theues but seeinge it was chosen of God it coulde not be defaced by no corruptions of men vntyll suche tyme as the reiectinge thereof were made manifeste or els it was prophane in respecte of the wyckednes of men and holye in respecte of the worshyppe of God vntyll the destruction of the Temple whiche happened not longe after Christe was crucified 54 VVhen the Centurion and they that were with hym watchynge Iesus sawe the earthquake and those thynges whiche happened they feared greatly saying Truely this was the sonne of God. VVhen the Centurion M. Marke Luke speake seuerally thus of the Centurion When the Centurion whiche stoode before hym sawe what had happened that is as saythe Marke that hee so cried and gaue vp the Ghost he glorified God as saythe Saint Luke saying Verely this was a righteous man Marke hathe this was the sonne of god But this oure Euangeliste wryteth ioyntly and together of the Centurion and of those which kept Iesus with hym C. The Euangeliste Luke maketh mencion that the Centurion with his Souldiours acknowledged Christe to be the sonne of God to amplefie the matter because it is marueyle that a prophane man and not broughte vp in the Lawe but altogether voyde of trewe godlynes gaue suche a iudgement of the sygnes whiche he sawe The whiche comparyson dothe not a lytle serue to condemne the blyndnes of the cittie for it was a sygne of horrible madnes that none of the Iewes were moued sauing the cōmon multitude and that a fewe at the shaking tremblyng of the foundation of the worlde Howe be it God in so greate blyndnes woulde not suffer the testimonies whiche he had geuen of his sonne to bee hydde Bu. This Centurion was a Romayne sente of Pylate the Deputie and sette to ouersee Christe after hee was condemned leaste there shoulde aryse any tumulte amonge the people They feared greatly C. In that the Centurion is sayde to feare and also to glorifye God it ought not so to bee expounded as though hee dyd fully and wholy repent For this was onely a sodayne and transitory motion whiche continewed but a short tyme Euen as often tymes it commeth to passe that vayne men and suche as are geuen to the worlde are strycken with the feare of God when hee declareth his fearfull power But because it taketh not depe roote it dothe by and by brynge foorth securitie whiche quyte extynguysheth the same Therefore the Centurion was not so chaunged that all his lyfetyme afterwarde he gaue hym selfe vnto God but hee was onely for a tyme a proclaymer of the deytie of Christe Saying Truely this vvas the sonne of God. C. The Centurion affirmeth hym to be the sonne of God and a righteous man not that hee distinctly vnderstoode howe Christe was begotten of the father but because he iudged somewhat that was deuine to bee in hym and because he was constrayned by the myracles he deameth that he was indued with the power of god M. After these thinges Saint Luke addeth saying And all the people that came together to that syghte sawe the things whiche had happened smote their brestes and retourned The strykynge of the breastes was a sygne of griefe and suche that they feared leaste the Lorde shoulde take vengeaunce on them for the bloud of the innocent man For that sygne is geuen eyther when wee repente vs of oure synne or when we feare the calamitie whiche hangeth ouer oure heade And certaynly the whole region is polluted in the whiche Innocent bloude is shedde 55 And many women were there behouldyng him a farre of whiche followed Iesus from Galile ministering vnto hym Add many vvomen vvere there E. The Euangeliiste Saint Luke hathe And all his acquaintaunce and the women whiche followen hym from Galile stoode a farre of behouldyng these thynges C. But these thynges are therefore added that wee myght knowe that although the disciples were dispersed here and there through flyghte yet not withstanding the Lorde kepte some of them as wytnesses And although the Apostell Saint Iohn wente not from the Crosse yet for all that there is no mention made here of hym but the women onely are commended of oure Euangeliste Saint Matthewe which followed Christe euen to the deathe because the men flying awaye with feare their singuler loue towarde their maister dyd the more appeare Notwithstandyng wee doe not gather by the forenamed place of Saynct Luke that all the men fled away because he saith that all his acquaintaunce stoode a farre of But the Euangelistes doe not without good cause chiefelye make mention of the women For thereby the Apostels are sharpelye reprehended because the women were lesse fearefull than they Wee speake of the bodye it selfe For because one onely abode as a remnaunte of hym as we sayde euen nowe the three Euangelistes make no mention And this was a greate shame to the chosen wytnesses to withdrawe them selues