their own hands. (193) This they were generally unable to accomplish, so
long as the right of legislation did not rest with them, but with the high
priest, who kept the laws in the sanctuary, and interpreted them to the
people. (194) The kings were thus bound to obey the laws as much as were the
subjects, and were unable to abrogate them, or to ordain new laws of equal
authority; moreover, they were prevented by the Levites from administering
the affairs of religion, king and subject being alike unclean. (195) Lastly,
the whole safety of their dominion depended on the will of one man, if that
man appeared to be a prophet; and of this they had seen an example, namely,
how completely Samuel had been able to command Saul, and how easily, because
of a single disobedience, he had been able to transfer the right of
sovereignty to David. (196) Thus the kings found a dominion within their
own, and wielded a precarious sovereignty.

(17:197) In order to surmount these difficulties, they allowed other temples
to be dedicated to the gods, so that there might be no further need of
consulting the Levites; they also sought out many who prophesied in the name
of God, so that they might have creatures of their own to oppose to the true
prophets. (198) However, in spite of all their attempts, they never
attained their end. (199) For the prophets, prepared against every
emergency, waited for a favourable opportunity, such as the beginning of a
new reign, which is always precarious, while the memory of the previous
reign remains green. (200) At these times they could easily pronounce by
Divine authority that the king was tyrannical, and could produce a champion
of distinguished virtue to vindicate the Divine right, and lawfully to claim
dominion, or a share in it. (201) Still, not even so could the prophets
effect much. (202) They could, indeed, remove a tyrant; but there were
reasons which prevented them from doing more than setting up, at great cost
of civil bloodshed, another tyrant in his stead. (203) Of discords and civil
wars there was no end, for the causes for the violation of Divine right