A LOOKING-GLASS FOR Religious Princes OR THE CHARACTER AND WORK of JOSIAH Delivered in a SERMON UPON 2 KINGS XXIII XXV The Substance whereof was Preached April 5. 1691. at Pershore in Worcester-shire Wherein They may see That those Princes are only Eminent in the Sight of God who are truly Religious and turn to the Lord with all their Heart That there is more required of such Princes than their own Private Assent and Consent to the True Religion That Religious Princes cannot be capable of a greater Honour in this World than to be the Instruments of a Godly Reformation among their Subjects And That the Word of God alone is the Rule to which both they and their People must attend in all Matters relating to Religion By RICHARD CLARIDGE M. A. and then Rector of Peopleton in the County of Worcester LONDON Printed for the Author and are to be sold by William Marshall at the Bible in Newgate-street 1691. A LOOKING GLASS FOR Religious Princes c. 2 KINGS XXIII 25. And like unto him was there no King before him that turned to the Lord with all his Heart and with all his Soul and with all his Might according to all the Law of Moses neither after him arose there any like him OF all the Publick Blessings that Almighty God is pleased to bestow upon Nations as Nations or Bodies Politick there cannot be conceived a greater than good and wholsome Laws Agreed upon and Enacted for the benefit and Emolument of the whole Society and godly and upright Governours to put those Laws in Execution For as it is natural for men to enter into Society Man not being Animal monasticum sed politicum a Monkish but sociable Creature so it is necessary to Agree upon Laws for the preservation of it And forasmuch as the main design of all Laws and Government should be Gloria Dei salus Populi the Glory of God and the Weal and Safety of the State those Laws are ever best which have the directest tendency to those Ends but seeing also that the best Laws are useless and insufficient for the attaining of those Ends unless executed according to the true intent and meaning of them and this cannot be done but by Governours intrusted with the Administration thereof and because it often happens that the Administration of Affairs falls into ill hands who offend either through Remissness Rigour or Arbitrariness and thereby Enervate or Debauch the People or so Oppress them by Illegal Exactions Mic. 3.1 2. that like the Princes of Israel they pluck their skin from off them and their flesh from off their bones It is therefore a singular Instance of a benign Providence to a People when a skillful and religious Pilot is placed at the Rudder of the Government who will take care for the Enacting and Executing of good Laws always observing a due distance between the two Extreams Softness and Tyranny into one of which most Princes both of later and former days have fall'n It is the happiness of England could she see her happiness that she is delivered from One who trampled upon all Laws and by vertue of an Omnipotent Dispensing Power did what he listed and has a most Excellent Prince placed at the Stern whose Head the Lord cover in the day of Battel and appoint unto him Salvation for Walls and Bulwarks Under his Conduct the Ship of the Commonwealth is likely to sail securely even among Rocks and Shelves such Princes are the Favourites of Heaven God will take them and make them as Signets and put them as choice Shafts in the Quiver of his special Providence In their day the Government shall triumph it shall bid defiance to Treachery at Home and Opposition from Abroad for the Lord of Hosts is with them the God of Jacob is their Refuge When the Government is Administred by a Pious Prudent and upright Prince who hath nothing equal in his Prospect to the Honour of God and the Common Welfare there the People are out of danger of Oppression and Invasion and shall dwell safely every man under his Vine and under his Fig-tree 1 Kings 4.25 as Judah and Israel did in the days of Solomon Now of those two the Honour of God and the Common Welfare the preference must be always given to the first Mat. 22.37 38. Deut. 6.5 because this is the first and great Commandment Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul and with all thy mind The Precept reaches Princes as well as People and it should be the chief care of Governours to observe it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For tho' they are sometimes called Gods in Scripture yet they are but earthly ones 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and by way of Similitude as Agapetus told Justinian and therefore should ever remember themselves to be the Subjects of the Most High There is all the reason in the World that Gods Honour should be first regarded by Princes in their