KEYS, Power of the. A doctrine based on the saying of Jesus recorded in the gospel of Matthew xvi, 19: °And I will give unto thee the keys 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)) On this passage is based the doctrine of absolution after confession as taught and practised in the Roman Catholic Church. In the history of the Church there have been many variations of the doctrine. Some have held that only a priest of a pure life could absolve from sin, while others have held that any priest could pronounce absolution as the messenger and representative of God. Some have hold that the priest could release only from "transitory" punishment and that only God can release from "eternal punishment" and that often by words of the priest. Another difference has arisen ; sonic have declared that the priest is absolving as a judge, and others that he is acting as a mediator, while a third group has declared that he combined both func tions. Thomas Aquinas gave the doctrine its
importance diving a sacramental power to the keys, and uniting in this central power not only absolution, but penance and discipline. In his various relations to penance the priest holds the relation that water holds to baptism.
The Protestant view is based on an entirely different interpretation of the passage. The power of the keys was given to Peter as a sign of apostolical authority to establish the Church by the preaching of the forgiveness of sin and the establishment of the doctrine of the gospel. The power to bind and loose was not only conferred upon Peter but upon the other Apostles, and also upon their successors, the whole Church (Matt. xviii, 18). The Protes tant doctrine of the priesthood of all believers is based in part upon the teaching of the Epistle to the Hebrews.