Aaron being dead,and after him also Moses,the kingdom,as being a sacerdotal kingdom,descended by virtue of the covenant to Aaron's son,Eleazar the high priest:and God declared him,next under Himself,for sovereign,at the same time that He appointed Joshua for the general of their army.For thus God saith expressly concerning Joshua:"He shall stand before Eleazar the priest,who shall ask counsel for him before the Lord;at his word shall they go out,and at his word they shall come in,both he,and all the children of Israel with him."Therefore the supreme power of making war and peace was in the priest.The supreme power of judicature belonged also to the high priest:for the Book of the Law was in their keeping,and the priests and Levites only were the subordinate judges in causes civil,as appears in Deuteronomy,17.8,9,10.And for the manner of God's worship,there was never doubt made but that the high priest,till the time of Saul,had the supreme authority.Therefore the civil and ecclesiastical power were both joined together in one and the same person,the high priest;and ought to be so,in whosoever governeth by divine right;that is,by authority immediate from God.
After the death of Joshua,till the time of Saul,the time between is noted frequently in the Book of Judges,"that there was in those days no king in Israel";and sometimes with this addition,that "every man did that which was right in his own eyes."By which is to be understood that where it is said,"there was no king,"is meant,"there was no sovereign power,"in Israel.And so it was,if we consider the act and exercise of such power.For after the death of Joshua and Eleazar,"there arose another generation that knew not the Lord,nor the nor the works which He had done for Israel,but did evil in the sight of the Lord and served Baalim."And the Jews had that quality which St.Paul noteth,"to look for a sign,"not only before they would submit themselves to the government of Moses,but also after they had obliged themselves by their submission.Whereas signs and miracles had for end to procure faith,not to keep men from violating it when they have once given it,for to that men are obliged by the law of nature.But if we consider not the exercise,but the right of governing,the sovereign power was still in the high priest.Therefore whatsoever obedience was yielded to any of the judges (who were men chosen by God extraordinarily to save His rebellious subjects out of the hands of the enemy),it cannot be drawn into argument against the right the high priest had to the sovereign power in all matters both of policy and religion.And neither the judges nor Samuel himself had an ordinary,but extraordinary,calling to the government,and were obeyed by the Israelites,not out of duty,but out of reverence to their favour with God,appearing in their wisdom,courage,or felicity.Hitherto therefore the right of regulating both the policy and the religion were inseparable.
To the judges succeeded kings:and whereas before all authority,both in religion and policy,was in the high priest;so now it was all in the king.For the sovereignty over the people which was,before,not only by virtue of the divine power,but also by a particular pact of the Israelites in God,and next under Him,in the high priest,as His vicegerent on earth,was cast off by the people,with the consent of God Himself.For when they said to Samuel,"make us a king to judge us,like all the nations,"they signified that they would no more be governed by the commands that should be laid upon them by the priest,in the name of God;but by one that should command them in the same manner that all other nations were commanded;and consequently in deposing the high priest of royal authority,they deposed that peculiar government of God.And yet God consented to it,saying to Samuel,"Hearken unto the voice of the people,in all that they shall say unto thee;for they have not rejected thee;but they have rejected me,that I should not reign over them."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 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 continued 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 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 that he dedicated the Temple;that he blessed the people;and that he himself in person made that excellent prayer,used in the consecrations of all churches and houses of prayer;which is another great mark of supremacy in religion.Again,we read 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 and others to enquire concerning it,of Huldah,the prophetess;which is another mark of the supremacy in religion.