A GODLYE SERMON Preached before the Queens most excellent Maiestie vpon the 17. 18. 19. verses of the 16. Chapter of S. Mathew VVherein is contained the conclusion of a Dialogue betweene Christ and his Disciples Shewing breefely that the authoritie which the Pope of Rome doth challenge to himselfe is vnlawfully vsurped Very necessarie for these perilous times wherein the simple may perceiue their intollerable impietie vsurping that office and action which euer appertayned vnto Christ only Published at the request of sundry godly and well disposed persons ¶ Imprinted at London by Iohn Windet for Iohn Perin and are to be sold at his shop in Paules churchyard at the sign of the Angel A godly Sermon preached before the Queenes most excellent Maiestie vpon the 17. 18. 19. verses of the 16. Chapter of S. Matthewe Matth. Chap. 16. vers 17. 17 And Iesus answered and said to him Blessed art thou Simon the sonne of Ionas for flesh and bloud hath not reueiled it vnto thee but my Father which is in heauē 18 And I say also vnto thee that thou art Peter and vpon this rocke I will build my Church and the gates of hell shall not euercome it 19 And I will giue vnto thee the keyes of the kingdome of heauen and whatsoeuer thou shalt binde vpon earth shal be bound in heauen and whatsoeuer thou shalt loose on earth shal be loosed in heauen THese words which I haue read right honourable beloued in our Sauioure Christ containe the conclusion of a Dialogue betwéene Christ and his disciples For we read immediatly before in the thirtéenth verse of this sixtéenth Chapter that when Iesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi our Sauiour Christ partly to make tryall of the faith knowledge and profiting of his disciples hauing bene now so long taught by him and séene so great wonderfull miracles and partly to learn whether they conceiued any better of him than the common multitude as also to cause them to make a confession of their faith and beliefe in him in which he might strengthen and confirme them against al troubles and persecutions that were after to ensue he demaunded of them all this question whome do men say that I the sonne of man am Answere was made by them that some said he was Iohn Baptist Matth. 14.2 for so surmised the Herodians as apeareth in the 14. of this Gospel Where it is sayde that when Herod the Tetrarch who had beheaded Iohn Baptist heard of the fame of Iesus he said vnto his seruaunts this is Iohn Baptist that is risen againe from the dead and therefore great workes are wrought by him Some said he was Elias being deceiued partly by the Prophecie of Malachie misvnderstoode who had prophcied that Eliah the Prophet should be sent before the comming of the great and fearfull day of the Malach. 4.5 Lord partly by the like spirite they perceiued in Christ that was in Elias as the frée libertie of rebuking vices in the scribes and Pharisées the power of working miracles raising vp the dead to life againe as Elias did Some other thought him to be Hieremias because he bare a figure of Christ and for that it was saide of him Beholde this day haue I set thee ouer the nations and ouer the kingdomes Ierem. 1.9 to plucke vp and to roote out and to destroye and throw downe to build and to plant which was in verie déede truely to be perfourmed in Christ And they that thought him none of these yet because of his doctrine for he taught them as hauing authoritie Matth. 7.29 not as the Scribes and for his life and miracles they accounted him as one of the Prophets Christ hearing this to drawe out a more certaine and excellent confessiō out of his disciples than this was he further demaunded of them all but whome say ye that I am as though he should haue said whatsoeuer other men do thinke of mée or howsoeuer they be distract in opinions you who ought to haue better knewledge of mée whome do ye thinke me to be Then aunswered Simon Peter in the name of al the rest thou art Christ the sonne of the liuing God Christ reioycing at this true perfect and constant confession that Peter had made as it were in recompence and commendation therof he burst out into these words Blessed art thou Simon the sonne of Ionas for flesh and bloud hath not reueiled it vnto thee but my father which is in heauen c. Which wordes are euen the conclusion of that Dialogue betwéene Christ and his disciples and do containe the approbation and commendation of Peters confession In the which many things do offer them selues to our considerations but for this present time and occasion in these thrée verses thrée especiall pointes may be here obserued by vs. The first from whence Peter had this knowledge faith of Christ that he was the sonne of the liuing God Secondarily what is the foundation and rocke whereupon the Church of God was built Thirdly what the power authoritie commission was that is giuen vnto Peter in this place The first point is declared in the first verse of this text by two meanes first by remouing and denying those things which might séeme to be the cause yet are not as flesh and bloud Secondarily by expressing the true and perfect cause which was the reuelation of Almightie GOD. For the first by flesh and bloud is meant here the nature of man and all his giftes that he hath naturally as his wit