prophets, whether they were to be held for true or not. For to what end did God give signs and tokens to all the people, whereby the true prophets might be discerned from the false; namely, the event of predictions, and conformity with the religion established by Moses; if they might not use those marks? The authority therefore of admitting books for _the word of God_, belonged to the king; and thus that book of the law was approved, and received again by the authority of king Josiah; as appears by the second book of the Kings, chap, xxii. xxiii.: where it is reported that he gathered together all the several degrees of his kingdom, _the elders, priests, prophets, and all the people; and he read in their ears all the words of the covenant_; that is to say, he caused that _covenant_ to be acknowledged for the _Mosaical covenant_; that is to say, _for the word of God_; and to be again received and confirmed by the Israelites. The civil power therefore, and the power of discerning God’s word from the words of men, and of interpreting God’s word even in the days of the kings, was wholly belonging to themselves. Prophets were sent not with authority, but in the form and by the right of proclaimers and preachers, of whom the hearers did judge. And if perhaps these were punished who did not listen to them plainly, teaching easy things; it doth not thence follow, that the kings were obliged to follow all things which they, in God’s name, did declare were to be followed. For though Josiah, the good king of Judah, were slain because he obeyed not the word of the Lord from the mouth of Necho king of Egypt; that is to say, because he rejected good counsel though it seemed to come from an enemy; yet no man I hope will say that Josiah was, by any bond either of divine or human laws, obliged to believe Pharaoh Necho king of Egypt, because he said _that God had spoken to him_. But what some man may object against kings, that for want of learning they are seldom able enough to interpret those books of antiquity, in the which God’s word is contained; and that for this cause, it is not reasonable that this office should depend on their authority; he may object as much against the priests and all mortal men; for they may err. And although priests were better instructed in nature and arts than other men, yet kings are able enough to appoint such interpreters under them; and so, though kings did not themselves interpret the word of God, yet the office of interpreting them might depend on their authority. And they who therefore refuse to yield up this authority to kings, because they cannot practice the office itself, do as much as if they should say, that the authority of teaching _geometry_ must not depend upon kings, except they themselves were geometricians. We read that kings have prayed for the people; that they have blessed the people; that they have consecrated the temple; that they have commanded the priests; that