LIB. IX. The rvfltar of the 'l{eubeniter. A had been guilt)', muft they perifb umvarned? Peaceable meanes mull hrfl be ufed ro recall them, ere violence be fentto perfecute them. Theold rule of lfrael,hath been flill ro inquire of .Abet ; Nogood_fbepheard fends !m dog to pull out the throat of.his ftraied fbecp,but rather fetches it on his !ho«ldcrs to the fold.Sudden cruelty ftands not with Religion:Hewhichwill not himfelfe break the bruifed reed, how will he allow us,either tobruife thewhole,or to break the brlllfcd, or ro burne thebroken! Neither ytt \vas here more charity in fending, thanuncl]aritablcnelfc in the mif· conllruCI:ion. They begin with a challenge ; and charge theu brethren deeply IVith tranfgreflion, apottaue,tebellion. I knownot how two co~trary qu.t!ities fall into love; it is not naturally fufpicious,and yet many times fnggefts jealous fcarcs B oftbofe we affeCI: .lfthefe Ifraclites had not loved their brethren,they would never have fcnt fo far re to re£\raine them; they had never offered them part oftheir o~>·n patrimony : ifthey had not been exceflively jealous, they had not cenfurcd a doubtfull aCtion fo fbarpely. They met at Shilo,wbere the Tabernacle was; but if they bad confulted with t he Arkc of God, they had favcd both this labour,and this challengc: This cafe feemea !o plaine, that they thought ad' ice necdle!fe; Their inconlideratcne!fe therefore brands their brethrenwtth crim~s whereof they were innocent; and makes themfelves the onely offenders. In cafes which arc doubtfulJ and uncertaine,it is fafe ~ither to fu!pend the judgement, or to pa!fe it in favour;otbcnvifc,a plaine breach ofd1arity in us, !hall be worfe than a queftionable breach of ju!lice in another. 1939\' (; Yet this little gleame of their uncharitable love began at themfelves; if they had not feared their owne judgements in the offertcc of Rett6tn,l know not whether they had been fo vehement : The iearefhll revenges of their brethrens fin,arc llilJ in their eye. Thewickedne!fe of 'l'e~>r flretched not fo!farre as the plague; .Achan ' finned, and Ifrael was beaten: therefore by jufl induCtion, they argue ( Yce rebell today againfl the Lord ~ tomorr01v will the Lord be 1vrothwitli all the Congregation.) They ftilltrembleattbevengeance pa!fed; and findeittime to pre-1 vent their owne punill1ment in punifbing their brethren. Gods proceedings have tl1en their righrufe,IVhen they are both cttefully remembred,andmadepattern's of what he may doe. Had thefe Reubenites !Jeen as hot in their anliver, as the lfraelites were in thei.r D charge, here had growne a bloodywarrc out of roif-priuon : But nmv, their anfwer .ismild a·ndmoderate, andfuchaSivell fb<\vcd that though they were fur - ther from the Arke, yet nole!feneere to God. They thought in themfelves, This aa ofours, though it were well meant by us, yet might well be by interpretation fandalous; "it is reafon our mildrie!fe tbould give fatisfaCI:ion for that offe nee, 1vhich we have not prevented. Hereupon theiranfwer was as pleaGng, as their a et was dangerou~. Even in t~ofe aCtions IVhereby an offence m•y oe occafioned (though nor gtven)chanty bmdes us tocleare both our owne name, andthe confcience of others. Little did the Ifraelites look for fo good a groundofan adion fo fufpicious· An • Altar without a facrifice? an Altar anu no Tabernacle ? an Altar without a 'preE cept, and yet natagainfl Go~? It is not fafe to meafure all mens aCtions by our owne concett,but rather to thmke there may be a further drift andwarrant oftheir aCt) than \Ye can attaine to fee. By th~t tillle th~ Heubenites have commented upon their owne worke, it appears as JU.fltfiable,as beforeoffen_live . Whatwifdome aod religion is found in rhat Altar, winch before fbe1ved nothmg but Idolatry? Tllis difcourfe of theirs is full both of reafon & ptety; ~ e are fevered by the river fordan from the otherTribes; perhaps hercafter,ourch01ce mayexclude us from Ifrael: Poflerity may pcrad•·enture f1y, Tordan is the bounds ofa! natural Ifraelites;the !lreams wherofnever gave· '"'Y t0 thofe beyond the river:Ifthey ~ad \>in ours,either in ~load or religion,they " >uld r~r !1ave l>cen fcqueftred m habttatwn. Doubtle!fe therefore thefemen are the)
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