vnderstanding and wil for so it is taken in sundrie other places of the holie Scriptures as in the first of Saint Iohns Gospell Ioan. 1.12 where he saith that such as receiued Christ they were borne not of bloud nor of the will of flesh nor of the will of man but of God And in the first to the Galathians Galath 1 1◠where he testifieth that when it pleased God to reueale his sonne in him that he shoulde preach him among the Gentiles he communicated not with flesh and bloud and in like manner in the sixth to the Ephesians Ephes 6.12 exhorting vs to put on all the armour of God that we might be able to stande against the assaultes of the diuell because we wrestle not against flesh bloud but against principalities and powers c. In which places as in diuerse others also by flesh and bloud is meant nothing but the nature of man and whatsoeuer is in him by his naturall birth and procreation so that this phrase and manner of spéech vsed of our Sauiour Christ here in this place doth signifie and declare vnto vs that this knowledge of Christ confession of faith which Peter made he had it not of himself neither by any meanes of man but from aboue by the manifestation and reuelatiō of God who had opened this great mysterie and giuen him this faith This doctrin ouerthroweth the iudgement and opinion of the
also at Ierusalem and at Antioche as appeareth in the actes of the Apostles why should not then the Bishops of Ierusalem and Antioche be accounted Peters successours as well as the Bishop of Rome If it be because Peter suffred there so did Paul also and surely that is but a meane reason to make Rome the Sea of Peters succession because that citie put him to death But wherein are the Bishops of Rome his successours whether in his Apostleship or in his Bishoprike not in the former for then must they immediatly be called to that office of God Secondly their duetie must be to preache to all nations for both these properties be required to make an Apostle as may appeare Gal. 1. Matth. 28. Gal. 1. Matth. â—8 But neither of these are agréeable to the Bishop of Rome being neither immediatly called of God neither executing the office of an Apostle in going about to preache to all nations he cannot be his successour in his Bishopricke for neither doeth hee take vppon him the office of a Bishop to be tyed to a certaine charge and besides how can he be successour to Peter in that which Peter was not he was by office an Apostle not a Bishop And further if we will beléeue auncient writers Irenaeus contra Valent. Peter was neuer Bishop of Rome for Irenaeus and Eusebius say that Paul and Peter founded the Church of Rome and that Linus by them was appointed the first Bishop Then succeded him Anacletus and thirdly Clemens And Tertullian Tert. lib. 10. de pres heret nameth Clemens the first Bishop of Rome appointed by Peter as Policarpus was the Bishop of Smirna appointed by Iohn Thus although Tertullian agreeth not with Irenaeus and Eusebius in appointing the first Bishop yet it is euident that neither of them accounted of Peter as of the Bishop of Rome but as of an Apostle who taught there as Paul did also So that the Pope cannot be Peters successour in his Bishopricke because hee was neuer Bishop of Rome If hee saye hee is his successour in his doctrine if he were able to iustifie that it woulde beare some colour But if the quite contrarie be prooued then is that allegation nothinge and besides that ought to be common to all Bishops and therefore by that he can challenge no prerogatiue I might declare at large howe farre he is from succéeding Peter in many respects but that were too large a fielde to enter in but euen as all those be not the children of Abraham which come of Abraham concerning the flesh but those that doe the workes of Abraham euen so those are not to be estéemed the successours of Peter or any of the Apostles which followe them in place or in name but those which followe them in their faith and doctrine which thing if they can shewe they doe we will in parte graunt them to be successours to the Apostles I will not stande longer vppon this point I trust that which I haue sayd shal be sufficient for the confirmation of the second part part I tooke in hande to prooue Nowe I will hasten vnto the third There remaineth then the third parte to discusse which was what the power commission is that was giuen to Peter in this place when it is saide to him To thee wil I giue the keyes of the kingdom of Heauen whatsoeuer thou shalt binde on earth shal be bounde in Heauen c. which wordes being spoken vnto Peter giuing him by expresse wordes the keyes of the kingdome of Heauen and the authoritie of binding and loosing thereby they haue inferred some speciall authoritie and prerogatiue to haue bene giuen to Peter aboue all other by our Sauiour Christ in this place Wherefore concerning the interpretation and sense of these wordes séeing there is no agréement betwéene vs the church of Rome in that they saye that hereby Peter was endewed with speciall commission aboue all other the Apostles we contrariwise doe affirme that that which was spoken vnto him was spoken to all the rest alike For the better examination of this it shal be necessarie for vs to consider these two pointes First vnto whome