Chap.8. An Expofition upon the Book, of J p B. Verf.8 klezekiah (2 Chr.29.6.) tells the Levites that their fathers were in an errour, that they had trefpaffed, and done that which was evil in the fight of the Lord, and had forfaken him ; and Chap. 30. 5. (peaking of the obfervation of the Paffeover, he. faith, Theyhad not done it ofa long time infuchfort as it was written ; therefore v. 7. he dehorteth them, laying, Be.not yé likeyourfathers which tref paledagai ifi the LordGod ofyourfathers ; he doth not mean that they fhould not be like their firth fathers,who had,the truthpurely committed to them, and fo woríhipped God purely ;, but be not like your immediate fore-fathers , or your corrupt fore fathers, howmany defcents and generations fo ever ye can number from them. And this was a thing fo firange. , that when Hezekiah fent the Polls fromCity to City thorow the Countries of Ephraim and ManaJ]êh with this meffage, tl;at he would have a reformation ac- cording to the firfl inflitution or pattern, and would not have them flay in what their fore-fathers haddone ; it is laid, verf, jo. That they laughed the meffengers tofcorn, and they mocked them, what mull we now be wifer then our fathers ? Yes, faith he, you have done evil a long time,you and your fathers, therefore I mull bring you back to your fire fathers, in comparifon ofwhom, the fathers you claim by were but children, and thofe degenerate children. It is faid of fofah's reformation. (z King. 23. 22.) That there war, not the like from the.dayes of Judges, nor in all the dayes of the -. .Kings of IJrael and Judah; he went to thevery beginning of all, there had not been fuch a thing done before. So that if any thould. have objeIIed, why may not fuch a reformation ferve us as ferved thole Kings and Judges ? No, faith Jofiab, I will fearch what was beyond their time, into the remotefl antiquities. The Church. makes humble confetiion (Pfal. 1o6.6.) We have erred with our, fathers; let not any turn this intoa Hubborn refolution, and fay, we will err with theirfathers:if that be an errour which our fathers believed and pra6ifèd, we will err with them. So thofe rebellious' Jews pleaded (Jer. 44. i7.) We will do as ourfathers. Theywho will do as their fathers, may fuller with their fathers ; they who will needs err by their fathers copy, may go to hell too. by their, fathers copy. Jerome once defired leave of Auflin to err with le- ven fathers whom he found of his opinion; J fhould not define that . leave, nor envy any one the priviledge : The Fathers are but chit- dren, when they erre and they who will erre with their fathers, are worfe then children, COnGde
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