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
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
and Vice because as they reign by him so they should reign for him too God puts the Crown upon their Heads and Scepter into their Hands for other purposes than to suffer (i) 1 Kings 12 28. Micah 6.16 Jeroboams Calves Omri's Statutes and the Works of the House of Ahab He exalts them to Soveraign Dignity for more excellent Ends They should always have his Glory in their Eye and postpone all other Ends to that Herein we have an Example of a King the most illustrious Scripture History affords and who hath left a Copy of Extraordinary Zeal for God to all succeeding Kings to write after 't is Josiah King of Judah And like unto him was there no King before him that turn'd to the Lord with all his heart c. The Text contains the Character and Commendation of Josiah with the Work and Duty of his Day and in him presents us with a Looking-Glass for Christian Princes Or 't is a compleat Idea and exact Description of a truly Religious King He turned to the Lord with all his heart When Josiah came to the Crown he found the Kingdom universally polluted with Idolatry both Priests and People were infected and every Age and Sex a Remnant excepted had corrupted their ways His Great Grandfather Hezekiah was a very good King and had destroyed all publick Idolatry in the Land * 2 Kings 18.4 5. He removed the high places and brake the Images and cut down the Groves and brake in pieces the brazen Serpent that Moses had made because it was abused to Idolatry for unto those days the Children of Israel burnt Incense to it He trusted in the Lord God of Israel so that after him was none like him among all the Kings of Judah nor any that were before him But in the Reigns of his Grandfather Manasseh and Father Amon whose History is set down 2 Kings 21. and 2 Chron. 33. Idolatry increased like Hydra's heads and the worship of Baalim or Idols of the Sun prevailed over the Worship of the True God For (i) 2 King 21.3 Manasseh built up again the High Places which his Father Hezekiah had destroyed and he reared up Altars for Baal and made a Grove as did Ahab and worshipped all the Host of Heaven and served them And if we look into the (k) Regnavit Annis 2. short Reign of his Son Amon we shall find he was no better than his Father but succeeded him in his Throne and Impieties together For (l) 2 Kings 21 20. he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord as his Father Manasseh did 'T is true Manasseh as wicked a King as he had been after his Repentance (n) 2 Chron. 33.12 16.6 v. 17. did pretty considerably toward a Reformation (o) 2 Chron. 29.3 Nevertheless the People did sacrifice still in the High Places But in Amons time the Reformation was utterly quasht till the Reign of Josiah in whose time it was carried on with wonderfull zeal and success For like unto him was there no King before him neither after him arose any like him But how can this be when the same Character is given of Hezekiah For 't is said 2 Kings 18.5 After him was none like him among all the Kings of Judah nor any that were before him For resolution of this Question several things may be offered in Answer First It must be understood with Exception of Hezekiah because this Commendation is likewise given to him Secondly The Phrase denotes them both to have been eminently Religious Thirdly They had their particular Excellencies wherein they both outstript Hezekiah shew'd his zeal for the true Religion at his very Accession to the Throne (p) 2 Chron. 29 3. In the first year of his Reign in the first Month he opened the doors of the house of the Lord and repaired them For his Father Ahaz being distressed by Tiglath-Pileser King of Assyria sacrificed to the Gods of Damascus in expectation of help from them and shut up the doors of the Temple 2 Chron. 28.22 23 24. Josiah being a Minor of eight years old when he came to the Crown had no sooner attained to the sixteenth year of his age most commonly the time of Sport and Dalliance to many other Princes but while he was yet thus young he began to seek after the God of David his Father Fourthly The Expression is Hyperbolical and qualified thus Vix eis par c. they scarcely have been or shall be parall'd Fifthly Their Zeal was equally fervent in restoring the pure Worship of God but Josiah's Reformation was more extensive than Hezekiah's for Josiah reformed (q) Non in suo solum sed etiam in alieno regno Sanctius sup 2 Reg. 23.25 not in the Kingdom of Judah only but in Israel too When therefore we read that Hezekiah threw down the High places and the Altars not only out of all (r) 2 Chr. 31.1 Judah and Benjamin but in Ephraim also and Manasseh which two Tribes were part of the Kingdom of Israel It is to be understood with restriction to that (s) Jun. sup loc Grot. ibid. part of those Tribes which was subject to the Kings of Judah either by Conquest or a voluntary submission by reason of the present troubles of that Kingdom But Josiah's Reformation extended to the Altar at (t) 2 Reg. 23.15 Bethel and all the (u) v. 19. houses also of the high Places that were in the Cities of Samaria which the Kings of Israel made to provoke the Lord to anger Sixthly There are two things peculiar in Josiah's Case in regard of which the precedency may well be given him First He was prophesied of above (w) Post annos circiter trecentos Jun. sup 1 Reg. 13.2 three hundred years before he was born and mention'd expressly by name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Josiah and which is very remarkable it was presently after Jeroboam had devised his Calf worship in Dan and Bethel for as he