any but Idolaters which will fall downe and worship him whereas contrarily when Christ perceiued such an ambitious inclination in his Apostles of Lording ouer their brethren hee forthwith b Luke 22 24 to 30. forbad such affectation of Pope-like domination and sent them to climbe by humilitie and innocency at the lowest step of the ladder to exaltation that so they might attaine greatnesse aboue the rest when they had bin most seruiceable to the rest and then hee would appoynt them a Kingdome as his Father had appoynted him c Iohn 18 36. which was not of this world as himselfe clearely witnessed and expressed and howsoeuer the Pope liketh to haue the Keyes vnder his girdle yet hee liketh better of the two Swords that by them hee may â—eepe all men vnder his girdle and to speake the truth in the one as well as the other the Romish Church is driuen to a constrained construction of the words of our Sauiour Christ and turneth the Keyes which were spirituall into a temporal sword of Authoritie and the Swordes which were temporall into spirituall iurisdiction of his Ecclesiasticall Censures and Excommunications d Luke 22. 36 38 50. It is true that Peter did rashly attempt to draw and vse his temporall sword and was commanded to sheath it againe for such weapons his Master needed not which might haue more then twelue Legions of Angels to deliuer him and destroy his enemies if he had aymed at such defence of himselfe or offence of his enemies but the e Math. 26. 51 52 53 54. Scriptures could not so bee fulfilled for hee foretold of his Passion and that persecutions should so rage that a man should need to f Luk. 22. 36 38 sell his coat and buy a sword and when the Disciples by a mis-interpretation and in a carnall sense thought hee had meant a materiall weapon they told him they had two swords he replied that it was enough for that conflict Hence the Pope hath drawen out his two swords spirituall and temporall and vseth one of them as a fooles dagger which is often drawne out and in vpon slight occasions excommunicating and absoluing hourely for petty offences and the other is made like the tyrannicall Turkes Semiter which being once vnsheathed cannot bee put vp till it be made g Apoc. 17. 6 drunken with the blood of the Saints as our times haue seene and doe feele by lamentable experience two such swords as Christ spake of and the Apostle shewed forth are not enough for him nor all the swords of two Kingdomes Italy and Spaine But many Princes swords must rage against their owne bowels to vphold this their Romish Idole whose Image they haue adored as a God for pardoning their sinnes The h Iudg. 9. 8. noble Vine and Oliue would not leaue their goodnesse and sweetnesse to vsurpe a dominion ouer the Trees as this base i Verse 15. Bramble dare attempt but his reward shall be to perish with the Sword of Gods Word and to bee k Apoc 18. 6 serued with like plagues of blood and warre as he hath serued others And as for mis-interpretation of metaphoricall phrases as we see the Apostles before they were taught of Christ misconceiued his Parables vnderstood not what Leauen he spake of nor what Keies or Swords he meant yet now let vs looke into the Popes Library and heare his Interpretations Our Papistes they say are honest men and will bee tryed by themselues let vs therefore see what their Church Champion Bellarmine Bellar. de Rom. Pont. lib. 5. ca. 3. will maintaine for Catholike and Canonicall in this poynt his words be these Ex Scripturis nihil habemus nisi datas Pontifici Claues regni Caelorum de clauibuâ— regni terrarum nulla fit mentio Out of the Scriptures saith hee wee finde nothing giuen to the Pope but the Keyes of the Kingdome of Heauen but of the Keyes of the Kingdomes of the Earth there is no mention at all and so farre we need not care much to agree with them Secondly others interpret the Keyes to bee nothing else but Munus docendi Euangelium the Office of teaching the Gospell wherunto for our owne part we so consent that we thinke it yet falleth short of the full scope thereby intended for administration of Discipline as well as Doctrine in the Church of God which matter because it would require a more ample and exact discourse than is perhaps fitting for this place time and Auditory I will passe by also and referre them that are desirous of further resolution in that Argument to that which is purposely written of diuers concerning the same and the rather because I would not haue the sores of our Church fresh launced and ripped vp and therefore omitting these mis-interpretations which are peccant and vnsound either in defect or in excesse let vs come precisely to vnlocke the true meaning of the Keyes The Metaphor of Keyes is borrowed from that Instrument which we commonly vse in opening or safe locking vp of things appropriated to our owne priuate vse and commoditie and so the sense of the Keyes is diuersly taken in Scripture First the Keyes are taken for matters of trust and authoritie committed to some more worthy person of trust as a Steward to dispose of whatsoeuer is needfull in an household And so Ioseph had the Keyes of l Gen. 39. 