erwise rendered by the
translators, not much as I conceive to their commendation, seeing by
that means they have lost us a good lesson, the apostles borrowing that
name for their spiritual congregations, to the end that we might
see they intended the government of the church to be democratical or
popular, as is also plain in the rest of their constitutions.

The church or congregation of the people of Israel assembled in a
military manner, and had the result of the commonwealth, or the power of
confirming all their laws, though proposed even by God himself; as
where they make him king, and where they reject or depose him as civil
magistrate, and elect Saul. It is manifest that he gives no such example
to a legislator in a popular government as to deny or evade the power of
the people, which were a contradiction; but though he deservedly blames
the ingratitude of the people in that action, he commands Samuel, being
next under himself supreme magistrate, "to hearken to their voice"
(for where the suffrage of the people goes for nothing, it is no
commonwealth), and comforts him, saying, "They have not rejected thee,
but they have rejected me that I should not reign over them." But to
reject him that he should not reign over them, was as civil magistrate
to depose him. The power therefore which the people had to depose even
God himself as he was civil magistrate, leaves little doubt but that
they had power to have rejected any of those laws confirmed by them
throughout the Scripture, which, to omit the several parcels, are
generally contained under two heads: those that were made by covenant
with the people in the land of Moab, and those which were made by
covenant with the people in Horeb; which two, I think, amount to the
whole body of the Israelitish laws.

But if all and every one of the laws of Israel being proposed by God,
were no otherwise enacted than by covenant with the people, then that
only which was resolved by the people of Israel was their law; and so
the result of that commonwealth was in the people. Nor had the people
the result only in matter of law, but the power in some cases of
judicature; as also the right of levying war, cognizance in matter
of religion, and the election of their magistrates, as the judge or
dictator, the king, the prince: which functions were exercised by the
Synagoga magna, or Congregation of Israel, not always in one manner, for
sometimes they were performed by the suffrage of the