There was no prophet in the time of Moses, nor pretender to the spirit of God, but such as Moses had approved and authorized. For there were in his time but seventy men that are said to prophesy by the spirit of God, and these were all of Moses his election; concerning whom God said to Moses ( Numb. 11:16), “Gather to me seventy of the elders of Israel, whom thou knowest to be the elders of the people.” To these God imparted His spirit; but it was not a different spirit from that of Moses; for it is said (verse 25), “God came down in a cloud, and took of the spirit that was upon Moses, and gave it to the seventy elders.” But as I have shown before ( chap. XXXVI