The second part of The nonconformists plea for peace being an account of their…

51. And we called Puritans (being the more out of love with Confusion for the effects of it in this age among Divines) do use also farther to distinguish, of a greater evil and a lesser, (when neither of them is to be chosen because neither is good.) And we say it is an aggravated Crime to choose a Greater sin before a less, when a man hath brought himself into a present moral impotency of avoiding both: we distinguish also between the Matter, or Nature and weight of the things doubted of.

And so we resolve, that if I be certain that I who am a poor low subject, am bound to obey a Justice of Peace, in all things lawful (by Gods Laws and the Kings); And a Justice commandeth me to do some little act, which I know not whether the Law forbid or not, I will obey him: But if he bid me do that, which I am in doubt whether it be Treason, and would endanger the life of the King, or the safety of his Kingdoms, though I be uncertain, yet I will forbear.

And if a Ruler bid me read a Chapter in the old Testament to day, and I be uncertain whether God would not have me read one in the New Testament, as fitter to the ⟨p. 45⟩Auditors, I will obey my Rulers in this case, not because I am certain at all that hic & nunc it is my duty formally to obey them; but because I take the disobeying them, in case it should now prove a sin, to be a Greater sin than the mischoosing of the Chapter would be if that should prove the sin; and to choose the greater sin, is a greater aggravation of that great sin.