from that syght vppon the whiche the saluation of the whole worlde dyd depende So that when they should afterwarde publishe the Gospel thei were faine to learne the speciall parte of the history of the women Wherefore excepte the prouidence of God had wonderfully preuented this euell they had depryued them selues and vs to of the knowledge of the redemption And although there semeth not to bee so greate authoritie and creedit to bee geuen to the women yet neuertheles if wee waye with howe greate power of the holy Ghoste they were strengthened against that temptatiō there shall be no cause why our faith should wauer whiche resteth in the trewe God the authour of testimony C. Therefore wee must note theire wonderfull faythe It was a greuous temptation to see Christe reproached with suche sclaunder and at the lengthe to dye It was also a horrible syghte to see his daed carcas Theire faythe therefore was not lyghtly tryed But in that they stoode a farre of it was a sygne of womanly feare For although they dyd loue the Lorde yet notwithstandynge theire loue was not without the infirmitie of the fleshe Wherefore by this example we learne not to reiecte the weake and fearefull by and by as though there were no loue in them to the Lorde VVhiche follovved Iesus from Galile C. This deserued no small prayse in these women that for the desyer they had to learne they forsooke theyr owne countrey that they myght continually depende vppon the mouthe of the Lorde And also because they neyther spared labour nor goodes to haue the doctryne of saluation For our Euangeliste sayth Ministering vnto hym What thei ministered Luke declareth saying Which ministred vnto hym of their substaunce They mynistered not onely to the persone of Christ but to the Apostles also whiche followed hym This place ought diligently to bee noted The kyng of kynges whiche nourisheth all thynges beynge Lorde of heauen and earthe had nothyng to sustayne hym selfe but that whiche hee had of those that followed hym Therefore the Apostell Paule saythe For ye knowe the lyberallitie of oure
For they shewe that the declaration of the resurrection in Christe was of such estimation to the Apostels and faythfull that thereby they were moued to worship him as the God Lord. For he is declared to bee the sonne of God by the power of the resurrection But some doubted M. It is marueile that some here should doubt as yet hauing so often times before sene Christe But it ought not to seme absurde vnto vs if the reliques of feare whiche remayned behinde caused some of them to doubte and wauer a newe For we knowe that so often as Christe appeared they were afearde and amased vntill they had better remēbred them selues and bene a whyle conuersaunt with hym Wherefore the meaning is that certayne in the beginning doubted vntill suche tyme as Christe had bene more nere and familiar with them but when hee was certainly knowen vnto them they worshipped hym because in dede the brightnes of his glory was manifest vnto them These thinges being ended they retourned to Hierusalem where the Lorde commaunded them to abyde as wytnesseth S. Luke saying And beholde I wyll sende the promyse of my father vpon you But tary ye in the cittie of Hierusalem vntyll ye bee indewed with power from an highe 18 And Iesus came and spake vnto them saying All power is geuen vnto me in heauen and in earth Ann Iesus came and spake vnto them C. There is no doubte but that Christe by this sentence toke all doubte from them Sayinge All povver is geuen to me Before the Euangeliste doth shewe howe the office of teaching was inioyned by Christe to the disciples he sayth that Christe began to speake of his power and not without cause For he had nede to haue no small authoritie but great and deuine power whiche should cōmaunde eternall lyfe to be promysed in his name the whole worlde to bee brought vnder his gouernement and a doctrine to be publyshed whiche pluckyng downe all pryde of fleshe should humble mankynde And certainly by this beginning Christ did not onely erecte his Apostles to the bolde truste of executinge their office but also stablyshed the faythe of his Gospell throughout al Ages The Apostels truly would neuer haue bene perswaded to take in hande so harde an office excepte they had knowen that their reuenger dyd syt in heauen to whome all power was committed For without suche defence it was impossible to profite any thing at all But truely when they heare that he is Lorde of heauen and earth for whome they woorke by this one thyng they are sufficiently armed to ouercomme all lettes But and if the condition of those whiche preache the Gospell seme base and cōtemptible to the hearers let them learne to lyfte vp their eyes to the authour thereof by whose power the maiestie of the Gospel ought to be wayed And