=

by his Genealogy.

And, for the better fecuring and keeping these several Allotments unalienable and fix'd in the Tribe to which they belong'd, no one had a Power of abfolutely conveye ing away his Eftate; and Heireffes were

[

I

whereas he was indeed a Levite, as appears Chron.

vi. 34.

t

D but Joseph's only; it being the fame Thing,

in effect, as they were both of the fame
Tribe. But, as nothing of this kind could
affect the Levites, who had no Inheritance,
we find they married out of any Tribe in-
differently. And therefore Elizabeth might
be nearly related to the Virgin Mary; Luke i.
though the former was of the Tribe of 36.
Levi, and the latter of that of Judah.

When this People came to be quietly
fettled in the Land of Canaan, and had,
according to that Form of Government
which God himself was pleas'd to pre-

confin'd to marry thofe of their own Tribe.
It is probable that this was the Cafe of the
Bleffed Virgin; and that, for this Reason,
the Evangelifts, in deducing the Genea-
logy of our LORD, pursue not her Line,

* St. Matthew and St. Luke.

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fcribe

scribe to them, been govern'd by Judges first, and then by Kings; namely by Saul, of the Tribe of Benjamin; by David, of that of Judah, who made Jerufalem, a City of the fame Tribe, the Seat of his Empire; and by Solomon the Son of David, who built the firft Temple at Jerusalem: They, hitherto, obtain'd and preferv'd the Name of Ifraelites. But,

SECT. IV.

Whence call'd JE W S.

UPON the Death of Solomon, Ten of the Tribes declaring for Jeroboam the Son of Nebat, and the other Two, those of Judah and Benjamin, adhering to Reboboam, Solomon's Son, hereby arose a Diftinction; the former being call'd the King of Ifrael, because the Majority of the Tribes fided with him, and the latter the King of Judah; taking his Title from that Tribe, by way of Eminence, becaufe his own Family was of it; and Jerufalem, the Metropolis, with the Temple and all the Inftitutions of Religion thereunto belonging, was one of its Cities. And, as Fero

of

Jeroboam was of the Tribe of Ephraim, all the Tribes that fubmitted to him are fometimes call'd the People of Ephraim; Jer. vii. 2 and the two Nations, as we may now call 15. them, are generally distinguish'd from each 12, 13. other by the Names of Judah and Ifrael, or Judah and Ephraim.

Hof. v.

From this Divifion and Separation of the Tribes, there naturally grew up a ftrong Enmity, on each Side, fomented by confequential Differences and Provocations. For Jeroboam, the more effectually to secure those who had declar'd for him, and to prevent them from returning to Reboboam, made them forfake the Worship of the true God, and perverted them to Idolatry. He knew, that they could not go up to offer Sacrifice in the Houfe of the LORD at Jerufalem (as, by the Law, they were oblig'd, every Year, to do) and, at the fame time, continue in their Allegiance to him; and therefore, upon a Confultation with the Heads of his Party, he made * two golden Calves; affuring the People,

*

Kings xii. 28. To reprefent the Apis or Serapis of the Egyptians, in the Abfence of the Temple; as Aaron

had

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People, these were their Gods which brought them up out of the land of Egypt: that, to these only, religious Worship was due; and that, therefore, they had no Occafion to give themselves the Trouble of a Journey to Jerusalem, upon that Ac

count.

The Priefts and Levites, * for the most Part, upon this, repair'd to Jerufalem, to testify their Allegiance to God. They left the Cities which had been anciently af fign'd them, together with their Suburbs and all their Poffeffions; as indeed it was high Time they should, For Jeroboam and his Sons had caft them off from executing the Prief's Office unto the LORD; and had appointed other Priests, of the loweft of the people, for the High Places, and for the Devils, and for the Calves which he bad made.

This Departure of the Levites was follow'd by feveral others, out of all the

bad done before in the Abfence of Mofes. Exod. xxxii. 4, Baal, an Idol, often mention'd in the Old Teftament, and by Interpreters understood to reprefent Jupiter, is by Tobit call'd, The Heifer Baal, Tob. i. 5.

2 Chron. xi. 13. As many as would not turn Idolaters; for that fome did fo is plain, from Ezek. xliv. 10.

*

Tribes of Ifrael; even by all fuch as fet their Hearts to feek the LORD, and to worship the God of their Fathers. By which means, the Kingdom of Judah was confiderably strengthen'd; and enabled, upon Occafion, to defend itself against, and to cope with, that of Ifrael. And thus they went on, each through the Reigns of about twenty Kings fucceffively; until, first the People of Ifrael, were carried away Captive by Shalmanefer King of AfSyria, and put in Halab and Habor by the River of Gozan, and in the Cities of the 1 Medes; from whence they never return'd: And, about two hundred Years after, the People of Judah with Zedekiah their King, their City and Temple being destroy'd, were carried away Captive, to Babylon, by Nebuchadnezzar.

SECT. V.

The Rife of the SAMARITANS.

AFTER the King of Affyria had carried away the People of Ifrael, in their ftead he brought Men from Babylon, and from Cutbah, and from Ava, and from C 4 Hamath,