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rights of the

saying to Samuel (1 Sam. viii. 7) Hearken unto the PART III. voice of the people, in all that they shall say unto thee; for they have not rejected thee, but they have of the rejected me, that I should not reign over them. kings of Israel. Having therefore rejected God, in whose right the priests governed, there was no authority left to the priests, but such as the king was pleased to allow them; which was more or less, according as the kings were good or evil. And for the government of civil affairs, it is manifest, it was all in the hands of the king. For in the same chapter, (verse 20), they say they will be like all the nations; that their king shall be their judge, and go before them, and fight their battles; that is, he shall have the whole authority, both in peace and war. In which is contained also the ordering of religion: for there was no other word of God in that time, by which to regulate religion, but the law of Moses, which was their civil law. Besides, we read (1 Kings ii. 27) that Solomon thrust out Abiathar from being priest before the Lord: he had therefore authority over the high-priest, as over any other subject; which is a great mark of supremacy in religion. And we read also, (1 Kings viii.) that he dedicated the Temple; that he blessed the people; and that he himself in person made that excellent prayer, used in the consecration of all churches and houses of prayer; which is another great mark of supremacy in religion. Again, we read (2 Kings xxii.) that when there was question concerning the Book of the Law found in the Temple, the same was not decided by the high-priest, but Josiah sent both him and others to enquire concerning it, of Huldah, the prophetess; which is another mark of supremacy

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PART III. in religion. Lastly, we read (1 Chron. xxvi. 30) that David made Hashabiah and his brethren, Hebronites, officers of Israel among them westward, in all their business of the Lord, and in the service of the king. Likewise (verse 32) that he made other Hebronites, rulers over the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half tribe of Manasseh (these were the rest of Israel that dwelt beyond Jordan) for every matter pertaining to God, and affairs of the king. Is not this full power, both temporal and spiritual, as they call it that would divide it? To conclude; from the first institution of God's kingdom, to the captivity, the supremacy of religion was in the same hand with that of the civil sovereignty; and the priest's office after the election of Saul, was not magisterial, but ministerial.

The practice of supremacy

not, in the time

Notwithstanding the government both in policy in religion was and religion, were joined, first in the high-priests, of the kings, ac- and afterwards in the kings, so far forth as concording to the cerned the right; yet it appeareth by the same

right thereof.

holy history, that the people understood it not: but there being amongst them a great part, and probably the greatest part, that no longer than they saw great miracles, or, what is equivalent to a miracle, great abilities, or great felicity in the enterprises of their governors, gave sufficient credit either to the fame of Moses or to the colloquies between God and the priests; they took occasion, as oft as their governors displeased them, by blaming sometimes the policy, sometimes the religion, to change the government or revolt from their obedience at their pleasure: and from thence proceeded from time to time the civil troubles, divisions, and calamities of the nation. As for ex

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of the kings, ac

right thereof.

ample, after the death of Eleazar and Joshua, the PART III. next generation which had not seen the wonders of God, but were left to their own weak reason, The practice of supremacy not knowing themselves obliged by the covenant in religion was of a sacerdotal kingdom, regarded no more the not, in the time commandment of the priest nor any law of Moses, cording to the but did every man that which was right in his own eyes, and obeyed in civil affairs such men, as from time to time they thought able to deliver them from the neighbour nations that oppressed them; and consulted not with God, as they ought to do, but with such men or women, as they guessed to be prophets by their predictions of things to come; and though they had an idol in their chapel, yet if they had a Levite for their chaplain, they made account they worshipped the God of Israel.

And afterwards when they demanded a king after the manner of the nations; yet it was not with a design to depart from the worship of God their king; but despairing of the justice of the sons of Samuel, they would have a king to judge them in civil actions; but not that they would allow their king to change the religion which they thought was recommended to them by Moses. So that they always kept in store a pretext, either of justice or religion, to discharge themselves of their obedience, whensoever they had hope to prevail. Samuel was displeased with the people, for that they desired a king; for God was their king already, and Samuel had but an authority under him; yet did Samuel, when Saul observed not his counsel, in destroying Agag as God had commanded, anoint another king, namely David, to take the succession from his heirs. Rehoboam was no idolater; but when

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PART III. the people thought him an oppressor, that civil pretence carried from him ten tribes to Jeroboam an idolater. And generally through the whole history of the kings, as well of Judah as of Israel, there were prophets that always controlled the kings, for transgressing the religion; and sometimes also for errors of state; as Jehosaphat was reproved (2 Chron. xix. 2) by the prophet Jehu, for aiding the king of Israel against the Syrians; and Hezekiah, by Isaiah, (xxxix. 3-7) for shewing his treasures to the ambassadors of Babylon. By all which it appeareth, that though the power both of state and religion were in the kings; yet none of them were uncontrolled in the use of it, but such as were gracious for their own natural abilities or felicities. So that from the practise of those times, there can no argument be drawn, that the right of supremacy in religion was not in the kings, unless we place it in the prophets, and conclude, that because Hezekiah praying to the Lord before the cherubims, was not answered from thence, nor then, but afterwards by the prophet Isaiah, therefore Isaiah was supreme head of the church; or because Josiah consulted Huldah the prophetess, concerning the Book of the Law, that therefore neither he nor the high-priest, but Huldah the prophetess, had the supreme authority in matter of religion; which I think is not the opinion of any doctor.

During the captivity, the Jews had no commonAfter the cap- wealth at all: and after their return, though they tivity, the Jews had no settled renewed their covenant with God, yet there was no promise made of obedience, neither to Esdras, nor to any other and presently after, they became subjects to the Greeks, from whose customs and

commonwealth

:

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demonology, and from the doctrine of the Cabal- PART III. ists, their religion became much corrupted: in such sort as nothing can be gathered from their confusion, both in state and religion, concerning the supremacy in either. And therefore so far forth as concerneth the Old Testament, we may conclude, that whosoever had the sovereignty of the commonwealth amongst the Jews, the same had also the supreme authority in matter of God's external worship, and represented God's person; that is, the person of God the Father; though he were not called by the name of Father, till such time as he sent into the world his son Jesus Christ, to redeem mankind from their sins, and bring them into his everlasting kingdom, to be saved for evermore. Of which we are to speak in the chapter following.

CHAPTER XLI.

OF THE OFFICE OF OUR BLESSED SAVIOUR.

of the office

We find in Holy Scripture three parts of the office of the Messiah: the first of a Redeemer or Three parts Saviour; the second of a pastor, counsellor, or of Christ. teacher, that is, of a prophet sent from God to convert such as God hath elected to salvation: the third of a king, an eternal king, but under his Father, as Moses and the high-priests were in their several times. And to these three parts are correspondent three times. For our redemption he wrought at his first coming, by the sacrifice wherein he offered up himself for our sins upon the cross: