An account of all the proceedings of the commissioners of both persuasions appointedAn accompt of all the proceedings of the commissioners of both persvvasions appointed

that when the Apostles acted according to such a resolution, Act. 4. 19. and Daniel and the three Witnesses, Dan. 6. & 3. they all exercised a judgment of discerning upon the matter of their superiors commands; that not to do so at all, is to make Subjects Brutes, and so no Subjects, because not rational free Agents, or to make all Governors to be Gods: and lastly, that it will not save us from Hell, nor justify us at Judgement for sinning against God, to say that superiors commanded us; nor will it prove all the Martyrs to be sinners and condemned, because they judged of their superiors commands, and disobeyed them. All which we say, to show the insufficiency of the Remedy here by you propounded, (the humility of Inferiors) unless you will also add your help; without obedience there is no order or lasting concord to be expected: And by abasing the eternal God, so far as to set him and his Laws below a creature, under pretence of obedience to the creature, no good can be expected, because no peace with heaven; without which, peace with men is but a confederacy, hastening each party to destruction: and therefore absolute obedience must be given only to God the absolute Sovereign. In all this we suppose that we are all agreed: and therefore, 6. and lastly, we must say that the way to make us think ⟨p. 12⟩the Bishops to be so wise, and careful Guides and Fathers to us, is nor for them to seem wiser then the Apostles, and make those things of standing necessity to the Churches unity, which the Apostles never made so; nor to forbid all to preach the Gospel, or to hold Communion with the Church, that dare not conform to things unnecessary. Love and tenderness are not used to express themselves by hurting and destroying men for nothing; and to silence and reject from Church-Communion for a ceremony, and in the mean time to persuade men that they love them, is but to stab or famish all the sick persons in the Hospital or Family, whose stomachs cannot take down the d•sh we offer them, or whose throats are too narrow to swallow so big a morsel as we send them; and when we have done, to tell them, the only remedy is for them to believe we love them, and are tender of them. And who knows not that a man may think well of his Superiors, that yet may question whether all that he teacheth or commandeth him, be lawful?