"My Lord," said the uther, "he wes ane meir subject, and no King whan the Propheittis servand came unto him; yea, and albeit that his fellow capitanis, heiring of the message, blew the trumphet, and said, 'Jehu is king;' yit I doute nocht, but Jesabell boith thocht and said, 'He wes ane traitour;' and so did monie utheris that wer in Israell and in Samaria. And as tuiching that ye allege, that the fact wes extraordinarie, and is nocht to be imitat, I say, that it had ground of Godis ordinary jugement, whilk commandis the idolater to dey the deith; and, thairfoir, I yit agane affirme, that it is to be imitat of all those that prefferis the true honour, the true worschip and glorie of God, to the affectiounis of flesch, and of wickit Princes."[1028]
"We ar nocht bound to imitat extraordinarie exampillis," said Lethingtoun, "unles we haif the lyke commandiment and assurance."
"I grant," said the uther, "gif the exampill repugn to the law; and gif ane avaricious and deceitfull man wald borrow [gold,] silver, rayment, or [ony] uther necessaris from his nychtbour, and withhauld the same, alledging, that so thay mycht do and nocht offend God, because that the Iseraellitis did so to the Egiptianis at thair depairtour furth of Egipt. The exampill served to no purpoise unles that thai coulde produce the lyke cause, and the lyke commandiment that the Iseraellitis had, and that because thair fact repugnit to this commandiment of God, 'Thou sall nocht steill.' But whair the exampill aggreis with the law, and is, as it wer, the executioun of Godis jugementis expressit in the same, I say, that the exampill approved of God standis to us in place of a commandiment: for, as God of his natour is constant, immutable, sa can he nocht dampne in the aigis subsequent, that whilk he hes approvit in his servandis befoir us. But in his servandis befoir us, He be his awin commandiment hes approvit, that subjectis hes nocht onlie distroyit thair Kingis for idolatrie, but also hes ruitit out thair hoill posteritie, so that none of that race wes left efter to impyre above the peopill of God."
"Whatsoevir thai did," said Lethingtoun, "wes done at Godis commandiment."
"That fortifeis my argument," said the uther; "for be Godis commandiment he approvit, that subjectis punish thair Princes[1029] for idolatrie and wickitness be thame committit."
"We haif nocht the lyke commandiment," said Lethingtoun.
"That I deny," said the uther; "for the commandiment, 'The idolater sall dey the deith,' is perpetuall, as [ye] your self hes grantit: You douttit onlie who sould be executouris againis the King; and I said the peopill of God, and hes sufficientlie provin, as I think, that God hes raissit up the peopill, and by his Propheit hes anoyntit ane King to tak vengeance upoun the King, and upoun his posteritie. Quhilk fact, God sen that tyme hes nevir retreittit; and, thairfoir, to me it remanis for ane constant and cleane commandiment to all the peopill professing God, and haifing the power to punisch vyce, what thay aucht to do in the lyke caise. Gif the peopill had interprysit onie thing without Godis commandiment, we mycht haif doutit whidder thai had done weill or evill; but seing that God did bring the execution of his law agane in practice, efter that it wes cum in oblivioun and contempt, what ressonable man can doute now of Goddis will, unles we will doute of all thingis quhilk God renewis nocht unto us be miracallis, as it wer from age to age. But I am assureit, that the ansuer of Abraham unto the riche man, who being into hell, desyreit that Lazarus, or sum of the deid, sould be send unto his bretherin and freindis, to foirwairne thame of his incredable [pane and] tormentis, and that thay sould behaif thame selfis, so that thai sould nocht cum in that place of torment: the ansuer, I say, gevin unto him, sall confound sik as craif farder approbatioun of Godis will then is alreddy expressit within his holie Scriptouris; for Abraham said, 'Thay haif Moyses and the Propheittis, whome gif thay will nocht beleif, neither will thay beleif albeit that one of the deid sould ryise.' Evin so, I say, my Lord, that sik as will nocht be taucht what thay aucht to do, be commandiment of God anis gevin, and anis put in practice, will nocht beleif nor obey, albeit that God sould send angellis from hevin to instruct that doctrine."
"Ye haif but produceit ane exampill," said Lethingtoun.
2 PARALI.2[1030]
"One sufficeth," said the uther; "but yit, God be praissit, we lack nocht utheris; for the whole peopill conspyreit aganis Amasiath king of Juda, efter that he had turnit away from the Lord, followit him to Lachess and slew him, and tuik Uziah and anoyntit him king in steid of his father. The peopill had nocht altogidder forgottin[1031] the league and covenant quhilk wes maid betwix thair king and thame, at the inauguratioun of Joash, his father, to wit, 'That the King and the peopill sould be the peopill of the Lord,' and than sould thai be his faythfull subjectis: From the quhilk convenant, whan that first the father, and efter the sonne declynit, thai wer boith punischit to the deith, Joash be his awin servandis, and Amasias be the whole peopill."