THE

APPOINTMENT

OF

THE GENERAL FAST

VINDICATED.

IN AN ADDRESS TO THE COMMON PEOPLE.

CONCERNING

THE PROPRIETY OF REPRESSING OBSTINATE

LICENTIOUSNESS

SWORD, AND OF FASTING WHEN THE SWORD IS DRAWN

PURPOSE.

WITH THE

FOK THAT

The introductory paragraphs of this piece we have not deemed it necessary to give, as they are merely quotations from the Fourth Letter to Mr. Evans, beginning with "Dr. Price, the champion of the American patriots" (see p. 319,) and ending with the conclusion of that letter, (see page 327.)

THE royal proclamation which has been lately issued out, shews that the hopes expressed in the preceding lines were well-grounded: The heart of every good, unprejudiced man, must rejoice at reading this truly christian decree: We, &c. command that a public fast and humiliation be observed throughout England upon Dec. 13, that so both we and our people may humble ourselves before Almighty God, in order to obtain pardon of our sins; and may in the most devout and solemn manner send up our prayers and supplications to the divine Majesty for averting those heavy judgments, which our manifold sins and provocations have justly deserved; and for imploring his intervention and blessings speedily to deliver our loyal subjects," &c..... The Sovereign acts herein the part of a Christian Prince and of a wise Politician. As a Christian Prince, he enforces the capital duty of National Repentance; and as a wise Politician, he averts the most formidable stroke which Doctor Price has aimed at his government. May we second his laudable designs by acting the part of penitent sinners and loyal subjects; though mistaken patriots should pour floods of contempt upon us on the occasion

It would be strange, if an appointment, which has a direct tendency to promote piety, to increase loyalty, and to baffle the endeavours of a disappointed party, met with no opposition. If we solemnly keep the fast, we must expect to be ridiculed by the men, who imagine that liberty consists in the neglect of God's law, and the contempt of the king's authority. The warm men who have publicly asserted, that his last speech from the throne is full of insincerity, daily insinuate that his proclamation is full of hypocrisy, and that it will be as wrong in you to ask a blessing upon his arms, as to desire the Almighty to bless the arms of robbers and murderers. Nor are there few good men among us, who think that it is absolutely inconsistent with christianity to draw the sword and proclaim a fast.

Lest the insinuations of such patriots and professors should cast a damp upon your devotion, and make you leave the field of national prayer to our revolted colonies, I beg leave to remind you of a similar case, in which God testified his approbation of a fast connected with a fight: yea, with a bloody civil war.

We read in the book of Judges, that certain sons of Belial, belonging to the city of Gibeah, in the land of Benjamin, beset a house obliged a Levite who lodged there, to bring forth his concubine to them; and they knew her, and abused her all night, in such a manner that she died in the morning. The Levite complained of this cruel usage to the eleven tribes. All the men of Israel were gathered on

this occasion, against the inhospitable city of Gibeah, and sont men through all the tribe of Benjamin, saying, What wickedness is this that is done among you? Now therefore deliver us the sons of Belial, who are in Gibeah, that we may put them to death, and put away evil from Israel. But the children of Benjamin [instead of condescending to this just request] gathered themselves together unto Gibeah, to go out to battle against the children of Israel. Judges

xix. 20.

Let us apply this first part of the story to the immediate cause of the bloodshed, which stains the fields of British America, and we shall have the following state of the case, Certain sons of Belial, belonging to the city of Boston, besets a ship in the night, overpowered the The Government was crew, and feloniously destroyed her rich cargo. informed, that this felonious deed had been concerted by some of the principal inhabitants of Boston, and executed by their emissaries; and being justly incensed against the numerous rioters, it requested the anjust city to make up the loss sustained by the owners of the plundered ship, or to deliver up the sons of Belial who had so audaciously broken the laws of the land; and a military force was sent to block up the port of Boston, till the Sovereign's just request should be granted. The other Colonists, instead of using their interest with the obstinate inhabitants of Boston to make them do this act of loyalty and justice, gathered themselves together unto Boston to go out to battle against the sons of Great Britain, and by taking up arms against the king to protect felons, made themselves guilty both of felony and high treason.

Return we now to the children of Israel, and let us see if God forbad them to bring their obstinate brethren to reason by the force of arms, and considered the prayers made to him, on this occasion, as improper and hypocritical. The children of Israel" says the bistorian, arose and went up to the house of God, and asked counsel of God, and said, Which of us shall go up first to battle against the children of Benjamin? And the Lord [instead of blaming their design] said, Judah shall go up first." In consequence of this direction, Judah marched up to the enemy. But alas! the righteousness of a cause, and the divine approbation, do not always ensure success to those who fight the cause of virtue. Judah lost the day and 22,000 men. "The children of Israel," greatly affected with this misfortune, went up and wept before the Lord until even, and asked counsel of the Lord, saying, Shall I go up [a second time] to battle against the children of Benjamin my brother? And the Lord said, Go up against him." Judges xx. 23. However they were as unsuccess"Then ful in the second engagement, as they had been in the first. all the children of Israel, and all the people went up, and came unto the house of God, and wept, and sat before the Lord, and FASTED that day until even. And the children of Israel enquired of the Lord, saying, Shall I yet again go out to battle against the children of Benjamin my brother, or shall I cease? And the Lord said, Go UP; for to morrow I will deliver them into thine hand. And accordingly the Lord smote Benjamin before Israel?" Judges xx. 26, &c. And the few Benjamites that escaped the edge of the vindictive sword, lamented the obstinacy, with which their infatuated tribe had taken up arms for the sons of Belial who had beset the house in the inhospitable city of Gibeah.And so will the revolted Colonies one day bemoan the perverseness, with which their infatuated leaders have made them