Dominions because the Most High ruleth in the Kingdom of men Dan. 4.17 5.21.2.21 and appointeth over it whomsoever he will for he changeth the times and the seasons he removeth Kings and setteth up Kings and because the Happiness of a Nation depends upon its relation to the King of Kings It is the observation of Wise and Experienc'd Solomon that Righteousness exalteth a Nation Prov. 14 34. but sin is a reproach to any people I shall not here enquire whether 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Righteousness is to be restrained to Moral Justice or to be taken in a more comprehensive sense for Religion and Vertue in general Experience can attest that Piety and Morality have a Mighty Influence upon the Prosperity of a Nation and that Vice and Wickedness have been always fatal in their Consequences to it Religion is the best Cement of Society and binds men in the strictest obligations to be Just and True and Honest to one another For where Religion is truly embraced it has its Tye upon the Conscience and that by a powerful Energy checks and commands the whole Man for Conscience I mean the enlightened and sanctified Conscience will be always doing its office in Accusing or Excusing and he that hath such a Monitor must be prodigiously inadvertent if he do not perceive its Motions and attend to them On the other hand where Vice is grown predominant and become the Epidemical distemper of a People there the Bond of Conscience is dissolv'd because their Union with God is broken And when that Bond is dissolv'd the People are under no Tye but that of Humane Laws and how weak Humane Laws are of themselves to make a Nation truly happy is sadly apparent from the many woful distresses the Nations are under at this day by reason of their Apostacy from God 'T is natural for men to lay the blame of all their Miseries upon mistaken Causes and to make those Persons and Things the Authors
what they are never able to do that they were * God was its alone Head the Government being a Theocracy Jerubbaal p. 312. Heads of the Church because as the Learned Answerer of Mr. Tomb's Theodulia saith Betwixt the Oeconomy of the Law and Gospel there is a vast disproportion many things were of old lawful which now to practise were no less than a denyal of Christ come in the flesh And a little after the same Worthy Author says That neither the Rulers of the Jews or any other Nations had de Jure any such Dominion or Power over their Subjects as to make Laws introduce Constitutions of their own framing in Matters relating to Worship and compell them by force and Violence to be subject thereunto As little success they have had who urge the Power assumed by the first Christian Emperours for if they took upon them the Headship of the Church they invaded Christs Prerogative and it is not what they did but what they had Warrant from the Word to do that is Precedential to us Those Jewish Kings David Hezekiah and Josiah had Divine Warrant for what they did and Solomon in deposing Abiathar from the Priesthood acted not as Head of the Church but as King of Israel for as the Author before mention'd truly distinguisheth Jerubbaal p. 314 Solomon deposed Abiathar not as High Pontifee or Head of the Church for Male administration in Church Affairs but as King of Israel for treason against the Commonwealth in the business of Adonijah But though Christ hath constituted no Heads Vicars or Deputies over his Churches yet he hath not left them without a Power to act by in Church Society For when people by the inward working of the Spirit through the outward Ministry of the Word are effectually wrought upon and have voluntarily joyn'd themselves into Church Fellowship for the mutual participation of all the Ordinances of Christ they have then a power to Elect such Persons as they shall judge fitted with Spiritual Gifts and Qualifications for the Ministry and Exercise of the same Power and therein they are to proceed by a close adherence to the Rule of the Gospel To prevent all Mistakes touching the Power and Authority which Christ hath given to his Church I do not assert any Soveraign â—…wen's true â—ature of a Goâ—…el Ch. c. 8. â— 163. Legislative or Lordly Power but such as is Declarative or Ministerial only with respect to Christs Authority and the Churches Liberty and in it's nature is purely Spiritual for whether we consider the Object the Souls and Consciences of Men or the End the Glory of God in directing of them to live unto God and to come to the fruition of him or the Rule the Word and Command of Christ himself alone or the Acts and Exercise of it in Binding and Loosing in Remitting and Retaining Sin in opening and shutting the Kingdom of Heaven it is in every part meerly and only spiritual From whence the Conclusion is plain