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duty_n	bind_v	law_n	nature_n	1,568	5	5.4669	4	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A27068	Whether parish congregations be true Christian churches and the capable consenting incumbents, be truly their pastors, or bishops over their flocks ... : written by Richard Baxter as an explication of some passages in his former writings, especially his Treatise of episcopacy, misunderstood and misapplied by some, and answering the strongest objections of some of them, especially a book called, Mr. Baxters judgment and reasons against communicating with the parish assemblies, as by law required, and another called, A theological dialogue, or, Catholick communion once more defended, upon mens necessitating importunity / by Richard Baxter.	Baxter, Richard, 1615-1691.	1684 (1684)	Wing B1452; ESTC R16512	73,103	142

or disowned by most of the Land and conformists usually profess another sense Upon this very reason I write this short Debate to avoid the injuring of the Re●ders of my Writings about the English Diocesan frame XLII The Book I animadvert on is called Mr. Baxters Judgment and Reasons against c●mmunicating with the Parish Assemblies as by Law r●qu●red Ans I am for communicating with them in the essentials of Christianity and Communion as the Law requireth if I understand it because the Law of Christ requireth it But in whatever circumstances any law shall ●e against Christs Law I communicate not according to such a Law XLIII All that he citeth out of my writings p. 2 3 is against his cause which he thought was for it as I have proved What he citeth § ● the first is unproved the second I own and is nothing for him XLIV P. 5. And oft throughout he alledgeth that I make the Par●shes not compleat particular Churches Ans No wonder those may be true churches that are not compleat in integrity or degree will you separate from all churches that are not so compleat I know not of any strictly compleat on earth many true churches are incompleat as to integrals much more as to ornament order and strength And all particular churches are less compleat than the universal and that on earth alas how far from compleat Believe him not Reader that R.B. is against your joining with all churches which he proveth to be not compleat yea or to be very faulty and defective in point of ●oliness Love or Order of Ministers or people But they are true churches in essentiality tho parts of a Diocess as that is of a Nation not meer parts of the lowest single Church P. 6. § 2. What I say of suspending the power is not nulling it in the office and what I say of practice by canons and visitation Articles is not said of Law much less of all the Churches and Pastors consent to them and what I say of misgoverning in exercise is not said of a national profession that so it ought to b● P. 7. He citeth my words further against restraint of the Ministers power But 1. That nulleth not Christs Institution of it 2. More Power is given As 1. To deny the Sacrament as is said to all that are not ready to be confirmed 2. To deny absolution to all the sick who do not humbly and earnestly desire it c. And the Power of doing it by Ministerial Application of Gods Word is all that is properly ministerial though they take all cogent power from us Mans taking away our power is but hindring the exercise quantum in se but the Power is of Christ which they cannot take away P. 8. They cannot suspend our commanded act but only our doing it with liberty and advantage I can refuse the Sacrament to the unfit tho it be to my trouble P. 9. I say there are many additions to the old conformity that make the case harder to Clergy and Laity than of old But I there maintain that none of these additions do make Parochial Communion now pleaded for unl●wful XLV P. 10. He saith If we might not endeavour to restore the old Prelacy then not to give strength to it being restored And say others lest we be perjured having sworn and covenanted against it Ans This needeth impartial Consideration They say That our covenant engagement maketh that unlawful to us which was lawful to the old Nonconformists But 1. Did not Gods Law make it unlawful to them or to us before Then you think we covenanted to do somewhat th●t ●ods law bound us not to if so it was superstition and is not adding our self-made vows and duties as bad as adding Ceremonies 2. Yea they then thought Brownism a sin and if they mistook not we cannot by covenanting turn sin into duty 3. Ad hominem the Author professeth Independency And I suppose he knoweth that the chief of that way did some write to prove that the Covenant bound not at last and some likened it to an Almanack out of date and some said it was a League which was dissolved and so bound not and how great a party thought that it bound them not from pulling down both King and many Parliaments and conquering Scotland res ips● loqunta ●st And even King and Parliament Lord Spiritual Temporal and Commons have declared it their judgment in the Corporation Act and Declaration which bindeth all the Corporation Officers to declare without exception that there is no obligation on them or any other from the Oath called the solemn League and Covenant It 's true indeed that the Presbyterian Ministers and Soldiers and People thought that this Covenant bound them to restore the King and said Let us keep our covenant and trust God with the issue and G. Monks Army Officers in their address to him glory in it not doubting but the King would find such his best subjects but the Law that bindeth men to declare that there is no