4 Potiphar m Verse 22. the Gaoler and n Cap. 41. 40 41. Pharaohs house that is a power to order the affaires of the prisoners and family So it is in this sense vsed when the Lord threatned to depose Shebnah and to preferre Eliachim to be chiefe Steward in the house of Hezekiah Hee saith that he would o Isay 22 22 lay vpon his shoulder the Key of Dauid that he should open and no man should shut c. which in the precedent verse himselfe expoundeth saying vnto Shebnah I commit thy power into his hand which is vnderstood by the Key of Dauid Secondly it is likewise sayd That p Apoc. 1. 18. Christ hath the Keyes of Hell and Death that is a power as a Iudge to condemne and punish delinquents against his Lawe temporally and eternally Thirdly Satan as a tormentor and executioner vnder Christ to execute his Iudgements vpon the damned is sayd to haue q Apoc. 9. 1. and 20. 1. the keyes of the bottomlesse pit that is power and authoritie to execute Gods Iudgements vpon the reprobates as Aretius interpreteth it Dispensator hic est poenarum diuinitas ordinatarum a dispenser saith hee of the Iudgements ordained from heauen by God and thereunto Brightman accordeth ioyning the Pope with the Deuill as an Executioner of Gods Iudgements vpon them which haue fallen from the truth and stedfastnesse of their faith vnto lyes and delusions and these Keyes Antichrist may well place in his Armes to denotate his power ouer Apostatates and back-sliders from the truth and ancient faith of the
Church of Christ so that wee see how that the Keyes of Hell and Death are principally committed by God vnto his Son Christ as to a Iudge and to others as Satan and Antichrist as Executioners of his Iudgements and as the Iudge hath authoritie ouer the Gaoler so hath Christ supreame power ouer the Deuill and his hellish torments as the same Authour saith Suprema est potest as in Diabolum mancipiandi eum destinatis poenis he it is that treadeth on the necke of his enemies Å¿ Gen 3. 15. bruiseth the head of the Serpent and t Pet. 2. 4. Iude ver 6. hath reserued him vnder chaines of darknesse vnto the Iudgement of the great day Fourthly but in another sense wee read that sometimes Keyes are put for the absolute authoritie which Christ hath in his Church to open and shut to put in and put out whom hee pleaseth u Apoc. 3. 7. These things saith he which hath the Key of Dauid which openeth and no man shutteth and shutteth and no man openeth that is which hath plenary power to rule order and dispose all things in his Church both to teach by his Word and rule them with his rod of Discipline Fiftly Knowledge is indeed a Key whereby wee come vnto God and to take away the knowledge of Gods Lawe and Gospell is to debarre and shut the people out of the kingdome of God as our blessed Sauiour vpbrayded the Interpreters of the Law w Luke 11. 52 that they had taken away the Key of knowledge and would neither enter into Gods kingdome themselues nor suffer others that would which is as much as if he had charged them to keepe backe from the people the knowledge of the Scriptures wherby they should haue accesse vnto God and his Kingdome and to erect a kingdome of darknesse like hell for the Deuils dwelling in maintaining as the Pope both Ignorance to be the Mother of Deuotion and appoynting blinde Superstitions to exercise the people in In a word to leaue the pure Fountaine of Gods Word the water of Life and to dig themselues pitts of puddle water to poyson them In all these Senses this is generally to be held that Keyes signifie Rerum aliquam potestatem A certaine power of things though not alike in all 1. But either plenary absolute and independant as it is in God the Father who hath it of himselfe receiueth it of none which he communicateth equally to his Sonne Christ x Iohn 18. 2. Rom. 6 23. who receiueth it of his Father and yet is equall and absolute in him as in the Father and none else can forgiue sinnes and giue eternall life but God onely and Christ as the Sonne of God Math. 28. 18. Cap. 11. 27. Cap. 9. 2 6. 2. But from God and Christ there is a subordinate power dederiued as well Ciuill and Politicall as Ecclesiasticall and Spirituall and so y 2 Cron. 19. 6 all Kings and Rulers haue a power from God to rule and raigne and to exeâ—ute his Lawes and Iudgments Romanes 13. 