Nathanael, Title page – Publishers advertisement
NATHANAEL, OR An Iſraelite Indeed; Lively portraied, and evidently proved to be an object moſt worthy both of our Admiration and Imitation; His Priviledges, and Characters are alſo layd down.
Together with a Diſcovery of the ſinfulneſs and miſerie of all Hypocrites and ſtrangers from the Common-wealth of Iſrael.
In that day ſhall Iſrael be a bleſſing in the midſt of the Land, whom the Lord of hosts ſhall bleſſe, ſaying, Bleſſed be Iſrael mine inheritance. Iſa. 19.24, 25.
Haec lege, fac itidem, tu que beatus eris.
By Faithfull Teate, D. D. Preacher of the Goſpel in Eaſt Greenwich in Kent.
LONDON, Printed for George Sanbridge at the Bible on Ludgate-Hill. 1657.
To all my Worthy and welbeloved friends in the Lord, and for ſome yeares Auditors in the City of Dublin, both Magiſtrates and People. And to all my deare and much reſpected Pariſhioners of Eaſt Greenwich in KENT.
Dearely beloved,
THe true Iſraelite (you know) is a stranger in the world, marvel not therefore that he cometh unto you in a mean dreſſe: yet being glorious within and bearing the lively image of God upon him, he doubteth not to find acceptance with you his brethren, and with all true Chriſtians. As for any other, he needs not care, what they either think or ſay. I begin with you the inhabitants of the city of Dublin in Ireland: Excuſe me for not nominating any, ſince your number is ſo great as by your voluntary ſubſcriptions for my employment and maintenance amongſt you, in a booke yet kept by me, may appeare; that if I ſhould name ſome, and ſhould pretermit others, and miſplace any, not knowing after ſo long abſence and at ſo great diſtance, what alterations time hath wrought among you, I might give ſome offence, I believe I ſhall never forget your great and conſtant affection towards me, ſince my firſt coming among you, how cordially you embraced my perſon, how readily and gladly you received the Goſpel wherof I was made a miniſter according to the gift of the grace of God gi…en unto me for your ſakes, while I was with you; how freely and plentifully you contributed towards my maintenance; and, ſince my removal from you by the clandeſtine practices of ſome, (who then ſeemed to ſtand for the Engliſh intereſt, but ſince have beene diſcovered to be worſe enemies within than any without could be) how mindful you have been of me, and ſtill are, as all that come hither from you do certify. I cannot, and hope you will not, forget how many dayes of humiliation, even once a weeke for two yeares ſpace, we kept together in publike, during the time of our ſad diſtreſſes, when our onelyonly weapons were prayers and teares, when your city was environed round by hoſtile forces, and in no leſſe danger by reaſon of inteſtine foes, when our enemies were furniſhed with dayly ſupplies of choiſe Commanders and Armes, from forrein parts by popiſh adherents; and in the meane time, all help (except from Heaven only, which was thereby rendred more ſignal) was denied us by the obſtruction of long continued contrary winds, out of England; and by implacable diſſentions (which in that juncture of time was far worſe) falling out in the bowels of our native country, from whence under God we could only expect reliefe; what flockings were there then dayly by all ſorts to the Courts of Gods houſe, as of doves to their windowes, in ſuch abundance that diverſe knowing men have been heard to ſay, that they hardly ever ſaw ſo great a concourſe, the number and quality of the perſons conſidered, in all their lives in any other parts of the world? And how often have we ſeen God in the mount, a preſent help in the time of trouble? What bleſſed returns did the Lord continually make to our humble ſupplications even to admiration? what great ſucceſſe did the Lord then graciouſly give to the word of his grace, in converting ſome, in ſtrengthening others, and in comforting all? How great violence did the kingdom of Heaven ſuffer among you? ſo that God heard your voice, and you hea… Gods voice, and in the end he adm…iſtred to us many cauſes of publike thankſgivings, turning all our prayers into praiſes for his audience, and our wonderfull deliverances. We have ſeene five to chaſe an hundred, and an hundred to put thouſands to flight. It would ſeeme incredible to many, if one ſhould relate to them but one half of that which the Lord hath done for us, which we have ſeene, and know to be moſt true; we can ſubſcribe a probatum eſt to the ſoveraigne vertue of faſting & prayer, whereby Iſrael-like we had power with God and with men, and prevailed, Geneſ. 32.28.
