Israels Fast, Title page – Errata
ISRAELS FAST. OR, A MEDITATION VponUpon the Seuenth Chapter of Joshuah; A faire Precedent for these Times.
By H. B. Rector of S. Mathews Fryday-Street.
Ioshua 7. 14.
Vp, sanctifie the People, and say, Sanctifie your selues against to morrow: For thus saith the Lord God of Israel, There is an accursed thing in the midst of thee, O Israel: Thou canst not stand before thine Enemies, vntill ye take away the accursed thing from among you.
Printed at Rochel. MDCXXVIII.
To our Royall Ioshua, and loyall Elders of Israel, now happily assembled in Parliament, Grace, MercieMercy, Peace, Vnitie, Vnanimitie, Wisdome, Courage, Zeale, for Christ, for Religion, for the Republick, for all ISRAEL.
MOst Noble Senate, blessed be God the Authour, and our Ioshua, his blessed Instrument of this your happie assembling. And, what word Mordecai sent to Hester in that deplored estate of Gods people, let me be bold to transferre to you, in the like case: Who knoweth, whither you are come together for such a time as this? The Mite, which here I presume to offer into the rich Treasurie of your graue wisdomes, is Israels Fast; A poore Meditation (conceiued formerly, but brought forth in this Season, I hope, in a good howre) which though it bee out of my penurie, for want of better meanes of Expression, yet springeth it from the superabundance of my Zeale, and heartie well-wishing. And this Fast being performed by Ioshua, and the Elders of Israel, vponupon Israels discomfiture: I knew not to whom more fitly to recommend it, then to You, our Royall Ioshua, and Noble Elders of Israel, now assembled in one intire Body representatiue of this goodly Church and State. All this Fast was about the trespasse of one Achan: But if our Israel hauehave many Achans in it, the more need is there of Israels Fast. Yet not a Fast alone. It is but the Preparatiue to the Purgatiue Potion, as here; nor as Iezebels Fast, to deuoure Naboths Vineyard: But Israels Fast, to preserue Gods Vineyard, by purging out the Troubler of Israel. This troubler was Achan, but vnknown to Ioshua & the Elders, till found out by Diuine L…t. And are the Troublers of our Israel so concealed, as wee need Diuine Lotts to discouer them? Yet if so, God wants not his Diuines, those of his Lott, such, as of whom the good King Iohoshaphat said to his people,2 Cron. 20. 20 Belieue his Prophets, so shall ye prosper. I am the least, and vnworthiest of all Gods Prophets. And some must speake, least the crying of the senselesse Stones should conuince vsus of vnfaithfull cowardise. Nor are we to looke after extraordinarie Commissions, as the Prophets of Old, vnlesse we had extraordinarie Inspirations. The Word is neere vsus. Out of this Word is my Message directed to you, O Ioshua, and Elders of Israel. And this Word it is, which must direct you at this time in the finding out of the Troublers of Israel. Now Achan troubled Israel in two speciall respects:Iosh. 7. 12. First, * In diuiding God from Israel: Secondly,Iosh. 7. 3. compared with ch. 8. 1. where the diuision is made vp again in a full March * In diuiding Israel from themselues. Thus all Diuiders are Troublers of Israel. And to these two Heads may all the Achans, Troublers of Israel, bee reduced. Now forasmuch as they are many, and a mightie Confederacie: our Ioshua, and the Elders of Israel now assembled, and fast ioyned together, are onelyonly all-together able to cope with them. Nor shall it be any preiudice to your graue wisedomes to take a Precedent, for your easier Processe in this maine Businesse, out of Gods holy Word, and from the King and People of Israel. King Asa, and his People being about a great Worke of Reformation, for their better God-speed, They enter into a Couenant to seeke the Lord God of their Fathers with all their Heart, and with all their Soule: That whosoeuer would not seeke the Lord God of Israel, should be put to death, whither small or great, whither man or woman: And they sware vntounto the Lord with a loud voyce, and with shouting, and with Trumpets, and with Cornets: And all Iudah reioyced at the Oath, for they had sworne with all their heart, and sought him with their whole desire, and he was found of them: And the Lord gaue them rest round about. This worthy example I onelyonly name to your apprehensiue wisdomes, praying from the bottome of my heart, that you would put it in speedy execution, as the ground-worke of whatsoeuer good wee may hope or expect by the meanes of this Noble Meeting. Thus vponupon such A solemne generall Couenant sealed by particular sacred Oath of each Member of the Three Estates in Parliament, the King, the Nobles, and the House of Commons, either no diuiding Achans will bee found lurking