Commentaries, Commentary on Judges · Chapter 19 · Verses 21-30
21 So he brought hym into his houſe, & gaue foddre vntounto ye Aſſes: Afterward they waſhed their feete, and did eate and drinke.
22 And as they were making their hartes merye: Behold, the men of the City, wicked men, be ſet the houſe round about, and ſmote at the doore, and ſpake to this old man the maſter of the houſe, ſaying: Brynge foorth the manne that came into thyne houſe, that we maye knowe hym.
23 And this man the maſter of the houſe went out, and ſayde vntounto them: Nay my brethren do not ſo wickedly, I praye you: ſeyng that this man is come into mine houſe, do not this vilannie.
24 Beholde, here is my daughter, a virgine, and his concubine: thē will I bryng out nowe, and humble them, and do with them what ſeemeth you good: but to this man do not this deteſtable acte.
25 But the men would not harken to hym: therfore the man tooke hys concubine and brought her out vntounto them: and they knew her, and abuſed her all the night vntyl the mornyng: and when the day began to ſpryng, they let her go.
26 So the woman came in the dawning of the day, and fell downe at the dore of the mās houſe, where her Lord was, till the light day.
27 And her Lorde aroſe in the mornyng, and opened the doores of the houſe, and went out to go his waye, and behold, the woman his concubine was dead at the doore of the houſe, and her handes laye vponupon the threſhold.
28 And he ſayde vntounto her, vp and let vsus go: but ſhe aunſwered not. Then he tooke her vp vponupon the Aſſe, and the man roſe vp, and went vntounto his place.
29 And when he was come to his houſe, he tooke a knife, and layde hand on his concubine, and deuided her in peces with her bones into twelue partes, and ſent her throughout al the quarters of Iſrael.
30 And all that ſawe it (ſayd:) There was no ſuche thyng doone or ſene ſince the tyme that the children of Iſraell came vp from the lande of Egypte vntounto this daye: conſider the matter, conſulte, and geue ſentence.
Where as it is ſayde, And he gaue his Aſſes foder. In Hebrew it is written Vaiabol whiche ſignifieth, he mingled, for this verbe Balal ſignifieth to myngle. For in thoſe regions they vſe to mingle chopped ſtraw with barley, & ſo to geue them vntounto their cattell.The maner of waſhing of fete very muche vſed in Syria. And waſhed their fete. In thoſe places yt are extreme hot, when men hauehave done their iorney, they vſe to waſhe their feete, & to wipe away the duſt, which office was ſometymes ſhewed vntounto Chriſt our ſauiour, and he agayne executed the ſame vntounto his Apoſtles. Paul alſo required this of good widowes, namely to waſhe the feete of the Saintes.
Bring out the man that we may know him. By theſe words is deſcribed a thing moſt filthy & an horrible act. There was neuer heard of the like boldnes & filthy luſt as was this of the Gabaonites: therfore they are called the children of Belial, that is, without an yoke, bycauſe they had ſhaken of good manners, the lawe of God and of nature, neither would they abyde to beare any yoke. Hereby alſo appeareth theyr exceding cruelty, for they did not onelyonly deſpiſe a ſtraunger, but alſo would reprochefully hauehave doone him great iniury.
