The nonconformists plea for peace, or, An account of their judgment in certain things…

XIII. 8. The Priesthood then depended not on the institution or will of the King or People: He might not put out a lawful Priest, that had not forfeited his Life or Office: He might not have put any one in his place that had not right from God, or that was unqualified: He might not have forbid the Priests the work appointed them by God: But yet if he had injuriously deposed one Abiathar, and put in a Zadok, the loss had been little to the Church: But if he had deposed so great a number of the Priests and Levites, as that a great part of God's commanded work must needs thereby have been lest undone, and Religion so far destroyed, or had as Jeroboam, put of the basest of the people (or uncapable persons) into the Priesthood, the loss had been greater, and the thing unwarrantable, and such as he had not power from God to do.

XIII. 8. The Priesthood then depended not on the institution or will of the King or People: He might not put out a lawful Priest, that had not forfeited his Life or Office: He might not have put any one in his place that had not right from God, or that was unqualified: He might not have forbid the Priests the work appointed them by God: But yet if he had injurio•sl• deposed one Abiathar, and put in a Zadok, the loss had been little to the Church: But if he had deposed so great a number of the Priests and Levites, as that a great part of God's commanded work must needs thereby have been lest undone, and Religion so far destroyed, or had as Jeroboam, put of the basest of the people (or uncapable persons) into the Priesthood, the loss had been greater, and the thing unwarrantable, and such as he had not power from God to do.

XIV. And the quality of Moses Law and its Works, as different from the Laws of Christ, and the Works thereof, must be considered, that we may discern the difference of the Cases. A man that did attempt to draw the people to Idolatry, was then to be put to death; yea, the City to be destroyed that concealed him, Deut. ch. •3 so were they that blasphemed, and such as committed other heinous crimes against Religion; yea those that would not enter into, or renew their Covenant with God, were by Asa's command to be put to death: But Christ will have mens Atheism, Irreligiousness, Idolatry and Infidelity, cured by the Preaching of the Truth, which therefore requireth that the Preachers for number and qualification be answerable to