when she had apointed the place of the batel, (whiche she coulde not haue
done, but by especiall reuelation of God) and had assured him of victorie
in the name of God, and yet that he fainted and openlie refused, to entre
in to that iourney except that the prophetesse wold accompanie him, she
did vse against him no external power, she did not threaten him with
rebellion and death, but for assurance of his faint hart and weake
conscience, being content to go with him, she pronounceth, that the glorie
shulde not be his in that iourney, but that the Lord shuld sell Sisera in
to the hand of a woman. Such as haue more pleasure in light then in
darknes, may clearlie perceiue, that Debora did vsurpe no such power nor
authoritie, as our quenes do this day claime. But that she was indued with
the spirit of wisdome, of knowledge, and of the true feare of God: and by
the same she iudged the factes of the rest of the people. She rebuked
their defection and idolatry, yea and also did redresse to her power, the
iniuries, that were done by man to man. But all this, I say, she did by
the spirituall sworde, that is, by the worde of God, and not by any
temporall regiment or authoritie, whiche she did vsurpe ouer Israel. In
which, I suppose, at that time there, was no laufull magistrate, by the
reason of their greate affliction. For so witnesseth the historic, saying:
And Ehud being dead, the Lorde sold Israel in to the hand of Iabin king of
Canaan. And he by Sisera his capitain afflicted Israel greatlie the space
of twentie yeares. And Debora her self, in her song of thankes geuing,
confesseth that before she did arise mother in Israel, and in the dayes of
Iael, there was nothing but confusion and trouble. If any sticke to the
terme, alledging that the holie ghost saith, that she iudged Israel[123]:
let them vnderstand, that nether doth the Ebrue word, nether yet the
Latin, alwayes signifie ciuile iudgement, or the execution of the
temporall sword, but most commonlie is taken in the sense, which we haue
before expressed. For of Christ it is said: he shal iudge many nations.
And that he shall pronounce iudgement to the gentiles.[124] And yet it is