The History of the Reformation of the Church of Scotland

Plain it is, That Moses speaketh not, nor giveth charge to Kings Rulers and Judges only, but he commandeth the whole Body of the people, yea, and every member of the same, according to their possibility; And who dare be so impudent,¹ as to deny this to be most reasonabl• and just? For seeing that God had delivered the whole Body from Bondage, and to the whole multitude had given his Law, and to the twelve Tribes had he so distributed the inheritance of the Land of Canaan, that no family could complain that it was neglected. Was not the whole and every member indebted to confess and acknowledge the benefits of God? yea, had it not been the part of every man to have studied to keep the possession which he had received?² Which thing God did plainly pronounce they should not do, except that in their hearts they did sanctify the Lord God, That they embraced and inviolably kept his Religion established, and finally, except they did cut out iniquity from amongst them, declaring themselves earnest enemies to those abominations, which God declared himself so vehemently to hate, that first he commanded the whole inhabitants of that Country to be destroyed, and all Monuments of there Idolatry to be broken down:³ And thereafter he also straitly commandeth, That a City declining to Idolatry, should fall by the edge of the sword,⁴ and that the whole spoil of the •ame should be burned, no portion of it reserved. To the carnal man this may appear a rigorous and severe judgement; yea, it may rather seem to be pronounced in a rage, then in wisdom: For what City was ever yet, in which to mans judgement ⟨p. 23⟩were not to be found many innocent persons, as infants, children, and some simple and ignorant souls, who neither did nor could consent to such impiety? And yet we find no exception, but all are appointed to the cruel death. And as concerning the City, and the spoil of the same, mans reason cannot think, but that it might have been better bestowed, then to be consumed with fire, and so to profit no man: But in such cases Gods will is, That all creatures stoop, cover their faces, & desist from reasoning, when commandment is given to execute his judgement. Albeit I could adduce divers causes of such severity, yet will I search none other then the holy Ghost hath assigned: First, That all Israel, hearing the judgement, should fear to commit the like abomination.