that all such Acts and Exercise of Rule or Government from any Interest in Church Affairs which are Carnal Political Despotical of External Operation or not entirely Spiritual are utterly to be excluded as wholly Heterogeneous to Christs Headship and Government 2. The Churches of Christ are not National or Political Bodies See Assembly in their Jus Divinum Rutherford in his Divine Right of Ch. Government as States and Commonwealths but they are Congregational and Spiritual Societies and have Laws and Offices distinct from those of the Commonwealth 1. They have Laws formally different from those of the Commonwealth viz. The Precepts of Christ himself alone As 1. About Church Officers they must have a Divine Call and Mission Mark 16.15 and John 20.21 2. About Church Duties as Prayer Preaching c. which must all be performed according to the Word 3. About Church gathering and Discipline Members are to be admitted and Offendors dealt with as the Rule the Command of Christ directs 2. The Churches of Christ have Officers distinct from those of the Civil Magistrate they are of his sending and appointment Eph. 4.8.11 and 1 Cor. 12.28 they are elected and ordained by the Church Acts 6.3 4 and 14 23. 1 Tim. 4.14 and Acts 13.1 2 3 4 they act in Christ's Name and by his Authority 1 Cor. 4.1 2 Cor. 5.20 Gal. 1.1 and Mat. 28.19 20. It is the saying of Optatus Milevitanus an African Bishop †Non enim Republica est in Ecclesia sed Ecclesia Republicâ Lib. 3. That the Commonwealth is not in the Church but the Church is in the Commonwealth And 't is a great Truth for were it otherwise the two Societies would be confounded which are essentially distinct from each other If the Common-wealth should be in the Church then there could be no Church but there must also be a Commonwealth and wheresoever there is a Commonwealth there would be a Church But this is so absurd I will not spend time in the confutation of it We learn from the Word that the Churches of Christ are gathered out of the Kingdoms and Common-wealths of the World by the preaching of the Gospel and united into Bodies by other Bonds and Confederations than Civil Societies are the Members of the one may be Members of the other Society but the Laws Officers and manner of Administration are perfectly distinct 3. The Civil Magistrate has no Legislative or Coercive power in things of meer Religion 'T is his duty to protect the Churches of Christ in the free Exercise of Religious Worship to punish Vice and Prophaneness and to minister Justice to Evil doers But he has no power to institute alter change or abolish any thing in the Worship of God or to punish the man for his Conscience 4. The Civil Magistrate is to Rule his Subjects in the fear of God and to be a Nursing Father to the Churches of Christ He ought to be a person as David was a man after Gods own Heart a Man Exemplary for Holiness Righteousness and all other Vertues and to promote as much as in him lyes by Precept Recommendation and Example true Piety and Religion in their Dominions Obs 3 Thirdly Religious Princes cannot be capable of a greater Honour in this World than to be the Instruments of a Godly Reformation among their Subjects Some Princes have been bloody Murtherers of their Countrey and cruel Persecutors of their people and have made Laws for the Justification of their Barbarities Vide Aug. tom 4. Thus Valerian enacted against the poor Christians That unless they sacrificed to the Heathen Gods they should be exposed to divers kinds of Punishments and Dioclesians Edict against them was That no Man should sell Beda in hymno Jul. Mart. or secretly give them any thing except they would first burn Incense to the Gods These and all like them shall stink for ever in the infamy of their Names whiles the memories of good Princes shall be always precious The
the holy Appointments of God it is a Vice as old as the Fall and therefore might plead Prescription were Antiquity in this matter a good Argument Neither is there only a Natural Inclination but some Persons are possessed with such a mighty Fondness for Additions which Custom or Inrerest hath decoy'd them into that they cannot think God well-Worshipt without the sinful Pageantry of their Ceremonious Decency and Order two Words of large Extent which when Witty and Designing Men have the Explication of they will be sure to expound to such a Latitude as shall serve their Ends upon every occasion 'T is not to be question'd but that the Idolatrous Priests had a great deal to say for their Idols and High Places they had the Examples of several Kings the approbation of Princes and People their Idols were only Symbols or Medium's through which their Worship pass'd to the Supream Being and they could tell the People they used them meerly for Decency