Common Places, Discourses 2 · Sermon 4
A Sermon out of the xx. Chapter of Iohn vponupon this place: Chriſt the firſt daie of the Sabboth (that is vppon the Lordes daie) at the euening tide appeared to his diſciples, being gathered together, the doores being ſhut, and ſhewed vntounto them his handes and ſide, ſaying, Peace be with you. When they had ſeene the Lord, they reioyced. Afterward he added: As my father hath ſent mee, ſo ſende I you. And when he had thus ſaide, hee breathed vppon them and ſaide vntounto them: Receaue yee the holie Ghoſt. Whoſe ſinnes ſoeuer yee remit, they are remitted: and whoſe ſinnes ſoeuer yee retaine, they are retained.
CHriſt in one action perfourmed thrée thinges. Firſt by his appearing he prooued his reſurrection. Secondlie he comforted them by the gift of peace. Thirdlie he ſent them away to comfort others, giuing vntounto them the power of the keyes. As touching the firſt which is of the appearing of Chriſt, thou ſhalt note that it was doone vppon the Lordes daie: For it is ſaide, In the firſt of the Sabbothes. The Apoſtles were aſſembled together ſecretlie and were ſadde: and no maruell. For ſadneſſe commeth either of the feare of ſome euill hanging ouer our heades, or elſe of an euill that is preſent. The preſent euill was, that they wanted their beloued Maſter. They had loſt him being put to a ſhamefull death. Further it ſéemed to thē, that they were now become infamous as though they had béene the Diſciples of one that was a ſeducer and an euil man. They feared alſo leaſt it would come to paſſe that ſuch examples ſhoulde bee ſhewed vponupon them: For it ſéemed that the Iewes woulde rage againſt them alſo. They were gathered together, and were ſadde becauſe of theſe thinges. Perhappes they conſulted together what they ſhoulde doe: howbeit the counſels of men were but weake. Beholde Chriſt is preſent: For hee neuer faileth thē that be his euen in the greateſt perils. The doores were cloſe ſhut: perhappes they gaue place, perhappes Chriſt came in at the windowes, or at the roofe of the houſe: or if hée did pearce the doores, it was a miacle, which will be granted by the holie ſcriptures. Howbeit the Tranſubſtantiators muſt not here inferre that the bodie of Chriſt is in manie places [at once:] for the ſcripture doeth not ſay that it was ſo, neither doth it affirme yt the ſubſtance of bread & wine doth depart.
Such ſadde perſons are wee verie oftentimes, aſwell for our ill conſcience ſake, as alſo for the darkeneſſe of the minde and infirmitie of the will. Therewithall comes the feare of hell fire, and manie other calamities aſſaile vsus, and vnleſſe Chriſt be preſent, it fareth verie euill with vsus. But Chriſt commeth: and if we by faith doe imbrace him, then all thinges are quiet and wee be made ioyful as the Apoſtles were at the ſight of the Lord. For the goſpel is a glad tidings: thereby Chriſt conmeth vntounto vsus, and maketh vsus glad. Chriſt our Lord is not, as be the Lords of this world, for if they come, they oppreſſe vsus, they exact Tributes, they greeue vsus and take awaie from vsus. But Chriſt commeth not to doe hurt, but he bringeth his giftes, and hee neuer commeth emptie. Let vsus ſée what he hath brought: He hath brought peace, and ioye, and certeintie of the reſurrection. But nowe paſſing ouer the proofe of the reſurrection, let vsus ſpeake of peace.
