ends；　and　which　may　be　considered　their　proximate　and　efficient　causes　are
  contained　in　human　nature　itself；　so　that　their　acquisition　hinges　only　on
  our　own　power；　and　on　the　laws　of　human　nature。　（23）　It　may　be　concluded
  that　these　gifts　are　not　peculiar　to　any　nation；　but　have　always　been　shared
  by　the　whole　human　race；　unless；　indeed；　we　would　indulge　the　dream　that
  nature　formerly　created　men　of　different　kinds。　（24）　But　the　means　which
  conduce　to　security　and　health　are　chiefly　in　external　circumstance；　and　are
  called　the　gifts　of　fortune　because　they　depend　chiefly　on　objective　causes
  of　which　we　are　ignorant；　for　a　fool　may　be　almost　as　liable　to　happiness
  or　unhappiness　as　a　wise　man。　（25）　Nevertheless；　human　management　and
  watchfulness　can　greatly　assist　towards　living　in　security　and　warding　off
  the　injuries　of　our　fellow…men；　and　even　of　beasts。　（26）　Reason　and
  experience　show　no　more　certain　means　of　attaining　this　object　than
  the　formation　of　a　society　with　fixed　laws；　the　occupation　of　a　strip　of
  territory　and　the　concentration　of　all　forces；　as　it　were；　into　one　body；
  that　is　the　social　body。　（27）　Now　for　forming　and　preserving　a　society；　no
  ordinary　ability　and　care　is　required：　that　society　will　be　most
  secure；　most　stable；　and　least　liable　to　reverses；　which　is　founded　and
  directed　by　far…seeing　and　careful　men；　while；　on　the　other　hand；　a　society
  constituted　by　men　without　trained　skill；　depends　in　a　great　measure　on
  fortune；　and　is　less　constant。　（28）　If；　in　spite　of　all；　such　a　society
  lasts　a　long　time；　it　is　owing　to　some　other　directing　influence　than　its
  own；　if　it　overcomes　great　perils　and　its　affairs　prosper；　it　will　perforce
  marvel　at　and　adore　the　guiding　Spirit　of　God　（in　so　far；　that　is；　as　God
  works　through　hidden　means；　and　not　through　the　nature　and　mind　of　man）；
  for　everything　happens　to　it　unexpectedly　and　contrary　to　anticipation；　it
  may　even　be　said　and　thought　to　be　by　miracle。　（29）　Nations；　then；　are
  distinguished　from　one　another　in　respect　to　the　social　organization　and　the
  laws　under　which　they　live　and　are　governed；　the　Hebrew　nation　was　not
  chosen　by　God　in　respect　to　its　wisdom　nor　its　tranquillity　of　mind；　but　in
  respect　to　its　social　organization　and　the　good　fortune　with　which　it
  obtained　supremacy　and　kept　it　so　many　years。　（30）　This　is　abundantly　clear
  from　Scripture。　Even　a　cursory　perusal　will　show　us　that　the　only　respects
  in　which　the　Hebrews　surpassed　other　nations；　are　in　their　successful
  conduct　of　matters　relating　to　government；　and　in　their　surmounting　great
  perils　solely　by　God's　external　aid；　in　other　ways　they　were　on　a　par　with
  their　fellows；　and　God　was　equally　gracious　to　all。　（31）　For　in　respect　to
  intellect　（as　we　have　shown　in　the　last　chapter）　they　held　very　ordinary
  ideas　about　God　and　nature；　so　that　they　cannot　have　been　God's　chosen　in
  this　respect；　nor　were　they　so　chosen　in　respect　of　virtue　and　the　true
  life；　for　here　again　they；　with　the　exception　of　a　very　few　elect；　were　on
  an　equality　with　other　nations：　therefore　their　choice　and　vocation
  consisted　only　in　the　temporal　happiness　and　advantages　of　independent　rule。
  （32）　In　fact；　we　do　not　see　that　God　promised　anything　beyond　this　to　the
  patriarchs　＇Endnote　4＇　or　their　successors；　in　the　law　no　other　reward　is
  offered　for　obedience　than　the　continual　happiness　of　an　independent
  commonwealth　and　other　goods　of　this　life；　while；　on　the　other　hand；　against
  contumacy　and　the　breaking　of　the　covenant　is　threatened　the　downfall　of　the
  commonwealth　and　great　hardships。　（33）　Nor　is　this　to　be　wondered　at；　for
  the　ends　of　every　social　organization　and　commonwealth　are　（as　appears　from
  what　we　have　said；　and　as　we　will　explain　more　at　length　hereafter）　security
  and　comfort；　a　commonwealth　can　only　exist　by　the　laws　being　binding　on　all。
  （34）　If　all　the　members　of　a　state　wish　to　disregard　the　law；　by　that　very
  fact　they　dissolve　the　state　and　destroy　the　commonwealth。　（35）　Thus；　the
  only　reward　which　could　be　promised　to　the　Hebrews　for　continued　obedience
  to　the　law　was　security　＇Endnote　5＇　and　its　attendant　advantages；　while　no
  surer　punishment　could　be　threatened　for　disobedience；　than　the　ruin　of　the
  state　and　the　evils　which　generally　follow　therefrom；　in　addition　to　such
  further　consequences　as　might　accrue　to　the　Jews　in　particular　from　the　ruin