obligation on them or any other tells them they did err when they thought it bound them to restore the King Whether this be true or not I meddle not with but by this you see that there are few in the land of any party save Presbyterians that can charge us with Covenant breaking herein for going to the Parish Churches without contradicting themselves or guides but this is but ad Hominem 4. But what words be they in the Covenant that we violate did it mean If power restore the Liturgy and Bishops and will suffer no other Churches we will rather all give over all worship of God in churches than we will join with them This were a wicked Oath and could no more oblige us than to give over all family worship I hope few sober men ever so sware 5. I so little consent to the corporation declaration that I do believe that I was bound by that vow to do as I have done in going to the Parish Churches For 1. I am bound by it against Prophaneness and all that 's c●ntrary to sound Doctrine and Godliness But to forsake all publick Worship of God without necessity is prophaneness and c●ntrary to Godliness 2. I am bound in my place and calling to oppose Popery But to tell all the Protestants in England that they sin if they forsake not all the Parish Churches is to pre●are them for the reception of Popery seeing that will be the National Religion which possesseth those Parish Churches By deserting our Garisons we shall deliver them up 3. I am bound by it against Schism and I am not able to excuse it from being Schism if under all the obligations that now lye upon us I should by my constant avoiding the Parish Churches even unto sufferings declare that I take their Communion for absolutely unlawful and so slander so many Churches of Christ and seduce others with me into the same error and sin This would be

By Laws bind only by vertue of the Soveraigns higher Law And tho this Author would be the Ruler of Language so far as to say that all sinful Worship is not false Worship they that use words as greater Masters have long stated the sence do know that the falseness is the disconformity to Gods supream Rule and that may be in all the degrees forementioned And Rules or Worship are both false so far as they are disconform to the Law of God And now wherein is our Rule false and theirs true 1. We own no Rule of direct immediate obedience to God nor of any universal or unchangeable duty to God but what his Law of Nature or supernatural doth make us We hold that no man hath power to alter Gods word to command any thing against it nor any thing which God hath appropriated to himself as to make new conditions of salvation new Sacraments new Laws as Gods or new duties for themselves necessary to Salvation no nor any thing but what Gods own General Law doth command or allow them to determine being left by him undetermined to their Power and Rule We hold that if any Ruler go contrary to and beyond those Rules of God it is their sin and not ours and we openly disown it And so do our Rulers in general themselves most expresly in the Books of Articles Ordination Homilies Apology c. Binding all Ministers to the Scripture for the Rule of their Preaching and Living only infallible sufficient in all things necessary to Salvation and that if Councils or any men err or disagree with Scripture they are not to be followed We openly renounce all false Rules and Canons but if for such sin against their own profession of Scripture-sufficiency we must renounce Communion with all that are guilty we scarce know the Church on Earth which we must not renounce And the opponents in Particular 2. For let us try now whether you have no Rule which you call False as well as false or sinful practice But I will first take in his fuller explication left I mistake him IX Page 37. I roundly assert against you That tho every Church of Christ hath the liberty aad priviledge to act prudentially or make prudential determinations concerning the present use of indifferent things pro hic nunc yet to make any standing or binding determination and Laws for themselves or other is altogether unlawful as highly derogatory to the Kingly office of Christ and robbing themselves or others of their granted priviledge and so a forfeiture of their Charter And so all your by-standing laws and subordinate Laws for worship which you talk of are unwarrantable additions to the word of God Ans 1. This indeed is round assreting but your word is no proof and here is no better Contraily 1. Those whom Christ maketh Rulers of his Church and commandeth to do all things not particularly determined by him as shall conduce to peace concord order decency and edification may Rule accordingly by such determinations But some such there are whom Christ maketh Rulers of his Church c. ergo c. Maj. Prob. Matth. 24. Who then is a faithful and wise Servant whom the Lord hath made ruler over his houshold to give them meat in due season c. 1 Thes 5.12 Know them who are among you and are over you in the Lord c. 1 Cor. 4.12 Let a man so account of us as of the Ministers of Christ and Stewards of the mysteries of God c. Heb. 13.7 17.24 Remember them who have the Rule over you c. Obey them that have the rule over you and submit your selves for they watch for your souls as they that must give account c. Salute all that have the rule over you c. 1 Tim. 5.17 The Elders that rule well are worthy of double honour 1 Cor. 14.26 Let all things be done to edifying 4. Let all things be done decently and in order 33. God is not the author of confusion but of peace as in all the churches of the Saints By all this it is evident that Church Rulers there must be and such successors of the Apostles in the ordinary parts of their office as Christ will be with to the end of the World Matth. 