these wordes were spoken whether vnto Peter alone or principally as the Papistes woulde haue it or vnto all in generall Secondly what is that power and authoritie which was giuen vnto Peter for in neither of these points do wee agree with them For the first that although these wordes were directed to Peter alone yet that thereby our Sauiour Christ meant not to giue him any speciall priuilege or prerogatiue aboue his fellowes but to endew them al with the like authoritie first both the wordes and circumstance of the place and the doctrine of the scriptures in other places doth declare it and secondly the iudgement and opinion of the auncient learned fathers doth approue the same That the whole course and circumstance of the place doeth euict this promise gift of our Sauiour Christ to appertaine to them all it may be apparant by this First that the question of our Sauiour Christ is propounded to theÌ„ all Whome do ye say that I am and therefore he requireth not the opinion of Peter alone but of them all that their knowledge and opinion of him may better agree and be more constant truer perfecter than the opinion of the common people which before they had declared vnto him And the aunswere also Peter made was not in his owne person alone but for them all So sayeth Austine as was alleaged of mee before The Lorde asking and saying saith he Whome do ye saye that I the sonne of man am Peter aunswereth Thou art the sonne of the liuing God one gaue aunswere for many The conclusion of the dialogue appertaineth also vnto all for in the ende Christ forbad not onely Peter to tell any bodie that he was Iesus that Christ but he charged them all to tell that to no man So that the beginning of the dialogue the middest and the ending appertaining to all why then shoulde any speciall thing be attributed to any one aboue others by these wordes Besides that which is spoken here alone to Peter in the singular number in the 18. Chapter is spoken to all in the plurall number Verily I saie vnto you whatsoeuer ye binde in earth shall be bound in Heauen and whatsoeuer ye loose in earth shal be loosed in Heauen Here equall authoritie is giuen to all in the same wordes But let vs obserue further that Christ saith here Dabo I will giue thee the keyes of the kingdome of Heauen and so forth Here the keyes are promised but not giuen If then Christ when he perfourmed this promise gaue not any special power to Peter but endued them all with the like shall we imagine here any special thing giuen him to be preferred before others in the 20. of Iohn Iohn 20. where Christ perfourmed this after his resurrection he committed this power and
hell whome he will that he hath power to assoyle mens sinnes and to deliuer them both a pena culpa both from the fault penaltie and to reteine and kéepe them at his pleasure that he may binde and loose aboue all other Bishops for he may loose whome other Bishops binde he may bind whome other Bishops loose but whome he bindeth or looseth can no man assoyle or binde but onely he himselfe for Bulles pardons indulgencies anathematizations and all the rest of such trishtrash hath béen founded vpon this power and prerogatiue he challengeth vnto him self by this place the refutation of which particuler pointes being too ample a matter to be handled at this time and besides hauing sufficiently both in this seconde part and also in the thirde declared and proued that no prerogatiue is giuen vnto Peter aboue others by this place that his ministerie was endewed with no greater power and authoritie then the ministerie of the rest of the Apostles it shal bee needelesse to deale with them at this present onely that is needefull to shewe what is meant by the keyes of the kingdome of heauen and the authoritie of bynding and loosing By the keyes is meant nothing else here but the preaching of the Gospell and herein wee agree with Chrysostome Crysostom that sayeth they are the knowledge of the Scriptures with Tertullian Tertullian which tearmeth them to bee the interpretation of the lawe and with Eusebius Eusebius that they are the worde of GOD. and verie well may the preaching of the worde bee expressed by the Metaphore of a keye For as by it wee are let into the house so by the preaching of the worde are wee brought into the Church and housholde of GOD and haue accesse to his kingdome For Christ being the dore as Saint Iohn testifieth by whome wee must enter if wee will be saued and the ladder by which wee must ascende vp into heauen as appeareth by Iacobs dreame and the preaching of the Gospell opening and manifesting vnto vs Christ as Paul witnesseth that vnto him the least of al Saints was giuen this grace that hee shoulde preach among the Gentiles the vnsearchable riches of Christ and being the meanes whereby wee are reconciled vnto Christ Paul tearming his ministerie therefore the ministerie of reconciliation the publishing and preachinge of Christ and his Gospell may well therefore be tearmed a keye This Metaphore is vsed of our Sauiour Christ in the same sense Woe be to you interpreters of the lawe Luc. 12.52 for you haue taken away the keye of knowledge Ye entred not in your selues and them that came yee forbad in which wordes our Sauiour Christ termeth the true interpretation of