among you; or if any, they will the more easily be discouered, and so discarded. Then in Gods Name goe on, and prosper. OnelyOnly let Ioshua, and Israels Elders goe inseparably together; Let not the Achan-faction, by their priuie whisperings, diuide them, by working disaffections. For if Achans may but come between, they will put both into extremities. For as Dauid said to Ioab and Abishai, Ye are too hard for me, ye Sonnes of Zeruiah: So the Achan-faction may proue too hard for our Dauid, for our Ioshuah, without the ioynt assistance of you the Elders of Israel. Like the Guisian-faction in France, who were too hard for King Henry the Third. In such a case then it is necessarie, that the Elders sticke close to Ioshua, to free Israel out of Hucksters hands. It is Solomons aduice, who was the wisest King,Pro. 25. 4, 5. Take away the euill from the King, and his Throne shall be established in righteousnesse. And the Wicked there he compareth to the Dross, which being taken from the Siluer, there shall come forth a Vessell for the Finer. This Drosse, these Wicked, are the Achans, who so long as they are before the King, it will be hard for his Throne to be established in righteousnesse. Now to take them away (I say) the helpe of you the Elders is necessarily required. And doth not the King call you The great Councell of VsUs, and of our Kingdom? And your Councell, was it euer more necessarie, then now, wherein the Troublers of Israel hauehave almost gotten the vpper hand?
Good God, what powerfull Inchanters be these Achans, that presume they can perswade the World, they are Ioshuahs faster friends, when they would most diuide him from the Elders of Israel? To perswade, they louelove the Head, when they seeke to pull it from the Body? To perswade they are for the King, when they seeke to strip him of his Subiects? To perswade, they are for the Sheepherd, when against his Sheepe? To perswade, they honour the Father, when they would set him against his louing Children, and loyall Family? What a Paradox is This? Wherein did Hushai more approue himselfe the Kings Friend, then by his prudent frustraiting of Achitophels traiterous Counsell, and so, reconciling and reuniting the reuolted Subiects to their true Soueraigne? What needed posting, and packing of Parliament-Elections, if all they that falsely pretend as faithfull Seruice to the King, as Hushai did laudably to Absalon, were as faithfull Seruants and Friends to the King, as Hushai was to Dauid? Are any afraid, least the Kings Liege people should chuse such as are Popishly affected, or of factious Spirits? But such will stand most for the Kings supplyes. They pretend so. But who doe more hinder or preiudice the King in his necessarie and Royall Subsidarie Supplyes, then such Factours? The Lord Iesus seperate such factious Factours, and miscreant Merchants both from the King and Kingdome of Israel, that so this Noble Assembly of Ioshua and the Elders, may giuegive and receiue reciprocall and mutuall Supplyes interchangeably: Ioshua the Head, receiuing from the inferiour principall Parts plentifull nourishment conueyed by the Naturall and Vitall Spirits: And Israel the Body, receiuing from Ioshua their Head a due motion preportionable to the capacitie of each Member, conueyed by the Animall Spirits, sweetly gouerning, preseruing, and protecting, that so the Whole together may increase with the increase of God. There is a Fountaine of an exhausted Golden Mine in the Bowels of all True-heartedEnglish Israelites, which, as the Kings fauour, like the Sunne-beames, begets it in them, so vponupon all fit occasions they will be ready in Golden streames abundantly to supply their Noble Ioshua. Hee needs no American-Slaues to digge and force it, nor the Romane mercilesse Sword to rip it, as once out of the Captiue-Iewes Bowels: But it will freely flowe from Loyall Israel to their Royall Ioshua. And now, O Noble Elders of Israel, I know the Bees come not more loaden with Honey to the Hiue, then you at this time with inlarged affections to minister abundant supply to your Ioshuah. Doe it on Gods Name brauely, and like your selues. I am a poore Schollar, and am ready to sell my richest treasure, my Bookes, rather then Ioshuah shall want. And doe it so, as, by Gods blessing vponupon Ioshua, & you the Elders, and so vponupon vsus all by you, many Parliaments may be called, wherein you may testifie (if occasion require) the copious and perennious Treasure of your louelove and loyaltie in the like kind. How is that? I meane not, Sparingly, but as Arannah like a Prince gaue to King Dauid. For Vera liberalitas fundum non habet. But I meane (pardon my Zeale, which makes me thus bold to speake) in the genuine and naturall Genius of