down；　for　he　there　says　（Rom。　iii：1）：　〃What　advantage　then　hath　the　Jew？　or
  what　profit　is　there　of　circumcision？　（82）　Much　every　way：　chiefly；　because
  that　unto　them　were　committed　the　oracles　of　God。〃
  （83）　But　if　we　look　to　the　doctrine　which　Paul　especially　desired　to　teach；
  we　shall　find　nothing　repugnant　to　our　present　contention；　on　the　contrary；
  his　doctrine　is　the　same　as　ours；　for　he　says　（Rom。　iii：29）　〃that　God　is　the
  God　of　the　Jews　and　of　the　Gentiles；　and〃　（ch。　ii：25；　26）　〃But；
  if　thou　be　a　breaker　of　the　law；　thy　circumcision　is　made　uncircumcision。
  （84）　Therefore　if　the　uncircumcision　keep　the　righteousness　of　the　law；
  shall　not　his　uncircumcision　be　counted　for　circumcision？〃　（85）　Further；　in
  chap。　iv：verse　9；　he　says　that　all　alike；　Jew　and　Gentile；　were　under　sin；
  and　that　without　commandment　and　law　there　is　no　sin。　（86）　Wherefore　it　is
  most　evident　that　to　all　men　absolutely　was　revealed　the　law　under　which　all
  lived　…　namely；　the　law　which　has　regard　only　to　true　virtue；　not　the　law
  established　in　respect　to；　and　in　the　formation　of　a　particular　state　and
  adapted　to　the　disposition　of　a　particular　people。　（87）　Lastly；　Paul
  concludes　that　since　God　is　the　God　of　all　nations；　that　is；　is　equally
  gracious　to　all；　and　since　all　men　equally　live　under　the　law　and　under　sin；
  so　also　to　all　nations　did　God　send　His　Christ；　to　free　all　men　equally　from
  the　bondage　of　the　law；　that　they　should　no　more　do　right　by　the
  command　of　the　law；　but　by　the　constant　determination　of　their　hearts。　（88）
  So　that　Paul　teaches　exactly　the　same　as　ourselves。　（89）　When；　therefore；　he
  says　〃To　the　Jews　only　were　entrusted　the　oracles　of　God；〃　we　must　either
  understand　that　to　them　only　were　the　laws　entrusted　in　writing；　while　they
  were　given　to　other　nations　merely　in　revelation　and　conception；　or　else　（as
  none　but　Jews　would　object　to　the　doctrine　he　desired　to　advance）　that　Paul
  was　answering　only　in　accordance　with　the　understanding　and　current　ideas　of
  the　Jews；　for　in　respect　to　teaching　things　which　he　had　partly　seen；　partly
  heard；　he　was　to　the　Greeks　a　Greek；　and　to　the　Jews　a　Jew。
  （90）　It　now　only　remains　to　us　to　answer　the　arguments　of　those　who　would
  persuade　themselves　that　the　election　of　the　Jews　was　not　temporal；　and
  merely　in　respect　of　their　commonwealth；　but　eternal；　for；　they　say；　we　see
  the　Jews　after　the　loss　of　their　commonwealth；　and　after　being　scattered　so
  many　years　and　separated　from　all　other　nations；　still　surviving；　which　is
  without　parallel　among　other　peoples；　and　further　the　Scriptures　seem　to
  teach　that　God　has　chosen　for　Himself　the　Jews　for　ever；　so　that　though　they
  have　lost　their　commonwealth；　they　still　nevertheless　remain　God's　elect。
  （91）　The　passages　which　they　think　teach　most　clearly　this　eternal　election；　are　chiefly：
  （1。）　Jer。　xxxi：36；　where　the　prophet　testifies　that　the　seed　of　Israel
  shall　for　ever　remain　the　nation　of　God；　comparing　them　with　the
  stability　of　the　heavens　and　nature；
  （2。）　Ezek。　xx：32；　where　the　prophet　seems　to　intend　that　though　the　Jews
  wanted　after　the　help　afforded　them　to　turn　their　backs　on　the　worship　of
  the　Lord；　that　God　would　nevertheless　gather　them　together　again　from　all
  the　lands　in　which　they　were　dispersed；　and　lead　them　to　the　wilderness　of
  the　peoples　…　as　He　had　led　their　fathers　to　the　wilderness　of　the　land　of
  Egypt　…　and　would　at　length；　after　purging　out　from　among　them　the　rebels
  and　transgressors；　bring　them　thence　to　his　Holy　mountain；　where　the　whole
  house　of　Israel　should　worship　Him。　Other　passages　are　also　cited；
  especially　by　the　Pharisees；　but　I　think　I　shall　satisfy　everyone　if　I
  answer　these　two；　and　this　I　shall　easily　accomplish　after　showing　from
  Scripture　itself　that　God　chose　not　the　Hebrews　for　ever；　but　only　on　the
  condition　under　which　He　had　formerly　chosen　the　Canaanites；　for　these　last；
  as　we　have　shown；　had　priests　who　religiously　worshipped　God；　and　whom　God
  at　length　rejected　because　of　their　luxury；　pride；　and　corrupt　worship。
  （92）　Moses　（Lev。　xviii：27）　warned　the　Israelites　that　they　be　not　polluted
  with　whoredoms；　lest　the　land　spue　them　out　as　it　had　spued　out　the　nations
  who　had　dwelt　there　before；　and　in　Deut。　viii：19；　20；　in　the　plainest　terms
  He　threatens　their　total　ruin；　for　He　says；　〃I　testify　against　you　that　ye
