Common Sense | Page 8

paid
to the persons of Kings, he need not wonder, that the Almighty ever
jealous of his honor, should disapprove of a form of government which
so impiously invades the prerogative of heaven.
Monarchy is ranked in scripture as one of the sins of the Jews, for
which a curse in reserve is denounced against them. The history of that
transaction is worth attending to.
The children of Israel being oppressed by the Midianites, Gideon
marched against them with a small army, and victory, thro' the divine
interposition, decided in his favour. The Jews elate with success, and
attributing it to the generalship of Gideon, proposed making him a king,
saying, RULE THOU OVER US, THOU AND THY SON AND THY
SON'S SON. Here was temptation in its fullest extent; not a kingdom
only, but an hereditary one, but Gideon in the piety of his soul replied, I
WILL NOT RULE OVER YOU, NEITHER SHALL MY SON RULE
OVER YOU. THE LORD SHALL RULE OVER YOU. Words need
not be more explicit; Gideon doth not DECLINE the honor, but denieth
their right to give it; neither doth he compliment them with invented
declarations of his thanks, but in the positive stile of a prophet charges
them with disaffection to their proper Sovereign, the King of heaven.
About one hundred and thirty years after this, they fell again into the
same error. The hankering which the Jews had for the idolatrous
customs of the Heathens, is something exceedingly unaccountable; but
so it was, that laying hold of the misconduct of Samuel's two sons, who
were entrusted with some secular concerns, they came in an abrupt and
clamorous manner to Samuel, saying, BEHOLD THOU ART OLD,
AND THY SONS WALK NOT IN THY WAYS, NOW MAKE US A
KING TO JUDGE US LIKE ALL THE OTHER NATIONS. And here
we cannot but observe that their motives were bad, viz. that they might
be LIKE unto other nations, i. e. the Heathens, whereas their true glory
laid in being as much UNLIKE them as possible. BUT THE THING
DISPLEASED SAMUEL WHEN THEY SAID, GIVE US A KING
TO JUDGE US; AND SAMUEL PRAYED UNTO THE LORD, AND
THE LORD SAID UNTO SAMUEL, HEARKEN UNTO THE VOICE

OF THE PEOPLE IN ALL THAT THEY SAY UNTO THEE, FOR
THEY HAVE NOT REJECTED THEE, BUT THEY HAVE
REJECTED ME, THAT I SHOULD NOT REIGN OVER THEM.
ACCORDING TO ALL THE WORKS WHICH THEY HAVE DONE
SINCE THE DAY THAT I BROUGHT THEM UP OUT OF EGYPT,
EVEN UNTO THIS DAY; WHEREWITH THEY HAVE FORSAKEN
ME AND SERVED OTHER GODS; SO DO THEY ALSO UNTO
THEE. NOW THEREFORE HEARKEN UNTO THEIR VOICE,
HOWBEIT, PROTEST SOLEMNLY UNTO THEM AND SHEW
THEM THE MANNER OF THE KING THAT SHALL REIGN OVER
THEM, I. E. not of any particular king, but the general manner of the
kings of the earth, whom Israel was so eagerly copying after. And
notwithstanding the great distance of time and difference of manners,
the character is still in fashion. AND SAMUEL TOLD ALL THE
WORDS OF THE LORD UNTO THE PEOPLE, THAT ASKED OF
HIM A KING. AND HE SAID, THIS SHALL BE THE MANNER OF
THE KING THAT SHALL REIGN OVER YOU; HE WILL TAKE
YOUR SONS AND APPOINT THEM FOR HIMSELF, FOR HIS
CHARIOTS, AND TO BE HIS HORSEMEN, AND SOME SHALL
RUN BEFORE HIS CHARIOTS (this description agrees with the
present mode of impressing men) AND HE WILL APPOINT HIM
CAPTAINS OVER THOUSANDS AND CAPTAINS OVER FIFTIES,
AND WILL SET THEM TO EAR HIS GROUND AND TO READ
HIS HARVEST, AND TO MAKE HIS INSTRUMENTS OF WAR,
AND INSTRUMENTS OF HIS CHARIOTS; AND HE WILL TAKE
YOUR DAUGHTERS TO BE CONFECTIONARIES, AND TO BE
COOKS AND TO BE BAKERS (this describes the expence and luxury
as well as the oppression of kings) AND HE WILL TAKE YOUR
FIELDS AND YOUR OLIVE YARDS, EVEN THE BEST OF THEM,
AND GIVE THEM TO HIS SERVANTS; AND HE WILL TAKE
THE TENTH OF YOUR FEED, AND OF YOUR VINEYARDS,
AND GIVE THEM TO HIS OFFICERS AND TO HIS SERVANTS
(by which we see that bribery, corruption, and favoritism are the
standing vices of kings) AND HE WILL TAKE THE TENTH OF
YOUR MEN SERVANTS, AND YOUR MAID SERVANTS, AND
YOUR GOODLIEST YOUNG MEN AND YOUR ASSES, AND PUT
THEM TO HIS WORK; AND HE WILL TAKE THE TENTH OF

YOUR SHEEP, AND YE SHALL BE HIS SERVANTS, AND YE
SHALL CRY OUT IN THAT DAY BECAUSE OF YOUR KING
WHICH YE SHALL HAVE CHOSEN, AND THE LORD WILL NOT
HEAR YOU IN THAT DAY. This accounts for the continuation of
monarchy; neither do the characters of the few good kings which have
lived since, either sanctify the title, or blot out the sinfulness of the
origin;