Commands of any fuperiour Priefts -íhould be againft them. 5. Nor can they force any man to fin : 6, Nor have any Priefts a forcing power, by the fword or violence, but only the power ofthe 'Word and Keys, that is, of taking in, or putting out of the Church, where they have power, and binding men over, on juft caufe, to the judgment of God. The power that they have is from Chrift, and for him, and not againft him; and for the Churches edification, and not deftruftion and what is pretended contrary to this, is none. They cannot difpenfe with the Laws ofGod, but preach and execute them. 7. And there things being thus fecured, though in our doubts we dare not fwear or fubfcribe that National, Pa- triarchal,Provincial,or Metropolitical Powers are of God's inffitution ; yet we refolve to live in all Chriffian peaceablenefs and fubmiflìon,when fuck are over us. y 3 r . And we muff profefs that when we find how anciently and commonly one Presbyter in each Church was peculiarly called the Bifhop, without whom there was no ( ordinary) ordi- nations, and againft whom in matters of his power none was to refill-, and alto how generally the Churches in the Roman Empire conformed themfelves to an imitation of the civil power ( as to their limits ) in all the official part ( being all fùbje t to the Eruperour, who fet up no Ecciefiafical Peer,) we are not fo fingular or void of reverence to thole Churches, as not by fuch notices to be much the more inclined to the aforefáid fubmifrìon and peaceablenefs under filch a power ; nor are we fo bold or rafh as ro reproach it or condemn the Churches and excellent
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