and3。intheApostlesandthesuccessorstoapostolicalpower。ForthesethreeatseveraltimesdidrepresentthepersonofGod：Moses，andhissuccessorsthehighpriests，andkingsofJudah，intheOldTestament：ChristHimself，inthetimehelivedonearth：andtheApostles，andtheirsuccessors，fromthedayofPentecostwhentheHolyGhostdescendedonthemtothisday。
ItisaquestionmuchdisputedbetweenthediversesectsofChristianreligion，fromwhencetheScripturesderivetheirauthority；
whichquestionisalsopropoundedsometimesinotherterms，as，howweknowthemtobethewordofGod，or，whywebelievethemtobeso；andthedifficultyofresolvingitarisethchieflyfromtheimpropernessofthewordswhereinthequestionitselfiscouched。ForitisbelievedonallhandsthatthefirstandoriginalauthorofthemisGod；andconsequentlythequestiondisputedisnotthat。Again，itismanifestthatnonecanknowtheyareGod’swordthoughalltrueChristiansbelieveitbutthosetowhomGodHimselfhathrevealeditsupernaturally；andthereforethequestionisnotrightlymoved，ofourknowledgeofit。Lastly，whenthequestionispropoundedofourbelief；becausesomearemovedtobelieveforone，andothersforotherreasons，therecanberenderednoonegeneralanswerforthemall。Thequestiontrulystatedis：bywhatauthoritytheyaremadelaw。
Asfarastheydiffernotfromthelawsofnature，thereisnodoubtbuttheyarethelawofGod，andcarrytheirauthoritywiththem，legibletoallmenthathavetheuseofnaturalreason：butthisisnootherauthoritythanthatofallothermoraldoctrineconsonanttoreason；thedictateswhereofarelaws，notmade，buteternal。
IftheybemadelawbyGodHimself，theyareofthenatureofwrittenlaw，whicharelawstothemonlytowhomGodhathsosufficientlypublishedthemasnomancanexcusehimselfbysayingheknewnottheywereHis。
HethereforetowhomGodhathnotsupernaturallyrevealedthattheyareHis，northatthosethatpublishedthemweresentbyHim，isnotobligedtoobeythembyanyauthoritybuthiswhosecommandshavealreadytheforceoflaws；thatistosay，byanyotherauthoritythanthatoftheCommonwealth，residinginthesovereign，whoonlyhasthelegislativepower。Again，ifitbenotthelegislativeauthorityoftheCommonwealththatgiveththemtheforceoflaws，itmustbesomeotherauthorityderivedfromGod，eitherprivateorpublic：ifprivate，itobligesonlyhimtowhominparticularGodhathbeenpleasedtorevealit。ForifeverymanshouldbeobligedtotakeforGod’slawwhatparticularmen，onpretenceofprivateinspirationorrevelation，shouldobtrudeuponhiminsuchanumberofmenthatoutofprideandignorancetaketheirowndreams，andextravagantfancies，andmadnessfortestimoniesofGod’sspirit；or，outofambition，pretendtosuchdivinetestimonies，falselyandcontrarytotheirownconsciences，itwereimpossiblethatanydivinelawshouldbeacknowledged。Ifpublic，itistheauthorityoftheCommonwealthoroftheChurch。ButtheChurch，ifitbeoneperson，isthesamethingwithaCommonwealthofChristians；calledaCommonwealthbecauseitconsistethofmenunitedinoneperson，theirsovereign；andaChurch，becauseitconsistethinChristianmen，unitedinoneChristiansovereign。ButiftheChurchbenotoneperson，thenithathnoauthorityatall；itcanneithercommandnordoanyactionatall；noriscapableofhavinganypowerorrighttoanything；norhasanywill，reason，norvoice；forallthesequalitiesarepersonal。NowifthewholenumberofChristiansbenotcontainedinoneCommonwealth，theyarenotoneperson；noristhereauniversalChurchthathathanyauthorityoverthem；andthereforetheScripturesarenotmadelawsbytheuniversalChurch：orifitbeoneCommonwealth，thenallChristianmonarchesandstatesareprivatepersons，andsubjecttobejudged，deposed，andpunishedbyauniversalsovereignofallChristendom。SothatthequestionoftheauthorityoftheScripturesisreducedtothis：whetherChristiankings，andthesovereignassembliesinChristianCommonwealths，beabsoluteintheirownterritories，immediatelyunderGod；orsubjecttooneVicarofChrist，constitutedovertheuniversalChurch；tobejudgedcondemned，deposed，andputtodeath，asheshallthinkexpedientornecessaryforthecommongood。
