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

28. Since the proud Diotrephes's on one side, as Lords of Gods heritage (1 Pet. 5. 3.) have violated this fundamental sacred rule; and self-conceited strictness and superstitious rigour hath violated it on the other hand (by calling for other kind of Titles, and discoveries of mens ⟨p. 154⟩sincerity, and by imposing new Laws (as various as mens strictnesses and opinions) on the Church, the Christian world hath had little concord, or quiet peace.

28. Since the proud Diotrephes's on one side, as Lords of Gods heritage (1 Pet. 5. 3.) have violated this fundamental sacred rule; and self-conceited strictness and superstitious rigor hath violated it on the other hand (by calling for other kind of Titles, and discoveries of mens ⟨p. 154⟩sincerity, and by imposing new Laws (as various as mens strictnesses and opinions) on the Church, the Christian world hath had little concord, or quiet peace.

29. Because men must do what they do understandingly, in matters of such moment, the Churches in the Apostles times and by their consent, did explain these three Articles of the Baptismal Covenant to the baptized, and required an understanding profession of their Belief and Consent to it, as thus explained: which explication is now called the Apostles Creed; Because though the Churches might not tie themselves to every one of the same words as now they stand (as the Formula's in Irenaeus, Tertullian and others show, and those collected by Usher and Vossius) yet as it cannot be imagined that they took the three words of the Covenant without any explication, so neither can it seem credible that they allowed any such variation of terms, as might hazard a variation or corruption of the sense: Besides what Church History telleth us of the antiquity of the Creed.