The _Jews_ before the _Roman_ captivity, distinguished the sacred books into the Law, the Prophets, and the _Hagiographa_, or holy writings; and read only the Law and the Prophets in their Synagogues. And Christ and his Apostles laid the stress of religion upon the Law and the Prophets, _Matt._ vii. 12. xxii. 4. _Luke_ xvi. 16, 29, 31. xxiv. 44. _Acts_ xxiv. 14. xxvi. 22. _Rom._ iii. 21. By the _Hagiographa_ they meant the historical books called _Joshua_, _Judges_, _Ruth_, _Samuel_, _Kings_, _Chronicles_, _Ezra_, _Nehemiah_, and _Esther_, the book of _Job_, the _Psalms_, the books of _Solomon_, and the _Lamentations_. The Samaritans read only the _Pentateuch_: and when _Jehosaphat_ sent men to teach in the cities, they had with them only the book of the Law; for the Prophecies now extant were not then written. And upon the return from the _Babylonian_ captivity, _Ezra_ read only the book of the Law to the people, from morning to noon on the first day of the seventh month; and from day to day in the feast of Tabernacles: for he had not yet collected the writings of the Prophets into the volume now extant; but instituted the reading of them after the collection was made. By reading the Law and the Prophets in the Synagogues, those books have been kept freer from corruption than the _Hagiographa_. In the infancy of the nation of _Israel_, when God had given them a Law, and made a covenant with them to be their God if they would keep his commandments, he sent Prophets to reclaim them, as often as they revolted to the worship of other Gods: and upon their returning to him, they sometimes renewed the covenant which they had broken. These Prophets he continued to send, till the days of _Ezra_: but after their Prophecies were read in the Synagogues, those Prophecies were thought sufficient. For if the people would not hear _Moses_ and the old Prophets, they would hear no new ones, no not _tho they should rise from the dead_. At length when a new truth was to be preached to the _Gentiles_, namely, _that Jesus was the Christ_, God sent new Prophets and Teachers: but after their writings were also received and read in the Synagogues of the Christians, Prophecy ceased a second time. We have _Moses_, the Prophets, and Apostles, and the words of Christ himself; and if we will not hear them, we shall be more inexcusable than the _Jews._ For the Prophets and Apostles have foretold, that as _Israel_ often revolted and brake the covenant, and upon repentance renewed it; so there should be a falling away among the Christians, soon after the days of the Apostles; and that in the latter days God would destroy the impenitent revolters, and make a new covenant with his people. And the giving ear to the Prophets is a fundamental character of the true Church. For God has so ordered the Prophecies, that in the latter days _the wise may understand, but the wicked shall do wickedly, and none of the wicked shall understand_, Dan. xii. 9, 10. The authority of Emperors,