che questioun, it is evident,
that thei supposed that the caus of thair overthrow and discomfeit was,
becaus thei had lifted the sword against thair brethren and naturall
countreymen. And yitt, the expresse commandiment of God that wes gevin
unto thame, did deliver thame from all cryme in that caise. And yitt, no
dowte but that thare wes some caus in the Israelitis that God gave thame
so over in the handis of those wicked men, against whom he send thame,
by his awin expressed commandiment, till execut his judgementis.
[SN: LETT SCOTLAND YITT TACK HEAD.] Suche as do weall mark the
historye and the estait of that people, may easilie see the caus why God
wes offended. All the haill people had declyned from God; idolatrie was
manteaned by the commoun consent of the multitude; and as the text
sayeth, "Everie man did that whiche appeareth good in his awin eyis." In
this meantyme, the Levite compleaned of the vilanye that was done unto
him self, and unto his wyf, whiche oppressed by the Benjamites of
Gibeah, died under thare fylthy lustis. Whiche horrible fact inflammed
the heartis of the hole people to taik vengeance upoun that
abhominatioun: and thairin thei offended not; but in this thei failled,
that thei go to execut judgement against the wicked, without any
reapentance or remorse of conscience of thair formare offenses, and
defectioun from God. And, farther, becaus thei war a great multitude,
and the other war far inferiour unto thame, thei trusted in thair awin
strenth, and thought thame selfis able aneuch to do thair purpose,
without any invocatioun of the name of God. Bot after that thei had
twise provin the vanitie of thair awin strenth, thei fasted and prayed,
and being humbled befoir God, thai receaved a more favorable answer, ane
assured promeise of the victorye. The lyik may be amangis us, albeit
suddanelie we do nott espye it. And to the end that everie man may the
bettir examyne him self, I will devide our hole cumpany in two sortes of
men: The one ar those that from the begynnyng of this truble have
susteaned the commoun danger with thair brethren: The other be those
whiche laitlie be joyned to our fallowschip. In the one and in the
other, I fear, that just caus shalbe found that God should thus have
humiled us. And albeit, that this appear strange at the first hearing,
yitt yf everie man shall examyn him self, and speik as that his
conscience dites unto him, I dowbt not bot he shall subscrive my
sentence. Lett