the lawe and preaching of the Gospel the key of knowledge For it was that the Scribes Pharises did suppresse adulterate It is apparant enough that the worde of God according to the sundry effectes and properties therof hath sundrie names So for that it encreaseth and multiplyeth it is called séede for that it cutteth the heart and deuydeth the fleshe from the Spirite it is called a Sworde For that it taketh vs and encloseth vs and bringeth vs togither it is called a nett For that it washeth vs cleane it is called water For that it enflameth vs it is called fire For that it féedeth vs it is called bread euen so for that it openeth giueth vs an entrance into the house it is called a keye This house is the kingdome of heauen Christ is the dore the worde of God is the keye and Preachers the keye bearers So sayeth Chrysostom Chrys opere â—nperfect cap. 23. The keye bearers be the Priestes to whome is committed the teaching of the worde and of the expounding of the Scriptures So then that by the Metaphore of the keye the Euangelist should declare that Christ committed vnto his Apostles the preaching of his worde by which his Church should be gathered togither and built vppon Christ the rocke is no strange speach but verie fit and significant to declare that vnto vs and hereby also he sheweth that he hath committed vnto them a great office and weightie function and that he putteth them in chiefe place and authoritie For he hath the chiefest authoritie in the house or citie to whome the keyes are committed and who hath authoritie to let out and let in by them To this end God vseth this Metaphore in the Prophet Esay Isa 22.22 when he promiseth to Eliachim the chéefe power and authoritie in the King Ezechias house saying with my garments I will cloath him with my girdle I will strengthen him and the keye of the house of Dauid will I lay vppon his shoulder so he shall open and no man shall shut Hereby haue we to learne that as those to whome this charge is committed to beare the keyes of the Kingdome of heauen ought to haue a great care of the well ordering of them so we must also with no lesse carefulnesse and reuerence embrace and receyue them The vse of these keyes is in more perticular manner declared by our Sauiour Christ when as he saith that whatsoeuer he bindeth on earth shall bée bound in heauen c. by the power of binding and losing is meant that which is expressed by Saint Iohn Whose sinnes yee forgiue they are forgiuen him Ioan. 20. and whose sinnes ye retayne they are retayned for when our sinnes are forgiuen we are losed from them when they are not forgiuen wée remayne bound in them these things are brought to passe in vs by the ministerie of his word and by the vertue and power thereof So sayth Ierome Hieron Esai lib. 6 〈…〉 whatsoeuer yée loose in earth shall be losed in Heauen the Apostles lose them by the worde of God and testimonies of the scriptures and exhortations vnto vertue And Ambrose Sinnes be forgiuen by the worde of God the expounder thereof is the Leuite and Priest Ambr. de Cain Abel cap. 4. The Prophet Esai prophecying the sending of Christ sayth that the Lorde had annointed him that he shoulde preache the Gospell to the poore that he shoulde heale the broken hearted and preach deliuerance to the Captiue recouering of sighte to the blind and setting at libertie them that are loosed so that to binde and loose to forgiue and retaine sinnes is a propertie and effect of the worde of God preached For that publisheth vnto vs remission of sinnes worketh in vs mortification deliuereth vs from the power of Sathan and restoreth vnto vs the libertie and fréedome of the children of God which thinges bée brought to passe not by the bare publishing and hearing of the worde but when as by faith we lay hold vpon the swéete promises and greate benefites which bée offered vs in Christ which be deliuered vnto vs by his ministers as by his Legates for remission of sinnes is in the Priest as in the messenger in the worde of God as in the instrument
authoritie he promised here vnto al equally in these wordes Peace be vnto you as my father sent me euen so sende I you when he had said that he breathed vpon them they receiued the holy Ghost adding Whose soeuer sinnes ye remit they are remitted vnto thē whose soeuer sinnes ye retain they are retained Here we sée he giueth his peace vnto them al he breatheth on them all they all receiue the holy ghost alike they are al endewed with the same power of forgiuing reteining sins Where is then Peters prerogatiue especially now when it should specially haue bin specified But what if any principall authoritie and power had béene giuen to Peter by Christ here what doth that belong to the Bishop of Rome where is Peters will and testament by which he hath bequeathed his keyes rather vnto him than vnto the Bishops of Ierusalem or Antioche by what Scripture can they proue that Christ hath made them rather Peters successours in this authoritie and commission then other Bishops If the keyes were promised giuen to Peter alone and to none of the other Apostles howe dare they giue them vnto the Bishops of Rome There is not one worde in the Scripture of their succession by inheritance Seing then that neither the course of the dialogue nor yet the