Wesley Corpus

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.” Here is a plain declaration, “There is no power but of God; the powers that exist are ordained of God. Whosoever, therefore, resisteth the power,” (without an absolute necessity, which in things indifferent there is not,) “resisteth the ordinance of God.” And here is a plain command grounded thereon: “Let every soul be subject to the higher powers.” Now, by what scripture does it appear, that we are not to be subject in any thing pertaining to the worship of God? This is an exception which we cannot possibly allow, without clear warrant from holy writ. And we apprehend, those of the Church of Rome alone can decently plead for such an exception. It does not sound well in the mouth of a Protestant, to claim an exemption from the jurisdiction of the civil powers in all matters of religion, and in the minutest circumstance relating to the Church. Another plain command is that mentioned but now : “Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake.” And this we shall think ourselves hereby fully authorized to do, in things of a, religious, as well as a civil, nature, till you can produce plain, explicit proof from Scripture, that we must submit in the latter, but not in the former. We cannot find any such distinction in the Bible; and till we find it there, we cannot receive it, but must believe our allegiance to Christ requires submission to our governors in all things indifferent. This I speak, even on supposition that the things in question were enjoined merely by the King and Parliament. If they were, what then? Then I would submit to them “for the Lord’s sake.” So that in all your parade, either with regard to King George or Queen Anne, there may be wit, but no wisdom; no force, no argument, till you can support this distinction from plain testimony of Scripture.