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Show 254 aft/2e Right! cffim King: of Ijrael. I'd/[.3. OF A CHRISTIAN Chafiao, To the Judges, fucceeded Kings :And wheréas before, all au. pang: thority, both in Religion, and Policy, was in the High Prim}, {0 now it was all in the King. For the Soveraignty over the people, which was before, not onely by vertue of the Divine Power, but alfo by a particular pact of the Ili‘aelites in God,and next under him, in the High Prieft, as his Vicegerent on earth, was call of? by the People, with the confent of God himi‘elfe. fame hand with that or the Civill Soveraignty; and the Priefts ofhec For when they (and to Samuel ( I Sam. 8. 5.) make w a King in .-..« M "\t. ""t 'H: judge In, like all the Nations, they fignified that they would no more bee governed by the commands that lhould bee laid upon them by the Priefi, in the name of God; but by one that ihould command them in the fame manner that all other nations were commanded, and confequently in depofing the High Priefi of it" t e l l l l l t ' . . , miracle) great abilities, or great feliCity in the enterprifes or their them!"- Governours, gave fufficient credit, either tothe fame ofMofes, or to the Colloquies between God and the Prielts; they took occafion' they have not rejel'fed thee, but they have rejee7ed mes, that I ceeded from time to time the civill troubles, divilions, and calamities ofthe Nation.As for example, after the death ofEleazar and joihua, the next generation which had not l'een the wonders of God,but were left to their own weak reaibn, not knowing tliemle1t'es obliged by the Covenant ota Sacerdotall Kingdome, regarded no more the Com« evill.And for the Government ot'Civill altaires, it is manircil, it inandementot'the Prieft,nor any law ofMoiEs, but did every man was all inrhe hands ofthe Kingfor in the fame Chapter, veril :0. They fay they will belike all the Nations; that their King ihallbe that which was right in his own eyes, and obeyed in Civill affairs, fuchnien, as from time totime they thought able to deliver them from the ne:ghbour Nations that opprcfled them; and confiilted theirjudge, and goe before them, and fight their battells; thatit, he {hall have the whole authority, both in Peace and \‘Var. In which is contained alto the ordering ot‘Religion .- for there was no other Word of God in that time, by which to regulate Religion. not with (Jodi as they ought to doe,) but with fueh men, or women, asthey gueflhl to bee Prophets by their Praedic‘tions of things to come, and though they had an Idol in their Chappel,yet ifthey had a butthe Law of Mofes, which was their CiVill Lanh-lides, rim Levite for theierhaplain, they made account they worihipped the (1 Kings 2. 27.)that Solomon the]! out Alumhar fé-em mg 1535;} God or I liael. And afterwards when they demanded a King,after thelmanner of Temple, that he blefled the People, andthai he hiniielie in perili made that excellent prayer,ufedin the Conitcrariom or all (flit:- (hes, and houies ofPi'ayer; which is another great mark or Sup: ;macy in Religion.Again,we read (2 It's/7g; :2.)that when there iris qrieltion concerning the Book orthe Law found in the 'l‘cm wle. fl": lame was not decided by the High Pi‘ieli biitjoiiah lent bjliil lillx‘, and others to enquire concerning it,ot‘Hulda,the Prophcieile; in 21161 is another mark ot‘the Supremacy in Religion. Laltlv, wt; 1...} (1 Chron.26.3o.) that David made Haihabiah and his brethrendl. 1 bronites, Oflieers ofIiiael among them \Veit\\'ai‘d,m.zll lift/mm ' ' the Lord, 4211:); zlejerwee oft/w Karel. Likewii'e {writ 32., I " made other Hebronites, ruler! over the Ice/{hm m, the (I.I:l/!e'.\',~l/ : ~ hulfe mhe of .11.mzz{]eht‘rheie were the rel} of Ili'ael that dwelt lit 5.x ":5- . were joined, firlt inthe Hi h Priefts, and afterwards in the Kings, £3221,"ng [0 far forth as concernedtie Right; yet it appeareth by the fame "a, 1% ,,,;,,me Holy Hiltory,that the people unde rfiood it not-7 but tllec being of the Kings, amongit theinagreat part,and probably the greatelt part, that no "Ming to longer than they {aw great miracles,or lwlnch IS equivalent to a the Right lime/d "at flight over them. Having therefore rejected God, in whole Right the Priefis g0verned, there was no authority 1th to the Priefls, but {rich as the King was pleafed to allow them; Religion. And we read alto {1 King; 8. )that hee dedicated the l 'all. n Notwithflanding the government both in Policy and Religion, ZhEFrdfllfef'f as oft as their Governours difpleafed them, by blaming fometimes € l after the election of Saul, was not Magifieriall ,1 but Mining- the Policy, fometimes the Religion, to change the Government , or revolt from their Obedience at their pleafure :And from thence pro- which was more, or lefle, according as the Kings were good, or 255 Kingdome, to the Captivity,the Supremacy of Religion, Was in the And yet God contented to it, faying to Samuel(vei~fe 7.)I-le.lrhm mm: the mieeaf the People, in «lit/mt they [be]! fit} II/rtothce; er G l Chap.4oI Royall authority, they depofed that peculiar Governmentof God. before the Lord:He hadtherefore authority over the High I'rzti‘t, as over any other Subject, which is agreat maik or Supremacy in 6 C0 MMON-WEALTHJ the nations-wet it was nor with a dehgn to depart from the worihip of (iodtheir hing, but dcl‘pairing ot‘thejultice ot'the ions of Samuel, they would have a King tojudg them in Civill actions, but not that they would allow their Kingto change the Religion which they thought was recommended to them by Moles. So that they alwaies kept in [lore a pretext,either ot'j ultice,or R eligion,to difcharge them {elves or their obedience, whenioever they had hope to prevailc. Samuel was diipleaied with the people, for that they defired a King, (forGodwastheir King already, and Samuel had but an authority under him); yet did Samuel, when Saul obferved not his counfell, in. dthroying Agag as God had commanded, anoint another King, namely,1)avid,totakethe filCCCfllOfl from his heirs. Rehoboain was no ldolater; but when the people thought him an Oppreifor; that Cwil pretence carried from him ten Tribes IOJCI‘ObOZlm an Idolater. And generally through the whole Hii‘tory of the Kings , as well of 13 not this full Ptiwerdioth It‘mporii/l and [/Ilrltvalflas they call lliimit jL‘lqurfi‘S otli‘rael,there were Prophets that alwaies controlled the KingS, tor tranfgrelfing the Religion, and {ometimes alfo for Errours 2 Chm-194' would leldCltf To concludtd‘rom the firlt inllitution of (/05 0‘ 5W5; 15 jehofaphat was reproved by the Prophetjehufor aiding hinges 111»; the JOtdanVor e'vrry "LifterpcrtiiI/‘m:(rIn (Miami affairs cf the lift" ' |