as　having　him　for　a　divine　governor　and　　　counselor。　And　when　he　had　first　persuaded　himself　（17）　that　　　his　actions　and　designs　were　agreeable　to　God's　will；　he　　　thought　it　his　duty　to　impress；　above　all　things；　that　notion　　　upon　the　multitude；　for　those　who　have　once　believed　that　　　God　is　the　inspector　of　their　lives；　will　not　permit　themselves　　　in　any　sin。　And　this　is　the　character　of　our　legislator：　he　was　　　no　impostor；　no　deceiver；　as　his　revilers　say；　though　unjustly；　　　but　such　a　one　as　they　brag　Minos　（18）　to　have　been　among　　　the　Greeks；　and　other　legislators　after　him；　for　some　of　them　　　suppose　that　they　had　their　laws　from　Jupiter；　while　Minos　　　said　that　the　revelation　of　his　laws　was　to　be　referred　to　　　Apollo；　and　his　oracle　at　Delphi；　whether　they　really　thought　　　they　were　so　derived；　or　supposed；　however；　that　they　could　　　persuade　the　people　easily　that　so　it　was。　But　which　of　these　　　it　was　who　made　the　best　laws；　and　which　had　the　greatest　　　reason　to　believe　that　God　was　their　author；　it　will　be　easy；　　　upon　comparing　those　laws　themselves　together；　to　　　determine；　for　it　is　time　that　we　come　to　that　point。　（19）　　　Now　there　are　innumerable　differences　in　the　particular　　　customs　and　laws　that　are　among　all　mankind；　which　a　man　　　may　briefly　reduce　under　the　following　heads：　Some　　　legislators　have　permitted　their　governments　to　be　under　　　monarchies；　others　put　them　under　oligarchies；　and　others　　　under　a　republican　form；　but　our　legislator　had　no　regard　to　　　any　of　these　forms；　but　he　ordained　our　government　to　be　　　what；　by　a　strained　expression；　may　be　termed　a　Theocracy；　　　（20）　by　ascribing　the　authority　and　the　power　to　God；　and　by　　　persuading　all　the　people　to　have　a　regard　to　him；　as　the　　　author　of　all　the　good　things　that　were　enjoyed　either　in　　　common　by　all　mankind；　or　by　each　one　in　particular；　and　of　　　all　that　they　themselves　obtained　by　praying　to　him　in　their　　　greatest　difficulties。　He　informed　them　that　it　was　impossible　　　to　escape　God's　observation；　even　in　any　of　our　outward　　　actions；　or　in　any　of　our　inward　thoughts。　Moreover；　he　　　represented　God　as　unbegotten；　（21）　and　immutable；　through　　　all　eternity；　superior　to　all　mortal　conceptions　in　pulchritude；　　　and；　though　known　to　us　by　his　power；　yet　unknown　to　us　as　　　to　his　essence。　I　do　not　now　explain　how　these　notions　of　　　God　are　the　sentiments　of　the　wisest　among　the　Grecians；　　　and　how　they　were　taught　them　upon　the　principles　that　he　　　afforded　them。　However；　they　testify；　with　great　assurance；　　　that　these　notions　are　just；　and　agreeable　to　the　nature　of　　　God；　and　to　his　majesty；　for　Pythagoras；　and　Anaxagoras；　and　　　Plato；　and　the　Stoic　philosophers　that　succeeded　them；　and　　　almost　all　the　rest；　are　of　the　same　sentiments；　and　had　the　　　same　notions　of　the　nature　of　God；　yet　durst　not　these　men　　　disclose　those　true　notions　to　more　than　a　few；　because　the　　　body　of　the　people　were　prejudiced　with　other　opinions　　　beforehand。　But　our　legislator；　who　made　his　actions　agree　　　　to　his　laws；　did　not　only　prevail　with　those　that　were　his　　　contemporaries　to　agree　with　these　his　notions；　but　so　firmly　　　imprinted　this　faith　in　God　upon　all　their　posterity；　that　it　　　never　could　be　removed。　The　reason　why　the　constitution　of　　　this　legislation　was　ever　better　directed　to　the　utility　of　all　　　than　other　legislations　were；　is　this；　that　Moses　did　not　make　　　religion　a　part　of　virtue；　but　he　saw　and　he　ordained　other　　　virtues　to　be　parts　of　religion；　I　mean　justice；　and　fortitude；　　　and　temperance；　and　a　universal　agreement　of　the　members　　　of　the　community　with　one　another；　for　all　our　actions　and　　　studies；　and　all　our　words；　＇in　Moses's　settlement；＇　have　a　　　reference　to　piety　towards　God；　for　he　hath　left　none　of　　　these　in　suspense；　or　undetermined。　For　there　are　two　ways　　　of　coining　at　any　sort　of　learning　and　a　moral　conduct　of　life；　　　the　one　is　by　instruction　in　words；　the　other　by　practical　　　exercises。　Now　other　lawgivers　have　separated　these　two　ways　　　in　their　opinions；　and　choosing　one　of　those　ways　of　　　instruction；　or　that　which　best　pleased　every　one　of　them；　　　neglected　the　other。　Thus　did　the　Lacedemonians　and　the　　　Cretians　teach　by　practical　exercises；　but　not　by　words；　while　　　the　Athenians；　and　almost　all　the　other　Grecians；　made　laws　　　about　what　was　to　be　done；　or　left　undone；　but　had　no　regard　　　to　the　exercising　them　thereto　in　practice。　　　　　　18。　