and Order and their High Places for greater Splendour of Devotion for they look'd upon both Idols and High Places not as having any Divinity or Holiness in themselves but as things in their own Nature indifferent and yet being enjoyn'd as not to be omitted because the Magistrate's Command changes the very Nature of things and makes that which antecedent to his Sanction was indifferent become immediately after to be Necessary that is Necessary because Commanded by the Magistrate This also is the Modern Plea which has been enforc'd with all the Wit and Power of Man to defend his Innovations in the Worship of God But all his Attempts will not do for weak sinful Man is not able to stand out against the Omnipotent and most Holy God who will maintain his Cause against all Opposers and make his Truth to triumph over Errour thô back'd with the utmost Skill and power of Men. But to return to Josiah that most eminent Reformer in his day his Zeal for God manifested it self in sundry particulars First He took care about the Temple at Jerusalem that was much dilapidated through the Neglect of his Idolatrous Predecessors 2 King 22.3.4 5. and gave Hilkiah Orders to repair the Breaches thereof Secondly As soon as the Book of the Law was found and read before him and he heard the Wrath of God denounc'd against Idolatry he was mightily concern'd thereat and rent his Cloaths V. 11. he consider'd himself as obnoxious to the Threatning as his People and therefore commanded Priests and Princes to go and enquire of the Lord for him and his People 12. 13. and for all Judah about it Thirdly He sent and gathered together all the Elders of Judah and Jerusalem 2 Chron. 34.29 30. and the Priests and the Levites and all the People great and small and went up into the House of the Lord and read the Book of the Covenant unto them that they might all be made sensible of the grievous sin of Idolatry and the Wrath of the Lord against it and might be moved thereby to repent of it and renounce it Fourthly He and the People made a Solemn Covenant before the Lord 2 Kings 23.3 to walk after the Lord and to keep his Commandments and his Testimonies and his Statutes with all their heart and all their Soul to perform the words of the Covenant that were written in the Book of the Law Herein the King and his Subjects prov'd themselves to be Religious indeed for all True Religion is an entring into Solemn League and Covenant with God to be true to him and his Appointments The terms League Covenant Association have a brand of Infamy put upon them by some men whose Ears are grated at the sound and their Stomachs raised at the mention of them they are as great pretenders to Knowledge as any men we discourse with and yet as blind and ignorant as the Pharisees their Forefathers for as they boasted of their being the Seed of Abraham Joh. 8.33 9.28 and Disciples of Moses but erred not knowing the Scriptures So our Modern Pharisees talk much of their being the True Sons of the Church and Lovers of the Common-Prayer when they are many of them as ignorant as the Pharisees of old in points of Real saving Knowledge and understand no Covenanting with God but that Popish Childish perfunctory and unwarrantable one of Godfathers and Godmothers for them in their Infancy which when they come to Age they are usually as careless altogether to perform as their Substitutes did at first negligently and superstitiously engage But thus it happens among all Ways of Religion thô never so highly applauded by Traditionary Professors which are destitute of Divine Authority Fifthly He and his People having taken the Covenant to walk after the Lord and to keep his Commandments c. there was no delay no fear of precipitation and waiting for a more convenient Season which are too often suggested to Religious Princes by carnal Counsellors but down went the High places Groves Altars 2 Chron. 34. 2. Kings 23. Priests of Baal immediately And so universal was the Reformation that not one publick Monument of Idolatry was spared throughout Judah and Israel Sixthly He restored the Passeover to its right Observation commanding it to be kept exactly according to what was written in the Book of the Covenant 2 Kings 23.21 v. 22. from which he turned not aside by putting to or taking from Touching the celebration of this Feast it is recorded Surely there was not holden such a Passeover from the days of Samuel the Prophet nor in all the days of the Kings of Israel nor of the Kings of Judah Seventhly He took care that no Publick Idolatry should be practised in his days whatsoever some of the Priests and People did privately for 't is said 2 Chron. 