He therefore to whom God hath not supernaturally revealed that they are His,nor that those that published them were sent by Him,is not obliged to obey them by any authority but his whose commands have already the force of laws;that is to say,by any other authority than that of the Commonwealth,residing in the sovereign,who only has the legislative power.Again,if it be not the legislative authority of the Commonwealth that giveth them the force of laws,it must be some other authority derived from God,either private or public:if private,it obliges only him to whom in particular God hath been pleased to reveal it.For if every man should be obliged to take for God's law what particular men,on pretence of private inspiration or revelation,should obtrude upon him (in such a number of men that out of pride and ignorance take their own dreams,and extravagant fancies,and madness for testimonies of God's spirit;or,out of ambition,pretend to such divine testimonies,falsely and contrary to their own consciences),it were impossible that any divine law should be acknowledged.If public,it is the authority of the Commonwealth or of the Church.But the Church,if it be one person,is the same thing with a Commonwealth of Christians;called a Commonwealth because it consisteth of men united in one person,their sovereign;and a Church,because it consisteth in Christian men,united in one Christian sovereign.But if the Church be not one person,then it hath no authority at all;it can neither command nor do any action at all;nor is capable of having any power or right to anything;nor has any will,reason,nor voice;for all these qualities are personal.Now if the whole number of Christians be not contained in one Commonwealth,they are not one person;nor is there a universal Church that hath any authority over them;and therefore the Scriptures are not made laws by the universal Church:or if it be one Commonwealth,then all Christian monarches and states are private persons,and subject to be judged,deposed,and punished by a universal sovereign of all Christendom.So that the question of the authority of the Scriptures is reduced to this:whether Christian kings,and the sovereign assemblies in Christian Commonwealths,be absolute in their own territories,immediately under God;or subject to one Vicar of Christ,constituted over the universal Church;to be judged condemned,deposed,and put to death,as he shall think expedient or necessary for the common good.
Which question cannot be resolved without a more particular consideration of the kingdom of God;from whence also,we are to judge of the authority of interpreting the Scripture.For,whosoever hath a lawful power over any writing,to make it law,hath the power also to approve or disapprove the interpretation of the same.