Peace. Order.Peace is a quietneſſe of order: and order is a diſpoſition of things like and vnlike, giuing to euerie one that which belongeth thereunto. But peace is of two ſortes: one remooueth thoſe thinges which trouble and bréede diſquietneſſe: The other ſuffereth thoſe thinges which doe afflict, to remaine ſtill, but it comforteth and ſtrengtheneth the mindes, to be ſtrong and not to yéelde, but to be glad and reioyce. The firſt peace is of the worlde, and the other is of God. As for example: A ſimilitudeif a citie be beſéeged, it maie hauehave peace if the ſeige be remooued: or elſe if the ſeige continue, the towne hauing victuals enough within, and that the Captaines bée good and the fortifications very ſtrong. Moreouer it is called the peace of the worlde, becauſe the worlde maketh it. For pouertie may eaſily be driuen away by riches: ſicknes by medicines: & baſe eſtate by ye fauor of the prince. Beſides, it is called the peace of the worlde becauſe the worlde knoweth it only. The other [is that] which is preſent when tribulations remaine. But thou wilt demaund: HaueHave not the Philoſophers ſometime not weighed the outwarde troubles? I aunſwere: They came ſomewhat néere with their morall vertues, but they attained not to the peace which we ſpeake of. Shadows & ſimilituds thoſe were of vertues: but no true & perfect vertues: & therfore whē they come to moſt gréeuous euils, they yéeld. Cato, The Ethnicke vertues.Brutus & Caſſius killed themſelues, but ye Martyrs of Chriſt indure it māfully. Moreouer a valiant morall man, when he for his countrie ſake either dieth or entereth into gréeuous perils, hath his felicitie obſcured through the greatneſſe of the paine and labors, onelie he féeleth ſome light taſt thereof, when he hath reſpect to the ende: but in martyrs the ſpirite doeth then moſt of all ſhine and is of force. Nowe then the peace of Chriſt doth not remooue outward things, but it appeaſeth the minde and reconcileth it vntounto God: It lighteneth the vnderſtanding, ſtrengtheneth the will, and pacifieth the conſcience, and maketh ſure the hope, that theſe thinges ſhall once hauehave an ende, and that they can neuer do vsus hurt. In the midſt of tribulatiōs it maketh vsus quiet and calme. It changeth not the things but the men, and that by faith. For we perceaue that Chriſt our mediator is with vsus, and that by him we pleaſe God: wherefore it doeth no hurt. This is the peace of God, becauſe onelie God maketh it, and they which be not ſpiritual do not know the ſame. The peace of the world doeth remooue outward troubles, but changeth not men: for they remaine in their deſperation, darkeneſſe, euill conſcience, and ſinnes. Wherefore the peace of God is more effectuall, the which protecteth and chaungeth vsus, when the contrarie is yet preſent and diſpleaſeth vsus. For of faint hearts, it maketh vsus hardie: of feareful, it maketh vsus valiaunt: of weake ones, it maketh vsus ſtrong. For when we apprehende Chriſt by faith, nothing can hurt vsus that be ioyned to him, but we ſaie: The Lorde is my ſtrength, Pſal. 27. 3. Pſal. 118.I will not be afraide what man can do vntounto me: If there riſe vp warre againſt me, I will not deſpaire. The world accounteth this peace and tranquillitie of the godlie to bée but fooliſhneſſe: becauſe they ſée not the inwarde originall thereof. Euen as he which ſhoulde ſée men in dauncing a farre off, yet heareth not their ſounde woulde thinke them to bée madde: but if he approch and heare with his eares the muſicall tunes, nowe will he alſo be ſtirred vp vntounto the ſame motions: ſo the worlde, when it féeleth not Chriſt in it ſelfe and hath no experience of his ioye and peace, thinketh it but a madneſſe to reioyce in tribulations. The Diſciples reioyced becauſe they ſawe the Lorde. For if we beholde the worlde or our owne ſelues, there is no where anie matter of reioycing, nay rather they miniſter teares vntounto vsus. Wherefore if wee will reioyce, we had néede to behold Chriſt: There ſhall we be glad. But when we our ſelues be at quiet and reſtored, it is néedfull that we communicate with others the good which we hauehave receiued. Wherefore Chriſt ſaith: As my father hath ſent mee, Iohn. 20. verſe. 21.ſo ſende I you. Chriſt came not for himſelfe, but hée came to ſaue others: euen ſo muſt wee alſo ſéeke the ſaluation of others. And that this maie be profitablie doone, Chriſt gaue the holie Ghoſt by breathing, not that the breath was the holie Ghoſt, but it was a ſigne whereby the holie ghoſt was ſignified.