your tender louelove and care for the safetie and securitie of our Royall Ioshua, of the Crowne, of the Kingdome, of Religion, and of VsUs all. But your liberall Subsidies are giuen for that end. True. But alas (pardon still my redenesse; I speake not as a States-man, to aduise such a graue Senat, but as a poore Minister of Christ, and Watchman of Israel, to petition rather) What can either Money, or Men, or Munition doe, so long as Achans trouble Israel? There is an accursed thing in the midst of thee, O Israel (saith the Lord) Thou canst not stand before thine enemies, vntill ye take away the accursed thing from among you. Till this hee done Is…ael must not looke to prosper. We need no better warrant, then Gods owne Word for it. It is your Wisedome to follow it, least the Canaanites preuaile ouer vsus. And the vtmost extreamitie of the state of things calls vponupon you to doe it instantly; It drawes a circle about your Assembly, as that braue Romane did with his Staffe about King Mithridates, not to stirre, or steppe ouer it, till Ioshuas and Israels danger, the accursed thing, be remoued. It is impatient (I speake no more, then what you all know farre better then I) to abide the expectation of another Parliament: you see all things are in such a Precipice, and Israel so dangerously sick, as if you the great Colledge of Physitians depart without curing of it, all will hauehave occasion to deeme the case desperate, and irrecouerable, already drawing on a pace to a Dissolution, vnlesse the Great Physitian doe mercifully and miraculously put to his Omnipotent hand. For the Achans, the Troublers of Israel, hasten the ruine of all.
But who might those Achans be? Your wisedomes cannot be ignorant of them: yet because they are a mysticall knot of Iniquity, and hauehave exceedingly insinuated themselues into the good opinion of many; I humbly craue leaue, that by the diuine Lot of Gods word, I may a little discouer them. All Achans (as I said) are Diuiders: first, betweene God and Israel: and secondly (as a consequence thereof) betweene Israel themselues; and that especially, while they mainely labour to diuide the Head from the Body, Ioshua from the Elders of Israel. And (saith Christ) A Kingdome diuided against it selfe, cannot stand. These Achans, which trouble our Israel, are of sundry sorts: as first, Iasuites and Seminary Priests. These are the ring leading Achans: Of such the Lord saith in Deuteronomy, that because they seduce the people from God, they shall be put to death. These, as they diuide God from vsus hi… seruants, so they diuide the Subiects from the King. This was wont to be Treason, but now a dayes it would passe for good Religion.
The second kinde of Achans troubling Israel, are Idols; …f Achans wedge, and Babylonish garment troubled all Israel, as an accursed thing: how much more Popish Idols? shall wee halt betweene two opinions? betweene God and Baal? Either goe after the Lord onelyonly, if indeede he be God: or if Baal be He, goe onelyonly after him, said Eliah. King Asa spared not his owne Mothers Groue, and Idol; but brake them downe, yea & for their cause deposed her from her Regency. Oh for the like zeale for God! But certainly if these Idols and Masses, Images and Popish Trumperies be not speedily abolished, thou canst not prosper, O Israel, nor stand before thine Enemies. Downe therefore with Popish Idols, O Ioshua, and the Elders of Israel, which cease not to cry of our Ierusalem, Downe with it, downe with it, euen to the ground. Spare not these Brats of Babylon, that dare perke vp so neere to Gods Arke, threatning to shoulder it out of doores. But you know what befell the Philistins Dagon; and you may remember what befell the Romish Dagon in the Blackfriers vponupon their fift of Nouember. So iealous is our God, Hee cannot brooke a corriuall. But some, hauing beene Protestants formerly, in which Religion they were baptized, comming afterwards to be inueigled to Popery, and thereupon making a solemne vow, sealed (as they call it) with the Sacrament of the Altar, neuer to alter this their new couenant, make such a conscience hereof, as if it stood not with faith and honesty to breake it. But doe they not know (vnlesse Popery hath altogether blinded their eyes) that any such couenants or vowes ought neither to be made, nor much lesse to be kept, which hauehave any commerce, or relation to Idolatry? Doth not our Precontract to Christ in our Baptisme, to forsake the Diuell and all his workes, frustrate and make void all second contracts with Antichrist, for the setting vp of Idolatry, one maine worke of the Diuell? Nothing therefore ought to impeach our Christian Resolution and zeale, in the casheering of these Troublers of Israel.
