Englands antidote against the plague of civill war presented in a sermon before the…Englands antidote against the plague of civill warre presented in a sermon before the…

I briefly answer three things.

First, That the repentance that was in Josiah's time, was the¹ Repentance of Josiah and some few other, but it was not national. ⟨p. 14⟩And therefore you may observe, that it is punctually said, almost in every verse of the 2 Kin. 23. That Josiah put down the Idolatrous Priests, and Josiah defiled Tophet▪ and read the law &c. There is no mention made of the voluntary concurrence of his Princes and people, as is expressly mentioned in the Reformation of Hezekiah, 2 Chron. 30. 14, 15, 16, 23, 27. &c. 2 Chron. 31. 1. And it is worth the noting, that whereas Josiah began to reign when he was eight years old, 2 Chron. 34. 1. it is said, that in the eight year of his reign, he began to seek after the God of David his father, 2 Chron. 34. 3. But yet it was four years after, before he began to set upon the work of Reformation, 2 Chron 34. 3. and it was ten years after, before the book of the law was found, as appears, 2 Chron. 34. 8. which was a sign that in his first eighteen years there was but little reformation, and therefore no doubt he met with great opposition from his people, which is an argument that the repentance was not national.