so it wyll come to passe that they dare not despyse hym speakyng by his ministers Therefore that the Apostels might knowe that they are not sente of man but of hym which hath ful power he sayth Al power is geuen to me In heauen and in earthe Christe dothe here playnely make hym self bothe Lorde and kynge as well of heauen as earth because he makyng men subiecte vnto hym by the preaching of the Gospell appointeth the seate of his kyngdome in earth and regenerating those that are his into a newe lyfe and inuitinge them to the hope of saluation openeth the heauēs that he may take them vp into blessed immortalitie with the Aungels whiche before were drowned in death And we must remember that Christe being equall with the father was neuer destitute of power so that it was geuen vnto hym nowe in our fleshe or in the persone of a mediatour For hee speaketh not here of the power whiche he had before the creatiō of the worlde but of that whiche he nowe receyued being made the iudge of the worlde B. Of this therefore hee admonisheth his disciples to the ende they myght the more wyllingly take in hande the preachinge of the Gospell when they should knowe them selues to bee his imbassadours whiche had power of all thinges 19. Go yee therefore and teache all nations baptizinge them in the name of the father and of the sonne and of the holye Ghoste Go ye therefore and teache A. Marke as it were expoundinge these wordes sayth Go ye into the whole world Bu. By that which woordes Christe doth set forth and expresse the boūdes and lymits of his kingdome excludinge no nation The summe of these wordes is that by publishinge the Gospell euerye where they maye bringe all nacions to the obedience of the faithe and that they may seale and confirme their doctrine with the seale of the Gospell M. By the force of this worde it came to passe that this embassage of the Apostles pearced throughoute the whole world and preuailed againste all tyran◅es For such is the power of the worde of Christ that being once spoken it setteth it selfe againste all the deceites of Sathan and the worlde Otherwise howe was it possible for this new and straunge doctrine to be brought into the whole worlde of symple men and of no power and the impietye of the whole worlde to be reuealed and condemned except his vertue and power had ayded this imbassage And teache The Euangeliste Marke expresseth what they shoulde teache sayinge The Gospell And a little hereafter in our Euangeliste there is added a restrainte namely that they should teache to obserue those thinges which the Lord had cōmaunded A. Neither is it sayd onely to Peter whom the Papistes would make the head of the Churche Christes vicar Preache ye and teache yee but to all the Apostles a like therefore all the mynisters of the worlde ought to preache and teache And this office was appointed and commaunded of Christ himselfe What the Gospell is wee haue shewed in the firste Chapter goinge before Neither doth Christe commaunde anye other thinge to be taughte than that whiche hee had already preached as we maye see in the fourth Chapter goinge before And in another place hee saith Christ went about all Citties and Townes teachinge in their Sinagoges and preachinge the Gospell of the kingdome Also hee affyrmeth that hee is sente to this ende when he sayth I must preache the Gospell of the kingdome to other Citties for this cause was I sent And to this ende he sendeth his seruaunts C. Whereby wee gather that the Apostleship is not a vaine title but a laborious offyce therefore there can be nothinge more absurde than for men to liue idlely and to reiecte this office of teachinge whiche vsurpe vnto themselues this honour The Pope of Rome and his rable proudly boast of this succession as though hee were equal with Peter and his fellowes But they haue no more care to teache than had the priestes of Pan Bacchus or Venus But with what face can they presume to come into their place whom they heare to be ordayned
are their successors Neither doth he saye only in respecte of tyme that the prophetes were before them but because they are of the same order and that therefore they must frame them selues according to their example Finally this sentence bringeth great cōsolatiō to the disciples of Christ Neither can they easely be remoued whē that they knowe them selues to be the fellowes of the prophetes M. Moreouer we must here note howe great the iniquitie is of this present world which letteth not to trouble the people of God yea his speciall ministers with lyes reproches and persecutions Nowe for so muche as this hapned to them in the Churche of God to the which they were appointed what shall become of them that are without the churche Euen so the Prophetes Christe him self and the Apostels suffered all kynde of reproche