religion-第7部分

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after　it　was　told　that　they　Prophesied；　Joshuah　said　unto　Moyses；
Forbid　them　my　Lord。　But　Moyses　answered；　Why　enviest　thou　for　my
sake？　Seeing　therefore　Moyses　alone　was　the　Messenger　of　Gods
Word；　and　that　the　authority　of　interpreting　it　pertain'd　neither
to　private　men；　nor　to　the　Synagogue；　nor　to　the　High　Priest；　nor
to　other　Prophets；　it　remaines；　that　Moyses　alone　was　the
Interpreter　of　Gods　Word；　who　also　had　the　supreme　power　in
civill　matters；　And　that　the　conventions　of　Corah　with　the　rest
of　his　complices　against　Moses　and　Aaron；　and　of　Aaron　with　his
Sister　against　Moyses；　were　rais'd；　not　for　the　salvation　of
their　soules；　but　by　reason　of　their　ambition；　and　desire　of
Dominion　over　the　People。
　　　　XIV。　In　Joshuahs　time　the　interpretation　of　the　Lawes；　and　of
the　Word　of　God；　belong'd　to　Eleazar　the　High　Priest；　who　was
also　under　God；　their　absolute　King。　Which　is　collected　first　of
all　out　of　the　Covenant　it　selfe；　in　which　the　Common…wealth　of
Israel　is　called　a　Priestly　Kingdome；　or　as　it　is　recited　in　the
1　Pet。　2。　9。　A　Royall　Priesthood；　which　could　in　no　wise　be　sayd；
unlesse　by　the　institution　and　Covenant　of　the　People；　the　regall
power　were　understood　to　belong　to　the　High　Priest。　Neither　doth
this　repugne　what　hath　beene　said　before；　where　Moyses；　and　not
Aaron；　had　the　Kingdome　under　God；　since　it　is　necessary　that
when　one　man　institutes　the　forme　of　a　future　Common…wealth；　that
one　should　governe　the　Kingdome　which　he　institutes；　during　his
life；　（whether　it　be　Monarchie；　Aristocraty；　or　Democraty）　and
have　all　that　power　for　the　present；　which　he　is　bestowing　on
others　for　the　future。　Now；　that　Eleazar　the　Priest；　had　not
onely　the　Priesthood；　but　also　the　Soveraignty；　is　expressely　set
downe　in　Joshuahs　call　to　the　administration；　for　thus　it　is
written。　Take　thee　Joshuah　the　Son　of　Nun；　a　man　in　whom　is　the
Spirit；　and　lay　thine　hand　upon　him；　and　set　him　before　Eleazer
the　Priest；　and　before　all　the　Congregation；　and　give　him　a
charge　in　their　sight；　and　thou　shalt　put　some　of　thine　honour
uPon　him；　that　all　the　Congregation　of　the　Children　of　Israel　may
be　obedient；　and　he　shall　stand　before　Eleazar　the　Priest；　who
shall　aske　Counsell　for　him　after　the　judgment　of　Urim；　before
the　Lord：　at　his　word　shall　they　goe　out；　and　at　his　word　shall
they　come　in；　and　all　the　Children　of　Israel　with　him；　even　all
the　Congregation。　Num。　27。　ver。　18；　19；　20；　21。　where　to　aske
Counsell　of　God　for　whatsoever　is　to　be　done；　（that　is）　to
interpret　Gods　word；　and　in　the　name　of　God　to　Command　in　all
matters；　belongs　to　Eleazar；　and　to　goe　out；　and；　to　come　in　at
his　word；　that　is　to　say；　to　obey；　belongs　both　to　Joshuah；　and
to　all　the　People。　Its　to　be　observ'd　also；　that　that　speech；
Part　of　thy　glory；　clearely　denotes　that　Joshuah　had　not　a　power
equall　with　that　which　Moyses　had。　In　the　meane　time　it　is
manifest；　that　even　in　Ioshuahs　time；　the　Supreme　power　and
authority　of　interpreting　the　word　of　God；　were　both　in　one
Person。
　　　　XV。　After　Ioshuahs　death　follow　the　times　of　the　Iudges
untill　King　Saul；　in　which　it　is　manifest　that　the　right　of　the
Kingdome　instituted　by　God；　remained　with　the　High　Priest。　For
the　Kingdome　was　by　Covenant　Priestly；　that　is　to　say；　Gods
government　by　Priests；　and　such　ought　it　to　have　been　untill　that
