viii. x. 17
seq. xii., presents the greatest possible contrast to this way
of thinking. There, the erection of the monarchy only forms a
worse stage of backsliding from Jehovah. There can be no progress
beyond the Mosaic ideal; the greater the departure from it the
greater the declension. The capital sin of placing a human ruler
on the throne of Jehovah makes even the period of the judges
appear not quite black. Dark as the colours are with which that
period is generally painted, it held fast to the original form of
the theocracy, and so appears somewhat brighter: at last indeed,
to heighten the contrast, it is represented as a splendid age.
Under the rule of Samuel, everything was as it should be. Should
we ask, _how_ were things then? what was exactly the nature of
the theocratic constitution? we receive, it is true, no
satisfactory answer to the question. We might draw conclusions
with regard to the body from the head: but what sort of an idea
can we form of the position of Samuel? As he appears in these
chapters, we entirely fail to dispose of him in any of the
categories applicable to the subject; he is not a judge, not
a priest, not a prophet,--if at least we use these words with
their true historical meaning.
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