and trouble layde vpon them by the Church of Israel Therefore what can be more blockishe and foolishe then they whiche thinke that none at this day can be afflicted and oppressed with iniury by the heads of Churches As though the state and condition of the ministers of Christe were better at this day then was the state of Christe him selfe his Prophetes and Apostels in their tyme Let the ministers of Christe therefore haue respecte vnto the lot and chaunce of thē which were before them in the office and ministery of the woorde of God neither let them hope in their tyme to haue better estimation and fauour if they teache Christe sincerely then had the Apostels and Prophetes which were before time 13 You are the salte of the earth but if the salte hath lost his saltnes what shal be seasoned there with it is then good for nothing but to be caste forthe of the doores and to be troden vnder feete of men You are the salte of the earth E. Nowe he doth bothe exhorte his disciples by reason to beare and suffer all kynde of euell for his kingdom and also to followe and immitate whatsoeuer is ioyned with excellent vertue C. Christ here doth referre the propertie of the doctrine to the persons to whome he had committed his ministration For in calling his Apostels the salte of the earth he meaneth that it is their office and dutie to salte and season the earthe because men haue nothing but that whiche is altogether vnsauery vntill they be seasoned with the salte of heauenly doctrine M. Christe our sauiour therefore by these woordes doth signifie and teache that all mankind hath nede to be seasoned least that it putrifie and perishe for it is altogether vnsauory and wholy subiecte to corruption and destruction if it be not seasoned with the heauenly salte and so preserued The doctrine of the Gospell is this salte with the whiche al men ought to be seasoned that they maye attayne to the sauer and taste of the heauēly and euerlasting life This doctrine for the sharpenes therof is hated enuied of the corruptible worlde for it requireth mortification of the flesh a liuely faythe and true repentaunce frō deade workes and suche lyke which are not very pleasaunt to the fleshe Preache thou the woorde saithe saint Paule be feruent in season and out of season improue rebuke exhorte with all long suffering and doctrine B. Certainly it was necessary that the doctrine of the infallible truthe whiche is the present medicine of the whole worlde should byte searche smarte burne purifie dissolue and heale by certayne reason notwithstanding and iust meane For as the salt is a certayne seasoning of the meate and as the temperate vse of the same bringeth some pleasaunt taste and pleasure euen so the immoderate mixture and ouergreat quantitie maketh the meate very vnpleasaunt This doth signifie that the pastors and teachers ought to do all thinges with iudgement and aduisedly least that they make the doctrine of truthe to be hated of many in beynge to curious in reprouing But if the salt haue lost C. After our maister Christe had taught his disciples wherunto they were called he doth denounce vn-them greuous and horrible iudgement except they discharge their office duty And he sheweth farther that the doctrine which they preache is so ioyned to a godly and and a honest lyfe that the corruption whiche is tollerable in others is coūted in them detestable and monstrous As if he should haue sayde If other men be vnsauery before God to you is geuen salte to make them sauore and to haue a taste or relishe but if you your selues haue lost youre saltnes whence will you seke for the remedy whiche you shoulde geue to others M. For as the salte beinge vnsauory cannot season any thyng neither can the salte it selfe hauing loste the proper nature by any meanes be seasoned againe euen so if those do amisse to whome it belongeth to exhorte and instructe others to the study of godlynes these twoo inconueniences and dammages shall ensue The one is that the foolyshenes and corruption of mankynde cannot by any other kynde of doctrine be amended for here neither the shewe of serimonies neither mans traditions and inuentions are of any force here vayne is the perfection of Philosophers yea vayne is here the holines of fleshe The other is that the ministers of the Churche if they falle if they erre if they do amysse then can not they by the seasoninge of other mens disciplyne be amendended and restored The whiche truly not onely the experience of the tyme paste but also of this tyme present dothe plainly enoughe declare namely that the corruption of ecclesiasticall ministers is incurable It is then good for nothing els but. Christe very aptly doth prosecute his metaphor when he saythe that other thinges whiche do degenerate from their nature are notwithstanding by