Page:The Church, by John Huss.pdf/156

104 standing this passage appropriate something of the arrogance of the Pharisees so as to think that they can damn the guiltless and loose offenders, for with God not the judgment of priests is sought but the life of the guilty." To these words the Master of Sentences, 4: 18, cap. 6, adds [Migne's ed., p. 375]: "Here it is plainly shown, that God does not follow the sentence of the church which judges in ignorance and deceitfully." He also adds, cap. 8: "Sometimes he who is sent outdoors, that is, outside of holy church, by the priest, is, nevertheless, inside. And he who, by virtue of the truth, is outside, seems to be kept inside by the priest's false sentence." And again he says, 4: 19, cap. 4 [Migne, p. 382]: That the priest who binds and looses others ought himself to be prudent and just, for otherwise he will put to death souls who do not die and revive souls which do not live, and in this way he turns his power of pronouncing judgment into an instrument of cursing—so that it is said in Mal. 2:2: "I will bless your cursings and curse your blessings." Therefore the vicars of Christ ought to take heed that they do not lightly presume to bind or loose whenever it pleases them.

But the objection is offered concerning higher rank and obedience from the Canon Solitæ [Friedberg, 2: 196–199], where Pope Innocent [III] says: "The Lord said to Peter, and in Peter to his successors, 'Whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven,' making no exception when he said, 'Whatsoever,' etc." Here it is to be noted that in virtue of the words, "Whatsoever thou shalt loose," Peter could not loosen the Scriptures, for Christ our Saviour said: "The Scripture cannot be broken," John 10:35.