. . after a certain rate every day, offering according to the commandments
of Moses;" and in verse 14, "And he appointed, according to the order
of David his father, the courses of the priests to their service . . . .
. . for so had David the man of God commanded." (102) Lastly, the historian
bears witness in verse 15: "And they departed not from the commandment of
the king unto the priests and Levites concerning any matter, or
concerning the treasuries."

[19:6] (103) From these and other histories of the kings it is abundantly
evident, that the whole practice of religion and the sacred ministry
depended entirely on the commands of the king.

(19:104) When I said above that the kings had not the same right as Moses to
elect the high priest, to consult God without intermediaries, and to condemn
the prophets who prophesied during their reign; I said so simply because the
prophets could, in virtue of their mission, choose a new king and give
absolution for regicide, not because they could call a king who offended
against the law to judgment, or could rightly act against him [Endnote 33].

(19:105) Wherefore if there had been no prophets who, in virtue of a special
revelation, could give absolution for regicide, the kings would have
possessed absolute rights over all matters both spiritual and temporal.
(106) Consequently the rulers of modern times, who have no prophets and
would not rightly be bound in any case to receive them (for they are not
subject to Jewish law), have absolute possession of the spiritual
prerogative, although they are not celibates, and they will always retain
it, if they will refuse to allow religious dogmas to be unduly multiplied or
confounded with philosophy.