some meanes proffitable after their corruption but the salte also to be very hurteful as to bryng barrens euen to the dounge hyll The effecte therefore is this that the disease is incurable when the ministers them selues do erre and are deceyued because they ought to season all the worlde with their salte B. For as the well head beyng dryed vp from whenche all other do spryng and flowe and as the lyghte being extinguyshed from whence all other candels are lighted there can no other water or fyer bee founde from whence they may receyue their qualitie agayne Euen so truly by foolyshe teachers who shal learne wisdom and knowledge and by blynde guydes who shall be conducted and led the ryght waye This therefore is a wonderful inconuenience and incurable E. Finally this admonition is not only proffitable to the ministers but also to euerye Christian man For so muche as God intendeth to season the whole earthe with the salte of his worde it followeth that whatsoeuer wanteth the same salte is not only vnsauory but putrified also corrupted before him although he seme to be seasoned in the sight of men Wherfore there is nothing better then to admitte and receiue
offered vnto them And for so much as it is the scepter of his kingdom it can not be despised and set at naughte without reproche vnto him Shake of the duste M. Our Sauioure Christe is not contente to haue them only depart from those that are vnworthy but also he would that they should geue some testimony of the greatnes of their fault and of the punishement to come C. And as he commēdeth the doctrine of the Gospell here that all men myghte receiue the same reuerently Euen so he biddeth his Apostels to be preachers of that vengeaunce whiche he denounceth vnto thē which thing could not be vnles they burned with a seruent zeale of that doctrine whiche they preached We must note therefore that none can be a fitte teacher of the heauenly doctrine vnlesse he be so affected that he do forsake and contemne his selfe M. The shakyng of of the dust is a sygne of cursyng and defyinge of thē C. Whiche thynge is very lykely to bee vsed of the Iewes because Christe speaketh here as of a knowen thyng as if the Apostels by this outward signe had witnessed the inhabiters of that place to be so polluted defiled that euen the earthe by their infection also was corrupted M. And so this shaking of of the duste should be a testimony to the vnbeleuing and contemners of the preachynge of the Gospell that hereafter they mighte haue no excuse that they hearde not the embassage of the kyngdome of god For Marke addeth For a witness vnto thē But Luke saith For a wytnes againste them As if he shoulde haue sayde This duste whiche cleaueth vnto oure feete since we came into this cittie of yours shal be a wytnes in that day if you would deny vs to be there and to haue preached the gladtidinges of the Gospel vnto you Of this commaundement we haue an example in the Actes of the Apostels where it is thus wrytten The Iewes moued the deuoute and honest women the chiefe men of the cittie and raysed persecution againste Paule and Barnabas and expelled thē out of their coastes But they shoke of the duste of their feete against them and came to Iconium And in an other place And when they sayde contrary and blasphemed he shoke his rayment and sayde vnto them youre bloude be vpon your owne heades from hencefoorthe wyll I go blameles vnto the Gentyles C. So that we see howe that no cryme dothe more offende God then the contempte of his woorde For he dothe not so precisely bidde vs to deteste eyther Adulterers or man slears or any kynde of wycked persones as he doth bid vs to deteste these Wherupō being not content with the dede alone he woulde that hys disciples shoulde threaten them with woordes as appeareth in Luke where he sayth Go your wayes into the streates of the same and saye euen the very dust of your cittie whiche cleaueth on vs do we wype of against you Notwithstandyng be ye sure of this that the kyngdome of God was come nie vpon you 15 Verely I saye vnto you it shal be easyer for the lande of Sodoma and Gomorha in the daye of iudgement then for that cittie Verely I saye vnto you C. Leaste that the threatnyng goynge before shoulde seme vayne oure Sauiour Christe pronounceth that they which despyse the Gospel shall suffer more greuous punyshement then the Sodomites M. And to perswade this more seriously he confirmeth it with an othe In the daye of Iudgement There are some whiche by this daye of iudgement vnderstande that tyme in the whiche God toke vengeaunce vpon the Iewes by the Romaynes But Christe speaketh not of this tyme For he vnderstandeth the generall daye of iudgement in the whiche all men muste geue accoumptes and receyue punyshement accordyng to their dedes For the temporall burnyng of