f the church
of Scotland, which was not repugnant but most consonant to the word of
God, even our adversaries themselves being judges? for thus speaketh one
of them: _Quod antem jurarunt nostrates, __ non erat illicitum, sed a
nobis omnibus jure praesture potest ac debet_;(1277) so that the Doctor
hath gained nothing, but loosed much, by that which he saith of the
Israelites' oath: he hath even fanged himself faster in the snare which he
thought to escape.

O but, saith the Doctor, that which they did, either in swearing or in
performing their oath, against the express commandment of God, we may not
draw into an ordinary example.

_Ans._ It was against the commandment of God; no man will say that we
should follow either their swearing or their performing of their oath.
Yet, in the meantime, the Doctor is pressed with this argument, that if
their unlawful oath (in the case of God's dispensation) did bind their
posterity, much more doth that oath of the church of Scotland (which the
Doctor hath acknowledged lawful and commendable) bind us this day.

_Sect._ 4. But, 4. Albeit the Doctor hath hereby given us scope and
advantage enough against himself; nevertheless, for the truth's sake, I
add, that it cannot be showed how that oath of the princes of Israel was
against the express commandment of God; but it rather appeareth that it
was agreeable to the same. For, as Tremellius(1278) hath it noted, that
commandment, Deut. xx., whereby the Israelites were commanded to save
alive nothing in the cities of the Canaanites, was to be only understood
of such cities among them as should make war with them, and be besieged by
them. But the Gibeonites were not of this sort; for they sought their
lives before the Israelites came to them. And by the same means Rahab and
her father's house got their life, because they sought it, Josh. ii.
Calvin also serveth:(1279) _Jussos fuisse Israelitas pacem omnibus
offere._ And Junius, upon Deut. xx., distinguisheth well two laws of war
given to Israel.

The first law is concerning offering peace to all; which law is general
and common as well to the Canaanites as to foreign nations: "When thou
comest nigh unto a city to fight against it, then proclaim peace unto it.
And it shall be, if it make thee answer of peace, then it shall be that
all the people that is found therein shall be tributaries unto thee, and
they shall serve thee." Which commandment was afterward observed by
Israel; of whom we