WhichquestioncannotberesolvedwithoutamoreparticularconsiderationofthekingdomofGod；fromwhencealso，wearetojudgeoftheauthorityofinterpretingtheScripture。For，whosoeverhathalawfulpoweroveranywriting，tomakeitlaw，haththepoweralsotoapproveordisapprovetheinterpretationofthesame。
SEEINGthefoundationofalltrueratiocinationistheconstantsignificationofwords；which，inthedoctrinefollowing，dependethnotasinnaturalscienceonthewillofthewriter，norasincommonconversationonvulgaruse，butonthesensetheycarryintheScripture；itisnecessary，beforeIproceedanyfurther，todetermine，outoftheBible，themeaningofsuchwordsasbytheirambiguitymayrenderwhatIamtoinferuponthemobscureordisputable。Iwillbeginwiththewordsbodyandspirit，whichinthelanguageoftheSchoolsaretermedsubstances，corporealandincorporeal。
Thewordbody，inthemostgeneralacceptation，signifieththatwhichfillethoroccupiethsomecertainroomorimaginedplace；anddependethnotontheimagination，butisarealpartofthatwecalltheuniverse。Fortheuniverse，beingtheaggregateofallbodies，thereisnorealpartthereofthatisnotalsobody；noranythingproperlyabodythatisnotalsopartofthataggregateofallbodies，theuniverse。Thesamealso，becausebodiesaresubjecttochange，thatistosay，tovarietyofappearancetothesenseoflivingcreatures，iscalledsubstance，thatistosay，subjecttovariousaccidents：assometimestobemoved，sometimestostandstill；andtoseemtooursensessometimeshot，sometimescold；sometimesofonecolour，smell，taste，orsound，sometimesofanother。Andthisdiversityofseeming，producedbythediversityoftheoperationofbodiesontheorgansofoursense，weattributetoalterationsofthebodiesthatoperate，andcallthemaccidentsofthosebodies。
Andaccordingtothisacceptationoftheword，substanceandbodysignifythesamething；andthereforesubstanceincorporealarewordswhich，whentheyarejoinedtogether，destroyoneanother，asifamanshouldsay，anincorporealbody。
Butinthesenseofcommonpeople，notalltheuniverseiscalledbody，butonlysuchpartsthereofastheycandiscern，bythesenseoffeeling，toresisttheirforce；or，bythesenseoftheireyes，tohinderthemfromafartherprospect。Thereforeinthecommonlanguageofmen，airandaerialsubstancesusenottobetakenforbodies，but，asoftenasmenaresensibleoftheireffects，arecalledwind，orbreath，orbecausethesamearecalledintheLatinspiritusspirits；aswhentheycallthataerialsubstancewhichinthebodyofanylivingcreaturegivesitlifeandmotion，vitalandanimalspirits。Butforthoseidolsofthebrainwhichrepresentbodiestouswheretheyarenot，asinalooking-glass，inadream，ortoadistemperedbrainwaking，theyareastheApostlesaithgenerallyofallidolsnothing；nothingatall，Isay，therewheretheyseemtobe；andinthebrainitself，nothingbuttumult，proceedingeitherfromtheactionoftheobjectsorfromthedisorderlyagitationoftheorgansofoursense。Andmenthatareotherwiseemployedthantosearchintotheircausesknownotofthemselveswhattocallthem；andmaythereforeeasilybepersuaded，bythosewhoseknowledgetheymuchreverence，sometocallthembodies，andthinkthemmadeofaircompactedbyapowersupernatural，becausethesightjudgesthemcorporeal；andsometocallthemspirits，becausethesenseoftouchdiscernethnothing，intheplacewheretheyappear，toresisttheirfingers：sothatthepropersignificationofspiritincommonspeechiseitherasubtle，fluid，andinvisiblebody，oraghost，orotheridolorphantasmoftheimagination。Butformetaphoricalsignificationstherebemany：
forsometimesitistakenfordispositionorinclinationofthemind，aswhenforthedispositiontocontrolthesayingsofothermen，wesay，aspiritofcontradiction；foradispositiontouncleanness，anuncleanspirit；forperverseness，afrowardspirit；forsullenness，adumbspirit；andforinclinationtogodlinessandGod’sservice，theSpiritofGod：sometimesforanyeminentability，orextraordinarypassion，ordiseaseofthemind，aswhengreatwisdomiscalledthespiritofwisdom；andmadmenaresaidtobepossessedwithaspirit。
