwithstanding (if I be not deceived) I take to be evident & strong enough) do not yet satisfy you: behold I will unfold this whole matter of the keys yet an other way, though nothing differing from the interpretation which I have set down already, as in respect of the pith of the matter. The word keys are also used in the Scripture, for the care & ordering of an household. For the servants whom the master of any house setteth in office, have keys delivered unto them, wherewith to open and shut, and to order all the house: which thing is wont to be done by the Stewards or Comptrollers, that ⟨p. 12⟩have the chief charge of the house. By means whereof the keys also are taken for the very charge, the ordering, or the governing of the house. Here again I feign nothing of my self,1 I follow the holy Scriptures. For in Isaiah the Lord saith: I will lay the key of the house of David upon the shoulder of Eliachim, which shall open and no man shall shut, and shall shut and no man shall open. And what else is this, then if he had said without figure, I will put Sobna out of office, and make Eliachim Lord Treasurer, and commit the government of the Realm or of king Hezekiah palace, which charge he shall perform with so great faithfulness and authority, that whatsoever he ordaineth, shall stand sure and inviolable, and whatsoever he disannulleth, no man shall attempt to ratify. In like respect are the keys of the kingdom of heaven said to be given to the Apostles and other ministers, I mean the governing or housholdly ordering of the Church, thereby to bring men to the kingdom of heaven, or to shut them out of the partnership thereof. Which surely can be none other, then that which it accounteth as the chief, namely, the message of Gods word, I mean the preaching of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, concerning the remission of sins, and everlasting life. The which truly is so certain and sure, that look whom the ministers absolve from their sins by it, they are also assuredly acquit before God, and whom the ministers condemn by the word for their unbeliefs sake, those remain also condemned to destruction before God.
But if these thinges which notwithstāding (if I be not deceaued) I take to be euident & strong inough) do not yet satisfie you: beholde I will vnfolde this whole matter of the keyes yet an other way, though nothing differing from the interpretation which I haue set downe already, as in respect of the pith of the matter. The worde keyes are also vsed in the Scripture, for the care & ordering of an householde. For the seruauntes whom the master of any house setteth in office, haue keyes deliuered vnto thē, wherewith to open and shut, and to order all the house: which thing is wont to be done by the Stewardes or Comptrollers, that
And as for these things which I have laid forth concerning the ordering of a household by Stewards, that is to say, concerning the ordering of the Church by the ministers, they are not differing from the word of God. For the Lord in his Gospel rehearseth a parable of a man that went from home and committed the charge of his house to his servants which should be as Stewards to order his house. Which Parable certes is applied to the Church the house of God, and to the ministers placed in the same, ⟨image 18⟩that in governing it they may chiefly beautify it with the preaching of the Gospel. For in the same Gospel the Lord saith again: Who (thinkest thou) is that faithful and wise servant, whom his Lord hath set over his household to give them meat in due season? But who knoweth not what the meat of the Church is? Truly Paul writing to a Bishop, that is to say, to an overseer or steward of the Church, saith: Endeavour to yield thy self an allowable workman unto God, not to be ashamed of, and rightly distributing the word of truth. And the same Apostle speaking yet more manifestly of the ministers and the household order of the Church, saith: Let a man so esteem you as the ministers of Christ, and household guides or stewards of the mysteries of God. Then the which, I pray you what can be spoken more fully and plainly in this our case? Christ our Lord ordained in his Church, ministers and not Lords, ministers or servants I say to be stewards or dealers forth of Gods mysteries in the Church, that is to say, of the Gospel, and of the things that are annexed to the Gospel. For so doth the Lord him self expound the word Mystery in the xiii. chapt. of Matthew: and so doth Paul also in the third to the Ephesians. These keys, that is to say, this charge & household order of governing the Church, which is executed according to the appointment of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, did the Apostles receive, and after them all ministers of Churches that be lawfully called to the same office.
And as for these thinges which I haue layd forth concerning the ordering of a housholde by Stewardes, that is to say, concerning the ordering of the Church by the ministers, they are not differing from the worde of God. For the Lord in his Gospell rehearseth a parable of a man that went from home and committed the charge of his house to his seruauntes which should be as Stewardes to order his house. Which Parable certesse is applyed to the Church the house of God, and to the ministers placed in the same, ⟨image 18⟩
