thatistosay，theywerenottochoosetothemselves，neitherinheavennorinearth，anyrepresentativeoftheirownfancying，butobeyMosesandAaron，whomHehadappointedtothatoffice。3。That“theyshouldnottakethenameofGodinvain“；thatis，theyshouldnotspeakrashlyoftheirKing，nordisputehisright，northecommissionsofMosesandAaron，Hislieutenants。4。That“theyshouldeveryseventhdayabstainfromtheirordinarylabour，“andemploythattimeindoingHimpublichonour。Thesecondtablecontaineththedutyofonemantowardsanother，as“Tohonourparents“；“Nottokill“；“Nottocommitadultery“；“Nottosteal“；
“Nottocorruptjudgementbyfalsewitness“；andfinally，“Notsomuchastodesignintheirheartthedoingofanyinjuryonetoanother。“
Thequestionnowiswhoitwasthatgavetothesewrittentablestheobligatoryforceoflaws。ThereisnodoubtbuttheyweremadelawsbyGodHimself：butbecausealawobligesnot，norislawtoanybuttothemthatacknowledgeittobetheactofthesovereign，howcouldthepeopleofIsrael，thatwereforbiddentoapproachthemountaintohearwhatGodsaidtoMoses，beobligedtoobediencetoallthoselawswhichMosespropoundedtothem？Someofthemwereindeedthelawsofnature，asallthesecondtable，andthereforetobeacknowledgedforGod’slaws；nottotheIsraelitesalone，buttoallpeople：butofthosethatwerepeculiartotheIsraelites，asthoseofthefirsttable，thequestionremains，savingthattheyhadobligedthemselves，presentlyafterthepropoundingofthem，toobeyMoses，inthesewords，“Speakthoutous，andwewillhearthee；butletnotGodspeaktous，lestwedie。“*ItwasthereforeonlyMosesthen，andafterhimthehighpriest，whom，byMoses，GoddeclaredshouldadministerthisHispeculiarkingdom，thathadonearththepowertomakethisshortScriptureoftheDecaloguetobelawinthecommonwealthofIsrael。ButMoses，andAaron，andthesucceedinghighpriestswerethecivilsovereigns。Thereforehithertothecanonizing，ormakingoftheScripturelaw，belongedtothecivilsovereign。
Thejudiciallaw，thatistosay，thelawsthatGodprescribedtothemagistratesofIsraelfortheruleoftheiradministrationofjustice，andofthesentencesorjudgementstheyshouldpronounceinpleasbetweenmanandman；andtheLeviticallaw，thatistosay，therulethatGodprescribedtouchingtheritesandceremoniesofthepriestsandLevites，werealldeliveredtothembyMosesonly；andthereforealsobecamelawsbyvirtueofthesamepromiseofobediencetoMoses。Whethertheselawswerethenwritten，ornotwritten，butdictatedtothepeoplebyMoses，afterhisfortydaysbeingwithGodintheMount，bywordofmouth，isnotexpressedinthetext；buttheywereallpositivelaws，andequivalenttoHolyScripture，andmadecanonicalbyMosesthecivilsovereign。
AftertheIsraeliteswerecomeintotheplainsofMoaboveragainstJericho，andreadytoenterintotheLandofPromise，Mosestotheformerlawsaddeddiverseothers；whichthereforearecalledDeuteronomy；thatis，SecondLaws；andare，asitiswritten，“thewordsofacovenantwhichtheLordcommandedMosestomakewiththechildrenofIsrael，besidesthecovenantwhichhemadewiththeminHoreb。“*Forhavingexplainedthoseformerlaws，inthebeginningoftheBookofDeuteronomy，headdethothers，thatbeginatthetwelfthChapterandcontinuetotheendofthetwenty-sixthofthesamebook。Thislawtheywerecommandedtowriteupongreatstonesplasteredover，attheirpassingoverJordan：*2thislawalsowaswrittenbyMoseshimselfinabook，anddeliveredintothehandsofthepriests，andtotheeldersofIsrael，*3andcommanded“tobeputinthesideoftheArk“；*4forintheArkitselfwasnothingbuttheTenCommandments。ThiswasthelawwhichMosescommandedthekingsofIsraelshouldkeepacopyof：*5andthisisthelawwhich，havingbeenlongtimelost，wasfoundagainintheTempleinthetimeofJosiah，andbyhisauthorityreceivedforthelawofGod。ButbothMosesatthewritingandJosiahattherecoverythereofhadbothofthemthecivilsovereignty。HithertothereforethepowerofmakingScripturecanonicalwasinthecivilsovereign。