34 33. he made them serve the Lord their God And all his days they departed not from following the Lord the God of their Fathers Upon consideration now of the whole matter it might well be recorded of Josiah Like unto him was there no King before him that turned to the Lord with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his might according to all the Law of Moses neither after him arose there any like him In the words these three things are presented to our Meditations First Josiah's personal Eminency above all other Kings Like unto him was there no King before him c. Which is to be taken as in the Instances above mentioned and thô it includes his publick and private Deportment yet it seems mostly to relate to his extraordinary Zeal for God in a publick Reformation Secondly The Subject matter of his matchless Glory namely his own Conversion and his Peoples Reformation wherein his Love to God was very conspicuous whether we consider its Integrity or Extent for it was not only sincere but universal also he turned to the Lord with all his heart and with all his soul and
with all his might He was not almost but altogether a Convert he had not a double Heart one for God and another for Baal dividing himself between true and Idolatrous Worship No he turned to the Lord with all his heart Thirdly The Rule he walked by in rooting out Idolatry and restoring the pure Worship of God not the High Priests Decretalls or the Canons of the Clergy or the Parliamentary Acts of the Sanhedrin but the Law of Moses according to which he strictly acted in all his Proceedings about the Reformation The Doctrinal Observations from hence are these First Those Princes are only Eminent in the sight of God who are truly Religious and turn to the Lord with all their heart Secondly There is more required of such Princes than their own private Assent and Consent to the true Religion they must promote it in their Dominions by all such ways as are commanded or allow'd of in Scripture Thirdly They cannot be capable of a greater Honour in this World than to be the Instruments of a Godly Reformation among their Subjects Fourthly The Word of God alone is the Rule to which both they and their People must attend in all matters relating to Religion First Those Princes are only Eminent in the sight of God who are truly Religious and turn to the Lord with all their heart For such are Vines of his own planting Kings set up by him to Rule in the fear of God they are his Darlings and Favourites Not that they can do any thing of themselves how Great and Potent soever they be to merit or any way procure the Divine Favour and Protection their very Exaltation to their Thrones being an Act of pure Beneficence But they are eminent in his Estimation upon the account of those Graces which spring from the Righteousness of Christ and do manifest themselves in an affectionate Zeal for God As for those Princes who are profess'd Enemies of God and Religion they may be said to be set up by God too because All Power is of God Rom. 13.1 But then we must remember what God himself says of such He gives them to a People in his Anger Hos 13.11 and consider in what sence they are constituted by him ut flagella Dei as the Scourge to punish the Rebellions of a Nation So that the Powers that be in the World whether Good or Bad are ordained of God that is Rom. 13.1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bad Princes are Gods Ordinance of Wrath and Permission Good Princes of special Love Choice and Approbation The first are given in his Displeasure the latter in his Good will to a People There is much Controversie among the Learned about the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Power Ham. Annot. ◠loc Chrystost Theophil in lo◠Sherlocks Cas◠of Alleg. Baxters Annot Clarks Annot◠and therefore must not pass without a little Examination Some take it for the person invested with the Power of Government others for the Office of the Prince not his Person some understand all manner of Power right or wrong if it gets the Possession and have the Administration of Affairs Others understand Authority or Right to Govern observing a Criticism between 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which some think will not bear the Test And others comprehend both lawful Authority and the Persons exercising it But whether we take it for Legal Authority or usurped for the Person or the Office of the Prince or for both the thing is much the same for Authority it self is certainly Gods Ordinance 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the persons exercising it are placed so by his permissive or Effective Providence How far the People are interested in placing or displacing of the Supream Magistrate and whether he be not inferiour to the whole Community thô superiour to the Individuals are improper Enquiries when the Government is settled in Excellent hands and