But ye good old man the hoſt of ye Leuite, had not onelyonly receaued him into hys houſe, but alſo afterward defended him with ye daunger & iniury of his houſe. He goeth forth vntounto thē, exhorteth thē not to cōmit any ſuch thing. Firſt bicauſe the thing was filthy & horrible: farther, bicauſe ye mā had entred into his houſe, & he coūted it his part, by right of hoſpitality to defēd him frō al iniury. Laſtli, whē he perceaued yt their luſt was importunate & vnbrideled, he offred vntounto thē his own daughter & the wife of ye Leuite, rather thē they ſhould do him ſo great a reproche. Howbeit they as contēners both of god & mē nothing care for theſe things.Of the fayth of Hoſpitality. The right of hoſpitality was of no force with thē, which the old mā obiected vntounto thē. Vndoubtedly faith is to be kept with an enemy, and much more with a gueſt or ſtrāger. Wherfore in the digeſtes de nautis & cauponis in ye law .1. there is a double actiō allowed againſt the hoſt, if any thing be takē away out of ye lodging frō the gueſt, how much more if there be violence done againſt his body? Among the elders ye religiō of ſtraūgers was great, bycauſe it ſemed a thing acceptable vntounto god to defēd & ſaue harmeles ye ſtraūger.Iupiter Hoſpitalis. Wherfore Iupiter, as he was called Stator & Pheretrius, ſo alſo was he named Hoſpitalis, as it were a keper and defēder of ſtraungers.Buſyris a cruell hoſt. But Buſiris like a cruell & bloudy Tyrant ſlewe his gueſtes. But his cruelty eſcaped not vnpuniſhed, for Hercules ſlew him with his club.
EueryEvery manne ought to bee ſale in his own houſe.The Gabaonites wtout al yoke rāged abrode in the night tyme, beſet the houſe, threaten to breake it opē, & to ſtay them yt are in it, when as otherwiſe eueryevery mā ought to be ſafe in his owne houſe. Which thing was alſo decreed afterward by the Romane lawes, as it is had in the title de in ius vocando, in the digeſtes in the lawe plerique: No man ought to hauehave hys houſe inuaded. For the priuate houſe of eueryevery man ſeemeth to be a certayne holy ſanctuary to his poſſeſſor. But with the Gabaonites there was nothyng ſafe or holy: ſo much had lacke of a gouernor brought to paſſe.
The vngodly are ſometymes called brethrē.The olde man when he diſſuaded them from their wicked crime, called them brethren, to ſee if by pleaſant and gentle ſpeech he could hauehave aſſwaged thē. For if he ſhould hauehave dealt more ſharpely, he ſhould more vehemently hauehave kyndled them. And yet in callyng them brethren he lyed not, for as they came of the tribe of Beniamin, and he diſcended of Ephraim, they were begotten all of one father, namely of Iacob. Lot alſo in the like cauſe called the Sodomites brethren. It was vndoubtedly wyſedome in moſte daungerous corrections, to vſe moſte gentle wordes. Yea and Auguſtine when he wrote to the Madaurenſes, Auguſtine.whiche otherwiſe were Idolatrers, called them brethren. Wherfore it is to be lamented and meruayled at, that the Miniſters of the Churches of the Lutherians doo ſo abhorre from our men, that they will not in any caſe call them brethren, as though they denyed the ſonne of GOD, and preached not his Goſpell. But our Churches nothing regarde their importunity, but of Chriſtian charity counte them for brethren, whether they will or no: and althoughe they differ from them in the matter of the Sacrament, yet hauehave they not broken the bande of brotherly charity towardes them. But whether of vsus doo behaue our ſelues more ſincerely and faythfully in the fielde of the Lord: Chriſt in the laſt day, & alſo in tyme hereafter ſhall declare.
