And I say further, where we haue an expresse commaundement layd vpon vs to do a thing, there all disputations must cease, of hardnesse, of impossibilitie, of profyte, or else of peace. For first God hathe not commaunded any orders in his Churche, whiche are impossible, and if they seeme hard, it must be remembred, that the best and excellentest things are hardest, and that there is no∣thing so hard, which diligence and trauaile to bring it to passe, will not ouercome: whiche thing if it be proued true in worldly affayres, the truth thereof will much more appeare in the matters per∣teyning vnto God, considering that if God with his blessing do surmountè all the difficulties in worldly matters, which are otherwise hard to be compassed, he will in his owne matters and mat∣ters perteyning to his glory, fill vp the valleys, although they be neuer so low, bring downe the hilies, although they be neuer so high, playne the ways be they neuer so rough, so that he will make of a way not passable in the eyes of flesh, a way tracked and easy to go in, and to walke towardes that kingdome, wherevnto he calleth vs.
These be but words of course to no purpose. For firste you shoulde haue proued* 1.1 that the office of your Seniors is commaunded, which I vtterly denie. Then should you haue declared that the same commaundement is perpetuall: for many thinges are commaunded in the new testament, which be not perpetnall, as the washing of féete, Iohn. 13. to abstayne à sanguine & suffocat〈1 line〉〈1 line〉. Act. 15. to elect and choose wydowes, to* 1.2 minister in the Churche. 1. Timo. 5. and suche lyke. So that you haue craftily passed ouer two principall poyntes, and those whiche oughte to be the groundes of your cause. Fyrste therefore I denye that thys office of Saeniors is commaunded any where in the new Testamente: then I say that if it were commaunded, yet is it but a tempor ill commaundement. Those two pointes not being by you proued, the words you vtter are but in vaine.