your meat, say ye it to man? No, ye say it only to God.
So that every way ye are God's people. And then, whilk is more, and
therefore we are bound to be His people, no man can redeem the life of
his brother, nor give a price sufficient for his life, let be (let
alone) for his soul, and yet the Lord, He has redeemed us from hell, and
from the grave; and therefore we belong to Him. Then is it not the Lord
who enters in covenant with thee, and says, I will remember thy sins no
more? Then albeit all the world should remember thy ill deeds, yet if
the Lord remember them not, then thou art blessed. It is He who says, I
will write My laws in your hearts, to lead you here: it is He who puts
us in the estate of grace while we are here, and so puts us in hope of
glory after this life. It is He who sall be our judge at that great day.
And so ye are the Lord's people, by way of property.

And this was it that made the apostles so bold, when it was alleged
that they had done that whilk was not right: they made the enemies
themselves judges, and says, "Whether it be right in your sight to obey
God rather than man, judge ye." As if they had said, It's true indeed we
are mickle obliged to man, but we are more obliged to God than to all
men; for what is it that man can do to us, either good or ill, but God
can do that als (also) and more? And upon this ground, in the next
chapter, they draw this conclusion,--It behoveth us rather to obey God
than man. And so, first, they reason with the adversars themselves upon
it; and seeing that they could not deny it, upon that they draw up their
conclusion. I mark this for this end, that whenever ye are enjoined to
do anything by any man, that then ye would not forget this dignity and
power that God has over you, and that ye are the people of Jesus Christ;
and therefore no man ought to enjoin anything to be done by you, but
that for the whilk he has a warrant from God. There is a great
controversy now about disobedience to superiors, and the contempt of
those who are in authority; but there is not a word of that, whether God
be obeyed or not, or if He be disobeyed by any. Fy, that people should
sell themselves over to the slavery of man, when the Lord has only
sovereign power over them! I would not have you to think that a whole
country of people are appointed only to uphold the grandeur of five or
six men. No, they are ordained to be magistrates for your good. And sall
we think that a ministry shin