But here commeth a queſtion whether this olde man did well, in offryng his daughter and the wife of the Leuite vntounto the Gabaonites, to the ende they ſhould not violate his gueſt. To this all men aunſwere not after one manner. Some ſay that he conſidered the greatenes and horriblenes of the wicked crime, and preferred the leſſer euill before the greater, and would not breake his fayth geuē vntounto his gueſt. And by theſe reaſons they thinke to excuſe hym. And after the ſame manner they iudge of Lot. Chriſoſtome.And amonge other Chriſoſtome excedyngly prayſeth Lot in that thyng:Ambroſe. whiche ſelfe thyng doth Ambroſe alſo in hys booke of Abraham the Patriarche, bycauſe he leſſe eſtemed the contumely of hys houſe, then ſo great a wicked acte. But Auguſtine in his queſtions vponupon Geneſis, Auguſtine.conſidereth theſe things, both more diligently & alſo more depely, and denyeth that to recompēſe one faulte by an other, is not in any caſe to be ſuffred.Compenſation of ſinnes is not to be admitted. By his ſentēce it was not lawfull for hym to permitte hys daughter to the luſt of the Sodomites, to the ende they ſhould not ſinne more grieuouſly. Neither is it lawfull for vsus to committe the lyghter crime, to auoyde a more grieuous. For the Apoſtle hath apertly taught: That euyll thynges are not to be doone, that good ſhould enſue. Wherfore when the matter commeth to ſinne, althoughe it ſeeme light, yet we muſt vtterly abſtayne from it. And if it ſhould ſeeme that ſome greuouſer ſinne would followe, if we ſhould refuſe to ſinne, that care is to be committed vntounto GOD, but we vnderunder that pretence ought not to committe any ſinne. This was Auguſtines opinion, whiche I excedingly well allowe. And not to goo from our Hyſtory whiche we hauehave in hande, althoughe this olde man ought fayth vntounto hys gueſt, yet ought he fayth and defence alſo vntounto his daughter, and vntounto the wife of the Leuite. Neither was it lawfull for him to performe more fayth vntounto hys gueſt, then the woorde of GOD would ſuffer. Wherfore he could not iuſtly humble vntounto them his daughter, or the wife of his gueſt. For the father hath not the daughter ſo in hys power, that he maye put her foorth to other men to be abuſed. Neither ought the daughter to obey in any thyng that is ſinne, thoughe the father wil and commaunde her.
But they ſay: The leſſer euill is to be preferred before the greater.How the leſſer euill is to bee preferred before the greater. I knowe that men are wont ſo to ſay. But it muſt ryghtly be vnderſtand, namely that it taketh place in outwarde afflictions and griefes of the body, and of the lyfe. Bycauſe in ſuch diſcommodityes, as often as we muſt take deliberation what we ought to preferre, the leſſer hurt is to be preferred before the greater: bycauſe it hath the nature and reaſon of goodnes. But in ſinne there is no conſideration of goodnes. And vndoubtedly what ſoeuer is ſynne, the ſame muſte ſtrayghtwaye be reiected, let followe what will. But Auguſtine, excuſeth after a ſorte Lot and thys olde manne, bycauſe they fell with a heauy and troubled mynde. It oftentymes happeneth vntounto wyſe men, with a troubled mynde to doo thoſe thynges, whiche afterwarde when they come to themſelues, they allowe not. But this excuſe doth not vtterly abſolue theſe menne from ſinne, althoughe it ſomewhat releaſe them. But if a manne will ſay, Paul preferred the leſſer ſinne before the greater, when he ſayde, he woulde be accurſed of Chriſt for hys brethrē, rather then they ſhould perſiſte in that blyndnes and ſtubbernnes, wherein they were holden. He whiche obiecteth this vntounto vsus, muſt knowe that he doth not rightly vnderſtand that place of Paul. For the Apoſtle deſired to redeme the ſaluation of the Iewes with his daunger, not vndoubtedly