Among other accusations brought against me, there was one written by two Dominicans, who had formerly been my pupils in theology; and these friars deposed that I manifested a continual spirit of opposition to many of the doctrines of the Church of Rome, and that they entertained but little doubt that I should shortly renounce it altogether,--which, indeed, I had already done. I was also accused, by them, of paying no respect to authority. Another Dominican asserted that I did not believe in the power of the keys to absolve the penitent; and that I explained in a perfectly new manner the words of Christ addressed to Peter: "And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven," &c.;[6] that my explanation, he continued, was as follows:--"I will give unto thee," signifies a promise that Jesus Christ makes to Peter, and not a power which he confers upon him, as the Church of Rome asserts. "The keys" signify knowledge, whereby we unlock and arrive at the mysteries of science, &c. "Of the kingdom of heaven," signifies of my church upon earth; on which account we say in our prayers, "Thy kingdom come." Thus, "I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven," means, I promise to give unto thee the knowledge of my church; that is to say, to place thee within it, to give thee fully to understand its principles and its doctrines, and the spirit with which it is animated. That the following passage, "Whatsoever _thou_ shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatsoever _thou_ shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven," is to be interpreted by another, "Whatsoever _ye_ shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatsoever _ye_ shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven."[7] And this, again, by the following, "Whosesoever sins _ye_ remit, they are remitted unto them; and whosesoever sins _ye_ retain, they are retained."[8] "Ye"--it being no longer said to Peter alone, but to all the apostles; yea, to all the disciples also, which includes all believers. Wherefore St. Augustine exclaims, "What is said to St. Peter is said to all:" _Quod dictum est Petro dictum est omnibus._ To you believers, what ye bind shall be securely bound, and what ye loose shall be entirely loosed.