FortosaythatGodhathspokentohimintheHolyScriptureisnottosayGodhathspokentohimimmediately，butbymediationoftheprophets，oroftheApostles，oroftheChurch，insuchmannerasHespeakstoallotherChristianmen。TosayHehathspokentohiminadreamisnomorethantosayhedreamedthatGodspaketohim；whichisnotofforcetowinbelieffromanymanthatknowsdreamsareforthemostpartnatural，andmayproceedfromformerthoughts；andsuchdreamsasthat，fromself-conceit，andfoolisharrogance，andfalseopinionofaman’sowngoodliness，orvirtue，bywhichhethinkshehathmeritedthefavourofextraordinaryrevelation。Tosayhehathseenavision，orheardavoice，istosaythathedreamedbetweensleepingandwaking：forinsuchmanneramandothmanytimesnaturallytakehisdreamforavision，asnothavingwellobservedhisownslumbering。Tosayhespeaksbysupernaturalinspirationistosayhefindsanardentdesiretospeak，orsomestrongopinionofhimself，forwhichhecanallegenonaturalandsufficientreason。SothatthoughGodAlmightycanspeaktoamanbydreams，visions，voice，andinspiration，yetHeobligesnomantobelieveHehathsodonetohimthatpretendsit；who，beingaman，mayerrand，whichismore，maylie。
HowthencanhetowhomGodhathneverrevealedHiswillimmediatelysavingbythewayofnaturalreasonknowwhenheistoobeyornottoobeyHisword，deliveredbyhimthatsaysheisaprophet？Offourhundredprophets，ofwhomtheKingofIsrael，askedcounselconcerningthewarhemadeagainstRamothGilead，onlyMicaiahwasatrueone。*TheprophetthatwassenttoprophesyagainstthealtarsetupbyJeroboam，*2thoughatrueprophet，andthatbytwomiraclesdoneinhispresenceappearstobeaprophetsentfromGod，wasyetdeceivedbyanotheroldprophetthatpersuadedhim，asfromthemouthofGod，toeatanddrinkwithhim。Ifoneprophetdeceiveanother，whatcertaintyisthereofknowingthewillofGodbyotherwaythanthatofreason？TowhichIansweroutoftheHolyScripturethattherebetwomarksbywhichtogether，notasunder，atrueprophetistobeknown。Oneisthedoingofmiracles；theotheristhenotteachinganyotherreligionthanthatwhichisalreadyestablished。
Asunder，Isay，neitheroftheseissufficient。“Ifaprophetriseamongstyou，oradreamerofdreams，andshallpretendthedoingofamiracle，andthemiraclecometopass；ifhesay，Letusfollowstrangegods，whichthouhastnotknown，thoushaltnothearkentohim，etc。Butthatprophetanddreamerofdreamsshallbeputtodeath，becausehehathspokentoyoutorevoltfromtheLordyourGod。“*3Inwhichwordstwothingsaretobeobserved；first，thatGodwillnothavemiraclesaloneserveforargumentstoapprovetheprophet’scalling；butasitisinthethirdverseforanexperimentoftheconstancyofouradherencetoHimself。FortheworksoftheEgyptiansorcerers，thoughnotsogreatasthoseofMoses，yetweregreatmiracles。Secondly，thathowgreatsoeverthemiraclebe，yetifittendtostiruprevoltagainstthekingorhimthatgovernethbytheking’sauthority，hethatdothsuchmiracleisnottobeconsideredotherwisethanassenttomaketrialoftheirallegiance。
Forthesewords，revoltfromtheLordyourGod，areinthisplaceequivalenttorevoltfromyourking。FortheyhadmadeGodtheirkingbypactatthefootofMountSinai；whoruledthembyMosesonly；
forheonlyspakewithGod，andfromtimetotimedeclaredGod’scommandmentstothepeople。Inlikemanner，afterourSaviourChristhadmadehisDisciplesacknowledgehimfortheMessiahthatistosay，forGod’sanointed，whomthenationoftheJewsdailyexpectedfortheirking，butrefusedwhenhecame，heomittednottoadvertisethemofthedangerofmiracles。“Thereshallarise，“saithhe，“falseChrists，andfalseprophets，andshalldogreatwondersandmiracles，eventotheseducingifitwerepossibleoftheveryelect。“*4Bywhichitappearsthatfalseprophetsmayhavethepowerofmiracles；yetarewenottotaketheirdoctrineforGod’sword。St。
PaulsaysfurthertotheGalatiansthat“ifhimselforanangelfromheavenpreachanotherGospeltothemthanhehadpreached，lethimbeaccursed。“*5ThatGospelwasthatChristwasKing；sothatallpreachingagainstthepowerofthekingreceived，inconsequencetothesewords，isbySt。Paulaccursed。ForhisspeechisaddressedtothosewhobyhispreachinghadalreadyreceivedJesusfortheChrist，thatistosay，forKingoftheJews。