stood by his new Altar in Bethel to burn Incense behold there came a man of God out of Judah by the Word of the Lord and cry'd against the Altar in the Word of the Lord and said O Altar Altar thus saith the Lord Behold (x) Heb Son a Child shall be born unto the house of David Josiah by Name and upon thee shall he offer the Priests of the High Places that burn Incense upon thee and mens bones shall be burnt upon thee 1 Kings 13.1 2. Where Observe that God's jealoulousie of his own Honour and Love to his own Worship is such that he cannot endure to be rival'd by Man but immediately protests against False Worship and False Worshippers by his Servants and thô he bears with them both for a Season yet there is a Time secret to us but fixt in God's Eternal Decree wherein both shall be destroyed Thus he dealt with Jeroboam's Altar and the Priests of the High Places and the
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
the Sons and Daughters of the Lord God Almighty Now if we can find such a choice select sanctified and separate People from the World that is from the sinful Doctrines Courses Customs and Society of the World in the Cathedral and Parochial Assemblies then they have the right Matter of a Gospel-Church if not but their Members are as mix't as the Head and the major number openly to be profane carnal scandalous Livers such as Swearers Adulterers Drunkards Lyars Backbiters Persecutors Revilers or at best meer Formalists have we any ground to call these Visible Saints and to reckon them fit Materials for the Spiritual Building of a Gospel Church 2. As right Matter Visible Saints are one Constituent part of a Gospel Church so right Form is the next thing required to its Essence or Being By Form I mean the manner how any Persons come to be a Church and that is by a free Consent and Agreement to unite in Fellowship for the performing of all the Duties and observation of all the Appointments of Christ and for the exercise of that Power wherewith he hath entrusted them according to the Rule of his Word This is the Formal Cause or Constitutive Form of a particular Church namely their †Owen's True Nature of a Gosp Church p. 21. Actual express voluntary Consent to Walk together for the Ends and according to the Rule aforementioned But you will ask me perhaps What is there nothing pre-required unto this Conjunction of Visible Saints in a particular Church Is no more to be done than for Believers immediately to enter into Church Fellowship I answer They are first to be Baptized before they are admitted to Church Society In which point the Scripture is so clear that there is no place for Hesitation about it The Church at Jerusalem was the first Gospel Church this was not to depart from thence but wait for the promise of the Father Acts 1.4 The number of the Names was about an hundred and twenty v. 15. These when the day of Pentecost was fully come were all with one accord in one place Acts 2.1 and were all filled with the Holy Ghost v. 4. By the help whereof Peter proved so convincingly to the Murtherers of Christ that God hath made the same Jesus whom they the Jews had crucified both Lord and Christ v. 36. that they were pricked in their heart and said unto Peter and to the rest of the Apostles Men and Brethren what shall we do verse 37. Peter presently directs them in this their great extremity Repent saith he and be baptized every one of you in the Name of Jesus Christ for the Remission of Sins and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost ver 38. Upon testification of their Faith and Repentance they were Baptized about three thousand Souls and added to the Church v. 41. Here is a plain Account of the Apostles manner of receiving persons into Church Fellowship They that gladly received the Word were Baptized and then Added If now upon Examination it prove that such as are Visible Saints and Baptized into Jesus Christ Rom. 6.3 do make up the Cathedral and Parochial Societies of England then they are rightly constituted in respect of Matter and if Mighty Grace having bowed them to the feet of Jesus they have freely consented to give up themselves to the Lord and to one another to walk together in Church Fellowship in obedience to all Christs Institutions then are they also rightly constituted in respect of Form But if one or both of these are wanting as there is cause enough to believe so Let them cry The Temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lord are these and Preach and Print Apologies and Vindications in Defence of the Excellent Constitution as they call it of the Church of England on purpose to obstruct the searches of the Inquisitive and to retain the Ignorant in their Ignorance this will not justifie them before God at the Great Day thô now their false Pleas pass undiscovered by the unthinking Croud of poor deluded Wretches I heartily wish that the Guides and Teachers who act by publick Authority would not be led more by Interest than by Truth that they would lay down their Prejudices which they imbibed in their Education and received by Tradition from their Fathers and would beg of God to direct them to enquire into Gospel Verities I am perswaded the Lord would either teach them to discern their Mistakes or to exercise more Moderation and Charity towards those whose Judgments are convinc'd of former Errors I conclude all with a little variation of the Apostles words in another case †Rom. 14.3 4. Let not him who is in an Error judge him who is convinc'd for God hath received him Who art thou that censurest and condemnest another to Christ he standeth in the Truth yea he shall be holden up for God is able to make him stand THE END