with ſinne, but with hys loſſe or hurte, namely to be accurſed of Chriſte, not certaynely to be made an Apoſtata, or to ceaſe to beleue in Chriſt, but onelyonly not to hauehave the fruition of the eternall and bleſſed lyfe.Auguſtine. Auguſtine alſo hath many thynges agaynſt thys compenſation of ſinnes. And amonge other thinges: What (ſayeth he) if a man require, either of a mayden fornication, or of a maryed woman adultery, and threateneth to kill hymſelfe, vnles he obteyne hys requeſt, ought the pure and chaſte women to fulfill his deſire? No vndoubtedly. Neither thoughe he afterwarde ſlay hymſelfe, ſhall the chaſt women be counted guilty of his death. They ought in deede to be ſory for hym, to deplore his acte, but not to thinke they hauehave done euill, bycauſe they graunted hym not vnlawfull thynges. The ſame Auguſtine vponupon the .146.Auguſtine. Pſalme writeth: If a man deny dewe beneuolence vntounto his wife bycauſe he would lyue chaſtly, and the wyfe in the meane tyme fall into adultery, he ſinneth, neither can his entent be allowed. For ſinne is not to be admitted in the wyfe, for the exerciſing of continency. God (ſayeth he) doth not recompenſe ſuche a hurte with ſuche a gayne. Wherfore the ſentence of Leo the firſt,Leo in the diſt .46. chapter. Non ſuo) is to be allowed, wherein he ſayth, that it is vncomely that any ſhould beſtow theyr faultes vponupon other mens commodities. Auguſtine in hys booke De mendacio to Conſentius ſayeth: For the health of our neyghbours,Auguſtine. we muſt doo whatſoeuer may be doone. And if it come to that point, that we can not helpe them without ſinne, there remayneth nothyng els for vsus to doo. And he addeth that no manne muſt be brought into heauen by a lye. The ſame Auguſtine in an other place ſayeth: If poore menne ſee a cruell and bitter riche manne, and woulde ſteale any thynge from hym, eyther to helpe themſelues, or other poore menne, they doo not diminiſhe ſinne, but encreaſe it.Gregory And Gregory Byſhoppe of Rome in hys Epiſtle to Siagrius: To committe the leſſe ſinne, to the end to auoyde the greater, is to offer Sacrifices vntounto GOD of a wicked acte,To Chriſoſtome and Ambroſe. as it is written in the .21. of the Prouerbes. But in that Chriſoſtome and Ambroſe doo for thys cauſe prayſe Lot, they are thus to bee vnderſtande, namely that they allowed hys charity and fayth towardes ſtraungers, and had a reſpecte vntounto the horriblenes of the ſinne whiche the Citezins were ready to committe, not that they allowed their abandonyng of theyr women. And thus muche as touchyng thys matter.
How much the horrible ſynne of the Sodomites is to be deteſted. Auguſtine.But in that the olde manne calleth it a villany and a deteſtable thyng, whiche they went about to committe, he ſayeth moſt truely. For ſeede was geuen vntounto manne for procreations ſake. But theſe peſtiferous menne abuſe the gifte geuen them of GOD, they reſiſte hys law, and agaynſte nature chaunge menne, in that after a ſorte they turne the male into the female. Auguſtine to Pollentius: Adultery (ſayeth he) is more grieuous then whooredome, and inceſt more heynous then adultery, but that whiche is done agaynſte nature, is of all moſt wicked and deteſtable. And he addeth: In thynges whiche GOD hath graunted, it is more tollerable immoderatly to tranſgreſſe, then lyghtly to ſinne in thoſe thynges whiche by no meanes are graunted. And in hys .3. booke of Confeſſions he ſayeth, that the fellowſhip of humane kynde is violated with GOD, bycauſe nature whiche we hauehave of GOD, is polluted. This was the crye of the Sodomites and the Gomorhites which aſcended into heauē, and the grieuouſnes of their wickednes is moſte manifeſt by their diſtruction. For they were diſtroyed with fire and brimeſtone from heauen, puniſhementes vndoubtedly