28.20 And also in what their Rule consisteth Now to the question of Imposing I premise that tho this usurper of a Magistry in Language will have Imposing taken still in an ill sense I leave that to him it is enough for me to tell him that I take it according to the prime signification to put a thing on others without respect to well or ill doing it 1. I know not whether by every Church he intend a meer voting body of People and Pastors by consent or the Pastors alone as the Rulers of a voluntary People 2. I know not whether he take prudential determinations as distinct from Governing Obligations or not 3. I know not whether by present use he mean it only for one present meeting or for more and for how many and how long And by standing how long he meaneth I grant to him that no man may make universal or unchangeable Laws but temporal and mutable and only for his own subjects But I maintain 1. That Pastors may by word or writing make binding commands or determinations to their Flocks of the foresaid modes and circumstances of Religion and Worship For 1. They are such as are necessary in genere and the determination to this or that sort disjunctively necessary Somebody must determine them and that for more than the present meeting even statedly And it belongs to the Rulers office to do it None else is fit or hath any other power than by contract I have oft enough instanced in particulars It is not meet that every meeting the People be put to Vote where to meet next And there is no certainty that they will agree but some be for one place and some for another An ordinary capacious place is necessary It is the Rulers office to appoint it It 's no sin against Christ for him to require them to come to the same place from year to year while it is fit 2. The same I say for a commanding determination of the Lecture-days or times of meeting which the Pastor may prescribe statedly by his office without the Peoples votes Or if all such things were imposed by a Major Vote on the Minor their Vote would be a Governing Rule to the Minor part 3. While Praying with the Hatt on is by the custom of the country a sign of unreverence the Pastors or Elders that Rule well may command the Flocks by their authority ordinarily and not at the present only to be uncovered at Prayer and Sacrament in the assembly without wronging Christs Power unless obeying it be wronging it The same I say of usual kneeling at Prayer 5. If the Congregation be called to confess their Faith or renew their Covenant with God the Rulers

may command all that consent to signifie it by such a sign as standing or lifting up the hand or subscribing c. And they are bound to obey them 6. I have oft enough instanced in Translations Metres Tunes Utensils Ornaments and many such like Obj. The Pastors make no Laws Ans Dally not with names Any thing is a Law which ruling authority maketh duty If Writing it maketh a Law they may write it But a verbal-Mandate is one species of a Law And imposeth and determineth and obligeth to obedience and it is sin to disobey because God commandeth them to obey Heb. 13.17 And even by the 5th Commandment It doth as truly limit and oblige when Pastors command as when Magistrates do it tho they force not by the Sword Obj. But these are but natural circumstances and belong no more to worship than to any other things Ans It 's a sad thought to me to think how many seem satisfied with such an answer as this All substances have their accidents quality time place c. But yet the accident of one substance is not the accident of another The quantity and quality of a man is not the quantity and quality of a Toad c. When these accidents are adjoyned to worship they be not accidents of other things Is Speaking no part nor accident of worship because speaking is used in common things Kneeling is used in other cases But kneeling in prayer to express reverence is not common to other things Putting off the hat sheweth Reverence to a Prince But to be uncovered at Prayer or Sacrament is the Accident at least of that Worship and not of other things Metre and Tunes belong to Ballads But the Metre and Tune of Psalms doth not but is appropriate to those Psalms Time and Place belong to all natural actions But the Time and Place separated to Gods Worship is an accident only of that It is not the natural specification of an act or circumstance or the generical nature that we speak of but the individual accident or circumstance as appropriate to a religious work Is love to God no worship because love is a natural act Is praying no act of Religion because we may pray to men Is eating and drinking no part of the Sacrament because we use them as natural acts for our daily sustenance Is washing no part of Baptism because we wash at other times Thinking is a natural act but holy thinking is more Were Davids sorts of Musick no part or accident of Worship because Musick is natural or artificial It magnifieth these acts to be applied to worship and it is a commendation of Worship-Ordinances that they are suited to nature and advance and sanctifie it Now at last I come closer to my question Have you no Church Rulers among you No Elders that rule well Is it unlawful to communicate with you if those Elders by Mandates which are obligatory to the flock do prescribe Days and Hours Temples or publick places for ordinary Worship and if they command you to use the new Translation rather than the Geneva publickly or prescribe the same Metre and