Truth. I find it to be the duty of kings and all in authority, to encourage Christ’s messengers of truth proclaiming repentance, &c.
But under the gospel, to enforce all natural and unregenerate people to acts of worship, what precedent hath Christ Jesus given us?
Jehoshaphat’s fast examined.
First, it is true Jehoshaphat proclaimed a fast, &c.; but was he not in matters spiritual a type of Christ, the true king of Israel?
Secondly, Jehoshaphat calls the members of the true church to church service and worship of God.
If civil powers may enjoin the time of the church’s worship, they may also forbid her times.
But consider, if civil powers now may judge of and determine the actions of worship proper to the saints: if they may appoint the time of the church’s worship, fasting, and prayer, &c., why may they not as well forbid those times which a church of Christ shall make choice of, seeing it is a branch of the same root to forbid what liketh not, as well as to enjoin what pleaseth?
And if in those most solemn duties and exercises, why not also in other ordinary meetings and worships? And if so, where is the power of the Lord Jesus, bequeathed to his ministers and churches, of which the power of those kings was but a shadow?