agreable vntounto ſo greate a heynous crime: by the fire was noted their burnyng filthy luſte, and by brymeſtone theyr ſtynkyng and vnpure wicked crime.Chriſoſtome. Chriſoſtome writeth: Bycauſe they followed not fertility, but barennes, therfore God made that ſo ill, baren, and infertyle whiche before was moſt fertile. But he demaundeth:Why god doth in the…e da…es deferre the puniſhement of Sodomites. Why are not they whiche are in the ſame faulte in theſe dayes puniſhed alſo after the ſame manner? He aunſwereth, whome that puniſhement moueth not, for them abydeth the vnquencheable fyre. And they are not ſo puniſhed in this lyfe, bycauſe ſuche menne for the moſte parte are conuerſaunt amonge good menne: and GOD promiſed Abraham, that he was ready to forgeue Sodome, if there mought hauehave bene founde there but onelyonly tenne good menne. Wherefore for as muche as Cityes at this daye are not altogether ſo corrupte, as Sodome was then, therefore GOD dealeth more remiſſedly with them. It alſo oftentymes happeneth, that althoughe theſe men are moſte wicked, yet they had good predeceſſors. And GOD (as he hath teſtified) tarieth, and differreth the puniſhement vntounto the thyrde and fourth generation. Farther, we muſte marke that thys vice whereſoeuer it rangeth, it is not alone. With it are ioyned cruelty, inhumanity, pryde, robbery, and oppreſſing of the poore. And when it ſhall come to this point, that menne cruelly withdrawe their dewtyes from their neyghbours, GOD doth then on the other ſide withdrawe hys helpe and grace. Wherefore they beyng left vntounto themſelues, that is, vntounto their owne corrupte and viciate ſtrengthes, doo degenerate into beaſtes.The Sodomitical ſinne is to bee puniſhed with death. The lawe of GOD in Exodus and Deuteronomy made thys ſinne death. And Paul to the Romanes ſheweth that thys is the puniſhement of Idolatrers. And in an other place he numbreth abuſers of nature with them, whom he excludeth from the kyngdome of GOD. Amonge the olde Grecians thys wicked crime was puniſhed with death, and that by the lawe of Laius, Beſſarion. Tertulian.whereof Beſſarion maketh mention agaynſte Trapezuntius. Tertullian de Monogamia writeth that among the Romanes there was a lawe called Lex Scantinia, Lex Scātinia.whiche was of the ſame ſhapenes. For he would ſignify that the Byſhoppe of Vthinenſis was contaminated with thys kynde of wickednes: He feared not (ſayeth he) the lawe called Lex Scantinia. In the Code ad l. Iuliam de Adulteriis & ſtupris in the lawe Cum vir nubit. Conſtantius Auguſtus, cōmaundeth the lawes to ariſe, and the lawes to be armed with the auengyng ſworde, that ſuch as are infamed by this crime, ſhould be ſubiect to moſt cruell puniſhementes. Iuſtinian alſo in his Authentikes in the title vt no Luxurientur contra naturam, maketh thys crime death, and addeth that for ſuch a deteſtable crime, Cityes are ouerthrowen, and plagued with peſtilēces, hunger, and earthquakes. He mought alſo hauehave added ciuile warres, whiche (as this Hyſtory teſtifyeth) doo fellowe, and thoſe moſte cruell. Extra de exceſsibus prelatorum in the chapter Clerici, it is ordeyned, that they whiche are taken in thys crime, ſhoulde be put out of theyr place and dignity. And the lay men alſo ſhould be excommunicated.
But it is to be knowen that euen GOD bendeth hymſelfe to vengeaunce,☜ and ſendeth fury and madnes vponupon ſuche perſons, where the Magiſtrate neglecteth his dewty, and ſuffreth wicked menne to go vnpuniſhed. Therefore in Geneſis it is written that the aungelles ſmote the Sodomites with blyndnes, ſo that they could not finde the houſe.
We muſte alſo note that the Gabaonites came in a manner all of them vponupon a heape vntounto the doore, that it myght appeare that they all conſpired into thys ſo deteſtable a crime.
