nd every man's
hand against him.

The first rule was this, "Establish as few things _jure divino_ as can
well be;" which is, by interpretation, as little fine gold, and as much
dross as can well be. "The words of the Lord are pure words: as silver
tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times," Psal. xii, 6. What you
take from the word of God is fine "gold tried in the fire" (Rev. iii. 18);
but an holy thing of man's devising is the dross of silver. Can he not be
content to have the dross purged from the silver except the silver itself
be cast away? The very contrary rule is more sure and safe; which I prove
thus:--

If it be a sin to diminish or take aught from the word of God, insomuch
that it is forbidden under pain of taking away a man's part out of the
book of life, and out of the holy city; then as many things are to be
established _jure divino_ as can well be. But it is a sin to diminish or
take aught from the word of God, insomuch that it is forbidden under pain
of taking away a man's part out of the book of life, and out of the holy
city; therefore as many things are to be established _jure divino_ as can
well be.

It must be remembered, withal, 1. That the question is not now, Whether
this or that form of church government be _jure divino_; but, Whether a
church government be _jure divino_; whether Jesus Christ hath thus far
revealed his will in his word, that there are to be church-censures, and
those to be dispensed by church-officers. The brother is for the negative
of this question. 2. Neither is it stood upon by any, so far as I know,
that what the Parliament shall establish concerning church government must
be established by them _jure divino_ If the Parliament shall, in a
parliamentary and legislative way, establish that thing which really, and
in itself, is agreeable to the word of God, though they do not declare it
to be the will of Jesus Christ, I am satisfied, and, I am confident, so
are others. This I confess, That it is incumbent to parliament-men, to
ministers, and to all other Christians, according to their vocation and
interest, to search the Scriptures, and thereby to inform their own and
other men's consciences, so as they may do in faith what they do in point
of church government, that is, that they may know they are not sinning,
but doing the will of God. And it ought to be no prejudice nor exception
against a form of church government that many learned and godly divines do
assert it