Zerubbabels encouragement to finish the temple. A sermon preached before the honourable House of…

Let no Church therefore think it self perfect, and needing nothing, (as bragging Laodicea did) especially when it hath but that first foundation which it had when it came newly out of Babylon; and more especially in matters of worship and discipline. It is no dishonour unto those ⟨p. 17⟩Reformers, to say, that they fully finished not this work; as it was not unto Zerubbabel here, that he perfected not the Temple at first. Blessed men! It is evident they purposed more then they did or could effect, because the peoples hearts were not [as yet] prepared, as the phrase is, 2 Chron. 20. 33. In our very Common-Prayer book there is an [Until] the said discipline may be restored, which argueth they aimed at more. And besides, They were not Apostles, to whom nothing might be added, as Gal. 2. 6. And God raising up the Tabernacle that was fallen down, not by immediate inspiration, (as at first by the Apostles) but by his Spirit, renewing and begetting light in an ordinary way: Hence therefore the Churches coming out of the darkness of Popery, must needs recover that fullness and perfection of light (which the Apostolical times had) [Greek or Hebrew], by piece-meals and degrees. As for the great things of the Gospel, matters of Faith, or Doctrine, they had so happy a hand therein, that there is to be found little, if any Hay or stubble therein: But in matters of Order, which concern Worship and Discipline, (for so the Apostle distinguisheth, Colos. 2. 5. [Faith and Order] let it be enquired into, whether they were so exact therein. Although this must be said, that God did take care for all Fundamental Ordinances of his worship; and it is a bitter error, and full of cruelty, to say, We have had no Churches, no Ministers, no Sacraments, but Antichristianall. Gods first and chief care was, to build up ⟨p. 18⟩his Church mystical, to make men Saints, and he hath made glorious ones in their personal walkings with him: and to that end he made a plentiful provision in matters of faith, even from the very first. It fell out in this case, as in a new Plantation; which if men were to make in another world, and so to begin the world anew, their first care would be to provide necessaries for their subsistence as they are men; to have corn for bread, cattle for meat, and the like: