necessity should inforce either honest men to purchase the Church with mony or to permit theeues robbers to possesse all entering into the sheepfold another way This you aymed at And why did it not succeed well It was among other things thought of What if it had bin not only thought of but concluded enacted not among but before all other things Dimidium facti qui benè coepit habet A thing well begun is halfe done The heathen began alwayes their great reformations enterprizes with GOD they were first for Religion then for the Republicke Omnia post Religionem ponenda semper nostra Civitas duxit saith one of Heathen Rome Our City euer iudged all things to bee ranked after Religion A Iove principium Musae sang the Poet. And Dii caeptis aspirate meis c. should not Israel much more Did the Shunamite loose any thing by seruing the Prophet first of her handful of meale and poore remnant of oyle in her â—ruse notwithstanding her present extremity Yea hath it not beene the ancient customes of Parliaments in England euer to begin not onely to treate but to conclude of and settle the state of Religion before matters of the Republicke came to be handled If wee revolue the Annales of those ancient times of Egyptian darknes ignorance in coÌ„parison of the present resplendent light of Israel we shal find therein such noble steps of piety towards God in this kinde as may make our Israel to blush if it doe not kindle an emulous zeale of imitation in a parallel at the least Let me for the purpose heere insert the words of that precious Bishop Iewell Neither is it saith hee so strange a matter to see Ecclesiasticall matters debated in Parliament Reade the Lawes of King Inas King Alfred King Edward King Athelstane King Edmund King Edgar King Canute and yee shall find that our godly forefathers the Princes Peeres of this Realme neuer vouchsafed to entreate of matters of Peace or warre or otherwise touching the common state before all controversies of Religion and causes Ecclesiasticall had bin concluded King Canute in his Parliament holden at Winchester vpon Christmas day after sundry lawes orders made touching the Faith the keeping of holy-dayes publick prayers learning of the Lords Prayer Receiuing the Communion thrice in the yeare the manner and forme of Baptisme Fasting and other matters of Religion in the end thereof saith thus Iam sequitur Institutio legum saecularium Now followeth an order for Temporall Lawes Thus wee see saith the good Bishop that the godly Catholicke Princes in olde times thought it their duety before all other affaires of the Common-weale first to determine matters of Religion and that euen by the Parliaments of this Realme Such were the auncient Princes and Elders of this Kingdome in times past Their care of Religion in the first place in their Parliaments was the onely way to bring on the better successe for their Civill affaires Wherein also the reverend Prelates furthered all good Acts by their counsel when required although they had not negatiue voyces in Parliament as D Iewell in the foresaid place and also Bishop Bilson in his booke of Christian subjection and Antichristian Rebellion doe plainely show the Parliaments of this Land hauing euer had this power as well in matters of Religion as of ciuill Policy to establish good and wholesome Lawes for both Not that our Parliaments haue power to make new Articles of the Faith to establish what Religion they please but it is in their power yea and their duty too taking the Word of God for their guide and rule to establish the true Religion taught therein and to abolish all false Religions coÌ„trary thereunto Where then should a Parliament begin but with God but with Religion if euer they looke that GOD should giue a happy successe to their ciuill affaires therein Especially the Parliaments of these our times wherein the cloudes of Pelagian heresie mounting to the toppe of mans aery imagination by casting a false shaddow vpon the pure doctrines of the Church of England deriued vnto vs from the Fountaines of Scripture by the Conduits of the prime Reformers of Religion and continued vnto vs euer since by the vninterrupted pipes of the most learned and illustrious Martyrs Prelates and Doctours of our Church would bring our Meridian light of the Gospell to a twylight by intermingling with it the Egyptian fogs of the Church of Rome So that if our Parliaments would repaire the ruinated Edifice of the Republicke let them begin to make good and strengthen the maine pillars and Foundation whereon it standeth and that is Gods Temple Religion which through vndermining Pioners is shrewdly shaken who goe about to erect the towre of Babel instead thereof In the Name of GOD therefore pardon by boldnesse some must speake out else the stones would cry yet I take not vpon mee to teach the Elders of Israel They can best judge of what I say and the Lord giue them vnderstanding in al things whensoeuer the Elders of Israel shall meet againe in Parliament and I trust God will put it into the heart of our Ioshua in due time to summon a Parliament for the glory of God and the good of Israel I trust to see both Ioshua and the Elders of Israel agree in one in the first place to establish the Religion of Christ so long and happily hitherto avowed and maintained in the Church of England The establishment whereof necessarily dependeth vpon the abolishment of two maine troublers of Israel to wit Antichristian Idolatry and Arminian heresie While these two stand neuer let Israel looke for any good To omit many godly Kings of Israel as Iehosnaphat Ezechiah Iosiah who destroying Idolatry prospered remarkeable is the example of Asa who in rooting out of Idolatry spared not his owne Mother Maachah remouing her from being Queene because shee had made an Idole in a groue and Asa cut downe her Idole and stamped it and burnt it Insomuch as King Asa prospered in warre and his Land had peace to the 35 yeare of his raigne vntill he made a league with the King of Syria not relying on the Lord and being depraued by Hanani the Seer hee put him in prison and oppressed some of the people Againe so long as Arminian bookes are vnpurged and the Trueth vnpriviledged to passe abroad your Parliaments O Israel cannot prosper To the repurgation of these if you adde out of euery Impropriation a sufficient maintenance to the Ministery if you castigate Simony if possible by some wise godly restrictions better executed if with these reformations you conclude your first Session of Parliament without any mixture of your owne ciuill matters all other grievances shall fall mole sua as the wals of Iericho at the voyce of the rammes hornes Our Ioshua shall be honoured with subsidiary streames of loue duty flowing from the hearts of the best subiects in the World out
Gods yet in nature they are men and shall die like men as King David saith they are of the same mould and mettall of their people to knit them in a sympathy of affection with them Therefore even Christ the Sonne of God tooke our Nature with the infirmities of it that he might be a mercifull High-priest and hauing experience of our temptations hee might succour them that are tempted As that noble Heathen Queene said Non ignara mali miseris succurrere disco having experience of misery my selfe I learne hereby to succour the miserable Princes are also called Patres Patriae Fathers of their Countrey whose subjects are not more their seruants in duty then their sonnes in loue Also sheapheards of the People And the good sheepheard binds vp the broken seekes out the lost sheepe and brings it home on his backe rejoycing Yea Princes are Gods servants and stewards whose chiefe office it is to maintaine and vindicate the honour of their Lord. Lastly how neerely doth the weale or woe of the subjects touch the Prince for it is his owne weale or woe If but the foote the most inferiour member bee pained the head by and by feeleth it as its owne paine it stoopeth to helpe it as euen wisdome would the head should rather regard the commodity then object the distance If the feete be in fetters the head cannot be free It is Israels office then alwayes to pray for such Ioshuas that such gracious and pious Princes may euer raigne ouer them Secondly Israel must be carefull to walke worthy of such Ioshua's both for the obtayning and the long enjoying of them Thirdly if Ioshua and the Elders of Israel bee thus moved euen for the least calamities of their brethren then how ought our whole Israel to bee affected with the daily and heauy calamities of Gods people only divided from vs in distance of place not in difference of participation with Christ our head Fourthly hauing such Ioshua's and Elders who like good Fathers are tenderly affected with the least calamity of Gods people how thankefull ought we to be to God for them and to expresse this our thankefulnes in all pious offices and liberall beneficence that nothing bee lacking either for ornament to their princelike port or much more for the necessary support of the Crown kingdome In the last place if Israel haue receiued farre greater repulses reproches then now Israel had done Israel had need to be so much the more humbled if possible then here Ioshua the Elders were And so much of the occasion moving Ioshua with the Elders of Israel thus to hūble thēselues Come wee now to their act it selfe Therein consider 2. things 1. The Circumstances 2. The Substance of it The circumstances are 3. 1. Of the Persons the Actors Ioshua the Elders of Israel 2. Of the place Before the Arke of the Lord 3. Of the time vntill the eventide The substance of the act consists partly of Action and behauiour partly of speech Their actiō or behauiour was threefold 1. They rent their cloathes 2. they fell to the earth vpō their faces 3. they put dust vpon their heads All this v. 6. Their speech is a prayer or zealous hūble expostulatiō with God v. 7. 8. 