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。