But there ariſeth a doubt, whether ſinne may by any meanes be excuſed for this cauſe,Sinne is not excuſed therefore bycauſe it is publique. bycauſe it was common, and almoſt all men were infected with it? No vndoubtedly, yea rather it was ſo muche the more wicked and heynous, as it was committed of many, and that without puniſhement. For they dyd not onelyonly conceaue and committe wickednes, but alſo publiſhe and ſet it forth openly, and without ſhame ranne together to accompliſhe it. Wherefore it is rightly written, that the ſinnes of the Sodomites cried and aſcēded vp into heauen. Eſay alſo writeth: They hauehave publiſhed abrode their ſinne like Sodoma. And where we ſee that done, we muſt thinke that it is a certayne token, that that publique wealth ſhall in ſhorte tyme periſhe. For menne when they are touched with ſome ſhamefaſtnes, althoughe they ſinne, yet remayneth there ſome hope of amendement and repentaunce. But when in a manner they openly profeſſe wicked actes, and write bokes of them, and wil hauehave theyr wicked crimes to be publique, there is nothyng elles to be looked for, but the vengeaunce of God. With thys wicked vyce the Prelates and Papiſticall Sacrificers in theſe dayes are chiefely infected, and alſo the Antechriſtes of Rome, vntounto whom matrimony is very odious.
Let vsus alſo conſider the goodnes of God, whiche ſtirreth vp this olde man, to admoniſhe, and reproue them, and to bryng them agayne into the ryght waye. They were menne polluted and contaminated and vtterly vnwoorthy of ſo great a benefite. But there are neuer men ſo euill, but that GOD doth by ſome meanes admoniſhe them of their ſynnes. The olde man dyd his dewty: but they contemne and deride him.
He brought foorth hys concubine. Who? Not the olde manne, but the Leuite, who deliuered his wife, for feare leaſt he ſhould hymſelfe hauehave fallen into their power. But why did not the olde manne delyuer his daughter alſo? Paraduenture, bycauſe thoſe Citezins cared not for her beawty, who yet counted the wife of the Leuite to be very fayre and beautifull. They ſo afflicted her all the nyght, that in the mornyng ſhe dyed. Theyr wicked crime turned at the length into murther. In this place the hande and vengeaunce of GOD ſheweth forth it ſelfe. This woman hauyng before committed adultery, and not for it iuſtly puniſhed,The adultereſſe as ſhe ſinned ſo is ſhe puniſhed. at the length dyeth euen in adultery, and ſuffreth the lawe of the lyke. But whether ſhe repented at laſt or no, there is nothyng written of that matter. We onelyonly ſee the outwarde thynges, it is GOD whiche ſearcheth the heartes. But if ſhe dyd repent, and that with fayth, then eſcaped ſhe eternall puniſhementes. Yet GOD will hauehave diſcipline eſtabliſhed in publique wealthes, and the malefactors puniſhed, who if they repent, then are they fatherly chaſtiſynges, and not puniſhementes. Neither is it lawfull for the Magiſtrate to neglecte his office, althoughe they repent: for if they doo ceaſe to puniſhe, God (as it is before ſayd) will by hymſelfe reuenge. Wherfore that whiche is written to the Hebrues: Whoremongers and adulterers GOD will iudge, may be vnderſtand two manner of wayes, bycauſe God ſometymes puniſheth by himſelfe, and ſometymes by the Magiſtrate.
The Leuite layd his concubine beyng dead vponupon the Aſſe, went home and deuided her body into twelue partes, whereof he ſent into eueryevery tribe a parte. But it may be demaūded,Howe the Leuite diſtributed the pieces. how he ſent twelue parts into eueryevery tribe, when as they wer 13. number. Some thinke it was, bycauſe he ſent nothing vntounto the tribe of Leui, for that ye Leuites dwelled diſperſedly among ye other tribes. Other ſuppoſe that he would ſend nothing vntounto the tribe of Beniamin, bycauſe he thought that they would be no equall reuengers, for as muche as the Gabaonites pertayned vntounto them. But this ſentence ſeemeth not probable, bycauſe it was the ſinne onelyonly of one City, & therefore it pertayned not vntounto the whole tribe: vnles peraduenture we will ſay, that he ſuppoſed that the Beniamites were of ſuch mindes, that they woulde not know and take vengeance of the offences of theyr owne bretherne. Neither was he deceaued in his opiniō. For ſo happened it in very dede. Other ſay that he ſent two partes to the tribe of Manaſſes, bycauſe the Manaſſites dwelled part beyond Iordane, and part on this ſide: therfore they ſay that in this hys diſtribution were omitted two tribes, Beniamin and Leui, for the cauſes before alledged. The entent of the Leuite was,What was the entent of the Leuite. that no tribe ſhould excuſe themſelues by ignorance.