1 John 19. 11. and â—herefore called Gods Psalm 82 1 6. Iohn 10. 34. 3. And likewise such as execute Ecclesiasticall power in Preaching and punishing offendors and refractaries z Exod. 7. 1. haue that power from God and Christ And this is the power of the Keyes committed to Peter and all the Apostles this power Paul executed a 1 Cor. 5. 3 4 5 in binding and casting out to Satan the incestuous Corinthian and receiued him into the Church againe vpon his repentance and thus in sundrie places of his Epistles to the Corinthians which not onely tolerated grosse sinnes but were enclined to many factions hee laâ—oureth to approoue b 2 Cor. 10. 8. the authoritie he had receiued from Christ to the edification of his Church as well in preaching of remission of sinnes through faith as denouncing Gods Iudgements and Excommunication against enormious liuers misbeleeuers and contentious persons and puts it to their choise c 1 Cor. 4. 21. whether hee should come vnto them with his rod of Discipline or in loue and in the spirit of meekenesse hee executed no Commission nor vsed other Keyes of power and authoritie then Christ committed to all other his Apostles to preach the Gospell to all and such as beleeued should bee saued and such as beleeued not should be damned And this was his loosing and binding of sinners with these Keyes chiefely he opened and shut the gates of Heauen though in the outward Discipline of the Church hee cherished the weake and sound and cut off the stubburne and peruerse members that they should not like Leauen putrifie the whole body of the Congregation That reuerend and learned Diuine Master Caluin obserued onely two places mentioned in the Scriptures touching these Keyes and power of binding and loosing one heere in this Text and the other Iohn 20. 23. which expound one another very clearely for what he spake heere singularly to Peter who made the confession in the name of the rest verse 16 so in the other he breathed vpon them all and speaketh plurally and generally that whosoeuers sinnes they remitted should bee remitted vnto them and whosoeuers sinnes they retained should bee retained that is ratified by God in Heauen whose word they preached in the world for what thing is sinne but a d Rom. 6. 14 16 Iohn 8. 34. bondage and chaines wherein we are fast tyed and made bond-slaues of the Deuill till wee be loosed made free and set at libertie by Christ whose words doth make vs free being receiued by faith into the hearts of the beleeuers Marke 16. 16. Iohn 3. 18. 1 Cor. 1. 21. 4. 1. John 5. 24 8. 31 32 34 36. Heereunto tended that ratification of the Apostolicall Commission that who so e Math 10 7 14 15. Marke 11. 6. Acts 13. 51. and 18. 6. heard them heard Christ and such as despised them despired him and that it should bee easier for Sâ—dom and Gomorrah in the day of Iudgement then for those which despised the Messengers and reiected the Message of Christ whose word it was and not theirs f 2 Cor â— 18 19. and was committed to their dispensation and was to some g 2 Cor. 2. 15 16. the sauour of life vnto life that was the loosing and to others it was the sauour of death vnto death and that was the binding which God ratifieth in Heauen And this is answerable to the preaching of Mercie and Iudgement the cursings vpon Mount Ebal and h Deut. 11. 29 27 12 13 28. 2 58 59. the blessings vpon Mount Gerizim i Deut 30. 15. life and death which Moses propounded vnto the people as they were obedient and disobedient vnto the voyce of God and though great mercie is offered vnto vs in the Gospel of grace yet there are woes and iudgements also denounced to the impenitent and vnbeleeuers which is the vse of these Keyes and
the binding and loosing which God in all ages hath exercised in his Church by the Ministery of Moses and all the Prophets as by his Apostles in the time of grace and of the Gospell so we safely conclude that the power to forgiue or retaine sinnes is not properly giuen to men k 1 Cor. 9. 18. cap. 2. 5. 3. 6 7. but to the word of God and his diuine Sacraments whereof men are but the Ministers to plant and water to teach exhort reproue and correct but the effect is of God which giueth power to his Word and Sacraments as the Sunne to mollifie waxe and harden clay to minister the l Acts 10. 44. 2 Cor. 3. 