e two prophets were at one in the matter.

How we are to arrive at the intention of the prophets in such cases I
will briefly explain. Here, too, we must begin from the most universal
proposition, inquiring first from the most clear Scriptural statements
what is the nature of prophecy or revelation, and wherein does it
consist; then we must proceed to miracles, and so on to whatever is most
general till we come to the opinions of a particular prophet, and, at
last, to the meaning of a particular revelation, prophecy, history, or
miracle. We have already pointed out that great caution is necessary not
to confound the mind of a prophet or historian with the mind of the Holy
Spirit and the truth of the matter; therefore I need not dwell further
on the subject. I would, however, here remark concerning the meaning of
revelation, that the present method only teaches us what the prophets
really saw or heard, not what they desired to signify or represent by
symbols. The latter may be guessed at but cannot be inferred with
certainty from Scriptural premises.

We have thus shown the plan for interpreting Scripture, and have, at the
same time, demonstrated that it is the one and surest way of
investigating its true meaning. I am willing indeed to admit that those
persons (if any such there be) would be more absolutely certainly right,
who have received either a trustworthy tradition or an assurance from
the prophets themselves, such as is claimed by the Pharisees; or who
have a pontiff gifted with infallibility in the interpretation of
Scripture, such as the Roman Catholics boast. But as we can never be
perfectly sure, either of such a tradition or of the authority of the
pontiff, we cannot found any certain conclusion on either: the one is
denied by the oldest sect of Christians, the other by the oldest sect of
Jews. Indeed, if we consider the series of years (to mention no other
point) accepted by the Pharisees from their Rabbis, during which time
they say they have handed down the tradition from Moses, we shall find
that it is not correct, as I show elsewhere. Therefore such a tradition
should be received with extreme suspicion; and although, according to
our method, we are bound to consider as uncorrupted the tradition of the
Jews, namely, the meaning of the Hebrew words which we received from
them, we may accept the latter while retaining our doubts about the
former.

No one has ever been able to change the meaning of a wor