  of　their　especial　state。　（36）　But　there　is　no　need　here　to　go　into　this
  point　at　more　length。　（37）　I　will　only　add　that　the　laws　of　the　Old
  Testament　were　revealed　and　ordained　to　the　Jews　only；　for　as　God　chose　them
  in　respect　to　the　special　constitution　of　their　society　and　government；　they
  must；　of　course；　have　had　special　laws。　（38）　Whether　God　ordained　special
  laws　for　other　nations　also；　and　revealed　Himself　to　their　lawgivers
  prophetically；　that　is；　under　the　attributes　by　which　the　latter　were
  accustomed　to　imagine　Him；　I　cannot　sufficiently　determine。　（39）　It　is
  evident　from　Scripture　itself　that　other　nations　acquired　supremacy　and
  particular　laws　by　the　external　aid　of　God；　witness　only　the　two　following
  passages：
  （40）　In　Genesis　xiv：18；　19；　20；　it　is　related　that　Melchisedek　was　king　of
  Jerusalem　and　priest　of　the　Most　High　God；　that　in　exercise　of　his　priestly
  functions　he　blessed　Abraham；　and　that　Abraham　the　beloved　of　the　Lord　gave
  to　this　priest　of　God　a　tithe　of　all　his　spoils。　（41）　This　sufficiently
  shows　that　before　He　founded　the　Israelitish　nation　God　constituted　kings
  and　priests　in　Jerusalem；　and　ordained　for　them　rites　and　laws。　（42）　Whether
  He　did　so　prophetically　is；　as　I　have　said；　not　sufficiently　clear；　but　I　am
  sure　of　this；　that　Abraham；　whilst　he　sojourned　in　the　city；　lived
  scrupulously　according　to　these　laws；　for　Abraham　had　received　no　special
  rites　from　God；　and　yet　it　is　stated　（Gen。　xxvi：5）；　that　he　observed　the
  worship；　the　precepts；　the　statutes；　and　the　laws　of　God；　which　must　be
  interpreted　to　mean　the　worship；　the　statutes；　the　precepts；　and　the　laws　of
  king　Melchisedek。　（43）　Malachi　chides　the　Jews　as　follows　（i：10…11。）：　〃Who
  is　there　among　you　that　will　shut　the　doors？　＇of　the　Temple＇；　neither　do　ye
  kindle　fire　on　mine　altar　for　nought。　（44）　I　have　no　pleasure　in　you；　saith
  the　Lord　of　Hosts。　（45）　For　from　the　rising　of　the　sun；　even　until　the　going
  down　of　the　same　My　Name　shall　be　great　among　the　Gentiles；　and　in　every
  place　incense　shall　be　offered　in　My　Name；　and　a　pure　offering；　for　My　Name
  is　great　among　the　heathen；　saith　the　Lord　of　Hosts。〃　（46）　These　words；
  which；　unless　we　do　violence　to　them；　could　only　refer　to　the　current
  period；　abundantly　testify　that　the　Jews　of　that　time　were　not　more　beloved
  by　God　than　other　nations；　that　God　then　favoured　other　nations　with　more
  miracles　than　He　vouchsafed　to　the　Jews；　who　had　then　partly　recovered　their
  empire　without　miraculous　aid；　and；　lastly；　that　the　Gentiles　possessed
  rites　and　ceremonies　acceptable　to　God。　（47）　But　I　pass　over　these　points
  lightly：　it　is　enough　for　my　purpose　to　have　shown　that　the　election　of　the
  Jews　had　regard　to　nothing　but　temporal　physical　happiness　and　freedom；　in
  other　words；　autonomous　government；　and　to　the　manner　and　means　by　which
  they　obtained　it；　consequently　to　the　laws　in　so　far　as　they　were
  necessary　to　the　preservation　of　that　special　government；　and；　lastly；　to
  the　manner　in　which　they　were　revealed。　In　regard　to　other　matters；　wherein
  man's　true　happiness　consists；　they　were　on　a　par　with　the　rest　of　the
  nations。
  （48）　When；　therefore；　it　is　said　in　Scripture　（Deut。　iv：7）　that　the　Lord　is
  not　so　nigh　to　any　other　nation　as　He　is　to　the　Jews；　reference　is　only　made
  to　their　government；　and　to　the　period　when　so　many　miracles　happened　to
  them；　for　in　respect　of　intellect　and　virtue　…　that　is；　in　respect　of
  blessedness　…　God　was；　as　we　have　said　already；　and　are　now　demonstrating；
  equally　gracious　to　all。　（49）　Scripture　itself　bears　testimony　to　this　fact；
  for　the　Psalmist　says　（cxlv：18）；　〃The　Lord　is　near　unto　all　them　that　call
  upon　Him；　to　all　that　call　upon　Him　in　truth。〃　（50）　So　in　the　same　Psalm；
  verse　9；　〃The　Lord　is　good　to　all；　and　His　tender　mercies　are　over　all
  His　works。〃　In　Ps。　xxxiii：16；　it　is　clearly　stated　that　God　has　granted　to
  all　men　the　same　intellect；　in　these　words；　He　fashioneth　their　hearts
  alike。〃　The　heart　was　considered　by　the　Hebrews；　as　I　suppose　everyone
  knows；　to　be　the　seat　of　the　soul　and　the　intellect。
  （51）　Lastly；　from　Job　xxxviii：28；　it　is　plain　that　God　had　ordained　for　the
  whole　human　race　the　law　to　reverence　God；　to　keep　from　evil　doing；　or　to　do
  well；　and　that　Job；　although　a　Gentile；　was　of　all　men　most　acceptable　to
  God；　because　he　exceeded　all　in　piety　and　religion。　（52）　Lastly；　fr