3 6 8. spirit of grace or Satan to possesse reprobates And to conclude and close vp this poynt of the Keyes whether we vnderstand the Doctrine or Discipline of the Church or both as it may bee safely so extended yet wee ascribe vnto God the effectuall power onely to loose or retaine sinnes Vse 1 But let no man despise the Ordinance of God in the administration of his Word and Sacraments or the iust censures of the Church for the contempt of any of them God himselfe reuengeth as an indignitie done vnto himselfe and so the excommunicate person shut out of the Church by Paul and the Congregation was sayd to be deliuered to Satan who hath great dominion ouer vnbeleeuers and contemners of Gods word and holy Ordinances and there were many fearefull examples in the Primitiue Church of diuers excommunicate persons taken with frenzy and ouertaken with strange iudgments wherby God wrought a feare in the Church to offend presumptuously against his Ordinances So m Actes 5. 3 5 11. Ananias and Saphira censured by Peter for their hypocrisie were immediately strucken to death and cut off by a consteruation of the body from the grace of life and by an eternall malediction of the soule from the life of grace And also n Act. 8. 20 21 Simon Magus being discouered and cut off from the Church was filled with all iniquitie and returned to his Sorceries and the Deuils seruices againe o 2 Sam. 7. 15 1 Sam. 13. 14. and 15. 26. and 16. 14. and 19. 23. Saul being denounced by Samuel to be cut off by the sentence of God an euill spirit possessed him who notwithstanding when he was in the Assemblies of the Church Prophets did also prophesie with them It is safe therefore to bee in the Assemblies of Gods Saints where the Spirit of God hath his residence on the contrary it is a fearefull thing to bee in the Congregations of the wicked p Num. 16. 21 24 30 32. 27. 3. as the complices of Corah Dathan and Abiram which were swallowed vp into destruction and went downe quicke to hell with them To be cast off from God which raigneth in the Assembly of the Saints q 1 Cor. 5. 4 5 11. is to bee cast vnto Satan which rageth out of the Church Let such as neglect the publique Assemblies of Christian Congregations or reiect the word of God or his diuine Sacraments there ministred consider how fearefully they offend against God and their owne soules which refuse to vse that Key whereby the kingdome of grace heere and of glory hereafter is so effectually opened vnto them The Keyes of the Kingdome of Heauen Doct. In that the Word of God is called the key of the kingdome of Heauen it teacheth vs the great power and efficacie thereof being as Augustine affirmeth Potens Instrumentum the powerfull Instrument for the encrease of Gods Church and Kingdome It is most true that this great power promised was as graciously performed by Christ vnto his Apostles which brought greater workes to passe by this their Ministery in conquering the whole world and subduing the consciences of men to the obedience of God than all the Potentates and prudent men of the earth were able by their power and policie to performe Demosthenes among the Greekes and Cicero among the Latines renowned for their Eloquence Solon for his wisedome Aristides for his Iustice Plato for his diuine Philosophy Aristotle for his profound knowledge Alexander for his Prowesse Caesar and Pompey for their power famous in their generations in all the world yet neuer attayned any such conquest ouer Satan or the world as these poore Preachers Fishermen and Fishers of men brought to passe by the vertue of these Keyes and Commission of Christ wherby they surpassed all Conquerours for the vniuersall largenesse and constant continuance of Christs kingdome vpon earth Let Tamberlaine the Tartar and the Turkish Ottomans boast of their great Atchieuements yet they came short of the bounds of their Territories as Christes Kingdome was inlarged from Sea vnto Sea vnto the endes of the earth of these it was prophesied and by these it was performed r Psal 19. 4. Luke 1. 3â— Rom. 10. 18. Their sound went out into all the world and their voyce vnto the endes of the earth It is a false bragge of Turkish or Romish Emperours Iupiter in Coelis Caesar regit omnia terris for they neuer had any Empire of comparable extent with this nor of answerable subiection themselues were Lords of men and slaues of vices and it was truely verified which the dogged Diogenes tolde Alexander That he was not a Conquerour but a drudge of the world hee ouercame not the world but the world ouercame him and hee was a slaue to so many Lords as hee was subiect to vices Pride Excesse and Drunkennesse ouerthrew him and his kingdomes were diuided and fayled in the next Generation but of this King and Kingdome it is sayd Å¿ Isai 53. 8. Act. 8. 33. Who can tell his Generation Mans Lawes and subiection extended but to the body goods and estates of men in this world t 2 Cor. 10. 4 5 Christes Kingdome is ouer Satan Sinne Death Hell and Damnation and ouer the Soules and Consciences of men u Hebr. 4. 