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…

Also it appeareth, that there were not many there that were as Gideon, upright hearted men, and such as did openly show their dislike of idolatry, because they could so easily find him out, and light upon him, as the guilty party, as they counted him, with so slight inquiry. So that he was as eminent for his piety, as Saul for his stature, who was taler then all the people, and could not lie hidden. And the odious man of many he was with them, to whom yet if they could have seen, they were all beholding, and but for whom also they had all groan to wrack and had perished. And we see, what eye-sores, and how odious some one or few good professors of the Gospel are to a company of profane hickescorners, and what a troublesome life they lead amongst them: being baited and vexed by them at their pleasure, and made their laughing stock, as Sampson to the Philistines: for ⟨p. 331⟩whose sake (yet) they are suffered by the Lord to live, that they may come to repentance, being near enough (by all likelihood) to be utterly destroyed and to be brought to naught, but for them; as we may read in the story ¹of Genesis, if there had been but ten righteous men in Sodom, the city had not been consumed. Yet, and though they have such benefit by them, they stick not to swear, that but for them they might live merrily, and without disturbance. Therefore where God hath provided better for a people, and muzzled the mouths of such tigers and bears as these, so that they may profess the Gospel without danger, or fear, pursuit, and scorn of their betters) who commonly are the wings to protect the inferior sort of base and spiteful persons) let such see and acknowledge a great liberty and release, and use it wisely while they enjoy it, as the Churches of Samaria and Judea, ²and Galilee did in the book of the Acts. lest God take from them their props, ornaments and protectors of them, and make them to say (as many do full heavily) we would gladly be zealous and fruitful in our profession, (but (alas) we cannot so soon peep out of the doors, but we are pelted in again, and beaten back with the frownings, disgraces, and oppositions of such as are mightier then our selves. But of this point more anon.

Also it appeareth, that there were not many there that were as Gedeon, vpright hearted men, and such as did openly shew their dislike of idolatrie, because they could so easily find him out, and light vpon him, as the guiltie partie, as they counted him, with so slight inquiry. So that he was as eminent for his pietie, as Saul for his stature, who was taler then all the people, and could not lie hidden. And the odious man of many hee was with them, to whom yet if they could haue seene, they were all beholding, and but for whom also they had all grone to wracke and had perished. And wee see, what eie-sores, and how odious some one or few good professors of the Gospell are to a companie of prophane hickescorners, and what a troublesome life they leade amongst them: being baited and vexed by them at their pleasure, and made their laughing stocke, as Sampson to the Philistims: for