boast　of　works；　but　only　of　faith；　and　that　no　one　can　be　justified　by　works
  （Rom。　iii：27；28）；　in　fact；　he　preaches　the　complete　doctrine　of
  predestination。　（54）　James；　on　the　other　hand；　states　that　man　is　justified
  by　works；　and　not　by　faith　only　（see　his　Epistle；　ii：24）；　and　omitting　all
  the　disputations　of　Paul；　confines　religion　to　a　very　few　elements。
  （55）　Lastly；　it　is　indisputable　that　from　these　different　ground；　for
  religion　selected　by　the　Apostles；　many　quarrels　and　schisms　distracted　the
  Church；　even　in　the　earliest　times；　and　doubtless　they　will　continue　so　to
  distract　it　for　ever；　or　at　least　till　religion　is　separated　from
  philosophical　speculations；　and　reduced　to　the　few　simple　doctrines　taught
  by　Christ　to　His　disciples；　such　a　task　was　impossible　for　the　Apostles；
  because　the　Gospel　was　then　unknown　to　mankind；　and　lest　its　novelty　should
  offend　men's　ears　it　had　to　be　adapted　to　the　disposition　of
  contemporaries　（2　Cor。　ix：19；　20）；　and　built　up　on　the　groundwork　most
  familiar　and　accepted　at　the　time。　（56）　Thus　none　of　the　Apostles
  philosophized　more　than　did　Paul；　who　was　called　to　preach　to　the　Gentiles；
  other　Apostles　preaching　to　the　Jews；　who　despised　philosophy；　similarly；
  adapted　themselves　to　the　temper　of　their　hearers　（see　Gal。　ii。　11）；　and
  preached　a　religion　free　from　all　philosophical　speculations。　（57）　How　blest
  would　our　age　be　if　it　could　witness　a　religion　freed　also　from　all　the
  trammels　of　superstition！
  CHAPTER　XII　…　OF　THE　TRUE　ORIGINAL　OF　THE　DIVINE　LAW；　AND
  WHEREFORE　SCRIPTURE　IS　CALLED　SACRED；　AND　THE　WORD　OF　GOD。
  HOW　THAT；　IN　S0　FAR　AS　IT　CONTAINS　THE　WORD　OF　GOD；
  IT　HAS　COME　DOWN　TO　US　UNCORRUPTED。
  （1）　Those　who　look　upon　the　Bible　as　a　message　sent　down　by　God　from　Heaven
  to　men；　will　doubtless　cry　out　that　I　have　committed　the　sin　against　the
  Holy　Ghost　because　I　have　asserted　that　the　Word　of　God　is　faulty；
  mutilated；　tampered　with；　and　inconsistent；　that　we　possess　it　only　in
  fragments；　and　that　the　original　of　the　covenant　which　God　made　with　the
  Jews　has　been　lost。　（2）　However；　I　have　no　doubt　that　a　little　reflection
  will　cause　them　to　desist　from　their　uproar：　for　not　only　reason　but　the
  expressed　opinions　of　prophets　and　apostles　openly　proclaim　that　God's
  eternal　Word　and　covenant；　no　less　than　true　religion；　is　Divinely　inscribed
  in　human　hearts；　that　is；　in　the　human　mind；　and　that　this　is　the　true
  original　of　God's　covenant；　stamped　with　His　own　seal；　namely；　the　idea　of
  Himself；　as　it　were；　with　the　image　of　His　Godhood。
  （3）　Religion　was　imparted　to　the　early　Hebrews　as　a　law　written　down；
  because　they　were　at　that　time　in　the　condition　of　children；　but　afterwards
  Moses　（Deut。　xxx：6）　and　Jeremiah　（xxxi：33）　predicted　a　time　coming　when　the
  Lord　should　write　His　law　in　their　hearts。　（4）　Thus　only　the　Jews；　and
  amongst　them　chiefly　the　Sadducees；　struggled　for　the　law　written　on
  tablets；　least　of　all　need　those　who　bear　it　inscribed　on　their　hearts　join
  in　the　contest。　（5）　Those；　therefore；　who　reflect；　will　find　nothing　in　what
  I　have　written　repugnant　either　to　the　Word　of　God　or　to　true　religion　and
  faith；　or　calculated　to　weaken　either　one　or　the　other：　contrariwise；　they
  will　see　that　I　have　strengthened　religion；　as　I　showed　at　the　end　of
  Chapter　X。；　indeed；　had　it　not　been　so；　I　should　certainly　have　decided　to
  hold　my　peace；　nay；　I　would　even　have　asserted　as　a　way　out　of　all
  difficulties　that　the　Bible　contains　the　most　profound　hidden
  mysteries；　however；　as　this　doctrine　has　given　rise　to　gross　superstition
  and　other　pernicious　results　spoken　of　at　the　beginning　of　Chapter　V。；　I
  have　thought　such　a　course　unnecessary；　especially　as　religion　stands　in　no
  need　of　superstitious　adornments；　but　is；　on　the　contrary；　deprived　by　such
  trappings　of　some　of　her　splendour。
  （6）　Still；　it　will　be　said；　though　the　law　of　God　is　written　in　the　heart；
  the　Bible　is　none　the　less　the　Word　of　God；　and　it　is　no　more　lawful　to　say
  of　Scripture　than　of　God's　Word　that　it　is　mutilated　and　corrupted。　（7）　I
  fear　that　such　objectors　are　too　anxious　to　be　pious；　and　that　they　are　in
  danger　of　turning　religion　into　superstition；　and　worshipping　paper　and　ink
  in　place　of　God's　Word。
  （8）　I　am　certified　of　thus　much：　I　have　said　nothing　unworthy　of　Scripture
