A sermon of repentance preached before the honourable House of Commons, assembled in Parliament…

You have less cause to restrain us from discipline then from preaching: for it is a more flesh-displeasing work that we are hardlier brought to. I foretell you, that you shut out me and all that are of my mind, if you would force us to administer Sacraments without Discipline, and without the conduct of our own discretion, to whom the Magistrate appoints it; as if a Physician must give no Physic but by your prescript. The antidisciplinarian Magistrate I could as resolutely suffer under as the superstitious; it being worse to cast out Discipline, then to err in the circumstances of it. The question is not, whether Bishops or no? but whether Discipline or none? and whether enow to use it? 4. We earnestly request that Scripture sufficiency as the test of our Religion, and only universal Law of Christ may be maintained: and that nothing unnecessary may be imposed as necessary, nor the Churches unity laid on that which will not bear it, nor ever did. O that we might but have leave to serve God only as Christ hath commanded us, and to go to Heaven in the same way as the Apostles did! These are our desires; and whether they are reasonable God will judg.

You have less cause to restrain us from discipline then from preaching: for it is a more flesh-displeasing work that we are hardlier brought to. I foretell you, that you shut out me and all that are of my minde, if you would force us to administer Sacraments without Discipline, and without the conduct of our own discretion, to whom the Magistrate appoints it; as if a Physicion must give no Physick but by your prescript. The antidisciplinarian Magistrate I could as resolutely suffer under as the superstitious; it being worse to cast out Discipline, then to erre in the circumstances of it. The question is not, whether Bishops or no? but whether Discipline or none? and whether enow to use it? 4. We earnestly request that Scripture sufficiency as the test of our Religion, and only universall Law of Christ may be maintained: and that nothing unnecessary may be imposed as necessary, nor the Churches unity laid on that which will not bear it, nor ever did. O that we might but have leave to serve God only as Christ hath commanded us, and to go to Heaven in the same way as the Apostles did! These are our desires; and whether they are reasonable God will judg.