Wesley Corpus

Hitherto you have produced no express command of Christ to the contrary. Nor do you attempt to show any such, but strike off from the question for the twelve or fourteen pages following. But after these you say, ‘The subjects of Christ are expressly commanded to receive nothing as parts of religion which are only “commandments of men” (Matt. xv. 9)’ (page 26). We grant it; but this is no command at all not to 'obey those who have the rule over us.’ And we must obey them in things indifferent, or not at all. For in things which God hath forbidden, should such be enjoined, we dare not obey. Nor need they enjoin what God hath commanded. Upon the whole, we agree that Christ is the only ‘supreme Judge and Lawgiver in the Church’: I may add, and in the world; for ‘there is no power,’ no secular power, ‘but of God’ -- of God who ‘was manifested in the flesh, who is over all, blessed for ever.’ But we do not at all agree in the inference which you would draw therefrom -- namely, that there is no subordinate judge or lawgiver in the Church. You may just as well infer that there is no subordinate judge or lawgiver in the world. Yea, there is, both in the one and the other. And in obeying these subordinate powers we do not, as you aver, renounce the Supreme; no, but we obey them for His sake. We believe it is not only innocent but our bounden duty so to do; in all things of an indifferent nature to submit ourselves ‘to every ordinance of man’; and that ‘for the Lord's sake,’ because we think He has not forbidden but expressly commanded it. Therefore ‘as a genuine fruit of our allegiance to Christ’ we submit both to the King and governors sent by him, so far as possibly we can, without breaking some plain command of God. And you have not yet brought any plain command to justify that assertion that ‘we may not submit either to the King or to governors sent by him in any circumstance relating to the worship of God.’