pearance of it in any one Inftance of the
Hebrew Hiftory? It was not the Artifice
of the Priests and Samuel, it was the Im-
portunity of the People that faid, Make us 1 Samuel
a King to judge us like all the Nations ? viii. 5, 6.
for the thing difpleafed Samuel, or he did
not approve of fuch an Alteration of the
original Conftitution. In the Government
of Saul the firft King, the Power and In-
fluence of the Levites was fo low that they
could not prevent a Majacre, and putting
all the Inhabitants of the City of Nob to the Samuel
Sword; nor were they in Condition to re- xxii. 18,
fent, or revenge it. There was no Com-19.
motion, not the leaft national Disturbance
upon it, and Abiathar was fain to fly to
David for Safety; who, himself was in the
greatest Danger, hiding himself sometimes in
one Wilderness, fometimes in another, and
had only about fix hundred Men with him;
nor does it appear, there was any Confti-
tution made on David's Acceffion, to the
particular Advantage of the Priests.

The Revolution under Jeroboam was fo far from being of any Advantage to the Priefts and Levites, that it was a fatal Blow to their legal Rights and Interests. They loft above three Quarters of their Revenue, befides the Office and Dignity of Priests, in the Cities of Ifrael. Sure the Priests were very unskilful and unlucky Politicians, to make way by Jeroboam's Revolution for

the

Kings the Calves of Dan and Bethel, for Priefts xii. 31. of the lowest of the People, who were not of the Sons of Levi, to deprive them of fo large a Part of their Subftance; Confequences eafy to be forefeen in fuch an Alteration of the Government, and which, if. the Priefts and Levites had common Senfe, they must have used all their Interest to prevent, instead of having any hand in the Contrivance or Execution of it.

So contrary to all Reason, so contrary to all hiftorical Truth of Facts, is it to fuppofe, that the Hebrew Conftitution was contrived partially to favour the particular Interest of the Levites, or to draw the Power or Wealth of the Hebrew Nation into their Hands.

CHA P.

CHA P. XIV.

That Obedience to the General States of the National Union, in whom the Tribes, though Separate and independent Provinces, were united into one Government, was effential to the Hebrew Conftitution; that to difobey and oppofe their Orders, was a very dangerous Act of HighTreafon.

A

LL wife Governments have made every A&t of High-Treafon a Capital Crime, and have justly accounted it one of the most dangerous Offences that can be committed. It is not only an Injury to one Man, or to a few private Perfons; but it is an Inquiry to the whole Society, to the Peace, and Order of the Government, on which the Property, the Liberty, the Happiness,and even the Lives of every one of the Society muft depend. Treafon is defined to be an Offence committed against the Security of the King or Kingdom; according to the Roman Law, every Attempt against the Emperor or Commonwealth was Treafon *. By our Laws a

Man

Lex Julia Majeftatis, quæ in eos, qui contra Imperatorem vel Rempublicam aliquid moliti fun:, fuum vigorem extendit. Inftitut. I. iv. Tit. xviii. §. 3.

What
High-

the He

vernment.

Man commits High-Treafon by counterfeiting the Coin, or the Great Seal, by killing a Chancellor, Treasurer or Judge, in the Execution of their Office; by adhering to the King's Enemies, by levying War as well as by compaffing and imagining the Death of the King. So that all Offences which directly tend to overthrow what is neceffary to the Safety and Authority of the Government, efpecially if they appear in overt Acts of forcible Oppofition to it, are ranked among the most heinous Crimes, and which in Juftice and Wisdom deserve the severest Punishment. No wonder the Hebrew Government should take care to fecure its Authority in the fame manner all wife Governments have ever done; nor is it to be wonder'd at, that therefore there fhould be fevere Penalties in the Hebrew Laws for fuch Offences, or Examples in the Hebrew History of fevere Punishments inflicted on fuch Offenders.

Among the Hebrews the Majeftas Imperii, the Authority of Government, was in Treafon in 'the first place to be confider'd in Jehovah brew Go-himself as King of Ifrael; therefore whatever overt Act amounted to a Denial of his Right and Authority, as King of Ifrael, whatever amounted to compaffing and endeavouring to depofe him, was the highest Sort of Treafon in that Government, as what is committed against the Security of the King, is according to our Law, and what was attempted against

against the Emperor, was according to the Roman Law, and what deferved the feverest Punishment according to both.

But the Authority of Government is to be confidered next, in the Perfons to whom the Execution of the Laws and Juftice is committed by the Conftitution. These, in the Hebrew Government, were principally the Judge, the national Senate, and the Congregation of all Ifrael. To oppofe then and refift their Authority, especially in the Execution of their proper Offices, as the national States, to levy War against them, was in their Constitution a greater Offence, than in ours to kill a Chancellor, Treafurer or Judge, in the Execution of their Office, as great as to levy War against the King, to hinder and oppose the Execution of Justice.

One would think there is little need to vindicate the Wisdom of Laws against HighTreafon, or the Juftice of fevere Punishments for fo heinous Offences; yet fo it is, the Hebrew Government is treated with uncommon Severity on this Account. Our moral Philofopher tells us, that "the Decision of "the Oracle, in the Cafe of the Levite, was without the leaft Truth, natural Honour, or common Juftice. That it " is evident here the Oracle was neither in-. "fallible nor impeccable; fo far from it, "that he encouraged and prompted the People to the most bloody and cruel Outrage that had ever been known or heard

" of;