suffereth the souldiers to fail in batel, whome neuerthelesse he
commandeth to fight as somtimes did Israel fighting against Beniamin. The
cause of the Israelites was most iust: for it was to punishe that
horrible abomination of those sonnes of Belial[154], abusing the leuites
wife, whome the Beniamites did defend. And they had Goddes precept to
assure them of well doing. For he did not onelie commande them to fight,
but also apointed Iuda to be their leader and capitain, and yet fell they
twise in plain batel against those most wicked adulterers.

[Sidenote 155: Why God permitteth somtimes his owne souldiers to fail
in batel.]
[Sidenote 156: Iudic. 20]
[Sidenote 157: NOTE.]
[Sidenote 158: The authoritie of all women, is a wall without
foundation.]

The secret cause of this, I say, is knowen to God alone. Rut by his
euident scriptures we may assuredly gather[155], that by such means doth
his wisdome somtimes, beat downe the pride of the flesh (for the
Israelites at the firste trusted in their multitude, power and strength)
and somtimes by such ouerthrowes, he will punish the offenses of his owne
children, and bring them, to the vnfeined knowledge of the same, before he
will geue them victorie against the manifest contemners, whom he hath
apointed neuerthelesse to vttermost perdition: as the end of that batel
did witnesse. For althogh with greate murther the children of Israel did
twise fall before the Beniamites, yet after they had wept before the
Lorde, after they had fasted and made sacrifice in signe of their vnfeined
repentance, they so preuailed against that proude tribe of Beniamin[156],
that after 25 thousande strong men of warre were killed in batel, they
destroyed man, woman, childe and beaste, as well in the fieldes, as in the