[return to CONTENTS]CHAPTER I. Of the Original and First Institution of Magistracy. The first dominion or rule appointed by God amongst men, was placed in the elder brother or first born, called the patriarch or head of the family. The institution of the patriarchal rule, seems to be laid down, Gen. 4:7, in God’s words to Cain concerning Abel, "And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him." Therefore were the first born called the excellency of dignity and power, Gen. 49:3. A catalogue of the patriarchs both before and after the flood, is recorded in Gen. 5 and 10. It was to the elders or patriarchs that Moses and Aaron addressed, when they came to conduct the Israelites out of Egypt, Exod. 6:29. A catalogue of some of them are upon record,[1] Exod. 6:14, which eldership, or birth-right, Esau sold his brother Jacob, Gen. 25:31, Heb. 12:16. And by virtue whereof the patriarch Judah gave judgment in the case of Thamar, Gen. 38:24. Though in this time amongst the children of men in the nations, there was another government set up, of which and the author thereof we read, Gen. 10:8-10. "And Nimrod,[2] the son of Cush, the son of Ham,[3] began to be a mighty one[4] in the earth, he was a mighty hunter[5] before the Lord;[6] and the beginning of his kingdom was Babel:" who was the first that we read of that erected monarchical government, which was about 120 years after the flood, the foundation of the Assyrian monarchy, whose pattern the rest of the nations took in their governments (though arbitrary and oppressive in its nature and constitution), whereof you have an account, Judg. 9 and 1 Sam. 8. In imitation of whom the posterity of Esau set up their kings, Gen. 36:31. "And these are the kings that reigned in the land of Esau, before there reigned any kings in Israel." Though profane Esau had in him no right of rule, having sordidly sold the same, Gen. 25:34, Heb. 12:16. This was the pattern that Israel also took, when they would set up a king like the nations, to the rejecting of God, and bringing a plague and curse upon themselves, 1 Sam. 8.
The second sort of rule and government we read of in Scripture, were judges and rulers; which upon the giving of the written law, God appointed to be the administrators thereof, with rules and directions to call them into and direct them in their trusts. The institution of the rule by judges, Deut. 16:18, Exod. 18:21,22, Numb. 11:14, &c. "Judges and officers shalt thou make in all thy gates, and they shall judge the people with just judgment," Deut. 16:18. [next CHAPTER]
Footnotes:
[1] The Sanhedrim or 70 were chosen out of them, Numb. 11:16, "Whom thou knowest to be elders." [back][2] Nimrod signifies rebel.[back]
[3] Ham was Noah's third son, in whom was no right of rule, cursed also to servitude. [back]
[4] A mighty one or giant. [back]
[5] Hunting of men by persecutions, oppressions and tyranny, Jer. 16:16. [back]
[6] Openly, or without fear of God, Gen. 16:11. See Ainsworth's Annotations on Genesis, 10:8-10.[back]
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