4. And for the actions of men which proceed from their consciences, the regulating of which actions is the only means of peace, if they might not stand with justice, it were impossible that justice towards God, and peace amongst men, should stand together in that religion that teacheth us, that _justice and peace shall kiss each other_, and in which we have so many precepts of absolute obedience to human authority; as Matth. xxiii. 2, 3, we have this precept: _The Scribes and Pharisees sit in Moses' seat; all therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do_. And yet were the Scribes and Pharisees not priests, but men of temporal authority. Again Luke xi. 17: _Every kingdom divided against itself shall be desolate_; and is not that kingdom divided against itself, where the actions of every one shall be ruled by his private opinion, or conscience, and yet those actions such as give occasion of offence and breach of peace? Again Rom. xiii. 5: _Wherefore you must be subject, not because of wrath only, but also for conscience sake_. Titus iii. 1: _Put them in remembrance, that they be subject to principalities and powers_. 1 Peter ii. 13, 14: _Submit yourselves unto all manner of ordinance of man, for the Lord’s sake, whether it be unto the king, as unto the superior, or unto governors, as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evil doers_. Jude, verse 8: _These dreamers also that defile the flesh, and despise government, and speak evil of them that are in authority_. And forasmuch as all subjects in commonwealths are in the nature of children and servants, that which is a command to them, is a command to all subjects. But to these St. Paul saith (Colos. iii. 20, 22): _Children, obey your parents in all things; servants, be obedient to your masters according to the flesh in all things_. And verse 23: _Do it heartily as to the Lord_. These places considered, it seemeth strange to me, that any man in a Christian commonwealth, should have any occasion to deny his obedience to public authority, upon this ground, that _it is better to obey God than man_. For though St. Peter and the apostles did so answer the council of the Jews, that forbad them to preach Christ, there appeareth no reason that Christians should allege the same against their Christian governors, that command them to preach Christ. To reconcile this seeming contradiction of simple obedience to God, and simple obedience to man, we are to consider a Christian subject, as under a Christian sovereign, or under an infidel. [Sidenote: A distinction propounded between a fundamental point of faith and a superstruction.]