122Ihavebrieflyshownthatsuchknowledgeisnecessary，butIpassedovercertainconsiderationswhichIwillnowdrawattentionto。
123Ifwereadabookwhichcontainsincredibleorimpossiblenarratives，oriswritteninaveryobscurestyle，andifweknownothingofitsauthor，norofthetimeoroccasionofitsbeingwritten，weshallvainlyendeavourtogainanycertainknowledgeofitstruemeaning。124Forbeinginignoranceonthesepointswecannotpossiblyknowtheaimorintendedaimoftheauthor；ifwearefullyinformed，wesoorderourthoughtsasnottobeinanywayprejudicedeitherinascribingtotheauthororhimforwhomtheauthorwroteeithermoreorlessthanhismeaning，andweonlytakeintoconsiderationwhattheauthormayhavehadinhismind，orwhatthetimeandoccasiondemanded。125Ithinkthismustbetolerablyevidenttoall。
126Itoftenhappensthatindifferentbookswereadhistoriesinthemselvessimilar，butwhichwejudgeverydifferently，accordingtotheopinionswehaveformedoftheauthors。127IrememberoncetohavereadinsomebookthatamannamedOrlandoFuriosousedtodriveakindofwingedmonsterthroughtheair，flyoveranycountriesheliked，killunaidedvastnumbersofmenandgiants，andsuchlikefancies，whichfromthepointofviewofreasonareobviouslyabsurd。128AverysimilarstoryIreadinOvidofPerseus，andalsointhebooksofJudgesandKingsofSamson，whoaloneandunarmedkilledthousandsofmen，andofElijah，whoflewthroughtheair，saidatlastwentuptoheaveninachariotoffire，withhorsesoffire。129Allthesestoriesareobviouslyalike，butwejudgethemverydifferently。130Thefirstonlysoughttoamuse，thesecondhadapoliticalobject，thethirdareligiousobject。131Wegatherthissimplyfromtheopinionswehadpreviouslyformedoftheauthors。132Thusitisevidentlynecessarytoknowsomethingoftheauthorsofwritingswhichareobscureorunintelligible，ifwewouldinterprettheirmeaning；andforthesamereason，inordertochoosetheproperreadingfromamongagreatvariety，weoughttohaveinformationastotheversionsinwhichthedifferencesarefound，andastothepossibilityofotherreadingshavingbeendiscoveredbypersonsofgreaterauthority。
133AfurtherdifficultyattendsthismethodinthecaseofsomeofthebooksofScripture，namely，thattheyarenolongerextantintheiroriginallanguage。133TheGospelaccordingtoMatthew，andcertainlytheEpistletotheHebrews，werewritten，itisthought，inHebrew，thoughtheynolongerexistinthatform。134AbenEzraaffirmsinhiscommentariesthatthebookofJobwastranslatedintoHebrewoutofanotherlanguage，andthatitsobscurityarisesfromthisfact。135Isaynothingoftheapocryphalbooks，fortheirauthoritystandsonveryinferiorground。
136TheforegoingdifficultiesinthismethodofinterpretingScripturefromitsownhistory，IconceivetobesogreatthatIdonothesitatetosaythatthetruemeaningofScriptureisinmanyplacesinexplicable，oratbestmeresubjectforguesswork；butImustagainpointout，ontheotherhand，thatsuchdifficultiesonlyarisewhenweendeavourtofollowthemeaningofaprophetinmatterswhichcannotbeperceived，butonlyimagined，notinthings，whereoftheunderstandingcangiveaclearidea，andwhichareconceivablethroughthemselves:，[Endnote8]，matterswhichbytheirnatureareeasilyperceivedcannotbeexpressedsoobscurelyastobeunintelligible；astheproverbsays，\"awordisenoughtothewise。\"137