9. Al which being jointly cōsidered they represent vnto vs an exact pattern platforme of solēne publick Fast. Which will the better appeare if we a litle opē every peece a part First for the Persons Ioshua for his person was of eminent gifts and graces He was one of the Twelue that were sent to view the land of Canaan one of the two that incouraged the people to goe take possession contrary to the discouragements of the other ten He only was with Moses in the holy Mount those forty daies and forty nights Hee was a man most zealous of Gods glory in his pure worship and seruice So that in his pious and pithy exhortation to the people Chap. 24. to feare the Lord to serue him in sincerity and in truth to abandon their strange Gods he concludeth in case they would not saying As for me and my house wee will serue the Lord. Yea hee made a couenant with the people to put away their idols and images those strange gods set them a statute and ordinance Chap. 24. 25. He erected also a stone for a monument witnesse for perpetuity vnto stosterity A most excellent Precedent for Princes hee was sith the only rule of his Regimēt was the word of God the wisest Counsellour of Kinges if they would haue their affaires to prosper As Iosh. 1. v. 8. He tooke not his Precedent from his predecessor Moses though he were a wise a good man but so farre as he was regulated by the only rule of Gods word The wisest politicians may foulely erre in their gouernment whose precedents may proue the more perillous to their followers when out of an admiration and high opiniō of their wisdome they withall swallow down their great errors digesting thē as corrupt blood into all the veines of the body politick but they that folow Gods word cānot erre This made David wiser then his teachers thē the aged thē his enimies Ps. 119. 98. In a word Ioshua is not noted of any vice in Scripture as even Moses and Aaron were Againe for his office and calling he was Moses successor appointed by God to leade his people into the possession of the promised land Herein also according to his name Iehoshua or Iesus which signifieth a Sauiour hee was a type of Iesus Christ who conducts his people into the heauēly Canaan Moses and Aaron were defectiue and faulty for which cause they might not cōduct the people into Canaan which is also a mystery signifying that the law those legall and leviticall observances were defectiue and so could not bring Israel into Canaans possession onely Ioshua which is Iesus in whom no fault is found noted in Scripture no more thē Melchisedechs genealogy to make him a type of Christs eternall Priest-hood though neither Ioshua as a man was voyde of all sin nor Melchisedech with out Parents Ioshua I say a liuely type of Iesus Christ was he that must put gods people in the possession of the promised land This is that Iehoshua here who humbleth himself and with him the Elders of Israel whether they were the chief of the tribes or of the families of Israel or else those 70 Elders mentioned Ex. 24. 1. The chief of Israel they were without questiō And the text saith he to wit Ioshua the Elders of Israel jointly Hereby the way is a notable Embleme and patterne of a well gouerned state where Ioshua the prime gouernor goes not alone in his Counsels and actions but hath his Elders with him Euen Salomon for all his wisdome had a graue Senate of sage Elders whose Counsell if his sonne Rehoboam had not forsaken preferring his braue younkers before the graue Elders his kingdome might
long haue florished Well what did Ioshua and the Elders of Israel here First they rent their cloaths To signifie the renting of their hearts So Ioel. 2. 13. Rent your hearts and not your garments And the ceremony of renting the clothes was not lightly to bee vsed but in case when Gods glory or name suffered as Num. 14. 6. Ioshua and Caleb rent their cloathes when their fellow spies had by their misreport discouraged the people causing them to distrust Gods lawes and promise The like case is here Secondly they fell to the earth on their faces importing a stupendious abjection full of zeale as vtterly regardlesse of their dignity or persons carelesse what became of them so transported were they with zeale for Gods glory and people Thirdly they put dust vpon their heads in signe of greatest humiliation as dead men on whom the earth or mould is cast for buriall Hereunto adde the other circumstances as of the time how long vntill the euentide the iust terme of a solemne fast as also of the place before the Arke of the Lord the type of Gods presence in his Sanctuary before the mercy seate the place of publicke worship together with their feruent inuocation and zealous prayer to God and so in some wee haue a full fast in all the intire and maine parts of it Loe then what a noble precedēt of true piety is here exhibited to Gods people And doth not our royall Ioshua the like what saith the proclamation Note the words well In this fast his Maiesty in his royall Person with his own family and royal household will giue an example to the rest of his people Yea that the pious and religious considerations namely of deliuerances past of