authoritie and function is other that is here giuen then was giuen to all the Apostles of Christ himselfe afterwarde in like manner and that although some more speciall and excellent office was cōmitted to Peter then to any other Apostle yet that the B. of Rome cannot claim that more than any other Bishop it maketh nothing for the establishing of the supreme power ouer the vniuersall Church of God which the Pope arrogateth vnto himself But let vs sée what the auncient learned fathers thinke on this point That which Origen writeth is most plaine against them which think any speciall thing was giuen to Peter An soli Petro dantur claues regni coelorum c. Doest thou thinke that the keyes of the kingdom were only giuē to Peter and to no other neither any other should receiue them If these words were not common to all men as they are I will giue thee the keyes of the kingdome of heauen how can al these sayings things which are applyed to Peter before be common to all men For Christ thus spake in common to them all Whome do ye saye that I am and Peter answered in the name of all Doeth he not vtter the same in plainer wordes in the 20. of Iohn saying to all the Apostles Ioan. 20. and breathing vpō them receiue the holie Ghost whose sinnes ye forgiue c. They were all of like authoritie with Peter Thus much Origen then which wordes what can be more plaine Cyprian Cyp. de simp praelat also in his booke de simplicitate Prelatorum against the Nouatians confirmeth this The Lord sayth he saith vnto Peter thou art Peter The Lord after his resurrection gaue vnto his Apostles like power yet to declare the vnitie he disposed the originall of vnitie beginneth at one The rest of the Apostles were euen the same that Peter was endewed with like fellowship both of honour and power but the beginning procéedeth of vnitie to declare one Church Basil Basil 23. cap. de vita solit also sayeth Christus Petrum post se suae Ecclesiae pastorem constituit c. Christ appointed Peter to be Pastor of his Church after and so consequently giueth the same power and authoritie to all Pastours and doctours a token whereof is this that all Pastours doe equally binde and lose as they list as well as he Augustine de Agone Christiano Cap. 32. Cum Petro dicitur pasce oues meas omnibus dicitur When it is sayde to Peter féede my shéepe Aust de Agon Christ cap. 31. cap. 32. it is saide to all And in the 31. Chapter Wretched men while in Peter they vnderstande not Christ which is the rocke and while they wil not beléeue that the keyes of the kingdome of Heauen are giuen vnto the Church not vnto Peter alone they haue lost the keyes out of their handes and in another place hee sayeth the Churche which is founded in Christ Aug. tract 124. saper hath taken the keyes of him so that not Peter onely but the whole Church receiued the keyes of him Beda Beda sayeth the power of bynding and loosing although it seeme to be giuen onely vnto Peter without doubt this is to bee knowen that it is giuen also vnto the other Apostles Haymo one of their owne doctors well weighing the text affirmeth contrarie vnto them Wee must not thinke sayeth hee that vnto blessed Peter alone this power was giuen but as hee for all aunswered Thou art Christ the sonne of the liuing God so in the person of one all heard whatsoeuer thou shalt binde in earth c. Cyrill Cyr. in Ioan. li. 3. cap. 20. Christ gaue full power vnto the Apostles and vnto others that succeeded them in the Churches To conclude then if by the testimonyes of the auncient and learned fathers Christ gaue full and like power to all his Apostles If the rest of the Apostles were the same that Peter was endewed all with like honour and power If Christes wordes were common to all the rest If all Pastours doe equally binde and loose as well as Peter then is there no speciall priuilege giuen vnto Peter aboue others by this place Wherefore I trust this first poynt is manifest by the circumstance of the place and opinion of ancient writers that there is no speciall prerogatiue or function giuen vnto Peter that was not committed to all that whatsoeuer was spoken by Christ here vnto Peter did not belong here vnto him only but to them al in common Now secondly haue wee to consider what was that power authoritie that was giuē vnto Peter here that was to haue the keyes of the kingdom of heauen the authoritie of binding loosing but herein haue wee to weigh what is meant contained in these words how farre they ought to stretch For the B. of Rome claimeth by right of succession inheritance whatsoeuer power iurisdiction was giuen vnto Peter therfore by the vertue of these wordes promise of Christ claimeth al power authoritie whatsoeuer may be contained included in these speaches Hereof hath he challenged to himselfe to be aboue kings Princes to haue the authoritie of consecrating deposing them to be aboue all general councels to haue fulnes of power to expound the scriptures to whose determination the Church of God must necessarily stand to haue authoritie to dispense with Gods worde to make that lawfull which before was vnlawfull to haue absolute frée power to decree whatsoeuer he liketh of and that of the church is to be obserued as an heauenly Oracle that he hath power to giue heauen to throwe downe into