138 OF AN HOLY WAR. 



tyrants : for they are often avowed and established, 

 as lawful potentates ; but of some perverseness and 

 defection in the very nation itself; which appeareth 

 most manifestly in that the prophet speaketh of the 

 seigniory &quot; in abstracto&quot;, and not of the person of 

 the Lord. And although some heretics of those we 

 speak of have abused this text, yet the sun is not 

 soiled in passage. And again, if any man infer upon 

 the words of the prophet following, which declare this 

 rejection, and, to use the words of the text, rescission 

 of their estate to have been for their idolatry, that by 

 this reason the governments of all idolatrous nations 

 should be also dissolved, which is manifestly untrue, 

 in my judgment it followeth not. For the idolatry 

 of the Jews then, and the idolatry of the Heathen 

 then and now, are sins of a far differing nature, in 

 regard of the special covenant, and the clear mani 

 festations wherein God did contract and exhibit him 

 self to that nation. This nullity of policy, and right 

 of estate in some nations, is yet more significantly 

 expressed by Moses in his canticle ; in the person of 

 God to the Jews : &quot; Ye have incensed me with gods 

 that are no gods, and I will incense you with a 

 people that are no people :&quot; Such as were, no doubt, 

 the people of Canaan, after seisin was given of the 

 land of promise to the Israelites. For from that 

 time their right to the land was dissolved, though 

 they remained in many places unconquered. By 

 this we may see, that there are nations in name, 

 that are no nations in right, but multitudes only, 

 and swarms of people. For like as there are par- 



