第67章

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：*(2)thislawalsowaswrittenbyMoseshimselfinabook，anddeliveredintothehandsofthepriests，andtotheeldersofIsrael，*(3)andcommanded“tobeputinthesideoftheArk“；*(4)forintheArkitselfwasnothingbuttheTenCommandments。ThiswasthelawwhichMosescommandedthekingsofIsraelshouldkeepacopyof：*(5)andthisisthelawwhich，havingbeenlongtimelost，wasfoundagainintheTempleinthetimeofJosiah，andbyhisauthorityreceivedforthelawofGod。ButbothMosesatthewritingandJosiahattherecoverythereofhadbothofthemthecivilsovereignty。HithertothereforethepowerofmakingScripturecanonicalwasinthecivilsovereign。

BesidesthisBookoftheLaw，therewasnootherbook，fromthetimeofMosestillaftertheCaptivity，receivedamongsttheJewsforthelawofGod。Fortheprophets，exceptafew，livedinthetimeofth