Sodome was an example of the euerlasting fyre to come as in the Epistell of saint Iude. God was wonderfully styrred to wrathe againste Sodome Wherefore if that cittie was then so abhominable before God it shall no doubte haue farre greater punishement in the daye of iudgement Therefore Christe nameth Sodome aboue all other citties not only because the plague and punishement of the same did exceade all others but because it was consumed by the power of God with a synnguler kynde of destruction that it myght be an example for euer and the name odious also and abhominable And yet notwithstandinge it is no marueyle if Christe do pronounce here that the Sodomites shall be more gently intreated at that daye then the vnbeleuing whiche refuse to heare the Gospell For when as men do denie the authoritie of their maker wyll not vouchesafe to heare his voyce but do refuse the same whiche inuiteth and calleth them to grace This impietie I saye is as it were the heape of all other mischiefes and wickednes But and if so great and greuous a plague insued the repulse of the obscure preaching in those dayes What terrible punishement remayneth for those whiche reiecte Christe so openly and plainly crying and calling vnto them Furthermore if God punish so seuerely the contemners what shall happen and befall suche as are furious enemies which with opprobrious tongues and blasphemous talke defie the Gospell of Christe and cruelly with fier and swerde persecute the same Last of all by this place we maye learne in what the weale publique or health proffite and cōmoditie of the cittie doth consiste namely in the obedience and diligent hearing imbracing of the worde of God and not in worldly peace and vnitie not in the florishing estate of mundane affaires For what shall the pleasaunt cituation of Sodome the sumptuous buyldynge and the greate aboundaunce of treasure in the same helpe or proffite in the daye of iudgement Surely nothyng at all Reade for this matter the syxtene chapter of the prophecie of Ezechiell 16 Beholde I sende you foorth as shepe amonge VVolues be ye therefore wyse as serpentes and innocent as Doues Beholde I sende you forthe Bu. Nowe our Sauiour Christe setteth the daungers before his disciples whiche they muste suffer for preachinge of the truthe And in this he followeth stronge and valiaunt captaines of the warres who to the ende they may make their souldiours more ware tell them beforehande all the daungers and perils of the battayle C. And so the cōmaundements and charges whiche Matthewe hitherto hath rehersed did pertayne to the former expedition and haste of their iourney whiche should be ended in a fewe dayes But now Christ proceadeth farther armeth the again the tyme to come that they might knowe howe that they were not chosen only for that short time to preache the Gospell but also for a longer tyme yea to compasse a greater prouince more vneasy and requiring greater trauell payne He admonisheth them therefore here of those perilles whiche they should suffer after his resurrectiō For although they were not brought by and by into the
the keyes C. Here our sauiour Christe beginneth nowe to intreate of the publike office or of the Apostelship the dignitie whereof is adorned with a double tytle for Christ sayth that the mynisters of the Gospell are as it were porters of the kingdome of heauen because they carry the keyes of the same and that is the fyrst Then he saith that they haue power to binde and louse not only in earth but also in heauen and this is the seconde This similitude of the keyes pertayneth very aptelye to the office of teachinge B. The Metaphor is herupon taken because the chiefe power of the house and of the cittie is in his power and rule whiche hath the chiefe custody vse of the keyes for that he maye let into the house or cittie whom he wil and seclude and kepe out whom he list Hereupon the lorde when he promysed to Eliakim the sonne of Helkia the seruaunte of kinge Ezechias the chiefe power in the kinges courte in Hierusalem he spake thus by the Prophete Esay The keye of the house of Dauid wyl I lay vppon his shulder so that he shall open and no man shall shut He shall shut no mā shal open For there he prophesied of this Eliakim speakinge of Sobna which was the chiefe gouernour of the kinges house thus In that day shall I cal my seruant Eliakim the sonne of Helkia And with thy garmentes wyll I clothe him with thy girdell will I strengthen hym thy power wil I commit into his hande and he shal be a father of such as dwel in Hierusalem in the house of Iuda The same metaphor the lord vsed in an other place saying Woo vnto you Lawyers for ye haue taken away the keie of knowledge ye entered not in your selues and them that came in ye forbad that is to say ye withstode the doctrine of the kingedome