form　with　Gods　consent　were　changed　by　the　people　themselves：
which　was　not　done；　before　that　requiring　a　King　God　consented
unto　them；　and　said　unto　Samuel；　Hearken　unto　the　voyce　of　the
people　in　all　that　they　say　unto　thee；　for　they　have　not　rejected
thee；　but　they　have　rejected　me　that　I　should　not　reign　over
them。　1。　Sam。　8。　7。　The　supreme　civill　power　was　therefore
Rightly　due　by　Gods　own　institution　to　the　High…Priest；　but
actually　that　power　was　in　the　Prophets；　to　whom　（being　raysed　by
God　in　an　extraordinary　manner）　the　Israelites　（a　people　greedy
of　the　Prophets）　submitted　themselves　to　be　protected；　and
judged；　by　reason　of　the　great　esteem　they　had　of　Prophecies。　The
Reason　of　this　thing；　was；　because　that　though　penalties　were
set；　and　Judges　appointed　in　the　institution　of　Gods　priestly
Kingdome；　yet；　the　Right　of　inflicting　punishment；　depended
wholly　on　private　judgement；　and　it　belonged　to　a　dissolute
multitude；　and　each　single　Person；　to　punish　or　not　to　punish
according　as　their　private　zeale　should　stirre　them　up。　And
therefore　Moyses　by　his　own　command　punisht　no　man　with　death；
but　when　any　man　was　to　be　put　to　death；　one　or　many　stirred　up
the　multitude　against　him　or　them；　by　divine　authority；　and
saying；　Thus　saith　the　Lord。　Now　this　was　conformable　to　the
nature　of　Gods　peculiar　Kingdome。　For　there　God　reignes　indeed
where　his　Lawes　are　obeyed；　not　for　fear　of　men；　but　for　fear　of
himselfe。　And　truly；　if　men　were　such　as　they　should　be；　this
were　an　excellent　state　of　civill　government；　but　as　men　are；
there　is　a　coercive　power　（in　which　I　comprehend　both　right　and
might）　necessary　to　rule　them。　And　therefore　also　God　from　the
beginning　prescribed　Lawes　by　Moyses　for　the　future　Kings。　Deut。
17。　vers。　14。　and　Moyses　foretold　this　in　bis　last　words　to　the
people；　saying；　I　know　that　after　my　death　ye　will　utterly
corrupt　your　selves；　and　turn　aside　from　the　way　that　I　have
commanded　you；　&c。　Deut。　31。　29。　When　therefore　according　to　this
prediction　there　arose　another　generation　who　knew　not　the　Lord；
nor　yet　the　works　which　he　had　done　for　Israel；　the　children　of
Israel　did　evill　in　the　sight　of　the　Lord；　and　served　Balaam；
Iud。　2。　10；　11。　to　wit；　they　cast　off　Gods　government；　that　is　to
say；　that　of　the　Priest；　by　whom　God　ruled；　and　afterward；　when
they　were　overcome　by　their　enemies；　and　opprest　with　bondage；
they　looked　for　Gods　will；　not　at　the　hands　of　the　Priest　any
more；　but　of　the　Prophets。　These　therefore　actually　judged
Israel；　but　their　obedience　was　rightly　due　to　the　High　Priest；
Although　therefore　the　Priestly　Kingdome　after　the　death　of
Moyses；　&　Ioshuah；　was　without　power；　yet　was　it　not　without
Right。　Now　that　the　interpretation　of　Gods　word　did　belong　to　the
same　High　Priest；　is　manifest　by　this；　That　God；　after　the
Tabernacle；　&　the　Ark　of　the　Covenant　was　consecrated；　spake　no
more　in　mount　Sinai；　but　in　the　Tabernacle　of　the　Covenant；　from
the　propitiatory　which　was　between　the　Cherubims；　whether　it　was
not　lawfull　for　any　to　aproach　except　the　High　Priest。　If
therefore　regard　be　had　to　the　Right　of　the　Kingdome；　the　supreme
civill　Power；　and　the　authority　of　interpreting　Gods　word；　were
joyned　in　the　High　Priest；　If　we　consider　the　fact；　they　were
united　in　the　Prophets　who　judged　Israel。　For　as　Iudges；　they　bad
the　civill　authority；　as　Prophets；　they　interpreted　Gods　word；
and　thus　every　way　hitherto　these　two　powers　continued