12. to bring euen the most rebellious thoughts of the heart into subiection vnto God yea it preuailed mightily against all the powers of the world w Apoc. 17. 14. which by most grieuous persecutions set themselues against it but it was no more possible for them to suppresse it then x Apoc 7. 1 to stay the winds that they should not blow vpon the face of the earth or that the breath of God should be restrayned It is recorded by Ruffinus Ruffin lib. 2. Cap. 5. that when the Christians in Edessa a Citie of Mesopotamia were banished by the Emperors commaundement yet they had their meetings in the Fields Woods and by the Riuers to heare and practise the Word of God wherewithall the Emperour being enraged strucke the Captaine with his fist in fury demaunding why he did so permit them the Exercise of their Religion contrary to his Edict and Commaundement Wherevpon the Captaine vpon the next day resolued to dispatch them but beholding
tense I will promiseth to giue that power vnto his Apostles there were many things reserued till after his ascention and the Disciples were appointed k Luke 24. 49 Acts 1. 4. to wait and attend at Ierusalem for the accomplishment of Gods promise in sending downe the holy l Iohn 14. 26 15. 26. 16. 7. Ghost after the ascention of the Sonne of God to enable and furnish them with meet gifts for the execution of that charge which hee had imposed vpon them It is also further to bee obserued Note 2 that it was Christs free gift I will giue saith he not sell hire out oâ— lend but as it is with God in all things m Math. 10. 8. freely to giue that those which receiue his gifts should not sell or reâ—ayle them as n 2 King 5. 20 26. Gehazi and o Act. 8. 18. 19 Simon Magus for gaine as is too too apparant the Peters pretended successours make great and abominable trafique in merchandizing the church keyes in pardoning and retaining sinnes for money excommunicating absoluing for their best aduantage but leauing them to sell what Christ freely gaue let vs proceed to the consideration of the second particular circumstance namely to whom these keyes were giuen I will giue to thee Quest Here a question may bee mooued whether the keyes were giuen to Peter alone or to him with the rest of the Apostles Sol. This doubt I haue already in part resolued hauing largelie prooued that as Christ propounded the question to them all in generall and as Peter made confession in the name of all so Christ made this promise in the name of all as is most liuely exemplified Matth. 18 verse 18. where it is euident that what he doth here promise vnto Peter he doth there make good vnto all the Church saying whatsoeuer you bind on earth shall bee bound â— heauen c. Wherupon Aretius Bonum hoc commune non personale quod hereditario iure ad certos pertineat The donation of the keyes and exercise of that spirituall power is not personally tied to one man but is a gift common to the whole Church as also Origen Chrysostome Cyril and many others affirme especiallie Augustine Qui Petrum ecclesia typum facit quae in Petro claues acceperit Whose opinion is that the power of the keyes was not a personall gift neither promised to Peter alone much lesse that these keyes should be tyed by an hereditary succession vnto one particular Sea or Seat as the Papists dreame but to omit these friuolous disputes seeing the Apostles receiue the keyes from Christ we may thence obserue Doct. That the authority of the Ministers calling is deriued from Christ as from the head and the Lord of the Prophets vnto his Apostles and Ministers Matth. 23. 34. Luke 11. 49. Ephes 4. 11. 1. Pet. 1. 11. Reuel 22. 6. Isaiah 6. 8. 9. Matth. 28. 19. Gal. 1. 10 11 12. Vse Vnto the Ministers of God it sufficeth for an exceeding consolation p 2 Cor. 5. 18 19 20. that they haue God the author of their calling whose Ambassadours they are and though the world neither regard them nor reward them yet they being found faithfull dispensers of Gods diuine mysteries shall expect their reward from him that put them in office and sent them who will one day say to euery faithfull Steward q Math. 25. 21 23. Come thou good and faithfull seruant enter thou into thy Masters ioy I doubt not but the Ambassadours of Princes which are messengers of peace finde such acceptance of those to whom they are sent of such a gratefull message that they are not sent away empty and vnrewarded of the common enemy for their message sake which is r Rom. 10. 1 5. Isai 52. 7. so ioyfull to heare of peace after a long and wearysome warfare but because their places require them oftentimes to denounce warre it is no maruâ—ile if their message bee vngratefully accepted and rewarded Yet is their reward with God their king that sent them whose subiects they are and must execute his designes whether they be good or euill vnto men and what indignity soeuer is done or offered vnto them their mightie King will shew himselfe a mightie reuenger thereof who in one sense and sentence hath said Å¿ Psal 105. 