you boast of being a
teacher and master of all the Holy Scriptures.[57] Yea, verily, a
master in corrupting the Scriptures, and blaspheming God, and
libeling truth. Come again, my dear Romanist, and I will deck you
with lilies and give you for a new year's present[58] to those
who have sent you.

I, too, desire to say one thing that is not in the Scriptures.
In all estates which God has appointed there are always some who
are saved, and no estate is without living saints on earth, as
Christ says, Luke xvii, "Two men shall be in one bed; the one
shall be taken, and the other left," etc. [Luke 17:34] If the
papacy were from God it would be impossible for a pope to be
damned, because there is but one person at a time in that estate,
and whoever became pope would thereby be assured of his
salvation; which is contrary to all the Scriptures.

[Sidenote: The Scriptural Foundation of Papal Power]

Now let us see how these pious people treat the holy words of
Christ in this case. Christ says to St. Peter, Matthew xvi: "Thou
art, or art called, Peter; and on the _Petram_ (i. e., on the
rock) I will build My Church. And I will give unto thee the keys
of the kingdom of heaven, and whatsoever thou shalt bind on
earth, shall be bound in heaven, and whatsoever thou shalt loose
on earth, shall be loosed in heaven." [Matt 16:18] From these
words they have claimed the keys for St. Peter alone; but the
same Matthew has barred such erroneous interpretation in the
xviii. chapter, where Christ says to all in common, "Verily, I
say unto you, whatsoever ye shall bind on earth, shall be bound
in heaven, and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth, shall be
loosed in heaven." [Matt. 18:18] It is clear that Christ here
interprets His own words, and in this xviii. chapter explains the
former xvi.; namely, that the keys are given to St. Peter in the
stead of the whole Church,[59] and not for his own person. Thus
also John, in the last chapter, "He breathed on them and said,
Receive ye the Holy Ghost; whosesoever sins ye remit, they are
remitted unto them, and whosesoever sins ye retain, they are
retained." To maintain the sole authority of St. Peter, when
there are two texts against one, many men have labored in vain.
But the Gospel is too clear, and they have had to admit until now
that in the first passage nothing special was given to St. Peter
for his own person.

Thus it was also understood by many of the ancient Church
fathers. It is likewi