The magistrates commission from heaven. Declared in a sermon preached in Laurence Jury, London, the…The magistrates commission from heaven. Declared in a sermon preached in Laurencejury, London, the…

First it extendeth, unto the reforming, and to the redressing, of all the corruptions that creep into the Church of God, and into the Worship of God: this the Magistrates power reaches unto, in Deut. 23. And so we read of Josiah, Moses, Hezekiah, all these worthy Governors, their power did reach to the redressing of the abuses that were in the Church of God, when Idolatry and superstition came in: so that it is made their sin, that the high places were left: Why the Magistrates had power then; and should not have power now, there can no solid reason be given. Indeed the manner of the punishment, belonging to Gods Judicial Law, that may be altered, but their duty to preserve the Worship of God, which sloweth from the Moral Law, cannot cease: And certainly, such Governors that do arise to do so, they are as welcome as those men were that we read of, that came and rolled away the stones from the springs, and took away the earth which the Philistines had thrown in, that so the cattle might drink: I say, no less welcome are those Magistrates and those Governors to be that rise up, and take away the stones that have been rolled on our springs we drink of, and throw away the earth that was cast into them by the Philistines. Yea Magistrates are to do this in the first place, before all other considerations whatsoever: So Moses he began with the Administration of the Paschal Lamb, when he carried them out of Egypt: And Gideon began with the erecting of an Altar to God, before he purged the Common-wealth: And so Josiah did, and others, they began in the first place with that.

First it extendeth, unto the reforming, and to the redressing, of all the corruptions that creep into the Church of God, and into the Worship of God: this the Magistrates power reaches unto, in Deut. 23. And so we reade of Josias, Moses, Hezekiah, all these worthy Governours, their power did reach to the redressing of the abuses that were in the Church of God, when Idolatry and superstition came in: so that it is made their sin, that the high places were left: Why the Magistrates had power then; and should not have power now, there can no solid reason be given. Indeed the manner of the punishment, belonging to Gods Judiciall Law, that may be altered, but their duty to preserve the Worship of God, which sloweth from the Morall Law, cannot cease: And certainely, such Governours that do arise to do so, they are as welcome as those men were that we reade of, that came and rowled away the stones from the springs, and tooke away the earth which the Philistines had throwen in, that so the cattell might drinke: I say, no lesse welcome are those Magistrates and those Governours to be that rise up, and take away the stones that have been rouled on our springs we drinke of, and throw away the earth that was cast into them by the Philistines. Yea Magistrates are to doe this in the first place, before all other considerations whatsoever: So Moses he began with the Administration of the Pascall Lambe, when he carried them out of Egypt: And Gideon began with the erecting of an Altar to God, before he purged the Common-wealth: And so Josias did, and others, they began in the first place with that.