inseparable。
　　　　XVI。　Kings　being　once　constituted；　its　no　doubt　but　the
civill　authority　belonged　to　them；　for　the　Kingdome　of　God　by　the
way　of　Priesthood；　（God　consenting　to　the　request　of　the
Israelites）　was　ended；　which　Hierom　also　marks　speaking　of　the
books　of　Samuel：　Samuel　（sayes　he）　Eli　being　dead；　and　Saul
slain；　declares　the　old　Law　abolisht；　Furthermore　the　Oaths　of
the　new　Priesthood；　and　new　Soveraignty　in　Zadok；　and　David；　do
testifie；　that　the　Right　whereby　the　Kings　did　rule；　was　founded
in　the　very　concession　of　the　People。　The　Priest　could　rightfully
do　only　what　God　had　commanded；　but　the　King　had　by　right
whatsoever　power　over　every　man　that　each　man　by　right　had　over
himself；　for　the　Israelites　granted　him　a　Right　to　judge　of　all
things；　and　to　wage　warre　for　all　men；　in　which　two　are　contained
all　Right　whatsoever　can　be　conceived　from　man　to　man。　Our　King
（say　they）　shall　judge　us；　and　goe　out　before　us；　and　fight　our
battails；　1。　Sam。　8。　20。　Iudicature　therefore　belonged　to　the
Kings；　but　to　judge　is　nothing　else　then　by　interpreting　to　apply
the　facts　to　the　Lawes；　to　them　therefore　belonged　the
interpretation　of　Lawes　too。　And　because　there　was　no　other
written　word　of　God　acknowledged　beside　the　Law　of　Moyses；　untill
the　Captivity；　the　authority　of　interpreting　Gods　word；　did　also
belong　to　the　Kings；　Nay；　forasmuch　as　the　word　of　God　must　be
taken　for　a　Law；　if　there　had　been　another　written　word　beside
the　Mosaicall　Law；　seeing　the　interpretation　of　Lawes　belonged　to
the　Kings；　the　interpretation　of　it　must　also　have　belonged　to
them。　When　the　book　of　Deuteronomie　（in　which　the　whole　Mosaicall
Law　was　contained）　being　a　long　time　lost；　was　found　again；　the
Priests　indeed　asked　Counsell　of　God　concerning　that　book；　but
not　by　their　own　authority；　but　by　the　Commandement　of　Iosiah；
and　not　immediately　neither；　but　by　the　meanes　of　Holda　the
Prophetesse。　Whence　it　appears　that　the　authority　of　admitting
books　for　the　word　of　God；　belonged　not　to　the　Priest；　neither
yet　followes　it　that　that　authority　belonged　to　the　Prophetesse；
because　others　did　judge　of　the　Prophets　whether　they　were　to　be
held　for　true；　or　not。　For　to　what　end　did　God　give　signes；　and
tokens　to　all　the　People；　whereby　the　true　Prophets　might　be
discerned　from　the　false；　namely；　the　event　of　predictions；　and
conformity　with　the　Religion　establisht　by　Moyses；　if　they　might
not　use　those　marks？　The　authority　therefore　of　admitting　books
for　the　word　of　God　belonged　to　the　King；　&　thus　that　book　of　the
Law　was　approved；　and　received　again　by　the　authority　of　King
Iosiah；　as　appears　by　the　fourth　book　of　the　Kings；　22。　23。　Chap。
where　it　is　reported　that　he　gathered　together　all　the　severall
degrees　of　his　Kingdome；　the　Elders；　Priests；　Prophets；　and　all
the　people；　and　he　read　in　their　eares　all　the　words　of　the
Covenant；　that　is　to　say；　he　caused　that　Covenant　to　be
acknowledged　for　the　Mosaicall　Covenant；　that　is　to　say；　for　the
word　of　God；　and　to　be　again　received；　and　confirmed　by　the
Israelites。　The　civill　power　therefore；　and　the　power　of
discerning　Gods　word　from　the　word　of　men；　and　of　interpreting
Gods　word　even　in　the　dayes　of　the　Kings　was　wholly　belonging　to
themselves。　Prophets　were　sent　not　with　authority；　but　in　the
form；　and　by　the　Right　of　Proclaimers；　and　Preachers；　of　whom　the
hearers　did　judge；　and　if　perhaps　these　were　punisht　who　did　not
li