The History of the Old Testament Methodized, Chapter 4 · Section 128
SECT. CXXVIII.
JOſhua being now dead, and all that Generation who with Joſhua had ſeen the Wonders God had wrought for them; there aroſe a new Generation who knew not the Lord; that is, had not ſuch effectual and experimental knowledge of God upon their hearts as the former Generation had; Neither had they ſeen his miraculous Works with their Eyes as their Fathers had done; ſo that now things began to run into Anarchy and Confuſion, every one doing what ſeemed good in his own Eyes. And then all thoſe Diſorders ſeem to have been committed, which are ſet down in the five laſt Chapters of this Book.
As firſt the Idolatry of Micah (a man of Mount Ephraim) who made an Idol, and ſet it up in his own Houſe for his own uſe, and poſſibly for the uſe of the Neighbourhood. It ſeems Micah's Mother had eleven hundred Shekels of Silver ſtolen from her, and ſhe curſed thoſe who had ſtolen it, and did not reſtore it. Micah having taken it, and being touched in conſcience for it, came to her, and ſaid, Wretch that I am, I had thy Silver, and have hitherto detained it, but dare no longer lie under a Mothers Curſe, and therefore am I now come to confeſs my Sin, and reſtore again the money to thee. His Mother anſwered, Bleſſed be thou of the Lord (my Son) that is, free be thou from my Curſe, and maiſt thou be bleſſed of the Lord, becauſe thou haſt repented of this Fact, and doſt ſo ingenuouſly offer to reſtore what thou unadviſedly tookeſt from me. She tells him, She had wholly dedicated this Silver to the Lord, to make a graven Image (a)Erat haec mulier cultrix veri Dei ſimul & Idolorum quales Cuthaei, 2 Reg. 17. In honorem veri Dei frabricavit Idolum volens per cultum Daemonis honorare Deum. Sic verus Deus colitur non eo cultu quem ipſe praecepit.and a molten Image for Him; namely, to be Repreſentations of Him. So that ſhe pretended, and poſſibly intended the Worſhip of the true God by theſe Idols. She accordingly took two hundred Shekels of the ſilver and gave them to the Founder, who made thereof a graven Image, *Duplex Idolum fuit, alterum ex marmore ſculptum alterum ex argento arte fulſoria. Menoch.and a molten Image. The other nine hundred Shekels 'tis like were laid out in providing an Ephod, rich and glorious, like Aarons, [Exod. 28.6:] and other Ornaments for the Prieſt, and providing their Teraphim, †Teraphim were certain Images repreſenting Men, Hoſ. 3.4, 5. which they made uſe of as Oracles, and received Anſwers from them in doubtful Caſes, Ezek. 21.21. Zach. 10.2. Erant Teraphim Idola domeſtica, quae domi colebantur, & quaſi Oracula conſulebantur de rebus arcanis, & futuris, quaſi Penates & Lares.and adorning the Chappel which her Son had built for theſe Superſtitious Uſes. And Micah conſecrated one of his own Sons (though of the Tribe of Ephraim, and not of Aarons Lineage,) to be his Prieſt; all which he did as a groſs Idolater, contrary to the expreſs Command of God. And 'tis no wonder that Idolatry began thus to creep in among them, ſeeing at this time there was no Ruler, Governour or Judge, no Supream Magiſtrate*King is not to be taken here properly; for ſuch there were none till Saul's Reign. among them (ſuch as Moſes or Joſhua were) to reſtrain them, to puniſh Offenders, and keep them in Order.
There was a young Levite that ſojourned in Bethlehem, in the Tribe of Judah, but in thoſe corrupt times (a great part of the Maintenance of the Levites being as it ſeems detained from them) He was forced to ſeek out for a Livelihood: where he could get it. And coming to Micah's houſe, Micah agrees with him to be his Prieſt; for though he had conſecrated one of his own Sons to be his Prieſt in his Idolatrous Chappel before, yet (it ſeems) he thought it would be a greater honour to his Idol-Worſhip to have one of the Tribe of Levi to be his Prieſt. Micah promiſes to reverence him (though young in years) as a Father, but yet he gives him but a very poor Salary, viz. ten Shekels of Silver by the year, a Suit of Apparel, and his Victuals, whereas eleven hundred Shekels were ſet apart by his Mother, as we have ſeen before, to make their Idols and their appurtenances. However this poor Levite proſtitutes himſelf to this baſe Service, to be a Prieſt to their Idol-dunghil-gods, and that upon theſe mean terms: But Micah loved him, and uſed him very well, and as if he had been one of his own Children, and promiſed himſelf that the Lord would bleſs him, ſeeing he had now gotten a Levite for his Prieſt. But he was herein much deceived, as we ſhall ſhew preſently.
Ch. 17. whole Chapter.