BesidesthisBookoftheLaw，therewasnootherbook，fromthetimeofMosestillaftertheCaptivity，receivedamongsttheJewsforthelawofGod。Fortheprophets，exceptafew，livedinthetimeoftheCaptivityitself；andtherestlivedbutalittlebeforeit，andweresofarfromhavingtheirpropheciesgenerallyreceivedforlawsasthattheirpersonswerepersecuted，partlybyfalseprophets，andpartlybythekingswereseducedbythem。Andthisbookitself，whichwasconfirmedbyJosiahforthelawofGod，andwithitallthehistoryoftheworksofGod，waslostintheCaptivity，andsackofthecityofJerusalem，asappearsbythatofIIEsdras，14。21，“Thylawisburnt；thereforenomanknoweththethingsthataredoneofThee，ortheworksthatshallbegin。“AndbeforetheCaptivity，betweenthetimewhenthelawwaslostwhichisnotmentionedintheScripture，butmayprobablybethoughttobethetimeofRehoboamwhenShishak，KingofEgypt，tookthespoiloftheTemple*
andthetimeofJosiah，whenitwasfoundagain，theyhadnowrittenwordofGod，butruledaccordingtotheirowndiscretion，orbythedirectionofsuchaseachofthemesteemedprophets。
FromhencewemayinferthattheScripturesoftheOldTestament，whichwehaveatthisday，werenotcanonical，noralawuntotheJews，tilltherenovationoftheircovenantwithGodattheirreturnfromtheCaptivity，andrestorationoftheirCommonwealthunderEsdras。ButfromthattimeforwardtheywereaccountedthelawoftheJews，andforsuchtranslatedintoGreekbyseventyeldersofJudaea，andputintothelibraryofPtolemyatAlexandria，andapprovedforthewordofGod。NowseeingEsdraswasthehighpriest，andthehighpriestwastheircivilsovereign，itismanifestthattheScriptureswerenevermadelaws，butbythesovereigncivilpower。
BythewritingsoftheFathersthatlivedinthetimebeforethatChristianreligionwasreceivedandauthorizedbyConstantinetheEmperor，wemayfindthatthebookswenowhaveoftheNewTestamentwereheldbytheChristiansofthattimeexceptafew，inrespectofwhosepaucitytherestwerecalledtheCatholicChurch，andothershereticsforthedictatesoftheHolyGhost；andconsequentlyforthecanon，orruleoffaith：suchwasthereverenceandopiniontheyhadoftheirteachers；asgenerallythereverencethatthedisciplesbeartotheirfirstmastersinallmannerofdoctrinetheyreceivefromthemisnotsmall。ThereforethereisnodoubtbutwhenSt。Paulwrotetothechurcheshehadconverted；oranyotherApostleorDiscipleofChrist，tothosewhichhadthenembracedChrist；theyreceivedthosetheirwritingsforthetrueChristiandoctrine。Butinthattimewhennotthepowerandauthorityoftheteacher，butthefaithofthehearer，causedthemtoreceiveit，itwasnottheApostlesthatmadetheirownwritingscanonical，buteveryconvertmadethemsotohimself。
ButthequestionhereisnotwhatanyChristianmadealaworcanontohimself，whichhemightagainrejectbythesamerighthereceivedit，butwhatwassomadeacanontothemaswithoutinjusticetheycouldnotdoanythingcontrarythereunto。ThattheNewTestamentshouldinthissensebecanonical，thatistosay，alawinanyplacewherethelawoftheCommonwealthhadnotmadeitso，iscontrarytothenatureofalaw。Foralaw，ashathbeenalreadyshown，isthecommandmentofthatman，orassembly，towhomwehavegivensovereignauthoritytomakesuchrulesforthedirectionofouractionsasheshallthinkfit，andtopunishuswhenwedoanythingcontrarytothesame。Whenthereforeanyothermanshallofferuntousanyotherrules，whichthesovereignrulerhathnotprescribed，theyarebutcounselandadvice；which，whethergoodorbad，hethatiscounselledmaywithoutinjusticerefusetoobserve；
andwhencontrarytothelawsalreadyestablished，withoutinjusticecannotobserve，howgoodsoeverheconceivethittobe。Isayhecannotinthiscaseobservethesameinhisactions，norinhisdiscoursewithothermen，thoughhemaywithoutblamebelievehisprivateteachersandwishhehadthelibertytopractisetheiradvice，andthatitwerepubliclyreceivedforlaw。Forinternalfaithisinitsownnatureinvisible，andconsequentlyexemptedfromallhumanjurisdiction；whereasthewordsandactionsthatproceedfromit，asbreachesofourcivilobedience，areinjusticebothbeforeGodandman。