so, & euen nature compelleth vs to say, yt we had neede of men that are wise, and stout, verily as graunting couertly that there is neither wis∣dome nor courage, without ye feare of God beare sway. Againe, to expresse the fruites of the feare of God yet the better, Iethro addeth, that there must be vprightnesse and trueth. As if he should say, that a man shall neuer be meete to gouern, vnlesse he haue soundnesse in him, so as hee be not hollowharted, but walke on with a good cō∣science. [ 10] And because that brybes doe blinde the eyes of the wise, and make good men to swarue from vprightnesse: he sayth that if we will haue men fit to beare authoritie, they must hate coue∣tousnesse and despise the goods of this worlde, so as they can finde in their hearts to forbeare thē. Seing then that such a lesson is told vs by a hea∣then man: I pray you what a shame shall it be, that we which professe our selues to be brought vp in the lawe of God and in his Gospell, & haue [ 20] our eares so much beaten with it, should still be nouices in the doctrine, or at leastwise put it so ill in practise among vs? And yet for all that, if we vse it not to our profite, it is written to be kept to our great confusiō, & to make vs vnexcusable.
So then, let vs wey wel this saying where Mo∣ses exhorteth the people to choose men of vnder∣standing and wisedome, and tryed men. For if a man be put in office but vpon hope, without good knowledge and experience had of him: is it not [ 30] a defiling of the seate of God and of Iustice? In deede God reserueth to himselfe the souereintie ouer all men, as he is also worthe to haue: and yet notwithstanding he wilbe serued by mortal men as by his ministers & officers: and therefore the seate of Iustice is (as ye would say) consecrated or hallowed vnto him, as shall be shewed in the next lesson. Now, there is taking of men at al∣aduenture, and they know not what they ought to doe, nor how to behaue themselues. Well, [ 40] such a one must needs make a tryal what he can do, & when he is once set in his seate, he wil haue an eye to himselfe. yea? Shal he yt would not take a Cowheard or a Shepheard into his house vpon bare hope, without knowledge or vnderstanding of him what he is: shall he (I say) go set a man in Gods seate, of whom he hath no knowledge, and of whom he hath no experience to iudge what he is? Now then, let vs be well aduized, & foras∣much as God graunteth vs the grace or rather [ 50] priuiledge of choosing officers to gouerne vs, which is not common to all people: in any wise let vs not abuse that gift of God, or els we shal be amazed to see our selues bereft thereof. And soothly ye very cause why so many tyrannies are crept into the world, is that all nations haue for∣gone their freedome, so as there is no more ele∣ction by reason whereof Princes do sell the of∣fices of Iustice, & thinges are so out of order as is horrible to see. And whereof commeth that, but [ 60] that when the people had the election in their hands, they abused it, & so were worthy that God should bereaue them of the honor yt he had done them? For is it not as good as a wilful prouoking of Gods wrath, and spyting of him, when folke hauing free electiō, whereas they should choose men to serue God and to be as his officers, doe in stead thereof keepe rowtings in Tauerns or Ale∣howses, and euen as it were in skorne & mocke∣rie of God, choose such as are most vnthriftes & furthest out of order? See ye not how it is a per∣uerting of all order? To be short, it should seeme that men intended to thrust God out of his seat, when they set his enemies in it after that sort, & such as despise him, & such as seeke nothing else but to treade his name & Maiestie vnder their feete. When men deale so, is it any wonder that God sendeth such disorder into the world as wee see there is? Now then, it standeth vs so much ye more on hand to marke wel this doctrine, where it is saide that when God giueth a people liber∣tie to choose officers, they must not abuse it, but must vse discretion in choosing of them. Yea and forasmuch as we may often times be deceiued, it behooueth vs to resort vnto God, yt he may giue vs discretion & gouerne vs with his holy spirite, as though he had poynted them out with his fin∣ger whom w•• ought to choose. And yt is the cause why I said yt elections shal neuer be wel ordered, except God ouerrule them by his holy spirit.
Last of al Moses saith, I wil set thē ouer you to rule you. He sheweth yt God had giuen him authoritie, & yet a man may see y• he imparted it vnto ye peo∣ple, & shewed by his doings, as we haue seene a∣fore, yt he chalenged not to himselfe an inordi∣nate power, but acknowledged yt God had bound him to the common weale. So then, Moses hath authoritie & knowes well enough that Gods wil was to preferre him aboue the rest of ye people, & yet doth not he abuse his right for al that, but re∣ferreth all vnto the people. As if he should say, I will but onely shewe the way how to guide, and in so doing I will take the payne to my selfe, as for the honor, I giue it ouer vnto you. And the same mind ought to be in all good magistrates and go∣uerners of people, yt they may be able to main∣taine the authoritie that is requisite: for euen to that end also hath God set them vp. But howsoe∣uer the world goe, let them not seeke their owne profite, but let them indeuour to make thēselues fit ministers as nere as is possible, alwayes main∣taining ye chiefe charge yt is committed vnto thē.
But now let vs come to that which Moses in∣terlaceth concerning the multitude of ye people. Your God (saith he) hath increased you, in such wise that you be now as the starres of the skye, and I beseech him to increase you a thousand times moe: or els, he will increase you a thousand times more, ac∣cording as he hath promised you. Here Moses, in alledging the hardnesse that he had to decide all cases, doth also shewe the people Gods blessing and grace. And thereby a man may see, that his chiefe trauell was to make the people conceiue the benefites yt they had receiued at Gods hand: and that is a lesson which we cannot be put in minde of too often. For on the one side wee see what vnthankefulnesse is in vs, how we shut our-eyes at the benefites that God bestoweth vppon vs, Not yt we lyke not to haue them: but for yt we consider not from whence they come, that we might glorify the giuer of them. And on the o∣ther side wee abuse the giftes that wee haue receiued, because wee bethinke not our