1 Kings

neither the true Prophets of the Lord, nor any of the Laws or Conftitutions of the Mofaical Revelation, are the leaft concerned in this Cafe of Ahab. You fee further how groundless it is to charge even these Court Prophets with a Confpiracy to fend the King to War, that he might fall in Battle. The Hiftory fhews how much Ahab loved to be deceived; when it was proposed to confult Micajah, he faid, I hate him, for he doth not prophesy Good concerning me, but Evil 3xxii. 8. but Ahab's Prophets were much better Courtiers, they aimed only at pleafing him; and what Advantage could thefe Prophets have, by a Confpiracy against Ahab's Life? They might hope fomething from his Favour while he lived, but had little to expect, if by his Death the Credit of the true Prophets of the Lord fhould be revived. But to return from the Mif-conduct of the falfe Prophets to the Conduct of the true.

Our Author obferves, "Experience by "this time had evinced, that it was im

poffible for the regal Power and prophe"tick Office to fubfift together, and there"fore Abab hoped to have put an End to "this holy Order, and thereby have cut off "the Occafion of any more religious Wars He therefore feems to have "formed a Defign, and laid a Scheme, if "poffible, to root them out, and to efta"blish fome other Religion more friendly "and beneficent to Mankind; and that

I

"might

" might not obstruct his Alliances with other "Nations*." So our Author represents the Idolatry of Ahab in comparison with the Worship of the true God, as the established Religion of the Hebrew Nation. Ahab had married Jezabel, Daughter of the King of Zidon, an Idolater: "She was a Woman of great Policy and Contrivance, by whom " he might execute his Defigns without feeming to be directly engaged in it him"felf. She laid a Scheme for the Deftruc"tion of the Lord's Prophets, and for which "(as our Author tells us) the feemed to have "had fome Appearance of natural Justice." The Prophets it seems were against a Toleration of Idolatry, or a Sufpenfion of the Laws against Idolaters in the Hebrew Government, by King Ahab's Prerogative; but Queen Jezabel thought this Zeal of the Prophets contrary to the Law of Nature and "Nations; and therefore the laid a De

fign for the Destruction and Extermina"tion of thefe Prophets, as Enemies not only to their own Country, but to the common Peace and Tranquility of the World." And, does our Author think fo too? Would he have his Readers think thus with Queen Jezabel, and justify her Design for the Destruction and Extermination of the Prophets for thefe Reasons. Let the fore

*Moral Philof. I. 312.. + Id. 314.

foregoing Principles of the Hebrew Government determine the Cafe.

We have feen the Juftice, Wisdom and Goodness of putting a ftop to Idolatry, by the Hebrew Conftitution that Idolatry was High-Treafon in the Hebrew Gothat the Prohibition of Mar

vernment

riage with Idolaters being one of the Origi-nal Laws of Jehovah, was unalterable, and not to be difpens'd with, by any Power or Authority in that Government.

That a Toleration of Idolatry in that Government was fubverfive of the chief Defign. and principal End of the Conftitution, irreconcileable to common Senfe, as well as to political Wisdom. That it was a

Breach of the Covenant of Jehovah, or of the Original Contract between Jehovah and the Nation, and of the Oath of Allegiance to Jehovah, by which all Perfons were bound from the lowest of the People to the highest Magiftrate.

What fort of Perfons then must the Prophets have been, if they could have fallen in with King Ahab's Defign, to abolish the Worship of the one true God, in order to. introduce Idolatry as a more friendly Religion, and more beneficent to Mankind? If they could have thought with Queen Jezabel, that the Punishment of Idolatry, according to the Laws of the Hebrew Government, was contrary to the Law of Nature and Nations, what honeft Man in

all

all Ifrael, Prophet or no Prophet, but would have endeavoured, as far as he lawfully might, to prevent the utter Subverfion of the Religion, Laws and Conftitutions of his Country, on which his own Liberties, Property and Happiness did depend. For the fame Power that deftroyed the Conftitution, might destroy every Man's Rights. and Properties, which were only to be fupported by it. Naboth's Right to his Vineyard would be brought to depend on the King's Will, as much as the Laws against Idolatry.

The Wisdom of our Government has declared it inconfiftent with the Safety and Welfare of this Proteftant Kingdom, to be governed by a Popish Prince, or by any King or Queen marrying a Papist; and therefore it is enacted*, that every fuch Perfon fhall be excluded, and be for ever incapable to inherit, poffefs or enjoy the Crown and Government of this Realm. And in all and every fuch Cafe or Cafes, the People of thefe Realms fhall be, and are hereby abfolved of their Allegiance.

If Queen Jezabel would have thought thefe Methods of Prefervation against the Danger of Popery contrary to the Laws of Nature and Nations, I hope no honest Englishman, who has feen in Experience, that Popery is inconfiftent with the Safety and Welfare of this Proteftant Kingdom,

* W. & M. Sef. ii. c. 2.

but

but will own it to be a wife and neceffary Provifion, to preserve his Religion, Liberty and Property, and endeavour to prevent the leaft Breach in this Security to our Happiness from the prefent Proteftant Succeffion. Whether Idolatry was not as inconfiftent with the Safety and Welfare of the Hebrew Government, let every Man judge?

I fhall but just take notice of one Obfervation more of our Author's, in this Charge against the Prophets: "That every King "and Royal Family, who could not come " into these Meafures, were marked out for "Destruction; and the most formidable " and bloody Rebellions raised against them

for encouraging and fupporting Idola"try.*" This Charge of Rebellion against Kings and Royal Families founds great, and may perhaps lead unthinking People to imagine fome divine hereditary Right of Succeffion in these Kings and Royal Families; and that it must be an heavy Aggravation of Rebellion in the Prophets, to oppose the Exercise of the Royal Prerogative for the Establishment of Idolatry. But pray obferve who these Kings and Royal Families were; Ahab was the Son of Omri, a general Officer, who came to be King by flaying Zimri, who had confpired against ·Elah his King, and killed him. Elah was the Son and Succeffor of Baafha, who began his Royal Family by confpiring against,

* Moral Philof. I. 303.

and