Andasmiracles，withoutpreachingthatdoctrinewhichGodhathestablished；sopreachingthetruedoctrine，withoutthedoingofmiracles，isaninsufficientargumentofimmediaterevelation。Forifamanthatteachethnotfalsedoctrineshouldpretendtobeaprophetwithoutshowinganymiracle，heisneverthemoretoberegardedforhispretence，asisevidentbyDeuteronomy，18。21，22：
“Ifthousayinthyheart，Howshallweknowthattheword“oftheprophet“isnotthatwhichtheLordhathspoken？WhentheprophetshallhavespokeninthenameoftheLord，thatwhichshallnotcometopass，thatisthewordwhichtheLordhathnotspoken，buttheprophethasspokenitoutoftheprideofhisownheart，fearhimnot。“Butamanmayhereagainask：Whentheprophethathforetoldathing，howshallweknowwhetheritwillcometopassornot？Forhemayforetellitasathingtoarriveafteracertainlongtime，longerthanthetimeofman’slife；orindefinitely，thatitwillcometopassonetimeorother：inwhichcasethismarkofaprophetisunuseful；andthereforethemiraclesthatobligeustobelieveaprophetoughttobeconfirmedbyanimmediate，oranotlongdeferredevent。SothatitismanifestthattheteachingofthereligionwhichGodhathestablished，andtheshowingofapresentmiracle，joinedtogether，weretheonlymarkswherebytheScripturewouldhaveatrueprophet，thatistosay，immediaterevelation，tobeacknowledged；ofthembeingsinglysufficienttoobligeanyothermantoregardwhathesaith。
Seeingthereforemiraclesnowcease，wehavenosignleftwherebytoacknowledgethepretendedrevelationsorinspirationsofanyprivateman；norobligationtogiveeartoanydoctrine，fartherthanitisconformabletotheHolyScriptures，whichsincethetimeofourSavioursupplytheplaceandsufficientlyrecompensethewantofallotherprophecy；andfromwhich，bywiseandlearnedinterpretation，andcarefulratiocination，allrulesandpreceptsnecessarytotheknowledgeofourdutybothtoGodandman，withoutenthusiasm，orsupernaturalinspiration，mayeasilybededuced。AndthisScriptureisitoutofwhichIamtotaketheprinciplesofmydiscourseconcerningtherightsofthosethatarethesupremegovernorsonearthofChristianCommonwealths，andofthedutyofChristiansubjectstowardstheirsovereigns。Andtothatend，Ishallspeak，inthenextchapter，ofthebooks，writers，scopeandauthorityoftheBible。
OFTHENUMBER，ANTIQUITY，SCOPE，AUTHORITY，AND
INTERPRETERSOFTHEBOOKSOFHOLYSCRIPTURE
BYTHEBooksofHolyScriptureareunderstoodthosewhichoughttobethecanon，thatistosay，therulesofChristianlife。Andbecauseallrulesoflife，whichmenareinconscienceboundtoobserve，arelaws，thequestionoftheScriptureisthequestionofwhatislawthroughoutallChristendom，bothnaturalandcivil。ForthoughitbenotdeterminedinScripturewhatlawseveryChristiankingshallconstituteinhisowndominions；yetitisdeterminedwhatlawsheshallnotconstitute。SeeingthereforeIhavealreadyprovedthatsovereignsintheirowndominionsarethesolelegislators；thosebooksonlyarecanonical，thatis，law，ineverynation，whichareestablishedforsuchbythesovereignauthority。ItistruethatGodistheSovereignofallsovereigns；andtherefore，whenhespeakstoanysubject，heoughttobeobeyed，whatsoeveranyearthlypotentatecommandtothecontrary。ButthequestionisnotofobediencetoGod，butofwhen，andwhatGodhathsaid；which，tosubjectsthathavenosupernaturalrevelation，cannotbeknownbutbythatnaturalreasonwhichguidedthemfortheobtainingofpeaceandjusticetoobeytheauthorityoftheirseveralCommonwealths；thatistosay，oftheirlawfulsovereigns。Accordingtothisobligation，IcanacknowledgenootherbooksoftheOldTestamenttobeHolyScripturebutthosewhichhavebeencommandedtobeacknowledgedforsuchbytheauthorityoftheChurchofEngland。Whatbookstheseareissufficientlyknownwithoutacatalogueofthemhere；andtheyarethesamethatareacknowledgedbySt。Jerome，whoholdeththerest，namely，theWisdomofSolomon，Ecclesiasticus，Judith，Tobias，thefirstandthesecondofMaccabeesthoughhehadseenthefirstinHebrew，andthethirdandfourthofEsdras，forApocrypha。Ofthecanonical，Josephus，alearnedJew，thatwroteinthetimeoftheEmperorDomitian，reckonethtwenty-two，makingthenumberagreewiththeHebrewalphabet。St。
