meanes of the moste weake vesselles: and partlie he did it to confound and
ashameall man of that age, because they had for the moste part declined
frome his true obedience. And therfore was the spirit of courage,
regiment, and boldnes taken from them for a time to their confusion and
further humiliation. But what maketh this for Mary and her matche
Phillippe? One thing I wold aske of suche as depend vpon the example of
Debora, whether she was widowe or wife, when she iudged Israel, and when
that God gaue that notable victorie to his people vnder her? If they
answer she was widowe, I wold lay against them the testimonie of the holie
ghost, witnessinge that she was wife to Lapidoth[116]. And if they will
shift, and alledge, that so she might be called, notwithstanding that her
husband was dead, I vrge them further, that they are not able to, proue it
to be any common phrase and maner of speache in the scriptures, that a
woman shall be called the wife of a dead man, except that there be some
note added, wherbie it may be knowen that her husband is departed, as is
witnessed of _Anna_[117]. But in this place of the iudges, there is no
note added, that her husband shuld be dead, but rather the expressed
contrarie[118]. For the text saith: In that time a woman named Debora a
prophetesse, wife to Lapidoth iudged Israel, The holie ghost plainlie
speaketh, that what time she iudged Israel, she was wife to Lapidoth. If
she was wife, and if she ruled all alone in Israel[119], then I aske why
did she not preferre her husband to that honor to be capitain, and to be
leader to the host of the Lord. If any thinke that it was her husbande,
the text proueth the contrarie. For it affirmeth that Barak, of the tribe
of Nephtalie was apointed to that office. If Barak had bene her husband:
to what purpose shuld the holie ghost so diligentlie haue noted the tribe,
and an other name then was before expressed? Yea to what purpose shuld it
be noted, that she send and called him? whereof I doubt not, but that
euerie reasonable man doth consider that this Barak was not her husband,
and therof likwise it is euident, that her iudgement or gouernement in