But now Satan envying at our proſperity, and having great wrath, becauſe he knew his time was but ſhort, found out new stratagems advantagious for his destructive ends. Firſt now was a new court of delegates erected by arbitrary power among you, in the room of the high Commiſſion formerly by authority dejected, but this was the ſame with the former (and far worſe) the name only, being altered, and rightly was it termed by ſome, a ſpaniſh inquiſition, by others the Abomination of deſolation. The men authorized to be Judges in this delicate Court were ſuch as profeſſed themſelves to ſtand for the intereſt of the Iriſh rebells, one of them boldly affirming in the pulpit in your hearing and mine (as by diverſe ſufficient witneſſes can be proved) that Theſe Warrs are for us Biſhops, which Maxime had beene formerly divulged among the people, but more ſecretly. Whereupon Dr Beadle, Biſh. of Kilmore a moſt worthy and learned man in a vehement indignation againſt the ſame when he firſt heard thereof, burſt out into this expreſſion, If we Bps be the cauſe of this horrible tempeſt, let them take us, and, with Jonah, caſt us all over board. Another of the inquiſitors, being an Iriſh man by birth, in the ſame pulpit excuſed the diſcontented gentlemen, meaning the rebels his countrimen, diſſwading the Soldiers from vigorous proſecution of them, and the Judges from condemning ſuch of them as had beene taken priſoners in open hoſtility, unleſs two or three witneſſes ſhould firſt depoſe, that to their knowledge the ſaid priſoners had before in cold blood committed things worthy of death, whereas we all know that thoſe bloody Canibals murthered man woman & child, except here one, and there another, eſcaped by Gods extraordinary preſervation, as one of Jobs ſervants eſcaped from the Caldeans, and another from the ſword of the Sabaeans, onelyonly to bring the ſad tydings to their Maſter of what had been done to the reſt of his ſervants, and to his cattell. At the ſame time did this merciful Orator, directing his words to me who then ſate before him, with his forefinger pointing at me, condemne all bloody preaching and praying againſt them who he ſaid were Chriſtians, and admoniſhed me and all others from uſing the like for future time: whereas our Preaching was to animate the ſoldiers Couragiouſly to proſecute ſo juſt a warre againſt ſuch unparalleld murtherers; and our Prayers were, that the righteous God would teach their hands to war and their fingers to fight, what other language he uſed, I have in writing, atteſted by the hands of good witneſſes.
A third man, was a civilian, who had been unhappily intercepted from going beyond ſea to be bred a Jeſuite, yet retained his Jeſuitical principles. Theſe with ſome others ejuſdem furfuris with their revived oath ex-officio, impriſoned ſome, and baniſhed or drove to flight others, to the number of fourteen in one week, ſome whereof might be truely called, The Horſmen and Chariots of your Iſrael, who ſtood day and night in the gap for you, being able, peaceable and diligent miniſters of the Goſpel, beſides many others who were driven away by this tempeſt.
After this, a new project, of far more dangerous Conſequence, was promoted by a faction in the army ſiding with the Iriſh party: to wit a curſed Ceſſation was hatched to be made with the Iriſh rebels, when we were maſters in the field, and our army was maintained moſtly by the ſpoiles which they dayly recovered from the enemy, who had formerly made a prey of all the eſtates of the Engliſh throughout the land, excepting ſome few cityes and caſtles which ſtood out upon their owne defence, and could onelyonly preſerve ſuch goods as they had within the walls in moſt places.
The very mention of this deſigne was odious to all the remnant of our Engliſh nation, who utterly abhorred the thought of ever ſhaking hands with ſuch a barbarous generation of men, or rather incarnate devils, who had robbed them of all, burnt their dwellings, murthered their wives, children, and kinſfolk, after they had exerciſed upon them all imaginable cruelties, as full well you know. And all that had but half an eye foreſaw what the iſſue of this would be, as afterwards the event manifeſted, even a deadly ſnare to our ſide: now were our brave ſoldiers left to ſtarve in their garriſons, many of them puniſhed with death by their owne diſaffected officers upon the leaſt complaint of any of their inhumane perfidious enemies; whileſt they were free to kill, rob and ſpoile at pleaſure without controule, and hereby had they opportunityes of recruiting themſelves with freſh men and ammunition for a new war, when the ceſſation ſhould be expired: now were foure of our beſt friends privy counſellors clapt up in the Caſtle of Dublin for oppoſing the Ceſſation; when all the rebels who had been committed, having beene taken priſoners by our army in the open field, were releaſed, and ſome of them dubbed (forſooth) for their good ſervice; and more of our Miniſters were driven to follow their brethren to ſhift for their lives and ſafety by flight: ſome for preaching and praying againſt the Treaty, as in duty and conſcience they thought themſelves bound to doe: others for feare leſt they ſhould be deſtroyed, if it tooke effect. Thus were we (like Levi) divided in Jacob, and ſcattered in Iſrael.
