on the c 0:'\O.N AT I d.N-day. and thefefore would have firfbu'ld ·chiefe.fl:.c~ti:e to fee it reformed. Thi's :withGod is,firlt; ahdGdd was n~t well pleafed,it was not fo wich them. Ic.is that wherewith ~flid upbraitle~h the~ (~ifee X:) wit? th~ir hot t~: Hodo.SJ kmg the matter of Gsbea. Why, were they co-o blame font, bemg foNl. · ~ lmzour an act? No indeed, it was fo good a peece ofIuflice.. This onely it is, God finderh fault with, that they could bd: fo forward and fervent, in the cale ofwrong offered to a 1voman; and fo cold and ca:releffe, wheri His »prjhipre_ceived fo grent a \vound, fofenfible oftheir ownewro11g,fo pall allfeeling in Hu. For when injurie was offered one of their co•:cu~ bines, they crie; Tbe .like JVM ne"Ver feeiu in Ifrael. They were all up in .armes, and upon the point to roote out the whole tribe of1Jenjamin.Bu1: when Idolatry was fet up, fidt here inari houfe, after in a whole Tribe, even as it were in·open defiance of Goo and His Law, rio mari drew a [word: Nay, no man fo much a:s fpake a word in reproofeofit; riot cry then, thelike was nel!erfeme in Ifmel. Their fai:hers were more ter1~er in y_(l;r 9 .j 0; this point. They, upon the erecting ofa thing but like anAltar(but no • . . Altar indeed) were all ready to havebiddm frattell, till they werefuffici~ Iof.al.UL) emly fati~fieJ, that no fuch thing was meant .H:re thete is not a fhew of an Altar, but (palt a fhew) very Idols, an whole houje full oftbe'!',and no man faith toMicab fo much as, what doelt thou ? This is that, Hee blameth them for,there. This,it,which he taketh in evill part; and faith~ He will truft them no -longer with His worjhip: He will have one who lhalllooke better to His '!llorjhip, than they had done. .: . One. that feeing, that was thejirfl caufe, that made GoD thinke of feccing up l(ings, will therefore thinke it his flrft duty,primum (7 ante om~ Ilia to hwe regard ofthat point. . : To conclude,if~he »ant ofl(ings,I(ings in lfrael, be elJill (as el!iO it is; being clie caufe of fo much ell ill) it is Goos will, there iliould be a re~ inedy for iG : That remedy is~King; Jt is G o o s will therefore, thetc be l(ings; S~illt Peter fpe~keth it totidem rverbu : This is the willof Go o ~.it i Pee;2;1fi ye be fubJeB toyour i(mgs. · . Then fecondly, being e'Vill, ii: is GoDs will, tlfat lfrael bee not onely kept from it at fometime; but at all. E1Jia is not to be allowed any though never fo fhorta time; but itagreeth \vell with His pleafure . that once and ever," it be kept from lfrael: . Confequendy, thatcher: never be a time wherein it may be faid, Non erat (]{fx. That there bee not oneJy l(ings, but aSuccefi'ion ofl(ing.i: Notonely!J{,ex, but jaitguit1 femen, ftirps IJ\!gu; they be all inScripture. iThe'Bioud, i l(in.n.14. bThe Seed, leremie 41.1. c The !}(ate, 2Chro. 2Uo". It is among other,. one ofthe differences of the State of King~, and Judges: ind a maine in-. convenience of the llate of Judges (and fo is itofall Elective I(ingdomes) the lnter-reKna, as Weterntethem; times betweene the old Judges death and the raifin~up ofa new : in which times, all ranne to riot, and much diforder got head. To the end then, there be no fuch inconvenience, no o - . - - ~~~~m_ !~£e~~.g~
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