There is a Metaphor in the word Keyes: for euen as ſome things are ſhut vp and opened with keyes: ſo in ſinnes the mindes are otherwhile ſhut and detained, and otherwhile looſed. Certainly we are no otherway diſpatched of our ſinnes, than by knowledge through the faith of Chriſt. We are bounde in ſinnes, when we are left in vnbeliefe and obſtinacie. And that the matter may be well vnderſtoode, we muſt conſider that the ſelfe ſame thing is here taught by Iohn which is doone by Matthew and Marke, Mat. 28. 19. Mat. 16. 15when it is ſaid: Goe and preach yee vntounto euerie creature, for hee that beleeueth and is Baptized, ſhall be ſaued: He that beleeueth not, ſhall bee damned. But Iohn ſpeaketh more fully, and ſaieth, That the holie Ghoſt was giuen: for by him is vnderſtoode the Scripture that it ſhould be preached, and when it is preached, it is by the ſame holy Ghoſt beléeued of the hearers. Therefore he addeth: Whoſe ſinnes ye remit they are remitted, &c. When Luke had ſpoken the ſelfe ſame thing at the ende of his Goſpell, he ſaieth: that Chriſt opened their vnderſtanding, Luk. 24. 45.that they might vnderſtand the Scriptures, which was doone by this breathing of the holy Ghoſt vponupon them. This is to conſecrate Miniſters & Biſhops, not with a Biſhops Myter, a Croſier, and Vnction, &c. Wherefore the key is two manner of wayes vnderſtoode: one is of preaching the word of God: the other is, of beléeuing when it is heard. The one without the other doeth not open, nor yet releaſe ſinnes. The Popes miniſters thinke, that to them is giuen by God the authoritie of looſing and binding whom they will with the keyes of the kingdome of heauen. But that key is in very déede nothing elſe but the word of God communicated no more to the Prieſt than to others, and vntounto all Chriſtians. And this worde of God is inſpired by the holy Ghoſt, and is partly preached, and partly beléeued: and by this meanes the ſinnes be forgiuen: but they be retained when men are vnbeléeuing, and are left in their incredulitie: and then GOD bindeth them in Heauen. For It ſhall be more eaſier for Sodom than for that people, Mat. 10. 15 & 11. 24.&c.
But they ſay: If it be ſo, then *The miniſters of the Church binde and looſe.we neither binde nor looſe, but God by his worde. Howbeit the actions of God are many times by his goodneſſe communicated with men. For the elect are ſaid to giuegive ſight to the blinde, to cure the lame, to raiſe vp them that he dead: whereas theſe things be the workes of God. So, they are ſaid, to binde and looſe, in reſpect that they vſe the inſtrument of GOD, wherewith he himſelfe looſeth and bindeth. When the keyes were promiſed vntounto Peter, they were not giuen him, but if they had bin giuen him, he alone ſhould not hauehave had them, but with him all the other Apoſtles vnderunder whoſe perſon he aunſwered: Mat. 16. 16.Thou art Chriſt the ſon of the liuing God. For he ſpake this in the perſon of others, as before in the 6. of Iohn, when he ſaid: To whom ſhall we go? Verſe. 68.Thou haſt the words of eternall life: For wee knowe that thou art the ſonne of the liuing God, &c. Where thou ſéeſt that he in the plurall number ſpeaketh for them all. Neither did he attribute this vntounto him ſelfe that he ſhould be aboue the reſt. Nay rather in his firſt Epiſtle the 5. Chapter; He himſelfe being an Elder, Verſe. 5.exhorted the Elders. He himſelfe as ſaith Ierom differeth not from an Elder. And of the ſame mind was Chryſoſt. vpō the Epiſtle to Titus.
