words of Moses, and to be quiet; but supposing they should be
able to beat their enemies, without his approbation, they accused
him, and suspected that he made it his business to keep in a
distressed condition, that they might always stand in need of his
assistance. Accordingly they resolved to fight with the
Canaanites, and said that God gave them his assistance, not out
of regard to Moses's intercessions, but because he took care of
their entire nation, on account of their forefathers, whose
affairs he took under his own conduct; as also, that it was on
account of their own virtue that he had formerly procured them
their liberty, and would be assisting to them, now they were
willing to take pains for it. They also said that they were
possessed of abilities sufficient for the conquest of their
enemies, although Moses should have a mind to alienate God from
them; that, however, it was for their advantage to be their own
masters, and not so far to rejoice in their deliverance from the
indignities they endured under the Egyptians, as to bear the
tyranny of Moses over them, and to suffer themselves to be
deluded, and live according to his pleasure, as though God did
only foretell what concerns us out of his kindness to him, as if
they were not all the posterity of Abraham; that God made him
alone the author of all the knowledge we have, and we must still
learn it from him; that it would be a piece of prudence to oppose
his arrogant pretenses, and to put their confidence in God, and
to resolve to take possession of that land which he had promised
them, and not to give ear to him, who on this account, and under
the pretense of Divine authority, forbade them so to do.
Considering, therefore, the distressed state they were in at
present, and that in those desert places they were still to
expect things would be worse with them, they resolved to fight