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

78. They that say it speaketh not of rejecting from and receiving to Church Communion, neither directly nor consequentially, do deny to understand or believe plain words, and are contradicted not only by their own Annotator Dr. Hammond, but by so many more Expositors as should make them more modest in their conceits.

79. Yet we our selves confess (which many late Expositors note) that this doth not decide the case of the peoples Church Communion when Authority shall impose indifferent ⟨p. 171⟩things, nor doth it allow any private Christian to take liberty to use or not to use them, when Authority taketh away that liberty: For though the Apostle doth both forbid such impositions to the Rulers, as shall take away the liberty there expressed, and doth also forbid all private Christians, to censure, despise, or to deny to receive each other on any such accounts; yet if the Rulers shall break this Law of the spirit of God, and shall make such imposition of things indifferent as are here forbidden them, 1. Subjects must obey them, and take them as no longer indifferent to them, but a necessary duty, because their governors have taken away their liberty; 2. And if the Pastors unjustly cast out men on such small accounts, from the public Communion of the Church, it is not in the power of the people to restore them, as being not entrusted with the Keys of Government.

79. Yet we our selves confess (which many late Expositors note) that this doth not decide the case of the peoples Church Communion when Authority shall impose indifferent ⟨p. 171⟩things, nor doth it allow any private Christian to take liberty to use or not to use them, when Authority taketh away that liberty: For though the Apostle doth both forbid such impositions to the Rulers, as shall take away the liberty there expressed, and doth also forbid all private Christians, to censure, despise, or to deny to receive each other on any such accounts; yet if the Rulers shall break this Law of the spirit of God, and shall make such imposition of things indifferent as are here forbidden them, 1. Subjects must obey them, and take them as no longer indifferent to them, but a necessary duty, because their governours have taken away their liberty; 2. And if the Pastors unjustly cast out men on such small accounts, from the publick Communion of the Church, it is not in the power of the people to restore them, as being not intrusted with the Keys of Government.