disasters present and dangers imminent haue soe wrought in the Princely heart of the Kings most excellent Maiestie that he hath not onely had recourse to that great and Diuine Maiestie who is the King of Kings in his priuate deuotions to implore his mercy and fauour to himselfe and his people but according to the example of all good Kings in former ages in the times of common calamities which equally concerne both Prince and people to commaund a solemne a generall and a publicke fast c So run the words Which well obserued what hopefull fruites shall not such a fast produce when the first seedes thereof euen prayers and teares are begunne to be sowne by our Royall Ioshua And though in that his preceeding and priuate practise he seemeth to go alone yet for the more graue and religious forme of solemnizing thereof insteed of the Elders of Israel his most excellent Maiesty hath consulted with his reuerend Bishops Which our noble Ioshua and his reuerend Elders soe farre as they in this fast imitate Ioshua and the Elders of Israel so let our Israel imitate them Then doubt we not of a hopefull welfare to attend and succeed this fast wherein Ioshua with the Elders of Israel lead vs the way in sincerity of their heart in the precedencie of their pious examples And note one fare proofe fruit of our late generall fast vpon the 2d of August for the Country That very day the heauens began to restraine their vnkindly influence of excessiue vnseasonable famine-threatning wette the Lord clearing vp his cloudy countinance in the face of the christaline skye faire weather continuing from that day to bring vs in a joyfull most plentifull haruest to the regret of all ingratefull misers and regrating cornmongers but joy to all good hearts The very like change of weather fell vpon the very day of the last yeares fast which began with the Court and London fast Thus God is pleased to grace our fasts showing how much he is delighted with true humiliation Now by the example of Ioshua and the Elders of Israel here we are taught how to keepe a right and religious fast to the Lord. First as they rent their garments so we should our hearts with deepe contrition and godly sorrow for Gods dishonour displeasure and Israels discomfitures And if euer now cause there is to rent our hearts for Israels fearefull rents both in Church state These great schismes and rents are best cured and closed againe by this one of the heart If our hearts proue rocky smite we them with Moses rodde by the application of Moses Law that soe being rent and cleft a sunder there may issue out floods of liuing waters of repentance flowing from a liuely faith which may supple and close the clefts and chaps of our parched Israel Secondly as Ioshua's so our fast must be with exceeding humiliation of soule and spirit yea euen to the dust and that renouncing our selues as dead men in whom is noe helpe or hope being as it were buried vnder ground as Ioshua vnder the dust which he cast vpon his head We must goe out of our selues as the soule out of the body flying to God who onely canne free vs from our euils fealt or feared Thirdly our fast must be constant as Ioshua's vntill the eventide The day of our fast is a holy day to the Lord to be wholy spent in a religious abstinence as from our ordinary food so from any pleasure or profit of our owne The Lord reproues Israel for this saying Behold in the day of your fast you finde pleasure and exact all your labours We must forbeare all kind of food or repast till the euentide So did Nineueh by the Kings commandement Ion. 3. 8. Fourthly the speciall place wherein to celebrate our fast is the place appointed for publike worship Ioshua's humiliation was before the Arke of the Lord. Our priuate houses haue their vse for priuate deuotions but in the time of publicke seruice in Gods house whereat we must if we may be present our priuate deuotions at home are of no other vse but to bring a curse in stead of a blessing while the publicke ministery is neglected or contemned And euer in the publike ordinance God doth more manifest his presence in the communication of his graces then in our priuate families yet by commending the publike I exclude not the prinate but euer the priuate must giue place to the publicke The day of our fast as also other the Lords Sabboths allowes some time to be spent in our priuate families for the duties of the day as those vacant howres both before betweene and after the publike seruice but the publicke worship must in no case bee incroched vpon by our priuate deuotions much lesse by our worldly affaires or affections at that wee must be no lesse instant in comming then constant in continuing So did Ioshua before the Lords Arke Yea in some places specially in the Country where their Churches are greater and their congregations lesser being also vpon a working day and in haruest time if they be accommodated for Preachers agreeing vpon it the fast may be wholy spent in the Church in the publike congregation Not that there is more