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wrong, and is not to be followed. I know indeed that it may be faid that Jeroboam was not a Chriftian King, and therefore the Parallel is not good, for it does not follow that because a Jewish King might not make a Prieft in Cafe of Neceffity, that therefore a Chriftian King may not. But it may be answered, that the Cafe is the fame, because the Reason is the fame. That the Jewish Church was at that time the Church of God, as the Chriftian Church is now: And that the Reason why Jeroboam finned in making Priefts, was, because ao Man could have that Honour, unless he was called of God, as was Aaron. God had himself appointed the Way by which Priefts fhould be made, confequently whoever made Priefts in any other Way, did not make fuch Priefts as God would allow or approve of. And the Cafe is the very fame now under the Chriftian State and the Chriftian Oeconomy; for St. Paul applies those very Words to Chrift and the Chriftian Priesthood, and fhews, that Christ was called of God, as was Aaron; and I have already fhewed that Chrift made the Apostles his Succeffors, and that Bishops were Succeffors to them. And therefore for any Chriftian King, or other Lay Power, to pretend to make Bijhops and Priefts, tho' in a Cafe of the greateft feeming Neceffity, will be the Sin of Jeroboam, who made Ifrael to fin. The fame St. Paul alfo teaches us, that the Sins, and the Punishments confequent upon them, which we meet with in the Old Teftament, are to ftand for Examples to us Chriftians, to prevent our doing the like, when he fays, (r) Now ALL these things happened unto them for Enfamples, and they are written for our Admonition, upon whom the Ends of the

(7) 1 Cor. x. 11,

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World are come. It is true, he does not in that place or elsewhere fpeak particularly of the Sin of Jeroboam, but (s) St. Jude fets before us the Sin of Corah for an Example to us Chriftians, which was a Sin of the fame nature with that of Jeroboam; for (t) Corah fought to get the Priesthood by a Lay Power, by the Vote or Election of the Congregation. Now how could Chriftians be guilty of this Sin, as the Apoftle plainly supposes they may, and therefore warns them against it, if any Lay Power amongst Chriftians had Authority to make Bishops and Priefts? And if Chriftians may be guilty of the Sin of Corah, as St. Jude evidently teaches us that they may, then may a Chriftian King alfo be guilty of the Sin of Jerobo am, if he takes upon him to make Priefts, tho' in a Cafe of extreme Neceffity, as Jeroboam did. As therefore Jeroboam's Priefts under the Law were only nominal, not real Priefts, for God never accepted them as his Priefts; fo if a Chriftian Prince or State, or any other Lay Power whatfoever, fhould take upon them to make Bishops and Priefts, or appoint Perfons to perform thofe Offices by any other Names or Titles, fuch as Minifters of the Gospel, or Minifters of God's Word, thefe Perfons fo appointed neither could nor would be God's Minifters, Bishops or Priests, any more than Jeroboam's were. They would have no Authority from God (u) to stand before the Lord, to minifter unto him, and to blefs in his Name. It is true Jeroboam and his Priefts did offer Sacrifices upon (w) the Altar which he had erected. But those Sacrifices were fo far from being acceptable to God, from rendring him propitious and graci

(t) Num. xvi, 11. (u) Deut.

(s) St. Jude, ver. 11. X. 8. (w) 1 Kings xii. 32, 33.

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ous unto Jeroboam and his People, that they immediately provoked God (x) to fend a Prophet to denounce Vengeance against him and his People. And when this would not prevail with them to ceafe from this Wickedness, but Jeroboam ftill went on to make of the lowest of the People Priests of the high Places, God by the Mouth of his Prophet Abijah (y) renewed his Threatning, and faid, Behold, I will bring Evil upon the House of Jeroboam, and will cut off from Jeroboam him that piffeth against the Wall, and him that is shut up and left in Ifrael, and will take away the Remnant of the Houfe of Jeroboam, as a Man taketh away Dung, till it be all gone. Him that dieth of Jeroboam in the City fhall the Dogs eat; and him that dieth in the Field ball the Fowls of the Air eat: For the Lord hath Spoken it. For the Lord fhall fmite Ifrael as a Reed is fhaken in the Water, and he ball root up Ifrael out of this good Land which he gave to their Fathers, and fhall scatter them beyond the River, because they have made their Groves, provoking the Lord to Anger. And what was here threatned, was afterwards fulfilled. (z) For Baasha the Son of Ahijab confpired against Nadab the Son of Jeroboam, and flew him, and reigned in his Stead. And it came to pafs when he reigned, that he fmote all the Houfe of Jeroboam; he left not to Jeroboam any that breathed, until he had destroyed him, according uato the Saying of the Lord which he spake by his Servant Ahijah the Shilonite: Because of the Sins of Jeroboam which he finned, and which he made Ifrael to fin, by his Provecation wherewith he provoked the Lord God of Ifrael to Anger. And as the Prophefy was thus fulfilled with regard to Jeroboam and his