of God lest it shoulde be broughte out to thē that they mighte be partakers of the same C. Christ therefore sayth that the Scribes Phariseies which were interpretours of the law had the keye of knowledge or the key of the kingdome of heauen for we know that the gate of lyfe is opened no otherwise vnto vs then by the worde of God. Whereupon it followeth that the key is geuen into the hāde of the ministers therof Notwithstādinge it is demaūded why the lord promised that he wold geue that vnto Peter which he semed to haue geuē before at the making of the Apostels But this questiō is answered before where we said that the twelue were but forerunners for the time so that when they returned vnto Christe againe they had finished the race ende of their calling But after that Christe rose againe from death then they were apointed ordinary teachers of the church in this respecte this honor pertained vnto thē euer after Bu. Therfore he saith here I wil geue not I haue geuen He promiseth that he will geue the keies he geueth them not But after his resurrecttion he sayd vnto them Peace be vnto you As my father sent me euē so send I you also And whē he had said these woordes he breathed on them and saith vnto thē receyue ye the holy ghoste Who so euers synnes ye remit they are remitted vnto them And who so euers sinnes ye retayne they are retayned In the which wordes As my father sente me c. there is a cōparison not an equalitie For Christ was sent that he might be the redemption of the whole world the Apostels were not so sent but onely to preach But as Christ was sent of the father for the saluatiō of the whole world so the Apostels were sent to prech this saluation that they which beleue their preachinge might be saued as if he had heard Christ him selfe as he saith in another place He which heareth you heareth me Moreouer he saith not They shal be geuē but I will geue by the which words Christe challengeth all this power of the kingdome of heauen to him selfe as lord in so much that he might cōmyt the same to whom it pleased hym For here it maketh no great matter not only who receiueth but of whom any thing is receiued And vvhat so euer thou bindest in earthe C The seconde metaphor or symilitude pertayneth properlye to note the remyssion of synnes For Christe delyueringe vs by his Gospell from the euerlastinge paine of deathe louseth the snares and fetters of maledyction with the whiche we were held bounde Therfore he declareth that the doctrine of the Gospell was ordeyned to louse our bandes that being loused in earthe by the voice and testimony of mē we mighte also in deede be loused in heauen B. But this metaphor is taken of this that the Prophetes do preache that the office of christ is to louse peculiarly those that are bound So Christ him selfe speaketh vnto Paule sayinge I wyll sende thée to the Gentiles to open theyr eyes that they may be tourned from darkenes to lighte and from the power of Sathan vnto God that they maye receyue forgeuenesse of synnes and inheritance amonge those which are sanctified by faith Where he expoundeth that to be the power of the keyes which consisteth in the remission and retayninge of synnes Bu. The Apostelles did neuer after any other maner louse or binde As for example Repent you saith the Apostell Peter of your sinnes and be baptised euery one of you in the name of Iesus Christ for the remission of synnes and ye shall receiue the gifte of the holy ghoste Thus Peter vsed the keies that were cōmitted vnto hym thus he loused in earth promissynge remission of synnes by the woord of Christ to them that beleue Yea and Chryste ratified and confirmed this message and preachinge of Peter for to them that confessed theyr synne and trusted to his mercie he remytted as Peter had promysed Also the Iayler of the pryson sayde to Paule and Sylas Syrs what muste I do to be saued and they saide beleeue on the Lorde Iesus Christ and thou shalt be saued and all thy houssholde Beholde the Apostelles do louse him that is bounde forgeuyng hym his synnes and that by the keyes by the preachynge of the Gospell the whiche preachynge because he beleued the lord pronounceth him to be loused in heauen C. But because a greate many doo not onely wickedly reiecte the delyueraunce offered vnto them but also by theyr obstinacie do bryng more greuouse iudgemente to them selues the power of bindynge also and the commaundemente of the Gospell is geuen to the ministers Of the whiche matter we haue an example in the Actes of the Apostelles Bu. The Iewes saith sainct Luke were full of indignation and spake agaynste those thynges whiche were spoken of Paule raylinge on it Then Paule and Barnabas waxed bolde and said It was meete that the worde of God should first haue ben preached to you But seinge ye put it from you and