A10933:1202
A commentary upon the whole book of Judges Preached first and delivered in sundry…A commentary vpon the vvhole booke of Iudges Preached first and deliuered in sundrie…
A commentary upon the whole book of Judges Preached first and delivered in sundry lectures; since collected, and diligently perused, and now published. For the benefit generally of all such as desire to grow in faith and repentance, and especially of them, who would more clearly understand and make use of the worthy examples of the saints, recorded in divine history. Penned by Richard Rogers preacher of Gods word at Wethersfield in Essex.A commentary vpon the vvhole booke of Iudges Preached first and deliuered in sundrie lectures; since collected, and diligently perused, and now published. For the benefit generally of all such as desire to grow in faith and repentance, and especially of them, who would more cleerely vnderstand and make vse of the worthie examples of the saints, recorded in diuine history. Penned by Richard Rogers preacher of Gods word at Wethersfield in Essex.
London: printed by Felix Kyngston for Thomas Man, 1615
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
Now to proceed, we have seen how these woeful men of Shechem, who bewraying by the forementioned act of leaning to 1a bad request, the exceeding wickedness that was in them, have yet branded themselves with another note of infamy like the former, which doth much aggravate their sin; namely this: that living in the fellowship of honest citizens, who should have punished evil doers, and have chased them away with their very countenance, yet ⟨p. 445⟩behold, there were no worse to be found there then themselves. They who should have made the worst afraid of their iniquity, by their executing of law and justice up •• the committers; even they put the common citizens, and better men then they were, in danger of their lives by their wicked dealing; and did indeed cause them both to lose their lives, by bringing in an usurper and tyrant, to spoil and make havoc of them. We know next to the Prince in a land, are the Peers and Nobles thereof: these it most concerneth to assist the supreme governor in the execution of justice and government. And yet we see, by comparing this with the Chronicles of divers lands, that these often have been the forwardest in defending the worst causes, in attempting against the State, yea and (in the vacancy of the throne and kingdom) to further and help forward usurpers in their unlawful claim, against the undoubted heirs. Whereby we learn, that there are no 2worse then some of them who live in civill society with others; who also are trusted with the peace and safety of town and city, and yet by the just judgement of God, pursuing them, break out and bewray themselves sometime to be notorious offenders, and are brought forth oft times by their due deserts, to shameful execution with other evil doers; Even as we read of one who lived in the tents with other, when Israel abode in the desert, after 3they came out of Egypt, yet being a blasphemer, was taken out of the host of Israel, and stoned to death, like the worst malefactors: and so some (to come to our time) with Ananias are found, though they be citizens and headboroughs, to be forgers, sacrilegious, &c.