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

Repl. ¹But because at our last Meeting, it was said with so much confidence by one, that the Case in Rom. 14. and 15. was nothing to ours, we shall here say the more to what you say, that Pauls not eating flesh is nothing to the purpose: your reasons are, 1. Because he speaks of nothing commanded by God, or his Church. 2. Nor of any thing of Decency, or significancy to serve in the Church. To the first we have often told you, that which is undeniable, 1. That Paul was a Governor of that Church himself, that had no Superior to con trole him: If you say then, that he wrote not as a Governor; we Answer, yes: for he wrote as an Apostle, and wrote that Epistle that was to be a standing Law, or Canon to them; If this be no act of his Office, and Authority, there was none such; And then you must say the like of all the rest of the Epistles. 2. Moreover as Paul the Apostle excludeth all such impositions, so he wrote to all the Resident Pastors that were at Rome, for he wrote to the whole Church: and therefore these commands extend to the Governors, that they make not such things the matter of Contempt or Censures, or any uncharitable course, but bear with one another in ⟨p. 84⟩them. Will you call men obstinate self-offenders, that differ from you, when you have no better Answers then these to the plain decisions of the holy Ghost? what we speak of Rom. 14. 15. we speak also of 1 Cor. 8. And 3. It is to the Rulers of the Church that we are speaking, and it is they that answer us: And shall the Rulers say [if it were not a thing commanded we might bear with you] when it is themselves that command them Ecclesiastically; and we entreat them but to forbear that, and to concur with us in Petitioning the King to forbear commanding them coercively; who no doubt will easily forbear it, if they do their part. 4. Yea a fortiore it layeth a heavier charge on such Governors then others. If it be so heinous a Sin as Paul maketh it to censure, or despise one another, for meats and days, and such like things, how much more to Excommunicate, silence, and undo one another? and deprive thousands of Souls of the Preaching of the Gospel, that consented not to their Pastor's nonconformity? 5.