Jeromedoesthesame，thoughtheyreckonthemindifferentmanner。ForJosephusnumbersfivebooksofMoses，thirteenofprophetsthatwritthehistoryoftheirowntimeswhichhowitagreeswiththeprophetswritingscontainedintheBibleweshallseehereafter，andfourofHymnsandmoralprecepts。ButSt。JeromereckonsfiveBooksofMoses，eightofprophets，andnineofotherHolyWritwhichhecallsofHagiographa。TheSeptuagint，whowereseventylearnedmenoftheJews，sentforbyPtolemy，kingofEgypt，totranslatetheJewishlawoutoftheHebrewintotheGreek，haveleftusnootherforHolyScriptureintheGreektonguebutthesamethatarereceivedintheChurchofEngland。
AsforthebooksoftheNewTestament，theyareequallyacknowledgedforcanonbyallChristianchurches，andbyallsectsofChristiansthatadmitanybooksatallforcanonical。
WhoweretheoriginalwritersoftheseveralbooksofHolyScripturehasnotbeenmadeevidentbyanysufficienttestimonyofotherhistory，whichistheonlyproofofmatteroffact；norcanbebyanyargumentsofnaturalreason：forreasonservesonlytoconvincethetruth，notoffact，butofconsequence。Thelightthereforethatmustguideusinthisquestionmustbethatwhichisheldoutuntousfromthebooksthemselves：andthislight，thoughitshowusnotthewriterofeverybook，yetitisnotunusefultogiveusknowledgeofthetimewhereintheywerewritten。
Andfirst，forthePentateuch，itisnotargumentenoughthattheywerewrittenbyMoses，becausetheyarecalledthefiveBooksofMoses；nomorethanthesetitles，theBookofJoshua，theBookofJudges，theBookofRuth，andtheBooksoftheKings，areargumentssufficienttoprovethattheywerewrittenbyJoshua，bytheJudges，byRuth，andbytheKings。Forintitlesofbooks，thesubjectismarkedasoftenasthewriter。TheHistoryofLivydenotesthewriter；
buttheHistoryofScanderbergisdenominatedfromthesubject。WereadinthelastchapterofDeuteronomyconcerningthesepulchreofMoses，“thatnomanknowethofhissepulchretothisday，“*thatis，tothedaywhereinthosewordswerewritten。Itisthereforemanifestthatthosewordswerewrittenafterhisinterment。ForitwereastrangeinterpretationtosayMosesspakeofhisownsepulchrethoughbyprophecy，thatitwasnotfoundtothatdaywhereinhewasyetliving。Butitmayperhapsbeallegedthatthelastchapteronly，notthewholePentateuch，waswrittenbysomeotherman，buttherestnot。LetusthereforeconsiderthatwhichwefindintheBookofGenesis，“AndAbrahampassedthroughthelandtotheplaceofSichem，untotheplainofMoreh，andtheCanaanitewasthenintheland“；*2whichmustneedsbethewordsofonethatwrotewhentheCanaanitewasnotintheland；andconsequently，notofMoses，whodiedbeforehecameintoit。LikewiseNumbers，21。14，thewritercitethanothermoreancientbook，entitled，TheBookoftheWarsoftheLord，whereinwereregisteredtheactsofMoses，attheRedSea，andatthebrookofArnon。ItisthereforesufficientlyevidentthatthefiveBooksofMoseswerewrittenafterhistime，thoughhowlongafteritbenotsomanifest。
ButthoughMosesdidnotcompilethosebooksentirely，andintheformwehavethem；yethewroteallthatwhichheistheresaidtohavewritten：asforexample，thevolumeofthelaw，whichiscontained，asitseemeth，inthe11thofDeuteronomy，andthefollowingchapterstothe27th，whichwasalsocommandedtobewrittenonstones，intheirentryintothelandofCanaan。AndthisdidMoseshimselfwrite，anddelivertothepriestsandeldersofIsrael，tobereadeveryseventhyeartoallIsrael，attheirassemblinginthefeastoftabernacles。*AndthisisthatlawwhichGodcommandedthattheirkingswhentheyshouldhaveestablishedthatformofgovernmentshouldtakeacopyoffromthepriestsandLevites；andwhichMosescommandedthepriestsandLevitestolayinthesideoftheArk；*2andthesamewhich，havingbeenlost，waslongtimeafterfoundagainbyHilkiah，*3andsenttoKingJosias，who，causingittobereadtothepeople，renewedthecovenantbetweenGodandthem。*4