(x) 1 Kings xiii. 1. &c. (y) Kings xiv. 5, 10, 11, 15, (7) 1 Kings xv. 27, 28, 22, 30,

Family, fo was it afterwards fulfilled with regard to his whole Kingdom. For (a) the Lord rejected all the Seed of Ifrael, and afflicted them, and delivered them into the Hand of Spoilers, until he had caft them out of his Sight. For he rent Ifrael from the Houfe of David; and they made Jeroboam the Son of Nebat King: And Jeroboam drave Ifraet from following the Lord, and made them fin a great Sin. For the Children of Ifrael walked in all the Sins of Jeroboam which he did, they departed not from them until the Lord removed Ifrael out of his Sight, as he had faid by all his Servants the Prophets. So was Ifrael carried away out of their own Land to Affyria unto this Day, and never returned from that Captivity. This was the Effect of a King's taking upon him to make Priests upon pretence of Neceffity, it brought utter Destruction upon him, his Family, and his People. And therefore by Parity of Reason (for thefe things, as I have fhewed, were written for our Example and Admonition) if a Chriftian King, tho' urged thereto, as he may think, by great Neceffity, fhall take upon him to make Bishops and Priefts, the pretended Sacraments and Services which fuch Mock-Bishops and Priests fhould offer, would be fo far from anfwering the End and Defign for which Chriftian Sacraments and Services were appointed, they would be fo far from rendring God propitious and gracious to the People who fhould receive them at their Hands, that they would tend to pull down his Judgments upon them: They would be fo far from procuring Remiffion of Sins, the great End for which the Chriftian Ordinances were appointed, that they would aggravate and encrease them. God, who has fhewed us

(4) 2 Kings xvii, 20, 21, 22, 23.

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by the Examples of those who wandred in Defarts and Mountains, and in Dens and Caves of the Earth, as I have already obferved, that he both can and will fave us without Sacrifices or Sacraments, where he by his Providence has put it out of our Power rightly to partake of fuch Miniftrations, has alfo taught us by this and other Examples, that he will not have his Ordinances profaned, or offered to him by Priefts that are not of his own Appointment; no, not altho' they fhould be appointed by Kings and their People, and in Cafes of very great Neceffity. For what Neceffity can be greater than that of Jeroboam and his People, who had not a true Priest left amongst them? Nay, Saul had alfo the Plea of Neceffity (b) for offering a burnt Offering himself. For this was the Excufe he made to Samuel, faying, (c) Because I faw that the People were Scattered from me, and that thou camest not within the Days appointed, and that the Philiftines gathered themSelves together to Michmafh: Therefore faid I, the Philiftines will come down now upon me to Gilgal, and I have not made Supplication unto the Lord: I forced my felf therefore, and offered a burnt Offering. Yet all this Neceffity which he here pleaded in his own Behalf, could not be accepted. (d) And Samuel faid to Saul, Thou hast done foolishly: Thou hast not kept the Commandment of the Lord thy God which be commanded thee: For now would the Lord have established thy Kingdom over Ifrael for ever. But now thy Kingdom fhall not continue. Thus this King's taking upon him to execute the Priest's Office in a Cafe of Neceffity (at least he thought it to be fo) instead of procuring a Bleffing to him

(b) 1 Sam. xiii. 9. (d) Sam. xiii. 13, 14.

(c) Sam. xiii. 11, 12.

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