Peace. The liberty of the subject sounds most sweet London and Oxford both profess to fight for: how much infinitely more sweet is that true soul liberty according to Christ Jesus!
God will not wrong Cæsar, and Cæsar should not wrong God.
I know you would not take from Cæsar aught, although it were to give to God; and what is God’s and his people’s I wish that Cæsar may not take. Yet, for the satisfaction of some, be pleased to glance upon Josiah, his famous acts in the church of God, concerning the worship of God, the priests, Levites, and their services, compelling the people to keep the passover, making himself a covenant before the Lord, and compelling all that were found in Jerusalem and Benjamin to stand to it.
Truth. To these famous practices of Josiah, I shall parallel the practices of England’s kings; and first, de jure, a word or two of their right: then, de facto, discuss what hath been done.
The famous acts of Josiah, examined.
First, de jure; Josiah was a precious branch of that royal root king David, who was immediately designed by God: and when the golden links of the royal chain broke in the usurpations of the Roman conqueror, it pleased the most wise God to send a son of David, a Son of God, to begin again that royal line, to sit upon the throne of his father David, Luke i. 32; Acts ii. 30.
Magistracy in general from God, the particular forms from the people.
It is not so with the Gentile princes, rulers, and magistrates, whether monarchical, aristocratical, or democratical; who, though government in general be from God, yet, receive their callings, power, and authority, both kings and parliaments, mediately from the people.
Secondly. Josiah and those kings, were kings and governors over the then true and only church of God national, brought into the covenant of God in Abraham, and so downward: and they might well be forced to stand to that covenant into which, with such immediate signs and miracles, they had been brought.
Israel confirmed in a national covenant by relations, signs, and miracles, but so not England.