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…

Again, he that will rule, must not stand nicely upon virtues, but (when occasion serves) play both the lion and fox, and work out his enemies by fraud or cruelty, any way, so he can do it. Again, let them strike once, but (as Abishai said) strike home, and kill all at once that stand in his way and sit in his light. For to kill often is odious, but to make a riddance all at once, root and branch, is with such, policy, and a necessity pardonable. When I think of this fact of Abimelech, I could not but thus resemble it to these monsters, who lately offered to give us an experiment of the like enterprise in their powder-treason: which, as no age ever matched, so no age shall ever forget it, to their eternal shame, and the Lords endless praise. For as they were Abimelechs in ambition and cruelty, so the Lord made them Abimelechs in confusion. Abimelechs joy lasted not: theirs was but hope, and yet made them ashamed. The Lord sent a spirit of division between him and Shechem: so he did between these, one betrayed the other. So let thine enemies perish O God, &c. Therefore let all wise men (for all ¹are not great ones) circumspectly take heed and beware what sins they resolve to commit: for surely whatsoever they give over themselves unto, they will make no bones of the necessary attendants thereof, be they never so hideous and horrible. As it is hard to say, whether this parricide or his ambition were greater, save only that the former served the latter. Men little dream how deeply they plunge themselves, when they undertake any sin: themselves often are astonished at themselves, but that when they have begun, they must play the men in going forward, and not shrink for it. Herod himself was not willing to behead John: but when he had said the word, he must not go back, (he thought) for his credit sake, therefore he went through. He might thank his luxuriousness, and jollity, which caused the oath, and the oath the murder. So saith the Apostle; Because men set it down, they will be rich, they meet with their match, and fall into ²many temptations and snares, &c. Tush, tell not them of trifles, of lions in the way, they are busy in pursuing their game, and they will get it, whatsoever it cost them, for they have so decreed and set it down.

Againe, he that will rule, must not stand nicely vpon vertues, but (when occasion serues) play both the lyon and foxe, and worke out his enemies by fraud or crueltie, any way, so he can doe it. Againe, let them strike once, but (as Abishai said) strike home, and kill all at once that stand in his way and sit in his light. For to kill often is odious, but to make a riddance all at once, roote and branch, is with such, policie, and a necessitie pardonable. When I thinke of this fact of Abimelech, I could not but thus resemble it to these monsters, who lately offered to giue vs an experiment of the like enterprise in their powder-treason: which, as no age euer matched, so no age shall euer forget it, to their eternall shame, and the Lords endlesse praise. For as they were Abimelechs in ambition and crueltie, so the Lord made them Abimelechs in confusion. Abimelechs ioy lasted not: theirs was but hope, and yet made them ashamed. The Lord sent a spirit of diuision betweene him and Shechem: so hee did betweene these, one betrayed the other. So let thine enemies perish O God, &c. Therefore let all wise men (for all