nto two nations, that of Judah and that of
Israel, each party had its prophets, who abused and accused each other
of being false prophets, lying prophets, impostors, etc.

The prophets of the party of Judah prophesied against the prophets of
the party of Israel; and those of the party of Israel against those
of Judah. This party prophesying showed itself immediately on the
separation under the first two rival kings, Rehoboam and Jeroboam. The
prophet that cursed, or prophesied against the altar that Jeroboam had
built in Bethel, was of the party of Judah, where Rehoboam was king; and
he was way-laid on his return home by a prophet of the party of Israel,
who said unto him (i Kings xiii.) "Art thou the man of God that came
from Judah? and he said, I am." Then the prophet of the party of Israel
said to him "I am a prophet also, as thou art, [signifying of Judah,]
and an angel spake unto me by the word of the Lord, saying, Bring him
back with thee unto thine house, that he may eat bread and drink
water; but (says the 18th verse) he lied unto him." The event, however,
according to the story, is, that the prophet of Judah never got back
to Judah; for he was found dead on the road by the contrivance of the
prophet of Israel, who no doubt was called a true prophet by his own
party, and the prophet of Judah a lying prophet.

In 2 Kings, iii., a story is related of prophesying or conjuring that
shews, in several particulars, the character of a prophet. Jehoshaphat
king of Judah, and Joram king of Israel, had for a while ceased their
party animosity, and entered into an alliance; and these two, together
with the king of Edom, engaged in a war against the king of Moab. After
uniting and marching their armies, the story says, they were in great
distress for water, upon which Jehoshaphat said, "Is there not here a
prophet of the Lord, that we may enquire of the Lord by him? and one of
the servants of the king of Israel said here is Elisha. [Elisha was of
the party of Judah.] And Jehoshaphat the king of Judah said, The word of
the Lord is with him." The story then says, that these three kings went
down to Elisha; and when Elisha [who, as I have said, was a Judahmite
prophet] saw the King of Israel, he said unto him, "What have I to do
with thee, get thee to the prophets of thy father and the prophets of
thy mother. Nay but, said the king of Israel, the Lord hath called these
three kings together, to deliver them into the hands of the