The City of God, Volume IIAugustine, of Hippo, Saint
ReligionChristian
The City of God, Volume II
Augustine, of Hippo, Saint
Apologetics -- Early works to 1800; Kingdom of God -- Early works to 1800
The other kings of the Hebrews after Solomon are scarcely found to have
prophesied, through certain enigmatic words or actions of theirs, what
may pertain to Christ and the Church, either in Judah or Israel; for
so were the parts of that people styled, when, on account of Solomon's
offence, from the time of Rehoboam his son, who succeeded him in the
kingdom, it was divided by God as a punishment. The ten tribes, indeed,
which Jeroboam the servant of Solomon received, being appointed the
king in Samaria, were distinctively called Israel, although this had
been the name of that whole people; but the two tribes, namely, of
Judah and Benjamin, which for David's sake, lest the kingdom should
be wholly wrenched from his race, remained subject to the city of
Jerusalem, were called Judah, because that was the tribe whence David
sprang. But Benjamin, the other tribe which, as was said, belonged
to the same kingdom, was that whence Saul sprang before David. But
these two tribes together, as was said, were called Judah, and were
distinguished by this name from Israel, which was the distinctive title
of the ten tribes under their own king. For the tribe of Levi, because
it was the priestly one, bound to the servitude of God, not of the
kings, was reckoned the thirteenth. For Joseph, one of the twelve sons
of Israel, did not, like the others, form one tribe, but two, Ephraim
and Manasseh. Yet the tribe of Levi also belonged more to the kingdom
of Jerusalem, where was the temple of God whom it served. On the
division of the people, therefore, Rehoboam, son of Solomon, reigned in
Jerusalem as the first king of Judah, and Jeroboam, servant of Solomon,
in Samaria as king of Israel. And when Rehoboam wished as a tyrant
to pursue that separated part with war, the people were prohibited
from fighting with their brethren by God, who told them through a
prophet that He had done this; whence it appeared that in this matter
there had been no sin either of the king or people of Israel, but the
accomplished will of God the avenger. When this was known, both parts
settled down peaceably, for the division made was not religious but
political.
22. _Of Jeroboam, who profaned the people put under him by the
impiety of idolatry, amid which, however, God did not cease
to inspire the prophets, and to guard many from the crime of
idolatry._
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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