Tunes rather than your Congregation shall sing some one Psalm and some another Or if they command them to be uncovered at Sacrament and Prayer or to kneel at prayer c. If you take this power from the Pastors and will separate from them for such obliging Laws or Mandates you do that very thing which you fiercely talk against you destroy or resist Christs Kingly Government by his Officers Oh what is Man What are the best of Men What doth the Church and World suffer by them The same men that cry up Christs Kingdom call it rebellion against him to obey his Officers As if we must depose or disobey the King unless we disobey all his Judges Justices and Officers All the obligatory decisions that the Apostles made about their Love Feasts anointing the sick the Kiss of Love long Hair covering or uncovering order of prophecying and of collections c. were not standing Laws to us nor done by uncommunicable power but were temporary Laws and local and such as their Successors when fit may make If you have no such Rulers in your Churches you should queston whether your Churches have the true order of Pastors as well as you question the Parish Ministers Do they not want ruling power as well as theirs specially if you deny the very power and they be but hindred in the exercise Obj. But some may be forced to say Our Pastors do nothing but by the peoples consent Ans They are their Pastors by consent and rule them as voluntary and not by force But their rule and precepts are never less obligatory on Conscience by vertue of Gods command to obey them Must they prescribe none of the things forementioned till all have voted it or consented They must command them to consent and they sin if they disobey tho they can force none to obey Object But some may be driven to say We allow such prescribing power to Pastors but not to Magistrates Ans 1. What Power the Kings of Judah used in Worship David Solomon Asa Jehosaphet Hezekiah Josiah I need not tell 2. Christ came not to put down Kings but to sanctifie their office All power is given him By him Kings reign The Kingdoms of the world are his by right Rulers are his Ministers for our good They must punish evil doers and promote well doing He commands us to honour and obey them They are keepers of both Tables They may drive Ministers to their duty and punish them for mal-administration Tho they may usurp nothing proper to the pastoral office nor forbid them any such thing yet such circumstances as belong to the nation or to many Churches and not to this or that in peculiar the Magistrates may determine It is of great use that all the approved Churches in a Nation signifie their consent in the same Confession of Faith the same anniversary days of Humiliation and Thanksgiving as is done about the Powder Plot and the same Translation of the Scripture if not also the same Psalm Books God strictly commandeth Concord and to serve him with one mind and mouth and to avoid confusion and division and discord What reason can any man give why Christs Officers appointed to rule by the sword may not thus discharge their trust Shall we sin if the Law impose a Translation Psalm Book or reverent gesture unless we separate Is commanded obedience become a sin And yet not if a Pastor or a ruling Majority of people injoin it or unless we leave all to confusion X. Here therefore I utterly renounce the opinion that shall hold that such things being lawful when uncommanded become unlawful when commanded by such as in Ministry Magistracy or Families or Schools are Rulers Yea if the Ruler misdo his work the sin is his I must not separate from every Kingdom Church or Family that is ill governed Nor am I

destroy it but their sin may consist with the true office that is hindred If we cannot pray without penalty we are yet bound to pray And if any such penalties should prevail with any Ministers to cast off so much of Discipline as is indeed their duty their office is so far destroyed as to its exercise But it is not every ill Council Canon Bishop or Priest of old when they began to be corrupted that changed and nullified the Pastoral Power and Office as from Christ I have repeated things over and over here because I would not be misunderstood nor leave a snare behind me to mislead men The sum again is 1. The Pastoral Office in specie is instituted by Christ and his Spirit therefore the essence of it is unchangeably fixed by him and no Bishops or Churches may change it by pretending they may give Presbyters as their servants what degree or kind of power they please or make the office another thing II. The said office in mutable accidents or circumstances may be altered by Princes Laws or the several Churches Agreements and thus far it is humane Of the Divine sort was the Apostolick and other extraordinary Prophetick offices And the ordinary Presbytery commonly called Priesthood and Elders setled over particular Churches were Episc●pi Gregis Bishops over the flock And of the humane sort is the Presidency of one in every single Church over the rest of the Presbyters who was the Episcopus Presbyterorum a Bishop over the Presbyters of one single Church as well as over the people This was the old Episcopacy of the first three Centuries this is it which I say our Diocesans have put down and we that would have them restored and would have such a Bishop and Assistant Elders in every Church are by the heighth of impudency said to be against Bishops because we would have them restored to each Church tho not as essential to it as hath been thought of old yet as a way of peace to comply with Ant●quity and avoid singularity and they that put down many score or hundred Bishops and instead of them would have but one call themselves Episcopal III. Whether Arch-bps Diocesans as successors of the Apostles in the ministerial care of many Churches by the word and not the sword be of Divine or Human Institution I am in doubt IV. The cogent Power by the Sword is only the Magistrates and if Diocesans appropriate this only they are Magistrates and thereby take none of our office from us V. The ●ssence of the Parish ministerial oversight being of God de specie and the accidents that are mutable from man the existence of the office in individual persons is not without consent of the Pastors so that no man can be a Pastor against or without his will nor yet without a capacity in qualifi●ati●n so that if you prove any person to be uncapabl● or else to have truly disclaimed and renounced the essentials of his office I am not about to perswade you that such a man is a true Pastor VI. But then we must know that indeed it is such an incapacity or renunciation and not a tollerable defect nor subscriptions and Oaths which by unseen consequences may seem to renounce it when the man took them in a sense which renounced it not For tho such a man may greatly sin by taking Oaths or subscriptions in a forced sense which plainly taken would infer worse yet his sin is not a renunciation of the office if he declare that he meant it in a better sence and took it on such mistake for we must not for bare words against mens meaning quibble or dispute our selves into unwarrantable separations out of Christian Communion especially when it is specially necessary VII And if any lay-men or men unauthorized will usurp the Keys or any Councils will make hurtful Canons and hinder men in the work appointed by God we must be faithful and patient and God in due time will judg and decide all causes justly VIII The office-power is essentially related to the work so far as Parochial Incumbents are allowed the work as of Christ they are acknowledged to be Pastors and Bishops of the flocks tho the name were denied them and so far as the Bishops office may be delegated to Lay-men or to Clergy-men of another Order so far it is Humane and not proper to them by Gods Institution They therefore that say All Diocesans Jurisdiction may be so delegated to them that are no Bishops but that the Pastoral Rectorship by Word Sacraments and Keys cannot be delegated to any men that are not of the same office do thereby say as much as that the Diocesan government is of men and may be changed by men but the Pastoral Incumbency is of Christ and cannot be changed The Lord that instituted it protect it and save it from Satans most dangerous assault which is by getting his own servants into it by error and malignity and strife and cruelty to do his work as the Ministers of Righteousness and as by Christs Authority and in his name London Aug. 13. 1684. POSTSCRIPT Aug. 25. 1684. HE that gave me notice of this Book which I answer did withall send me a Manuscript to be privately answered containing the very same things but somewhat enlarged His displeasure against my former mention of his private Writings to me and the Contents made me confident that he would not have any thing Published which I should answer to his last By which I found my self in a notable strait For if he at once privately sent me his reasons and also in another Book Printed them if I should answer his private papers which reason forbad me doing in my condition for his use alone I should judg my self forestalled from answering the Printed Book because the matter being the very same and 't is likely by the same man I should be supposed to have broken the Laws of Civility to have answered his private papers But having no Amanuensis or Scribe to take any Copy of his papers or my own I thought it the best way to return his unanswered they being Written for my use which Reading will as fully serve as answering them but supposing the Printed papers must be answered I inserted also an answer to the strength of all his additionals in the Manuscript And at last he giveth me some notice of his thoughts of publishing the Manuscript or a vindication of it Which falls well for the Readers use that I have answered that Manuscript before it is Published without taking notice of it and s● avoiding wordy altercations The Author professeth himself my great acquaintance Who he is I know not but he seemeth to be a very rational sober man God forbid that I should ever contribute unless duty do it accidentally to the grievance of such men I doubt not but he speaketh as he thinketh And I doubt I have given him occasions by some uncautelous words in my writings I

will be more sounder than our writing This Author exclaims against me as Popish Arminian for Justification by works for merit c. May it not be expected that I preach as bad as I write And is it not then a sin to be my hearer Can I think that he will not preach as ill as he writeth in this book And are all sinners therefore for hearing him I promise him that if I know of any Parish Minister that will usually preach with as much error reflexion and gall as he here writeth I will be none of that mans hearers or usual Communicants But to this he saith P. 19. We distinguish between the rule of worship and the administration and performance 1. It is not sins of ordinary infirmity 2. Nor sins not foreknown so as to prevent joining with them but them that worship God by a false rule c. Ans 1. This is the great strength of all his Book That we sin by a false rule but they sin only against a true rule but I think nothing is sin