rd of God. Hereupon (as it is verse 4.) some of them
beleeved, and (as it is in the 5. ver.) some beleeved not. What was
the reason, when they all beleeved the Scripture, that they did not
all beleeve alike; but that some approved, others disapproved the
Interpretation of St. Paul that cited them; and every one Interpreted
them to himself? It was this; S. Paul came to them without any Legall
Commission, and in the manner of one that would not Command, but
Perswade; which he must needs do, either by Miracles, as Moses did
to the Israelites in Egypt, that they might see his Authority in Gods
works; or by Reasoning from the already received Scripture, that
they might see the truth of his doctrine in Gods Word. But whosoever
perswadeth by reasoning from principles written, maketh him to whom hee
speaketh Judge, both of the meaning of those principles, and also of the
force of his inferences upon them. If these Jews of Thessalonica were
not, who else was the Judge of what S. Paul alledged out of Scripture?
If S. Paul, what needed he to quote any places to prove his doctrine? It
had been enough to have said, I find it so in Scripture, that is to
say, in your Laws, of which I am Interpreter, as sent by Christ. The
Interpreter therefore of the Scripture, to whose Interpretation the
Jews of Thessalonica were bound to stand, could be none: every one might
beleeve, or not beleeve, according as the Allegations seemed to himselfe
to be agreeable, or not agreeable to the meaning of the places alledged.
And generally in all cases of the world, hee that pretendeth any proofe,
maketh Judge of his proofe him to whom he addresseth his speech. And as
to the case of the Jews in particular, they were bound by expresse words
(Deut. 17.) to receive the determination of all hard questions, from
the Priests and Judges of Israel for the time being. But this is to bee
understood of the Jews that were yet unconverted.

For the Conversion of the Gentiles, there was no use of alledging the
Scriptures, which they beleeved not. The Apostles therefore laboured by
Reason to confute their Idolatry; and that done, to perswade them to the
faith of Christ, by their testimony of his Life, and Resurrection. So
that there could not yet bee any controversie concerning the authority
to Interpret Scripture; seeing no man was obliged during his infidelity,
to follow any mans Interpretation of any Scripture, except his
Soveraigns Interpretation of the Laws of his cou