Liberty and Property secured I shall only mind you of Gods special Designation upon some Persons and the turning of the Peoples Hearts unto them after a most wonderful manner and his manifest Abdication of others as utterly unfit to Govern sending a Blast upon all their Attempts while the others Enterprizes are blest with an unaccountable Success and again that the people have sometimes a mighty stroke under Providence in the Disposal of Crowns and at other times they stand amazed to behold their Unconcernedness in the Revolutions of the World There is an Objection to one part of this Discourse that if all Power be of God and the Powers that be are of his Ordination how doth he then complain in Hosea They have set up Kings ch 8.4 but not of me they have made Princes and I knew it not To which I answer that All Power is of God notwithstanding and Government is his Ordinance although the people set up Wicked Kings and make Princes such as he knows not that is approves not His permissive Providence tolerates what his Effective Providence allows not We must therefore distinguish between Soveraign Authority and the manner of acquiring and administring of the same John 19.11 Authority it self or Power to Govern is from God but yet the Throne may be ascended by unlawful steps or being lawfully mounted it may be filled with Apostacy Cruelty and Violence and so the Person sitting thereon may be disowned by God as a Tyrant or Usurper Or thus it may be answered this place in Hosea respects the Israelites revolt from Rehoboam to Jeroboam Kings 14.7 8. and if we weigh the thing well the Translation of the Kingdom was from God and so Jeroboam was a King of Gods setting up and the People did their Duty in transferring their Allegiance to him But his falling away immediately after he was made King from the true Worship of God to that of the Golden Calves Kings 12.28 ◠30.14.9 16. which he had set up in Dan and Bethel and causing the People to sin therewith was from the Devil and so God renounces him But thô the Authority of Kings generally speaking be of God and the Bad too often make a greater Figure in the World than the Good yet the Good are his choice his excellent Ones who with Josiah are truly Religious and turn to the Lord with all their heart But how may poor revolted Mortals be said to turn to God have they any Power to turn themselves before they are turned I answer No they have not in their Natural Unrenewed State any more Power to turn themselves spiritually to God than the Ethiopian has to change his skin Jer. 13.23 or the Leopard his spots God must first turn to them before they can turn to him yea he must turn them 31.18 or they can never be turned for no less Power than Omnipotence can convert a Soul But when the Soul is effectually converted then it will turn to and clasp about God The motions
remembrance of the one shall rot and the other shall be ever fresh and flourishing The remembrance of Josiah is like the perfume that is made by the Art of the Apothecary it is as sweet as Honey in all Mouths and as Musick at a Banquet of Wine He behaved himself uprightly in the Reformation of the People and took away all the abominations of Iniquity He directed his Heart unro the Lord and in the time of the Ungodly he establish'd Religion Jeroboam Omri Ahab and other wicked and irreligious Kings have left a Brand of Ignominy upon their Names that time will never wear out The decree of Nebuchadnezzar Dan. 3.29 Dan. 6.26 Ezra 1.1 2 for speaking honourably of the God of Shadrach Meshech and Abednego of Darius for worshipping the God of Daniel and of Cyrus for building the Temple at Jerusalem more beautified their Diadem's than all their Victories and Empire over Nations Constantine the first Emperour that embraced the Christian Faith was surnamed the Great more for his Piety than his Greatness 'T is the protecting favouring and encouraging of Religion that brings in the largest Revenues of Glory to Princes Such shall have the Divine Protection to watch over them for the eye of the Lord is over them that fear him and put their hope in his mercy Psal 33.18 They shall constantly be remembred in the prayers of the Lords People and have a Name more honourable and lasting than one cut in Beams of Cedar or Pillars of Brass Obs 2 Fourthly The Word of God alone is the Rule to which both Princes and People must attend in all matters relating to Religion Whoever shall go about to redress the Corruptions of the English Church will undertake an excellent Work undoubtedly acceptable to God and desired by all good Men and my earnest prayers shall be that he may never fail of success in so brave and Christian an Enterprize The measures that some Princes have observed have been taken from wrong Standards carnal Ends and