Commentary on Joshua, Title page – Argument
A Commentarie of M. Iohn Caluine, vponupon the Booke of Iosue, finished a little before his death: Translated out of Latine into Englishe by W. F.
Wherevnto is added a table of the principall matters.
¶ Imprinted at London, for George Bishop, 1578.
The Argument of the Booke of Iosue.
COncerning the author of this booke, it is better that we shoulde suspend our iudgement, than that we should affirme any thing of so vncerteine a matter. They which thinke it was Iosue, because it is intituled of his name, leane vppon a verie slight and weake reason. For the holy historie beareth the name of Samuel, in which notwithstanding is a rehersal of such maters as followed after his death. And surely, the booke which followeth next in order, is not therfore called the booke of Iudges, because it was written by them: but because it reporteth such things as were done by them, and vnderunder their gouernment. Now that historie which is reported in the. 15. Chapter of the taking of the two cities Hebron & Debir, was executed after the death of Iosue. It were therefore a more likely coniecture to thinke, that the principall summes of matters were gathered together by Eliazar the high Priest, out of which this booke was compiled & made. For it was his peculiar charge, not only to teach the people of his age by his owne voyce while he liued: but also to leaue a testimonie vntounto the posteritie of the grace of God in preseruing his Church, that true religion might the better be enlarged. And before the Leuites grewe out of kinde from their first institutiō, they had among them by order as it were publike Notaries or Registrers, which committed to perpetuall memorie, whatsoeuer was worthie to be remembred in the gouernment of the Church. But as for that which is not certeinly knowen vntounto vsus, neither yet is verie necessarie to be knowen, let vsus not be loath to leaue it in doubt and vncerteintie: so long as we are certeine of that which is the cheefest point, namely, that the doctrine which is conteined in this booke, is inspired of the holie Ghost for our profite, out of which no small fruite may be receiued of the diligent and attentiue readers.
For although the people hauing before this time obteined notable victories, dwelled in a countrie that was of reasonable commodities, and meanelie good fruitfulnesse: yet the promise of God concerning the land of Chanaan remained still in suspense, & wanted execution. Yea, the chiefest point of the couenant, as yet did lacke the effect & performaunce: as though that God, after he had cast the people into a narrowe corner, had geuen ouer his enterprise, and left it maymed and vnperfect.
This booke therefore declareth, that when the intollerable vngodlinesse of the people had broken off the course of their deliuerance, yet God notwithstanding in taking punishment of their sinnes, did so temper the rigour of his iudgement, that neuerthelesse at the length he performed whatsoeuer he promised of the inheritance of the land of Chanaan. Where also we meete with a verie profitable consideration: that although men being taken away by death, doe faile in the middest of their course, yet the faith of Gods promise neuer falleth away. There seemed to followe by the death of Moses an heauie chaunge & conuersion of the state. The people were left as a body whose head was cut off. In this so great feare of their dispersion, appeared not only the immortall truth of God, which neuer dieth, though men decay, but also in the person of Iosue was declared and shewed as it were in a notable cleare glasse, that when God taketh away those men, whom he hath adorned with singular gifts, he hath enow in store, whom he can set vp in their place: and that, although he will hauehave some men to excell for a time, yet his power is not so tied vntounto their persons, but he can finde successours for them, whensoeuer it pleaseth him: yea, he can raise vp men of stones, which shalbe meete to take in hand the greatest affaires.
First of all therefore, when the passage through the redde Sea, in the space of 40. yeeres, by which God led the people through the wildernesse, was almost growne out of remembrance, by the same miracle in the passage of the riuer Iordan, the continuall tenure & course of their deliuerance was againe renewed & continued. As for the renewing of Circumcision was as much, as if God should afresh establish his couenant, which through the shamefull negligence of the people was buried, or through their infidelitie & despaire reiected. Then it followeth, howe by the hande of God they were brought into the possession of the lande of promise.
The taking of the first citie was an earnest & pledge vntounto them of that vertue & power of God, which they should hope for in all the rest, while at the only sound of the trumpettes the walles of Hiericho were shaken & fell downe of their owne accorde. And yet these nations were not discomfited in one battell, nor chased away by warres of short continuance: but by litle & litle they were spent and wasted away by many painefull conflictes. Where also it is to be noted, that the people had many great difficulties laid in their way, whiles the Kings that were their enimies conspiring together, gathered all their forces into one, and so came to fight against them, so that they had not warre with euerie people seuerally, & at sundrie times, but with an infinite multitude, which might hauehave runne ouer the Israelites all at one brunt. But these their violent attempts in the end hauehave this issue, that whiles the power of God sheweth it selfe to be aboue them, his merciemercy also and faithfulnesse in defence of his elect people shineth more gloriously. Vndoubtedly, that continuall course of their happie successe, & so many wonderfull victories, did openly represent the hand of God as it were stretcht out of heauen to help them. But this was a most manifest proofe that they warred vnderunder the conduct of God himselfe, that at the request of Iosue the course of the Sunne was stayed, as though all creatures of the world being armed vntounto his aide, were present at his commaundement.