15 Touch not mine annoynted and doe my Prophets no harme for the iniury done vnto Dauids Embassadours when they came peaceably to the King of Ammon was reuenged as done vnto the king himselfe this is a principle which the Law of Nature all Nations allow and ought to maintaine If t 1 Kin. 13 4 6 Ieroboam dare stretch out his hand to strike Gods Prophet and Messenger God will smite him that hee shall not bee able to pull in his arme againe without the Prayer of the Prophet which was stretched out against the Prophet and persecuting Iezabel which u 1 Kings 19. 2 vowed to haue the Prophets head w 2 Kings 9. 33 37. was made dogs meat and cast out as a carion carkeise her selfe For such vengeance is Gods iudgement threatned and foretold aforehand by the Prophets and howsoeuer Iehu be Gods Executioner to performe it yet it is euer annexed that it came so to passe according to the word of the Lord which hee spake by the mouth of his Prophets And so much for the second branch wee come now to shew what was giuen which is here said to be The keyes of the kingdome of heauen The metaphor of Keyes which in part hath bin formerly handled is diuersly taken yea rested and drawen by constrained Interpretations to the aduantage of that cause which diuers haue diuersly fancyed to make for them and for the building of their Hierarchy euen an earthly Tabernacle which x Math. 17. 4 Peter sometimes would haue made rather then an heauenly kingdome which God himselfe hath appoynted to be y Mat. 6. 33. aboue all things sought for and established First they that by Keyes vnderstand Principalitie to be giuen to Peter aboue the rest and ouer the whole Church and would crowne him and his Successors with an Emperiall Diadem to exercise as well spirituall iurisdiction as to haue ciuill and temporall authoritie ouer Kings and Princes haue much mistaken the word Keyes which are not vsuall for Kings but Porters to carry and vsurpingly inlarged Christs commission z Luke 12. 13 14. who himselfe would neither be made a King nor intermeddle so much in secular affaires as to diuide Inheritances betwixt two brethren much lesse giue away kingdomes from the right heires and owners to strangers and bastards So the vsurper Satan from whom the Pope-kings or King-popes may more rightly claime that power doth falsely affirme that a Mat. 4. 9. Luke 4. 6 7. all the kingdomes of the world are his and giuen vnto him and he giueth them to whom he will which yet he will not giue nor promise to giue vnto
their constancie and bold resolution to suffer Martyrdome for Christ and his Gospell hee stayed his course and returning to the Emperour offers to obey passiuely but not actiuely relating vnto him what he had heard and seene And heereupon the Emperour was appeased and stayed his hand from further persecution Whereupon Augustine reporteth truely of them Ligabantur saith hee includebantur torquebantur tamen multiplicabantur They were fettered imprisoned tormented and yet they multiplyed Plentifull and pregnant are the proofes of holy Scripture of the power and vertue of these Keyes to open our knowledge to y 1 Cor. 4. 15. Phile ver 10 Iames 1. 18. Gal. 3. 6. and 4. 19. 1 Pet. 1. 23. beget vs Gods children to regenerate our willes to assist vs in afflictions to minister consolation to our consciences and to keepe vs from the pit of destruction If the Glutton will not haue his brethren come into that place of torment Abraham will direct him to z Luke 16 27 29 to 31. heare Moses and the Prophets hee will not send Lazarus nor any other from the dead vnto them for they would not beleeue Lazarus nor Christ which raised him from the dead but a Iohn 12. 10 11 would againe haue put that Lazarus to death because for his sake many beleeued on Christ Vse 1 What shall wee more say but search for these Keyes finde them and vse them to vnlocke Heauen and shut vp Hell gates vnto vs. Vse 2 For Confutation of the Romane Catholiques Peters pretended Successors which seeke for the Key of Primacie and hauing gotten the Popedome they build not Tabernacles but Palaces of pleasure sumptuous and glorious put on pontificall Robes which are rich and precious prouide their Kitchens like Diues dayly Dyet both rare and delicious are attended with Traines magnificent and pompous they haue turned their spirituall Armour into weapons of worldly Warfare to ouerthrowe Townes and Towres Cities and Seigniories not wicked thoughts and deeds but walls and