worldly Counsels and they themselves have been rather governed by Schemes and platforms of designing Men than the unerring Oracles of the Living God which doubtless has been one main Remora to a thorough Reformation It was this which stifled the English Reformation in the Birth and if not removed will render all attempts of this kind abortive For whiles men advise a Reformation suitable to such Models as they themselves contrive and refuse to hearken to the Lord Christ commanding and directing in his Word what ought to be done how can it be expected that ever a good End should be attained when the only adequate means are omitted When the Affairs of Religion are as carnally debated as Temporal matters and the Church is no otherwise considered than as a part of the State nay when things are so jumbled that there is no discerning Church from State but persons are made Members of the former as soon as they are born Subjects of the latter and so come to know hardly any other Regeneration than what they are told they received by Infant-Sprinkling in a word when nothing will content some Men but a Draught of Reformation forg'd in the Shop of their own Brains or when they are so stubborn that they will not submit to the Inclination of an Excellent Prince or so blind that they cannot see the necessity of an Amendment we may as soon hope to see Turk and Pope turn Protestants as some Vizarded Protestants set forward a Reformation For Reformation work is contrary to the sensual Lusts and Interests of worldly men and therefore will meet with constant opposition from them yet notwithstanding all their endeavours to obstruct it nothing shall be able to stand before him whom God hath appointed to the Work All difficulties shall be removed and hinderances immediately vanish in that day that the Lord shall say unto his Zerubbabel Not by might nor by power Zech. 4.6 7. but by my Spirit saith the Lord of Hosts Who art thou O great Mountain before Zerubbabel thou shalt become a plain and he shall bring forth the Head-stone thereof with shoutings crying Grace Grace unto it Wherefore Be strong O Zerubbabel Hag. 2.4 1 Chron. 12.32 Hag. ibid. and be strong all ye people who have understanding of the times to know what Israel ought to do for I am with you saith the Lord of Hosts As for those Dignitaries of the English Church who pretend a willingness to reform Errors and Abuses by Humane Canons and Constitutions I humbly desire them to consider whether mens Traditions are a good Rule to reform by because they are erroneous and whether the Word of God is not a sufficient Rule of it self without their sinful Additions Let the Sacred Book therefore be opened and if upon examination the Building be Babel let it be pull'd down and not one stone left upon another how goodly soever the Structure hath been in the Eyes of the long dazled and deluded Spectators Consult no longer with the base Inclinations and corrupt reasonings of Flesh and Blood but away to the Law and Testimony Covenant with the Lord as Josiah and his People did to keep his Commandments and his Testimonies with all your heart and with all your soul 2 Chron. 34.31 And whereas there are some others that would perswade the People that no Reformation is needful I would entreat them seriously to answer me these following Questions 1. Was a Reformation necessary in Josiah's time and did he well in restoring the true Worship of God Is the Case of England much different from that of Judah's Nay is not our Apostacy as palpable as hers and then are not we in as much need of a Reformation 2. Are the Cathedral and Parochial Churches as they are vulgarly called of England called and constituted according to the Rule and Order of the Gospel or are they not if they are not then they cannot but stand in need of Reformation If they are then these two things among others must be made out 1. That they have the right Matter and 2. The right Form of a Gospel-Church 1. If they have the right Matter of a Gospel Church then the Persons or Members thereof are Visible Saints For by Matter we understand the Persons whereof a Church consists with their Qualifications Now that we may know whether the Members constituting the Cathedral and Parochial Churches of England are Persons fitly qualified and so right Matter of a Gospel Church we will see what the Scripture says in that point for that must be our Rule herein And upon search we shall find the right Matter of a Gospel-Church to be Visible Saints they are called New Creatures 2 Cor. 5.17 Heb. 3.1 1. 1 Pet. 2.5 9. Joh. 15 18 19. Eph. 1.14 2 Cor. 6.18 Holy Brethren Partakers of the Heavenly Calling Living stones a chosen Generation a Royal Priesthood an holy Nation a peculiar people chosen out of the World Christs purchased Possession