  or　God's　Word；　and　I　have　made　no　assertions　which　I　could　not　prove　by　most
  plain　argument　to　be　true。　（9）　I　can；　therefore；　rest　assured　that　I　have
  advanced　nothing　which　is　impious　or　even　savours　of　impiety。
  （10）　from　what　I　have　said；　assume　a　licence　to　sin；　and　without　any　reason；
  at　I　confess　that　some　profane　men；　to　whom　religion　is　a　burden；　may；　the
  simple　dictates　of　their　lusts　conclude　that　Scripture　is　everywhere　faulty
  and　falsified；　and　that　therefore　its　authority　is　null；　but　such　men　are
  beyond　the　reach　of　help；　for　nothing；　as　the　pro　verb　has　it；　can　be　said
  so　rightly　that　it　cannot　be　twisted　into　wrong。　（11）　Those　who　wish　to　give
  rein　to　their　lusts　are　at　no　loss　for　an　excuse；　nor　were　those　men　of　old
  who　possessed　the　original　Scriptures；　the　ark　of　the　covenant；　nay；　the
  prophets　and　apostles　in　person　among　them；　any　better　than　the　people　of
  to…day。　（12）　Human　nature；　Jew　as　well　as　Gentile；　has　always　been　the　same；
  and　in　every　age　virtue　has　been　exceedingly　rare。
  （13）　Nevertheless；　to　remove　every　scruple；　I　will　here　show　in　what　sense
  the　Bible　or　any　inanimate　thing　should　be　called　sacred　and　Divine；
  also　wherein　the　law　of　God　consists；　and　how　it　cannot　be　contained　in　a
  certain　number　of　books；　and；　lastly；　I　will　show　that　Scripture；　in　so　far
  as　it　teaches　what　is　necessary　for　obedience　and　salvation；　cannot　have
  been　corrupted。　（14）　From　these　considerations　everyone　will　be　able　to
  judge　that　I　have　neither　said　anything　against　the　Word　of　God　nor　given
  any　foothold　to　impiety。
  （15）　A　thing　is　called　sacred　and　Divine　when　it　is　designed　for　promoting
  piety；　and　continues　sacred　so　long　as　it　is　religiously　used：　if　the　users
  cease　to　be　pious；　the　thing　ceases　to　be　sacred：　if　it　be　turned　to　base
  uses；　that　which　was　formerly　sacred　becomes　unclean　and　profane。　（16）　For
  instance；　a　certain　spot　was　named　by　the　patriarch　Jacob　the　house　of　God；
  because　he　worshipped　God　there　revealed　to　him：　by　the　prophets　the　same
  spot　was　called　the　house　of　iniquity　（see　Amos　v：5；　and　Hosea　x：5）；　because
  the　Israelites　were　wont；　at　the　instigation　of　Jeroboam；　to　sacrifice　there
  to　idols。　（17）　Another　example　puts　the　matter　in　the　plainest　light。　（18）
  Words　gain　their　meaning　solely　from　their　usage；　and　if　they　are　arranged
  according　to　their　accepted　signification　so　as　to　move　those　who　read　them
  to　devotion；　they　will　become　sacred；　and　the　book　so　written　will　be　sacred
  also。　（19）　But　if　their　usage　afterwards　dies　out　so　that　the　words　have　no
  meaning；　or　the　book　becomes　utterly　neglected；　whether　from　unworthy
  motives；　or　because　it　is　no　longer　needed；　then　the　words　and　the　book　will
  lose　both　their　use　and　their　sanctity：　lastly；　if　these　same　words　be
  otherwise　arranged；　or　if　their　customary　meaning　becomes　perverted　into　its
  opposite；　then　both　the　words　and　the　book　containing　them　become；　instead
  of　sacred；　impure　and　profane。
  （20）　From　this　it　follows　that　nothing　is　in　itself　absolutely　sacred；　or
  profane；　and　unclean；　apart　from　the　mind；　but　only　relatively　thereto。　（21）
  Thus　much　is　clear　from　many　passages　in　the　Bible。　（22）　Jeremiah　（to　select
  one　case　out　of　many）　says　（chap。　vii：4）；　that　the　Jews　of　his　time
  were　wrong　in　calling　Solomon's　Temple；　the　Temple　of　God；　for；　as　he　goes
  on　to　say　in　the　same　chapter；　God's　name　would　only　be　given　to　the　Temple
  so　long　as　it　was　frequented　by　men　who　worshipped　Him；　and　defended
  justice；　but　that；　if　it　became　the　resort　of　murderers；　thieves；　idolaters；
  and　other　wicked　persons；　it　would　be　turned　into　a　den　of　malefactors。
  （23）　Scripture；　curiously　enough；　nowhere　tells　us　what　became　of　the　Ark　of
  the　Covenant；　though　there　is　no　doubt　that　it　was　destroyed；　or　burnt
  together　with　the　Temple；　yet　there　was　nothing　which　the　Hebrews　considered
  more　sacred；　or　held　in　greater　reverence。　（24）　Thus　Scripture　is　sacred；
  and　its　words　Divine　so　long　as　it　stirs　mankind　to　devotion　towards　God：
  but　if　it　be　utterly　neglected；　as　it　formerly　was　by　the　Jews；　it　becomes
  nothing　but　paper　and　ink；　and　is　left　to　be　desecrated　or　corrupted：　still；
  though　Scripture　be　thus　corrupted　or　destroyed；　we　must　not　say　that　the
  Word　of　God　has　suffered　in　like　manner；　else　we　shall　be　like　the　Jews；　who
  said　that　the　Temple　which　would　then　be　the　Temple　of　God　had　per