Bulwarks In a word they haue changed Peters Keyes into Pauls Sword or rather into Peters Sword drawne out against Gods Forbid Their owne Italian Stories verefie this of Pope Iulius Secundus that he lay in the Campe with his Souldiers at the siege of Mirandula hauing nothing like a Bishop except it were his name and some attire of a Prelate When shall the World or the Flesh or the Deuill bee ouercome and subdued by their gluttonous Dyet gorgeous Attire painted Pictures Musicall Instruments sweet Perfumes goblets of Wine and courtly Curtezans the best of which can no more comfort or conuince the Conscience than Holy-water terrifie the Deuill In their holyest Exercises the simplicity of Christ is despised their pallats cannot rellish other Sacramentall Bread then Sugred Wafers mixed Wines charmed Holy Waters exorcised Oyles Prayers pattered vpon Pearles and perfumed Beades and for these haue they taken away the Key of knowledge which our blessed Sauiour commended and committed to his Church Ministers and people Let Master Harding in his blasphemous and popish Paradoxes seeke to maintaine that the Scripture is but a spirituall dumbnesse a dead Letter and an vnprofitable thing for the people yet wee will hold and maintaine that which Christ Peter Paul and all the Apostles taught and practised viz. b Iohn 5. 39. Actes 17. 11. Luke 4. 16 c Deut. 6. 7. Ioshua 1. 8. Psalm 1. 2. Act 13. 14 15 27. To haue the Scriptures read and interpreted euery Sabboth day Saint Jerome was of opinion and affirmeth that all the Maidens about the Elect Lady Paula to whom Saint Iohn wrote his second Epistle were dayly set to reade yea to bee conuersant in reading of the Scriptures Augustine is of the same mind saying Nec solum sufficiat quod in Ecclesia diuinas Lectiones auditis sed etiam in domibus vestris aut ipsi legite aut alios legemes requirite It is not sufficient to heare what is publikely read in the Church but also that you reade or heare others reade in your priuate houses The Nicene Councell decreed that no house should be without a Bible which was a matter chargeable and difficult in those dayes before there was any vse of Printing which now may be had at the tenth penny Origen saith Vtinam omnes faceremus quod scriptum est serutamini Scripturas Would to God that wee all did as it is written c Iohn 5. 39. Search the Scriptures Chrysostome accordeth thereunto and cryeth out to the Laitie Comparate vobis Biblia animarum pharmaca seculares Prouide you Bibles you Seculer men the Physicke of your soules How contrary to all these is the profession and practise of the Popish Synagogue which like cruell Saul will deny Gods people to taste of this d Psal 19. 7 8 119. 103. hony and hony-combe but as the Ape ath her owne young ones in â—dmiration aboue all other the â—ost beautifull beasts and birds â—o they doate vpon their owne â—nuentions Decrees Decreâ—als Canons Constitutions Liâ—urgies and Legends not onely permitting them to bee read and practised of all their Spirituall â—nd Secular Disciples but exâ—oll them for vse aboue the Caâ—onicall Scriptures commend â—hem and commaund them vnto â—heir Catholikes whereas the â—he Word of God is like the forbidden fruit e Gen. 2. 17. that no man may touch or taste without danger of death f Gen. 3. 24. that Tree of life is kept with a flaming Sword not by an Angell but by the Deuill that no man may come at it to eate and liue for euer O vanitie of vanities Popish dregges shall describe vs Cathotholiques and the Euangelicall Doctrine shall proscribe vs Heretiques giue me leaue to shoot an Arrowe against them out oâ— an oâ—hers Bow which hath hiâ— the marke long before me Tales regunt Petri Naues Tales gerunt Petri Claues Mr. Gostickâ— in the Anatomy of Ana. Sâ—ph Sacriledge Et ligandi potentiam Hi nos docent sed indocti Hi nos ducunt sic nox nocti Indicat scientiam Such Peters Ship do stere guide Such Peters keyes to them haue tidâ— To loose and to bind These must teach vs which lacke sight These must leade vs in darkenight Which are selfe blind Yet we will not cease to tell them what God hath threatned by Moses g Deut 17. 18. Cursed are they that lead the blinde out of the way and h Math. 15. 14. Luke 6. 39. If the blinde leade the blinde both shall fall into the ditch euen the pit of perdition They deale with the people as the desperate mad ones mentioned by the Prophet Amos saying Tace ne recorderis nominis Domini i Amos 6. 10. hold your peace and remember not nor speak vnto vs in the name of the Lord and especially such as were guilty of grosse Idolatry as the Papists are could at no hand abide the Word of God that was so contrary to their abominable superstitions and therefore they said