indeed but that which is against a true rule even Gods word making and using a false rule is therefore sin because it is against the true rule Most hypocrites are supposed to own a true rule while they are false to it and sin against it To sin against knowledge and an acknowledged rule is an aggravation of the sin and such shall be beaten with many stripes Paul opens it to the Jews Rom. 2. at large therefore this will not excuse our communion with such 2. This Reason crosseth the business of the opponent for whereas the greatest reason against Communion with Parish Churches is the badness of the Communicants and Ministers lives these are not the obeying of the Law or Canons but disobeying them The Law called the Rule bids no man swear rashly lye be drunk unclean slander rail c. Nay it commandeth the Minister to deny the Sacrament to such Ignorance unbelief hypocrisie are not commanded but forbidden by that Rule Ministers break the rule i● they preach error or heresie or against Love and Peace and promote not Godliness and mens salvation with all holy diligence by Doctrine and Life so that no sins against this is cause of separation if it be only using a false rule that is just cause 3. But what is the false Rule The word Rule maketh all this excuse and accusation of his a meer equivocation In general a rule is any thing to which we purposely conform our actions that they may be right Of this there are divers sorts 1. The Primary Rule is the absolute Law of God to which all mens actions should be conformed 2. Subord●nate humane Rules These are of divers sorts 1. The obliging commands of Authority 1. Of Magistrates 2. Pastors 3. Parents and Masters of Families 4. School-Masters and Tutors of Youth c. 2. Contracts or Agreements of men for concord 1. Gods Law is never a false rule but an erring Expositor may make the words the matter of a false rule by putting on them a false sense 2. Just subordinate rules are not false justly used 1. Magistrates rule either by common Laws or temporary and particular Mandates both being obligatory to duty and indeed but several sorts of Laws while they use but that authority which God gave them Laws or Mandates are just rules 2. Pastors can make duty by ruling-authority for none but the Flocks committed to them They may command what God authorizeth them to command whether it be by word or writing is all one And whether you will call it a Law or not the name altereth not the case Tho indeed in the general notion all is true law which authoritatively by command maketh a subjects duty It s a true rule when the Ruler goeth not beyond his authority Heb. 13.7 17 24. 1 Thes 5.12 17 c. 3. The same must be said of Parents Masters Tutors c. 4. Agreements or contracts are rules made for Concord by the self-governing power that all men have over themselves and they are just rules when justly used 5. Besides all these most make a mans own reason judgment or conscience the immediate subordinate rule of his actions Indeed it is more fitly called the discerner of his rule and duty as the eye is to the body For it maketh not duty but discerneth it made But if any will call the Understanding a Rule to the Will instead of a Guide we may bear with the impropriety All this is clear truth Now the question is how any of these subordinate rules are just or false 1. Two things God hath not only allowed but commanded them all to do about Religion 1. To command subjects as Gods officers to obey Gods Laws and in just cases to punish the breakers of them in matters within their jurisdiction And to do this by Laws Mandates Judgment and Execution 2. To make subordinate Mandates or Laws for determining such Circumstances as God hath commanded them to determine by the General Law of Governing or Ruling and of doing all to unity concord edification peace order and decency These things Christian-Magistrates may do Nationally Pastors to their Flocks Masters to their Families and Scholars and equals Pastors and People may make fit agreements where they are free And these rules may be called false or true in several degrees 1. It 's gross falsood and usurpation to set up an office forbidden of God and false in its very nature 2. It 's next in degree false for men of an office of Gods institution to command things utterly out of their calling and jurisdiction in which they have no power from God mediately or immediately Conscience binds none to formal obedience propter authoritatem imperantis to either of these tho material obedience and non-resistance may be duties The lower degree is when the office is of God and the matter is in their power and not only belonging ad alienum forum But they mis-determine it in the manner not usurping anothers office but doing their own amiss Tho herein conscience is not bound to obedience gratia materiae sub ratione indebiti modi yet if the matter be not forbidden of God obedience may be a duty herein sub ratione medii necessary to several ends that is to concord to honour the governor to avoid off●nce and to avoid greater hurt to the Church others or our selves But if the thing commanded be forbidden of God no man must do it But divers things commanded unlawfully in the manner may become duties by that command because they be made thereby needful means of Unity Peace Honour to Rulers c. as aforesaid which else would have been sin as to meet at an inconvenient time or place to use a Translation metre c. less fit Now all these being subordinate rules they bind only subordinately by virtue of Gods supreme rule who made them rulers and he is no ruler that can give no rule even as corporation