Commentaries, Commentary on Judges · Chapter 6 · Verse 27
27 Then Gideon tooke tenne men of his ſeruantes, and did as the Lorde badde him. But bicauſe he feared to doo it by daye for hys hys fathers houſeholde, and the menne of the Citye, he dydde it by nyghte,
The feare of Gideon reſiſteth nothyng agaynſt hys fayth. God wil hauehave eueryevery man to fulfil his vocatiō, but yet he forbiddeth not to adde prudence. We muſt take place, time, and occaſion, vnleſſe God appoynt theſe thinges alſo Howbeit we muſte beware, that in adding theſe cautions we goe aboute nothinge that is agaynſt the precepts of God: for that prudence is prayſed which with thinges well done neglecteth no ſinne.Superſticions are more ſet by o… men, …h…n pure religion Hereby alſo we gather that Gidion was not o… to… baſeſt ſort, foraſmuch as out of his famely he could take out ten ſeruantes. He feared, and ſo feared that in the day time he durſt not do that whiche the Lorde ha… commaunded. For the worſhippinge of Baal was nowe confirmed: and ſuperſtitions once eſtabliſhed by takinge deepe rootes, are wonte to hauehave more authority, than perfecte, pure and ſincere worſhipping of god can euer obtayne. Such vngodlines is there grafted in the hartes of men, that at this day, if a man in the papacy deteſt the maſſe, or deride a pece of bread, which the wicked ſacrificers both worſhippe and cary about, he ſhalbe much more cruellye puniſhed and tormented, than if he ſhoulde with horrible blaſphemies defame the true God and our Lord Ieſus Chriſt. So at that time he was counted as a moſt deteſtable heretike worthy to be killed, which had done any contumely vntounto the holy ſeruices of Baal.
Whereunto the feare of Gideon tendedBut wherunto tended this pollicy of Gideon? That muſt needes be cutte of which was done, neither coulde the author of ſo greate an enterpriſe be hidden. This is true: but he iudged that in the mean time this daūger was to be auoyded, leſt in the day time in the acte doing he ſhould be taken. For he ſhould hauehave bene letted both by his fathers houſhold, and alſo by the men of the citye, from executing the commaundementes of God. and peraduenture in accompliſhinge the worke ſhoulde hauehave beene ſlaine.The name Baall agreeth very well with the true God. Thys Baal (as in an other I hauehave declared) had his beginninge of Bel the father of Minus. But as touchinge the name, we muſt know, that by it an excellent propriety of God is expreſſed. For Baal in hebrew ſignifieth a Lord, a maiſter & a huſbdā, al which things in very dede agree with God. For he is Lorde of all thinges, and the teacher of all true wiſedome, & the onelyonly huſband of the churche. Wherefore theſe men erred not in iudging the proprieties of God. Neyther erred the Grecians whē they called him foreign. For by that title they declared that God is the author of lyfe. The Romaynes alſo called God Iubiter, as though they ſhould ſay Iubiter father. Wherfore theſe words are for god moſt worthy: and it may be, yt the old mē which ſo ſpake, had a reſpect vntounto the true god the chief of all. But that was vtterly vngodly and deteſtable, which afterward was committed, namely to aſcribe theſe proprieties as well to ſtarres as to men, and alſo to brute beaſtes and idoles, wherby all thinges were filled with idolatry. Farthermore the Hebrewes, although God had taught thē his name, by which he would hauehave them call vponupon him, and praye vntounto him, yet they forſoke it, & vſed the names & holy ſeruices inuented by ye Ethnikes, & neglecting the rites commended vntounto the both by the law and alſo by their elders, they receaued prophane ceremonies. Wherfore they had an altare dedicated vntounto an idole, a groue about it, and certayn yeares they fed and fatted ſome certayn bullockes for the ſacrifice. And at the length they became not the worſhippers of the true god, but the true worſhyppers of Baal in all thinges.
Gideon in the night ouerthroweth the altar, cutteth down the groue, buildeth an altar vntounto the Lord, & (as he was cōmaunded) offred a burnt offring. Al theſe things wer teſtimonies of his fayth, whereby he confeſſed, and that frō the hart that he deteſted idolatry, and perfectly beleued in the only lord the god of the Hebrewes and ſacrificed vntounto him. Some thynges are here mencioned, which were not done by an vniuerſall law but by a certayne prerogatiue and priuelege. Gideon being of the tribe of Manaſſes ſacrificeth, when as ſacrificing belonged only vntounto the Leuites. This if he had done of his own brayne, he ſhoulde not hauehave wanted blame. Secondly a priuate man ouerthroweth the aultare, and cutteth downe the groue: in whiche thinge he tooke vponupon him the office of a magiſtrate. But in theſe things we muſt hauehave a regard to the word of god, by which he was peculiarly ſtirred vp to do theſe things. Wherfore they which to theſe works ar not in like manner called, ought to kepe thēſelues vnderunder the common law. But as I hauehave in an other place admoniſhed, idolatry is of all men to be taken away but yet of eueryevery man, according to his ſtate & condition. Let magiſtrates by outward violence, miniſters by the word, and priuate men, by abſtayning and gainſaying, take away vngodlynes.