Sermon on John 20, Title page – Dedication 2
A ryght notable ſermon / made by Doctor Martyn Luther / vppon the twenteth Chapter of Iohan / of abſolution and the true vſe of the keyes / full of great cōforte. In the which alſo it is intreated of the mynyſters of the Church / and of Scolemaiſters / what is dewe vntounto them. Ande of the hardnes and ſoftenes of the harte of manne.
¶ Iohan. xx. ¶
Whoſe ſynnes ſoeuer ye remitte / they are remytted vntounto them / and whoſe ſynnes ſoeuer ye retayne / they are retayned.
IMPRINTED at Ippeſwich by Anthony Scoloker. Dwellyng in. S. Nycholas Parryſhe. Anno. 1548.
¶ Cum Priuilegio ad imprimendum ſolum.
Whoſe ſinnes ſoeuer ye remytte they are remitted vntounto them / ande whoſe ſynnes ſoever ye retayne / they are retained.
¶ VntoUnto the ryghte honorable and his mooſte ſynguler good lorde / my lorde wentworthe. Rychard Argentyne wyſſheth increaſe of honour peace and proſperous ſucces / in all his procedinges.
ALbeit (ryght honorable) that the prophecye of Iacob was true / that the ſcripture was not takē a waye from Iuda / vntounto the tyme that Silo came / the very true Meſſias / both God and man. Yet dyd the almygtye GOD puniſh the Iewes wyth blyndnes / chefelye / for their Hipocriſye and Idolatrye / ande ſpoyled them of the mooſt holy ād right gouuernaunce. Where therfore it myght appere / that Antechriſt was mooſt iuſtlie ād laufullye extirped all together with his vſurped power oute of this mooſte fortunate realme and yet the ſame remained in dede ſtill ī the tēple of god / with his abhominaciō vnderunder the cloke of īnumerable ſtraūge gods / which by his perſuaſiōs were decked ith pardōs, teples golde / ſiluer / precyousſtones and other coſtlie thinges / to ſtyrre there by the people / both to be ſeruauntes vntounto them / and to honour them / wherby (Chriſt beyng clene extīguiſſhed) myſerably we hauehave iuſtifyed the Idolatrye of the Iewes / that of iuſt cauſe the Turke (as the ſcourge of God) doth therfore hate and perſecute Chriſten men.
It hath pleaſed almightie god of his great mercy / to ſend vntounto vsus a Ioſias / and a Kynge of mooſt worthye fame / clene to weede oute the ſame / commaundyng god and his holye woorde frelie to be geuē vntounto all his louinge ſubiectes / and Chriſt onelie truelie ande ſyncerelye to be taught ande redde eueryevery where / the which is the very true keye / wherby to enter into the Kingdome of heauen / ande the nexte waye / to obteyne the mightie ande ſtronge ſwearde / for euer to beate downe the deuell and hys derelie beloued antechriſte. For thoſe trulie / did not receyue / with the Apoſtles / at the handes of the holighooſt / the auctoritie of the keies of heauen / that teache theyr owne tradicions / ande not Chryſt onelye / and the infinite mercy of God / And yet ſo moche hath been the craking of the fayned vertues of the abouenamed ennemy of God. Hys painted keyeshaue bene ſo moche exalted / his colored lyghtning / is ſo moche dredde in forraine Realmes (the more pitie) euen at this daye / that there by he maketh him ſelfe not onelie the vicare of god vppō earth / but alſo a ſhamefull myxed thynge / ſet ād boaſted vntounto the woorlde / as a certeyne God of the earth / being both dradde ande honoured euen aboue God him ſelfe / and is in dede but a man of ſinne / and the ſonne of perditiō. To the intēt therfore / that thauctorite of his keyes / maye the better be knowen / I hauehave tranſlated a ſermon / declaring the true vſe of the keyes of abſolution / whome the biſſhoppe of Rome hath ſhamefully abuſed. Geuinge that for a token of my harte / vntounto your good lordeſhippe / that other by you (yf your pleaſure ſo ſhalbe) maie hauehave the fruytion of ſo great a cōforte / to the maintenaunce of holie learninge. That the intereſt of his deceptfull iugglinge maye vtterly be bannyſhed for euer. Ande thus Ieſu preſerue your lordeſhippes eſtate vntounto gods honoure. Fare you well.
¶ At Ippeſwyche the 20 daye of Ianuary / the yeare of oure lorde. 1.5.48.
¶ Iohan. xx. ¶
Peace be wyth you. Lyke as my father ſent me / euen ſo ſende I you. And whē he had ſaide that / he breathed vppon thē / ād ſayde vntounto them. Receaue the holy ghooſt / whoſe ſynnes ſoeuer ye remytte they are remitted vntounto them and whoſe ſynnes ſoeuer ye retayne / they are retayned.
Receave the holy gh…. Goſpell.