A third sort of Achans are Neutralizers; but so, as the Bias of their affections, wheeles and swayes them round to Popery. These are so much the more pernicious plagues to Israel, in that vnderunder the seemely vale and masionlike habit of the Church of England, they labour to bring in that old Babylonish strumpet hoodwinkt, that we should all reacknowledge her for our Mother. As may appeare in a certaine Booke of Priuate Deuotions (so called) published by Authority: the maine scope thereof all along, being to reduce vsus all to one Church, and that none other, but (forsooth) the holy Catholike Church of Rome. But the whole Mysterie of iniquitie folded vp therein, would require a more particular vnfolding. These Neutralizers, or Popish Arminians, or Arminian Papists, or what ye will, vnderunder the name of the Church of England dare vent any Arminian haeresie. As in a Booke lately printed by Authority too, there is this most blasphemous Arminian heresie, that there is a goodnesse obiectiue in the Creature, which in order of Nature is precedent to the Act or exercise of Gods will; thus, by necessary consequence making the Creature a God, hauing a selfe-being independent, but onelyonly vponupon Gods bare Prescience, vponupon which, and not vponupon that suprema causa causarum, Gods will, he hangeth the being, and well being of all the Creatures. And this sort and confederacy of Achans hauehave gotten such a high hand, that no Booke may be set out, if it be directly against Popery and Arminianisme; nor against Popery in speciall, but with some qualification, or Ingredient, such as this: That the Church of Rome, though she hauehave many errours, yet is a true Church. And by this deuice they doe, like Balaam, mightily preuaile, and that with great ones, Scholars and others, to draw vsus to some friendly commerce and correspondence with that Whoore. And they are growne so much the more confident, becaue they hauehave Authority in their hand, either to approue, or prohibit, what Books they list. Whereas, if the way were open, as formerly, freely to print Bookes by Authority against Popery and her confederate Arminians, their Neutralizing Achans, as so many Owles, would fly into their darke Cels, as not able to behold the sunbeames of the Truth. But we hope and pray, that Ioshua and the Elders of Israel will take such order, that instead of Popish and Arminian Bookes, Orthodox bookes may be freely published by Authority. And suffer mee to speake, O noble Sages of Israel (I am for God, & my King, for Religion, and my Country) if you O Ioshua, and the Elders of Israel purge not out these pestilent Acans, or close clip their wings, they must needs bring vtter confusion vponupon this state, ere it be long. They daily creepe into high fauour in Court; they preuaile mightily by their plausible, insinuating, intoxicating flattery. They goe about (as the Prophet Osee speakes) to make the King glad with their lyes. Their Theames and Theorems are, that Kings are partakers of Gods▪ owne Omnipotency; though this be a diuine Attribute, incommunicable to any Creature: That, iustice can be no Rule or Medium, whereby to giuegive God, or the King his right. As if right were not grounded vponupon iustice, as the Rule of it. Take away Iustice, and where is Right? Or as if the seruice, which we performe to God, were not bounded vponupon Gods Lawes, which are holy, Iust, and good. Yea, God neither commands, nor accepts any other seruice at our hands, but such as his Law prescribes. And thus our seruice becomes iust and reasonable. Yet with such like glosings they thinke, that Principibus placuisse viris non vltima taus est.