SeeingthenourSaviourhathdeniedhiskingdomtobeinthisworld，seeinghehathsaidhecamenottojudge，buttosavetheworld，hehathnotsubjectedustootherlawsthanthoseoftheCommonwealth；thatis，theJewstothelawofMoses，whichhesaithhecamenottodestroy，buttofulfil；*andothernationstothelawsoftheirseveralsovereigns，andallmentothelawsofnature；theobservingwhereof，bothhehimselfandhisApostleshaveintheirteachingrecommendedtousasanecessaryconditionofbeingadmittedbyhiminthelastdayintohiseternalkingdom，whereinshallbeprotectionandlifeeverlasting。SeeingthenourSaviourandhisApostlesleftnotnewlawstoobligeusinthisworld，butnewdoctrinetoprepareusforthenext，thebooksoftheNewTestament，whichcontainthatdoctrine，untilobediencetothemwascommandedbythemthatGodhadgivenpowertoonearthtobelegislators，werenotobligatorycanons，thatis，laws，butonlygoodandsafeadviceforthedirectionofsinnersinthewaytosalvation，whicheverymanmighttakeandrefuseathisownperil，withoutinjustice。
Again，ourSaviourChrist’scommissiontohisApostlesandDiscipleswastoproclaimhiskingdom，notpresent，buttocome；andtoteachallnations，andtobaptizethemthatshouldbelieve；andtoenterintothehousesofthemthatshouldreceivethem；andwheretheywerenotreceived，toshakeoffthedustoftheirfeetagainstthem；
butnottocallforfirefromheaventodestroythem，nortocompelthemtoobediencebythesword。Inallwhichthereisnothingofpower，butofpersuasion。Hesentthemoutassheepuntowolves，notaskingstotheirsubjects。Theyhadnotincommissiontomakelaws；
buttoobeyandteachobediencetolawsmade；andconsequentlytheycouldnotmaketheirwritingsobligatorycanons，withoutthehelpofthesovereigncivilpower。AndthereforetheScriptureoftheNewTestamentisthereonlylawwherethelawfulcivilpowerhathmadeitso。Andtherealsotheking，orsovereign，makethitalawtohimself；bywhichhesubjectethhimself，nottothedoctororApostlethatconvertedhim，buttoGodHimself，andHisSonJesusChrist，asimmediatelyasdidtheApostlesthemselves。
ThatwhichmayseemtogivetheNewTestament，inrespectofthosethathaveembracedChristiandoctrine，theforceoflaws，inthetimesandplacesofpersecution，isthedecreestheymadeamongstthemselvesintheirsynods。ForwereadthestyleofthecounciloftheApostles，theelders，andthewholeChurch，inthismanner，“ItseemedgoodtotheHolyGhost，andtous，tolayuponyounogreaterburdenthanthesenecessarythings，“*etc。，whichisastylethatsignifiethapowertolayaburdenonthemthathadreceivedtheirdoctrine。Now“tolayaburdenonanother“seemeththesameastooblige，andthereforetheactsofthatcouncilwerelawstothethenChristians。
Nevertheless，theywerenomorelawsthanaretheseotherprecepts，“Repent“；“Bebaptized“；“KeeptheCommandments“；“BelievetheGospel“；“Comeuntome“；“Sellallthatthouhast“；“Giveittothepoor“；and“Followme“；whicharenotcommands，butinvitationsandcallingsofmentoChristianity，likethatofIsaiah，“Ho，everymanthatthirsteth，comeyetothewaters，come，andbuywineandmilkwithoutmoney。“*2Forfirst，theApostles’powerwasnootherthanthatofourSaviour，toinvitementoembracethekingdomofGod；
whichtheythemselvesacknowledgedforakingdom，notpresent，buttocome；andtheythathavenokingdomcanmakenolaws。Andsecondly，iftheiractsofcouncilwerelaws，theycouldnotwithoutsinbedisobeyed。ButwereadnotanywherethattheywhoreceivednotthedoctrineofChristdidthereinsin，butthattheydiedintheirsins；thatis，thattheirsinsagainstthelawstowhichtheyowedobediencewerenotpardoned。Andthoselawswerethelawsofnature，andthecivillawsofthestate，wheretoeveryChristianmanhadbypactsubmittedhimself。AndthereforebytheburdenwhichtheApostlesmightlayonsuchastheyhadconvertedarenottobeunderstoodlaws，butconditions，proposedtothosethatsoughtsalvation；whichtheymightacceptorrefuseattheirownperil，withoutanewsin，thoughnotwithoutthehazardofbeingcondemnedandexcludedoutofthekingdomofGodfortheirsinspast。Andthereforeofinfidels，St。
Johnsaithnot，thewrathofGodshallcomeuponthem，butthewrathofGodremainethuponthem；*3andnotthattheyshallhecondemned，butthattheyarecondemnedalready。*4Norcanitbeconceivedthatthebenefitoffaithisremissionofsins，unlessweconceivewithalthatthedamageofinfidelityistheretentionofthesamesins。