But　for　our　legislator；　he　very　carefully　joined　these　two　　　methods　of　instruction　together；　for　he　neither　left　these　　　practical　exercises　to　go　on　without　verbal　instruction；　nor　did　　　he　permit　the　hearing　of　the　law　to　proceed　without　the　　　exercises　for　practice；　but　beginning　immediately　from　the　　　earliest　infancy；　and　the　appointment　of　every　one's　diet；　he　　　left　nothing　of　the　very　smallest　consequence　to　be　done　at　　　the　pleasure　and　disposal　of　the　person　himself。　Accordingly；　　　he　made　a　fixed　rule　of　law　what　sorts　of　food　they　should　　　abstain　from；　and　what　sorts　they　should　make　use　of；　as　also；　　　what　communion　they　should　have　with　others　what　great　　　diligence　they　should　use　in　their　occupations；　and　what　times　　　of　rest　should　be　interposed；　that；　by　living　under　that　law　as　　　under　a　father　and　a　master；　we　might　be　guilty　of　no　sin；　　　neither　voluntary　nor　out　of　ignorance；　for　he　did　not　suffer　　　the　guilt　of　ignorance　to　go　on　without　punishment；　but　　　demonstrated　the　law　to　be　the　best　and　the　most　necessary　　　instruction　of　all　others；　permitting　the　people　to　leave　off　　　their　other　employments；　and　to　assemble　together　for　the　　　hearing　of　the　law；　and　learning　it　exactly；　and　this　not　once　　　or　twice；　or　oftener；　but　every　week；　which　thing　all　the　other　　　legislators　seem　to　have　neglected。　　　　　　19。　And　indeed　the　greatest　part　of　mankind　are　so　far　from　　　living　according　to　their　own　laws；　that　they　hardly　know　　　them；　but　when　they　have　sinned；　they　learn　from　others　that　　　they　have　transgressed　the　law。　Those　also　who　are　in　the　　　highest　and　principal　posts　of　the　government；　confess　they　　　are　not　acquainted　with　those　laws；　and　are　obliged　to　take　　　such　persons　for　their　assessors　in　public　administrations　as　　　profess　to　have　skill　in　those　laws；　but　for　our　people；　if　any　　　body　do　but　ask　any　one　of　them　about　our　laws；　he　will　　　more　readily　tell　them　all　than　he　will　tell　his　own　name；　and　　　this　in　consequence　of　our　having　learned　them　immediately　　　as　soon　as　ever　we　became　sensible　of　any　thing；　and　of　our　　　having　them　as　it　were　engraven　on　our　souls。　Our　　　transgressors　of　them　are　but　few；　and　it　is　impossible；　when　　　any　do　offend；　to　escape　punishment。　　　　　　20。　And　this　very　thing　it　is　that　principally　creates　such　a　　　wonderful　agreement　of　minds　amongst　us　all；　for　this　entire　　　agreement　of　ours　in　all　our　notions　concerning　God；　and　our　　　having　no　difference　in　our　course　of　life　and　manners；　　　procures　among　us　the　most　excellent　concord　of　these　our　　　manners　that　is　any　where　among　mankind；　for　no　other　　　people　but　the　Jews　have　avoided　all　discourses　about　God　　　that　any　way　contradict　one　another；　which　yet　are　frequent　　　among　other　nations；　and　this　is　true　not　only　among　　　ordinary　persons；　according　as　every　one　is　affected；　but　some　　　of　the　philosophers　have　been　insolent　enough　to　indulge　　　such　contradictions；　while　some　of　them　have　undertaken　to　　　use　such　words　as　entirely　take　away　the　nature　of　God；　as　　　others　of　them　have　taken　away　his　providence　over　mankind。　　　Nor　can　any　one　perceive　amongst　us　any　difference　in　the　　　conduct　of　our　lives；　but　all　our　works　are　common　to　us　all。　　　We　have　one　sort　of　discourse　concerning　God；　which　is　　　conformable　to　our　law；　and　affirms　that　he　sees　all　things；　as　　　also　we　have　but　one　way　of　speaking　concerning　the　conduct　　　of　our　lives；　that　all　other　things　ought　to　have　piety　for　their　　　end；　and　this　any　body　may　hear　from　our　women；　and　　　servants　themselves。　　　　　　21。　And；　indeed；　hence　hath　arisen　that　accusation　which　　　some　make　against　us；　that　we　have　not　produced　men　that　　　have　been　the　inventors　of　new　operations；　or　of　new　ways　of　　　speaking；　for　others　think　it　a　fine　thing　to　persevere　in　　　nothing　that　has　been　delivered　down　from　their　forefathers；　　　and　these　testify　it　to　be　an　instance　of　the　sharpest　wisdom　　　when　these　men　venture　to　transgress　those　traditions；　　　whereas　we；　on　the　contrary；　suppose　it　to　be　our　only　　　wisdom　and　virtue　to　admit　no　actions　nor　supposals　that　are　　　contrary　to　our　original　laws；　which　procedure　of　ours　is　a　　　just　and　sure　sign　that　our　law　is　admirably　constituted；　for　　　such　laws　as　are　not　thus　well　made　are　convicted　upon　trial　　　to　want　amendment。　　　　　　22。　But　while　we　are　ourselves　persuaded　that　our　law　was　　　made　agreeably　to　the　will　of　God；　it　would　be　impious　for　us　　　not　to　observe　the　same；　for　what　is　there　in　it　that　any　body　　　would　change？　and　what　can　be　invented　that　is　better？　or　　　what　can　we　take　out　of　other　people's　laws　that　will　exceed　　　it？　Perhaps　some　would　have　the　entire　settlement　of　our　　　government　altered。　And　where　shall　we　find　a　better　or　　　more　righteous　constitution　than　ours；　while　this　makes　us　　　esteem　God　to　be　the　Governor　of　the　universe；