Great Potentates thus to applaud,
They reckon it no little laud.
Nor doe they blush not onelyonly to preach these things to the face of the Court, but dare also publish in Print this their shame to the open view of the world, not without great dishonour both to God and the King.
Now the Lord Iesus deliuer our good and gracious Ioshua from these Achans, that his sweet disposition may not be inchanted with their Syren-songs. Herein the ioynt courage and zeale of you the Elders of Israel is required. Take away these Achans from the King, and his throne shall be established in righteousnesse.
Many other branches of the Achan-faction there are, whom your wisdomes can more easily find out. But the master-peece of your wisdome is, to find out (if any such Monster be to be found in Rerum natura) where the maine Root and Head of all these branches and members lurketh. That must be digged and stockt vp; else if it be but pruned, it will but sprout the thicker. If they goe on thus, Gods fearefull iudgements must needs fall heauy vponupon this Land: If we be lukewarme, and hauehave no courage for the truth, the Lord will spue vsus out of his mouth. But God forbid, that base cowardise should suffer Gods Truth, Religion, King, Crowne, Kingdome, Church, eueryevery mothers sonne of vsus, to be by a packe of traiterous Achans (and so many worthies in Israel, descended of the magnanimous bloud of the heroicke true-bred English, to looke on with their thumbs vnderunder their girdles) betraid into the pawes of the Beast, & cheated & nosewiped euen to their face, that the whole state, as one man, may take vp that saying in the Poet, Prudens, sciens, viuus, videns que pereo. And that (I say) by traiterous Achans. For whosoeuer are traitors to Gods Truth, and the Religion established, whereon the Kings▪ Throne is firmely established, whether they be direct Traitors to the State, I leaue to your wisedomes to iudge: but this I dare boldly affirme, Traitours they are by necessary consequence, betraying vsus into our enemies hands, by making God our Enemy, as too many disastrous instances hauehave proued, and as Achans instance in this Booke will plainly show.
In the name of God therefore, O ye noble worthies of Israel, quit your selues like men: God hath now put a precious opportunity into your hands; The Lord strengthen you to lay fast hold vponupon it, and so to husband it, that the issue may be to his glory, to the preseruation of our royall Ioshua, and you his loyall Counsel, and of all the Israel of God.
Not to importune your wisedomes further (vnlesse for pardon of my importunity; wherein yet your noble propensity will not easily brooke to be importuned to pardon errors of zeale and true affection) I will onelyonly craue leaue (for conclusion) to apply S. Aug. prayer in the siege of Hippo. Noueritis me hoc tempore nostrae calamitatis Deum rogare,Posidon. de vita Augustin. ve aut hanc ciuitatem ab hostibus circundatam liberare dignetur, aut si aliud ei videtur, suos seruos ad praeferendam suam voluntatem fortes faciat, aut certè vt me de hoc saculo ad se accipiat. Which I English thus: My prayer to God in this time of Israels calamity is, that either it would please him to deliuer and free this Church and State from circumuenting Achans, or if otherwise he see it good, that he would incourage his seruants to preferre his will, by standing vp couragiously for the truth to the very last, or else that hee would receiue mee to himselfe out of this wretched world, that I may not liue to be a miserable spectator of the wofull wracke of my sweet natiue Countrey. Yet I hope better, and the best things, while Ioshua and the Elders of Israel ioyne sweetly together in a mutuall and inseparable sympathy for the weale or woe of Israel, imitating Ioshua and Israels Elders here throughout, as followeth in this insuing Tract.
By the most vnworthy, yet humble and faithfull seruant of Christ and of Israel, of Ioshua and the Elders, Henry Burton.
Errata.
Pag. 2. l. 29. blot out, Of the sun. l. 36. r. flight. &, safety. p. 6. l. 5. r. in the same ingagement. p. 12. l. 10. r. posterity. p. 13. l. 35. r. in sum. p. 19. l. 22. r. indeuour. p. 31. l. 34▪ r. my boldnesse. p. 32. l. 20. r. reproued by Hanani. p. 34. l. 14. r. scrutiny. p. 35. l. 17. r. his face with his mantle. p. 37. l. 25. for rage, r. ease.