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whereas he was indeed a Levite, as appears Chron.

by his Genealogy.

vi. 34.

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 conveying away his Eftate; and Heireffes were confin'd to marry those of their own Tribe. It is probable that this was the Cafe of the Blessed Virgin; and that, for this Reason, the * Evangelists, in deducing the Genealogy of our LORD, pursue not her Line, 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 indifferently. 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

* 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,

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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, because 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

15.

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

From this Divifion and Separation of the Tribes, there naturally grew up a strong Enmity, on each Side, fomented by confequential Differences and Provocations. For Jeroboam, the more effectually to fecure 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 House 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,

* 1 Kings xii. 28. To reprefent the Apis or Serapis of the Egyptians, in the Abfence of the Temple; as Aaron C 3

had

Hof. v.

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 Jerufalem, upon that Ac

count.

The Priests 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 affign'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 Priefts, 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 IC 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 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 stead he brought Men from Babylon, and from Cuthah, and from Ava, and from Hamath,

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