JUDGMENT of Zeal. The Jews pretend, that in particular circumstances, where any one sees a Jew offending against the honour of God, violating the Law with impunity, blaspheming against God, his Temple, or Legislator; or even if any one sees an Heathen, who would ingage the people in irregularities, in Idolatry latry, or the breach of God’s laws, they might with impunity kill such an one; and without any form of justice give a loose to their zeal and remove this scandal from amidst the people. They found this law upon the practice of Phinehas the son of Eleazer, who having seen an Israelite go into the tent of a Midianitish prostitute, Numb. xxv. 6, &c.took a javelin, followed them, and killed both the guilty persons in the very moment when they were committing the sin. They likewise cite the example of Mattathias the father of the Maccabees, who in his transport of zeal, killed an Israelite, while he was sacrificing to false Gods.
The inconveniences of this sort of judgment are very sensible to all: an inconsiderate multitude, a provoked Israelite, or a fanatick, shall believe themselves allowed to kill any man whom they shall think an enemy to the interests of God and religion. Examples of this are but too frequent in history. It was with this mistaken zeal that they stoned S. Stephen, that they laid Acts vii. 58. Acts xxi. 27, and Acts xxii. 22, 23. Acts xxiii. 12.hands on S. Paul, with a resolution to put him to death, and that more than forty men made a vow, that they would neither eat nor drink till they killed him. S. James Bishop of Jerusalem was executed in the same manner, and Jesus Christ had not escaped death in the Temple, upon a certain day when they imagined that he uttered blasphemy, if he had not concealed himself, and retired out of the crowd.
John viii. 19. Gen.xiv.7.The Fountain of Judgment, is the same as the fountain of Kadesh, to the south of the land of promise. The waters of Kadesh were called the waters of Strife, because Moses was then contradicted and provoked by the murmurs of the Israelites; and the fountain of Judgment, because God displayed his wrath against Moses, and declared to him that he should not enter into the promised Land, because he had not honoured him in the Eyes of the children of Israel. The Rabbins will have it, that the name of fountain of Judgment came from the neighbouring people’s assembling in this place, to receive justice, and terminate their differences.