Now, although the long deferring of the finall discomfiture of these nations, was a profitable triall of the constancie of the people, yet must we therein consider the wonderfull purpose of God, whereof they were admonished in good time by Moses, that they shoulde not faint through wearinesse: namely, that God woulde not hauehave those nations at once destroyed, least the wilde beastes should enter vponupon the countrie being voyde of inhabitantes. Deut. 7. 22.But whereas God by this appointment had verie well prouided for their securitie in time to come, they through their wickednes turned it into their owne destruction. For when they had once obteined sufficient roome & cōmodious for their habitatiō, as they thought, through their wicked slouth & cowardlinesse they turned their course backeward, & shamefully retired: which one offence of theirs drewe many other after it. For they were also disobedient to God, and vnfaithfull in finishing the course of their warrefare like runnagate Souldiers, which forgetting the othe of warrefare shamefully forsake their standarde. And as for the dominion of the whole land, which God offered vntounto them, through wicked vnthankefulnesse they forsooke, and receiued onelyonly a parte thereof. Moreouer, whereas they were commaunded to purge that holy lande from all corruptions, that no prophanation of the pure and lawfull woorshippe of God shoulde remaine therein: they suffered those vngodly superstitions, which the Lord abhorred, to remaine, & be in force, as they were accustomed. Beside this, wheras they knew right well, that it was for their owne safetie, that they should not be mingled with those nations, to be snared and intangled with their deceiptfull & craftie practises: yet as though they desired of purpose to make a triall therof, they suffered them to remaine as the matter of a most daungerous & detestable fire of destruction. And that by no threatning of punishment they were terrified to beware in time, therein they bewraied their obstinate infidelitie. Yet at the length they tried by experience, that all was not in vaine that God threatened, that those nations, to whom they had shewed such vnlawfull fauour, should beecome prickes Num, 33. 55,and thornes in their sides. For they were vexed with their dailie inuasions, spoiled by their robberies, and at the length almost oppressed with their tyrannicall violence. Finally, they did as much as lay in them, to make the trueth of God his promise to be of none effect. Although a question may be moued of this matter: For if the promise made to Abraham was founded vpō nothing but the good will of God, whatsoeuer the people were, it had bene against reason that it shoulde hauehave failed through their fault. How then shall we reconcile those matters together? That the people obteined not the whole & perfect inheritance, and yet God was true of his promise? But certeinly the faith of Gods promise was neuer so greatly shaken, decayed, or by any meanes diminished, but that in performance thereof it may better appeare, how cunning a workeman he is, which according to his incomprehensible wisedome, knoweth howe to turne light euen out of darknesse. It was said vntounto Abraham, VntoUnto thy seede will I geue this lande, from the riuer of Aegypt to the great riuer Euphrates. Iosue affirmeth, that the effect of this promise was Gene. 15. …8.neere and alreadie present. Neuerthelesse, they being ouercome with slouthfulnesse, came not to those boundes: but rather as it were wilfully casting themselues into streightes: they made a certeine stoppe against the bountifull liberalitie of God. By this meanes there seemed as it were a certeine Eclipse to darken the couenaunt of God. And there is no doubt, but the mindes of godly men were troubled with much carefulnesse and doubtfulnesse, when they sawe the worke of God as it were cut off. Yet did he so moderate himselfe in chastising of the peoples wickednesse, that this great and daungerous temptation, was turned into an aide and furtherance of their faith. For this want of performance admonished the people of God, that they shoulde looke for a better state, in which the grace of God shoulde be seene more plentifully: yea, after it had ouercome all lettes or staies, should shine in full brightnesse. Hereby their mindes were lift vp vntounto Christ: whereby also it became manifest, that the perfect felicitie of the Church depended vponupon the head thereof. To this purpose they were aided & supported with new prophesies. For that which Iosue doth now rehearse out of the auncient couenant, the Psalme translateth vntounto the kingdome of Messias: Psal. 72. & 89.because God had deferred vntill his comming the full enioying of the land, that he might make the kingdom of his sonne more glorious. A paterne hereof was shewed in Dauid, which did beare the person of Christ: and then it appeared that the promises of God were not otherwise established, but by the hand of the Mediator. Nowe then we see, that there is no absurditie in this, that the truth of God, which was staied by the malice of the people, did not perfectly shewe it selfe, but in the right ordered state of the Churche, when in the person of Dauid an image of the Mediator was set before the peoples eyes, in whom the perfect felicitie of the Church is reposed. All this while, that meane taste of the fauour of God, was sufficient to staie and hold vp the faithfull, vntill they should be more fully satisfied. Neither was that partition of the land, which Iosue and the rulers of the people, to whom it was committed, did make a foolish or counterfet diuision: but that inheritance was truely and certeinly diuided, by the cōmandement of God, who as it were by his owne hand did put them in possession of the same. In which behalfe also appeared the holinesse of the couenant made with Abraham. Iacob, a little before the end of his life, had appointed out certeine seates and dwelling places for some of his sonnes. If euerie tribe had receiued their portion by the only appointment & free determination of men: it might hauehave bene thought, they had bene directed by the authoritie of that Patriarch. But when the lots are cast, than the which nothing semeth more chaunceable, they fulfilled the prophesie no lesse, than if God had openly appeared and established that donation in effect, according to his former promises. Wherefore, after the idlenesse of the people had made an end of the warre, Iosue sent home the Rubenites and Gadites with the halfe tribe of Manasses, and discharged them of the warrefare.
Then followeth a notable historie, whereby it appeareth how valiant the Israelites that dwelt in the land of Chanaan were, in defending the true worship of God. For, when these two tribes and an halfe had set vp a monument of their brotherly societie, with the other tribes, they supposing they had builded an altar for sacrifice, which was vnlawfull, immediately decreed to warre against them, & determined rather to destroy their owne kinsmen, than to suffer the religion of God to be torne a sunder with false worshipping & Idolatrie. And yet their moderation is also commended, that as they were soudenly kindled with an holy zeale to take armour, so when they receiued a reasonable answere, they were easily appeased.
In the end of the Booke is set foorth, how carefull Iosue was to publishe the glorie of God, and with what diligence he endeuoured to meete with the lightnesse & infidelitie of the people. Hereto perteine those most weightie, not onelyonly exhortations, but also obtestations: and especially the couenant renewed by a corporall othe, and after a most graue and solemne manner.