OthersignificationofspiritIfindnowhereany；andwherenoneofthesecansatisfythesenseofthatwordinScripture，theplacefallethnotunderhumanunderstanding；andourfaiththereinconsisteth，notinouropinion，butinoursubmission；asinallplaceswhereGodissaidtobeaSpirit，orwherebytheSpiritofGodismeantGodHimself。ForthenatureofGodisincomprehensible；
thatistosay，weunderstandnothingofwhatHeis，butonlythatHeis；andthereforetheattributeswegiveHimarenottotelloneanotherwhatHeis，nortosignifyouropinionofHisnature，butourdesiretohonourHimwithsuchnamesasweconceivemosthonourableamongstourselves。
“TheSpiritofGodmoveduponthefaceofthewaters。“*HereifbytheSpiritofGodbemeantGodHimself，thenismotionattributedtoGod，andconsequentlyplace，whichareintelligibleonlyofbodies，andnotofsubstancesincorporeal；andsotheplaceisaboveourunderstandingthatcanconceivenothingmovedthatchangesnotplaceorthathasnotdimension；andwhatsoeverhasdimensionisbody。Butthemeaningofthosewordsisbestunderstoodbythelikeplace，wherewhentheearthwascoveredwithwaters，asinthebeginning，Godintendingtoabatethem，andagaintodiscoverthedryland，useththelikewords，“IwillbringmySpiritupontheearth，andthewatersshallbediminished“：*2inwhichplacebySpiritisunderstoodawindthatisanairorspiritmoved，whichmightbecalled，asintheformerplace，theSpiritofGod，becauseitwasGod’swork。
PharaohcalleththewisdomofJosephtheSpiritofGod。ForJosephhavingadvisedhimtolookoutawiseanddiscreetman，andtosethimoverthelandofEgypt，hesaiththus，“Canwefindsuchamanasthisis，inwhomistheSpiritofGod？“*AndExodus，28。3，“Thoushaltspeak，“saithGod，“toallthatarewisehearted，whomIhavefilledwiththespiritofwisdom，tomakeAarongarments，toconsecratehim。“
Whereextraordinaryunderstanding，thoughbutinmakinggarments，asbeingthegiftofGod，iscalledtheSpiritofGod。Thesameisfoundagain，Exod。31。3-6，and35。31AndIsaiah，11。2，3，wheretheprophet，speakingoftheMessiah，saith，“TheSpiritoftheLordshallabideuponhim，thespiritofwisdomandunderstanding，thespiritofcounsel，andfortitude，andthespiritofthefearoftheLord。“
Wheremanifestlyismeant，notsomanyghosts，butsomanyeminentgracesthatGodwouldgivehim。
IntheBookofJudges，anextraordinaryzealandcourageinthedefenceofGod’speopleiscalledtheSpiritofGod；aswhenitexcitedOthniel，Gideon，Jephtha，andSamsontodeliverthemfromservitude，Judges，3。10，6。34，11。29，13。25，14。6，19。AndofSaul，uponthenewsoftheinsolenceoftheAmmonitestowardsthemenofJabeshGilead，itissaidthat“TheSpiritofGodcameuponSaul，andhisanger“or，asitisintheLatin，hisfury“waskindledgreatly。“*Whereitisnotprobablewasmeantaghost，butanextraordinaryzealtopunishthecrueltyoftheAmmonites。InlikemannerbytheSpiritofGodthatcameuponSaul，whenhewasamongsttheprophetsthatpraisedGodinsongsandmusic，*2istobeunderstood，notaghost，butanunexpectedandsuddenzealtojoinwiththemintheirdevotion。
ThefalseprophetZedekiahsaithtoMicaiah，“WhichwaywenttheSpiritoftheLordfrommetospeaktothee？“*Whichcannotbeunderstoodofaghost；forMicaiahdeclaredbeforethekingsofIsraelandJudahtheeventofthebattleasfromavisionandnotasfromaspiritspeakinginhim。
Inthesamemanneritappeareth，inthebooksoftheProphets，thatthoughtheyspakebytheSpiritofGod，thatistosay，byaspecialgraceofprediction；yettheirknowledgeofthefuturewasnotbyaghostwithinthem，butbysomesupernaturaldreamorvision。
Itissaid，“Godmademanofthedustoftheearth，andbreathedintohisnostrilsspiraculumvitaethebreathoflife，andmanwasmadealivingsoul。“*TherethebreathoflifeinspiredbyGodsignifiesnomorebutthatGodgavehimlife；and“aslongasthespiritofGodisinmynostrils“*2isnomorethantosay，“aslongasIlive。“SoinEzekiel，1。20，“thespiritoflifewasinthewheels，“isequivalentto，“thewheelswerealive。“And“thespiritenteredintome，andme，andsetmeonmyfeet，“*3thatis，“Irecoveredmyvitalstrength“；notthatanyghostorincorporealsubstanceenteredintoandpossessedhisbody。