But ſince my departing from you, I have beene exceedingly deſirous to returne to you, inſomuch as I once advanced as for as Neſſon towards you, and thence was turned back; how ever I am ſtill mindfull of you, in my Prayers on all occaſions, ſympathizing with you; in your ſtraits and dangers have I condoled with you, and joyfull have I been and ſtill am at your deliverances and enjoyments of mercies, as at the preſent to heare of your welfare, that the Lord hath placed over you a prudent, well principled and religious governour in chiefe, and others ſubordinate magiſtrates men of Courage, fearing God, hating covetuouſneſs; that the Lord hath stored you with able, conſcionable, orthodox divines. And in teſtimony of my thankfulneſs I ſend unto you (ſince I may not come over to you my ſelf) this ſmall tract haveing thoughts of preparing a larger treatiſe for you upon a ſubject which I made entrance upon, while I was among you, entitled The way of ſalvation, which may therefore more properly be layed claime unto, by you; as this preſent Treatiſe more peculiarly belongeth to my now pariſhioners of Eaſt Greenwich, among whom moſt of the contents hereof have been publiſhed in diverſe ſermons in the pulpit; though here much contracted, and in other particulars enlarged.
And now to you do they come from the Preſſe (my loving Chriſtian friends and neighbours of East Greenwich, and no leſſe beloved) for the helpe of your memories, and for a permanent teſtimony of my thankfulneſs for all your loving kindneſs from the firſt day of my coming among you till his preſent time, which I ſhall never be forgetful of. viz. how unanimouſly you made choice of me between ſix and ſeven yeares agoe, to be your Miniſter, three Lords dayes together meeting for the confirmation of your choice, and for contriving the beſt way for my better encouragement and ſubſistence among you, and continuing your reall affection for the far greateſt part of you till this day towards me: and I truſt that your love is of the right kind which will not decreaſe, but encreaſe more and more, till death put a period to our lives. I ſhall not deteine you long in this praeludium, as I have done my remote friends, becauſe you have me dayly with you upon all occaſions to ſpeak unto you viva voce. OnelyOnly thus much I cannot but ſignify to you in as publike a manner, as I could deviſe, that I am yours, and moſt unfainedly do I deſire, and accordingly (by the Lords aſſiſtance) I ſhall endeavour the ſpiritual and eternal welfare both of you and yours in ſtriving to remove all the hinderances thereof, and in faithfully revealing to you all the whole counſell of God, that I may be kept cleare from the blood of precious ſouls, and ſo ſave my ſelf, and them that heare me; for, for none other end do I deſire to live among you, and for this I humbly and earneſtly implore your dayly Prayers to God for me. To whom I commit you, and to the word of his grace, which is able to ſave your ſoules. In whom I remaine.
Your humble ſervant, for the good of your ſouls, for which the Lord of life died, FAITHFVLL TEATE.
Books Lately Printed for George Sawbridge at the ſigne of the Bible on Ludgate-hill.
THe power of Godlineſſe both Doctrinally and Practically handled; whereunto is annexed diſtinct treatiſes,
1. Of the Affections.
2. Of the Spirituall Combate.
3. Of the Government of the Tongue.
4. Of Prayer, together with,
5. An Expoſition upon the Lords Prayers.
By that late eminent Divine Mr John Ball. And publiſhed by Mr Simeon Aſhe.
Predeſtination defended againſt Poſt-deſtination, being an anſwer to Mr Thomas Pierce his correct Copy, concerning Gods Decree eſpecially of Reprobation, by Mr Will: Barlee.
The Saints Communion with God, and Gods communion with them in Ordinances, by Mr. William Strong.
A Learned expoſition of the Books of Ezra, Nehemiah, Eſther, Job, and Pſalms: By Mr John Trap.
The Preachers Tripartite, in three Bookes.
1. To raiſe Devotion, in Divine Meditations upon Pſal. 25.
2. To Adminiſter Comfort by conference with the ſoule, in particular Caſes of Conſcience.
3. To eſtabliſh Truth and Peace, in ſeverall Sermons againſt the preſent Hereſies and Schiſms.
By R. Moſſom, Preacher of Gods word, lately at St. Peter Pauls-Wharfe London.
An excellent piece of Philoſophy, commonly Called the Morals of Plutarch, Tranſlated out of Greek into Eng: By Philemon Holland, Dr in Phyſick.
A Medicinall Diſpenſatory, containing the whole body of Phyſick, Together with a moſt perfect and abſolute Pharmacopaea or Apothecaries Shop: with a uſefull Phyſicall Dictionary Compoſed by the Illuſtrious Renodaeus, chiefe Phyſitian to the Monarch of France. And now engliſhed and reviſed by Rich. Tomlins of London Apothecary.
Londinopolis, An Hiſtoricall Diſcourſe, or Perluſtration of the Cityes of London, and Weſtminſter, by Ja: Howell Eſquire.
Of Government and Obedience, as they ſtand Directed and Determined by Scripture and Reaſon.
In 4. Bookes, by John Hall.
An exact abridgment of Publick Acts and Ordinances of Parliament made from the yeare 1640 to 1656. by William Hugle, of Graies Inne, Eſquire.