  shall　surely　perish。　（93）　As　the　nations　which　the　Lord　destroyeth　before
  your　face；　so　shall　ye　perish。〃　In　like　manner　many　other　passages　are　found
  in　the　law　which　expressly　show　that　God　chose　the　Hebrews　neither
  absolutely　nor　for　ever。　（94）　If；　then；　the　prophets　foretold　for　them　a　new
  covenant　of　the　knowledge　of　God；　love；　and　grace；　such　a　promise　is　easily
  proved　to　be　only　made　to　the　elect；　for　Ezekiel　in　the　chapter　which　we
  have　just　quoted　expressly　says　that　God　will　separate　from　them　the
  rebellious　and　transgressors；　and　Zephaniah　（iii：12；　13）；　says　that　〃God
  will　take　away　the　proud　from　the　midst　of　them；　and　leave　the　poor。〃　（95）
  Now；　inasmuch　as　their　election　has　regard　to　true　virtue；　it　is　not　to　be
  thought　that　it　was　promised　to　the　Jews　alone　to　the　exclusion　of　others；
  but　we　must　evidently　believe　that　the　true　Gentile　prophets　（and　every
  nation；　as　we　have　shown；　possessed　such）　promised　the　same　to　the　faithful
  of　their　own　people；　who　were　thereby　comforted。　（96）　Wherefore　this　eternal
  covenant　of　the　knowledge　of　God　and　love　is　universal；　as　is　clear；
  moreover；　from　Zeph。　iii：10；　11　：　no　difference　in　this　respect　can　be
  admitted　between　Jew　and　Gentile；　nor　did　the　former　enjoy　any　special
  election　beyond　that　which　we　have　pointed　out。
  （97）　When　the　prophets；　in　speaking　of　this　election　which　regards　only　true
  virtue；　mixed　up　much　concerning　sacrifices　and　ceremonies；　and　the
  rebuilding　of　the　temple　and　city；　they　wished　by　such　figurative
  expressions；　after　the　manner　and　nature　of　prophecy；　to　expound　matters
  spiritual；　so　as　at　the　same　time　to　show　to　the　Jews；　whose　prophets　they
  were；　the　true　restoration　of　the　state　and　of　the　temple　to　be　expected
  about　the　time　of　Cyrus。
  （98）　At　the　present　time；　therefore；　there　is　absolutely　nothing　which　the
  Jews　can　arrogate　to　themselves　beyond　other　people。
  （99）　As　to　their　continuance　so　long　after　dispersion　and　the　loss　of
  empire；　there　is　nothing　marvellous　in　it；　for　they　so　separated　themselves
  from　every　other　nation　as　to　draw　down　upon　themselves　universal　hate；　not
  only　by　their　outward　rites；　rites　conflicting　with　those　of　other　nations；
  but　also　by　the　sign　of　circumcision　which　they　most　scrupulously　observe。
  （100）　That　they　have　been　preserved　in　great　measure　by　Gentile　hatred；
  experience　demonstrates。　（101）　When　the　king　of　Spain　formerly
  compelled　the　Jews　to　embrace　the　State　religion　or　to　go　into　exile；　a
  large　number　of　Jews　accepted　Catholicism。　（102）　Now；　as　these　renegades
  were　admitted　to　all　the　native　privileges　of　Spaniards；　and　deemed　worthy
  of　filling　all　honourable　offices；　it　came　to　pass　that　they　straightway
  became　so　intermingled　with　the　Spaniards　as　to　leave　of　themselves　no　relic
  or　remembrance。　（103）　But　exactly　the　opposite　happened　to　those　whom　the
  king　of　Portugal　compelled　to　become　Christians；　for　they　always；　though
  converted；　lived　apart；　inasmuch　as　they　were　considered　unworthy　of　any
  civic　honours。
  （104）　The　sign　of　circumcision　is；　as　I　think；　so　important；　that　I　could
  persuade　myself　that　it　alone　would　preserve　the　nation　for　ever。　（105）　Nay；
  I　would　go　so　far　as　to　believe　that　if　the　foundations　of　their　religion
  have　not　emasculated　their　minds　they　may　even；　if　occasion　offers；　so
  changeable　are　human　affairs；　raise　up　their　empire　afresh；　and　that　God　may
  a　second　time　elect　them。
  （106）　Of　such　a　possibility　we　have　a　very　famous　example　in　the　Chinese。
  （107）　They；　too；　have　some　distinctive　mark　on　their　heads　which　they　most
  scrupulously　observe；　and　by　which　they　keep　themselves　apart　from　everyone
  else；　and　have　thus　kept　themselves　during　so　many　thousand　years　that　they
  far　surpass　all　other　nations　in　antiquity。　（108）　They　have　not　always
  retained　empire；　but　they　have　recovered　it　when　lost；　and　doubtless　will　do
  so　again　after　the　spirit　of　the　Tartars　becomes　relaxed　through　the　luxury
  of　riches　and　pride。
  （109）　Lastly；　if　any　one　wishes　to　maintain　that　the　Jews；　from　this　or　from
  any　other　cause；　have　been　chosen　by　God　for　ever；　I　will　not　gainsay　him　if
  he　will　admit　that　this　choice；　whether　temporary　or　eternal；　has　no　regard；
  in　so　far　as　it　is　peculiar　to　the　Jews；　to　aught　but　dominion　and　physical
  advantages　（for　by　such　alone　can　one　nation　be　distinguished　from
  anoth