to command his subjects to do that which should
either dishonour God, or not honour him; or that which should either
offend their brother, or not edify him; or, lastly, that which their
conscience either condemneth or doubteth of. For how may a prince command
that which his subjects may not do? But a wonder it were if any man should
so far refuse to be ashamed that he would dare to say we are not bound to
order whatsoever we do according to these rules of the word, but only such
matters of private action wherein we are left at full liberty, there being
no ordinance of superiors to determine our practice, and that if such an
ordinance be published and propounded unto us, we should take it alone for
our rule, and no longer think to examine and order our practice by the
rules of the word;

For, 1. This were as much as to say, that in the circumstances of God's
worship we are bound to take heed unto God's rules, then only and in that
case when men give us none of their rules, which, if they do, God's rules
must give place to men's rules, and not theirs to his.

2. If it were so, then we should never make reckoning to God, whether that
which we had done in obedience to superiors was right or wrong, good or
bad, and we should only make reckoning of such things done by us as were
not determined by a human law.

3. The law of superiors is never the supreme but ever a subordinate rule,
and (as we said before) it can never be a rule to us, except in so far
only as it is ruled by a higher rule. Therefore we have ever another rule
to take heed unto beside their law.

4. The Scripture speaketh most generally, and admitteth no exception from
the rules which it giveth: "Whatsoever ye do (though commanded by
superiors) do all to the glory of God. Let all things (though commanded by
superiors) be done to edifying. Whatsoever is not of faith (though
commanded by superiors) is sin."

5. We may do nothing for the sole will and pleasure of men, for this were
to be the servants of men, as hath been shown. The Bishop of Salisbury
also assenteth hereunto.(954) _Non enim_ (saith he) _Deus vult, ut hominis
alicujus voluntatem regulam nostrae voluntatis atque vitae faciamus: sed
hoc privilegium sibi ac verbo suo reservatum voluit._ And again,(955) _Pio
itaque animo haec consideratio semper adesse debet, utrum id quod
praecipitur sit divino mandato contrarium necne: atque ne ex hac parte
fallantur, adhibendum est illud judicium discretionis, q