He was compelled ſo to do, bicauſe ther was then no Magiſtrate in Iſrael, neyther any certayn place of iudgement where he might plead his cauſe. Wherfore he ſtirreth vp al ye people to take away euil amōg thē. And it ſemeth that he more profited by this meanes, then he ſhoulde hauehave done if he had vſed letters or ſpech. For thoſe things do very much moue, which are ſet forth before ye eies. And yet in ſo doing he ſought not reuengemēt, either by a wicked or by an vnlawful meanes, foraſmuch as he did not tumultuouſly call ſouldiers together, neyther raiſed vp ſedicions, or inuaded the city, which did him the iniurye. He broughte the cauſe before them, to whom it pertained to knowe it: He complained not to Ammorhites or Iebuſites, but to his owne people. Wherfore he ordreth his accuſation well and lawfully: neyther by accuſing doth he violate the law,By accuſinge the law is not violated, but holpen. yea rather he is an help vntounto it, as on the cōtrary ſide, they which hold their peace and vtter not wicked acts, ar againſt the lawes. For euē as of our ſelues we ought not to wiſh any mans death, ſo muſt we not ſuffer the lawes to be openly and vilanouſly violated with out puniſhmēt.This ciuil war is not to be imputed vntounto the Leuite. Wherefore let the biſhops in the old time looke howe godly they did, when they made interceſſion vntounto magiſtrates for wicked men, and for ſuch as wer appointed to dy. If thou wilt ſay ther ſtraight way followed moſt ciuil warre, whiche thing ſeemeth may be imputed vntounto the Leuite. But it is not ſo, it ought rather to be aſcribed vntounto the Beniamits, which would not punyſhe ſo greate a wicked cryme.
In this hiſtory Ioſephus ſomewhat varieth from the holy ſcriptures.Ioſephus. Firſte he denieth that this woman was an adultreſſe, and that ſhe therefore departed from her huſband. She was (ſayth he) very beawtifull, and when her huſbande loued her excedingly, and complained that ſhe loued not him agayn, ſhe as one not able to abide his brawlinges, fled vntounto her parents. But the holy ſcriptures do manifeſtly teache, yt ſhe had played the harlot. In which ſentence al the interpreters agree together. Farther he denieth that the Gabaonites thoughte this, namely to abuſe the Leuit, he ſayth that they being allured by the beawty of the wife, deſired onelyonly to hauehave to do with her. But yt alſo is plainly againſt the holy ſcriptures, wherin it is by expreſſe words written: Bring forth the man, that we may know him. Farther he denieth that the Leuit deliuered his wife vntounto them, but the Gabaonites (ſaith he) toke her by violence. At the laſt alſo he addeth this (which I thinke alſo is very likely) that the Leuite when he ſent the peces of the body, did ſende meſſengers alſo to declare what was done: otherwiſe he ſhoulde not much hauehave profited, if he had ſent but the peeces onelyonly.
Theſe euils did therefore happen, bicauſe there was no magiſtrate or prince to iudge the Iſraelites.In the papiſtical church ther is no magiſtrat The ſame thinge alſo happeneth when there is a magiſtrat or prince, which doth not his office. And bicauſe the eccleſiaſtical men hauehave at this day ſhaken of the yoke of the politicall Magiſtrate, there is therefore no magiſtrate amonge them. Whereby the Chriſtian publike welth ſuffreth great diſcommodities.