Thesis 11

11. THESIS.

Those Magistrates, Judges and Princes, even the dear servants of God, who being in place of authority and power, that out of carnal respects to wives, children and other interests, have suffered and tolerated Idolatry and other evils (though they in their own persons never practiced, much less commanded any such things, no dissuaded from them) and not used their power to restrain and hinder them, have been both sharply reproved and severely punished by God for it. King Solomon having power to hinder his wives from Idolatry, and not doing it, but suffering them, God is provoked to bring wrath upon him and his family (1 Kings 11:4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12), to rend the kingdom from him, to stir up an adversary to Solomon, Hadad the Edomite. It is the opinion of many good divines, and that upon the first of Kings, ch. 11, and in answer to the Arminians upon that article of falling from Grace, that Solomon did not bring or admit Idols into the house of God, neither did he command the people, that either they should forsake the true worship of God, or worship Idols, neither can it be proved that he did in his own person worship Idols. This is only certain that being bewitched by his idolatrous wives, he suffered them to build altars and high places, or at most commanded them to be built, and this the word in the Hebrew vers. 11, with you, not of you, implies as much, for as much as this is done with you, implying done in his kingdom, and near Jerusalem, though not by Solomon himself. Eli being a Judge, because when his sons made themselves vile, he restrained them not, redressed not their corruptions and abuses about the sacrifices, though he reproved and dissuaded them from their ways by many strong arguments, therefore God brought fearful ruin upon him and his house, cutting off his arm, and the arm of his father's house, &c. as in (1 Samuel 2, 3, 4 chap.) 'tis laid down at large.