Well then, there the keyes were promiſed, but where were they giuen? Some ſaie that they were then giuen, when it was ſaid vntounto Peter: Luk. 23. 32.I hauehave prayed for thee Peter that thy faith might not faile thee, and that thou being once conuerted mighteſt confirme thy brethren. Howbeit this was nothing elſe but to comfort Peter, that he ſhould not diſpaire after ſinne: and it is ſaide that he was reſtored to his former degree. Héere is nothing of the keyes. But and if they wil vrge the word of Confirming, then will they iudge as we doe. For neither Peter nor any of the Apoſtles confirmed the brethren but by the word of GOD: Wherefore the keyes ſhall be the word of God. Others ſay that then the keyes were giuen to Peter, when he was thriſe demanded, whether he loued more than the reſt and it was anſwered him: Feede my Lambes. But Auguſtine and Cyrill write that theſe wordes were therefore ſpoken, that by thriſe confeſſing he might make amendes for the blemiſh which he had for the thriſe denying: but of the keyes there is no mention made. Howbeit if we ſhould graunt them that the keyes in this place were giuen, Ioh. 21. 15.what ſhould they hauehave more than that which wee graunt? They ſhould conſiſt in Feeding: but this is doone (as we hauehave ſaide) by the word of God. Wherefore let them vnderſtand it as they will, The keyes be the worde of God: For the ſoule is not fedde any other way but by the word of God.
Indéede there is alſo a keye, as concerning excommunication and reconciliation, yet thoſe keyes be not generall, but concerne onelie heynous ſinnes, which he now publike and conuicted. And the keyes be generall things as touching all men which are to be brought vntounto the Church, whoſe ſinnes are to be forgiuen or retained. But yet muſt we vnderſtand, that that key alſo of excommunicating or reconciling, is not any other than the word of God. For when an open ſinner is either excluded or reconciled, this is not doone but by the worde of God. So that which way ſoeuer thou turne thee, that which we teach doth alwaies followe. The keyes are the worde of God. Wherefore there is no ſuch great cauſe for the Maſſemakers to glorie. For there be two keyes: the one is of teaching and the other of beléeuing. They vſe their key: but that is not ynough for opening the kingdome of heauen, vnleſſe that he which heareth doe vſe his key, and doe beléeue. The holy Ghoſt is author of both, for neither doe men preach well nor yet beléeue rightly, vnleſſe he doe aſſiſt them. Yea and in trueth, when Chriſt himſelfe preached, heauen was not opened vntounto all men by his preaching, neyther were ſinnes forgiuen vntounto all men, but to thoſe onelyonly which vſed his key and beleeued. Wee confeſſe in déede that the worde of God of whom ſoeuer it be ſpoken, is all one as if it were ſpoken out of the mouth of GOD, howbeit this maketh not but that all men hauehave the keyes. Yea and it is ſaid as touching the beléeuers and hearers, Iohn. 1. 12.He gaue them power to be made the ſonnes of God. And neither is the key of vſing the worde of God onelyonly giuen vntounto Maſſe Prieſts, but to the whole Church. Now then it is the holy Ghoſt that giueth the keyes: and all that beléeue hauehave the ſpirit of Chriſt, otherwiſe they ſhould be none of his: wherefore they all hauehave the keyes. But yet muſt not all, as touching the outwarde function, preache and adminiſter the Sacraments, but Paul woulde hauehave all things to bee doone in order. Therefore are ſome of ye learneder & better ſort choſen, which deale in place of the whole Church, & they be called Miniſters of the Church. For if we would all preach together, it would be like a noiſe of Frogges. Howbeit eueryevery priuate man hath keyes, with his neighbour, and may deale with him by the worde of God: and if he ſhall diſcouer vntounto him his ſinne, he may comfort, admoniſh and exhort him by the worde of God: which worde of GOD, if he beléeue, his ſinnes be forgiuen him, and heauen is opened: but if he beléeue not, his ſinnes are retained, and he is bounde. And thus much of the keyes. Bleſſed bée God which hath giuen ſuch power to men.