（59）　From　all　these　considerations　it　is　clearer　than　day　that　ceremonies
  have　nothing　to　do　with　a　state　of　blessedness；　and　that　those　mentioned　in
  the　Old　Testament；　i。e。　the　whole　Mosaic　Law；　had　reference　merely　to　the
  government　of　the　Jews；　and　merely　temporal　advantages。
  （60）　As　for　the　Christian　rites；　such　as　baptism；　the　Lord's　Supper；
  festivals；　public　prayers；　and　any　other　observances　which　are；　and　always
  have　been；　common　to　all　Christendom；　if　they　were　instituted　by　Christ　or
  His　Apostles　（which　is　open　to　doubt）；　they　were　instituted　as　external
  signs　of　the　universal　church；　and　not　as　having　anything　to　do　with
  blessedness；　or　possessing　any　sanctity　in　themselves。　（61）　Therefore；
  though　such　ceremonies　were　not　ordained　for　the　sake　of　upholding　a
  government；　they　were　ordained　for　the　preservation　of　a　society；　and
  accordingly　he　who　lives　alone　is　not　bound　by　them：　nay；　those　who　live　in
  a　country　where　the　Christian　religion　is　forbidden；　are　bound　to　abstain
  from　such　rites；　and　can　none　the　less　live　in　a　state　of　blessedness。　（62）
  We　have　an　example　of　this　in　Japan；　where　the　Christian　religion　is
  forbidden；　and　the　Dutch　who　live　there　are　enjoined　by　their　East　India
  Company　not　to　practise　any　outward　rites　of　religion。　（63）　I　need　not　cite
  other　examples；　though　it　would　be　easy　to　prove　my　point　from　the
  fundamental　principles　of　the　New　Testament；　and　to　adduce　many　confirmatory
  instances；　but　I　pass　on　the　more　willingly；　as　I　am　anxious　to　proceed　to
  my　next　proposition。　（64）　I　will　now；　therefore；　pass　on　to　what　I　proposed
  to　treat　of　in　the　second　part　of　this　chapter；　namely；　what　persons　are
  bound　to　believe　in　the　narratives　contained　in　Scripture；　and　how　far　they
  are　so　bound。　（65）　Examining　this　question　by　the　aid　of　natural　reason；　I
  will　proceed　as　follows。
  （66）　If　anyone　wishes　to　persuade　his　fellows　for　or　against　anything　which
  is　not　self…evident；　he　must　deduce　his　contention　from　their　admissions；
  and　convince　them　either　by　experience　or　by　ratiocination；　either　by
  appealing　to　facts　of　natural　experience；　or　to　self…evident　intellectual
  axioms。　（67）　Now　unless　the　experience　be　of　such　a　kind　as　to　be　clearly
  and　distinctly　understood；　though　it　may　convince　a　man；　it　will　not　have
  the　same　effect　on　his　mind　and　disperse　the　clouds　of　his　doubt　so
  completely　as　when　the　doctrine　taught　is　deduced　entirely　from　intellectual
  axioms　…　that　is；　by　the　mere　power　of　the　understanding　and　logical　order；
  and　this　is　especially　the　case　in　spiritual　matters　which　have　nothing　to
  do　with　the　senses。
  （68）　But　the　deduction　of　conclusions　from　general　truths　。　priori；　usually
  requires　a　long　chain　of　arguments；　and；　moreover；　very　great　caution；
  acuteness；　and　self…restraint　…　qualities　which　are　not　often　met　with；
  therefore　people　prefer　to　be　taught　by　experience　rather　than　deduce
  their　conclusion　from　a　few　axioms；　and　set　them　out　in　logical　order。　（69）
  Whence　it　follows；　that　if　anyone　wishes　to　teach　a　doctrine　to　a　whole
  nation　（not　to　speak　of　the　whole　human　race）；　and　to　be　understood　by　all
  men　in　every　particular；　he　will　seek　to　support　his　teaching　with
  experience；　and　will　endeavour　to　suit　his　reasonings　and　the　definitions　of
  his　doctrines　as　far　as　possible　to　the　understanding　of　the　common　people；
  who　form　the　majority　of　mankind；　and　he　will　not　set　them　forth　in　logical
  sequence　nor　adduce　the　definitions　which　serve　to　establish　them。　（70）
  Otherwise　he　writes　only　for　the　learned　…　that　is；　he　will　be　understood　by
  only　a　small　proportion　of　the　human　race。
  （71）　All　Scripture　was　written　primarily　for　an　entire　people；　and
  secondarily　for　the　whole　human　race；　therefore　its　contents　must
  necessarily　be　adapted　as　far　as　possible　to　the　understanding　of　the
  masses；　and　proved　only　by　examples　drawn　from　experience。　（72）　We　will
  explain　ourselves　more　clearly。　（73）　The　chief　speculative　doctrines　taught
  in　Scripture　are　the　existence　of　God；　or　a　Being　Who　made　all　things；　and
  Who　directs　and　sustains　the　world　with　consummate　wisdom；　furthermore；　that
  God　takes　the　greatest　thought　for　men；　or　such　of　them　as　live　piously　and
  honourably；　while　He　punishes；　with　various　penalties；　those　who　do
  evil；　separating　them　from　the　good。　（74）　All　this　is　proved　in　Scripture
  entirely　through　experience…that　is；　through　the　narratives　there　related。
  （75）　No　definitions　of　doctrine　are　given；　but　all　the　sayings　and
  reasonings　are　adapted　to　the　understanding　of　the　masses。　（76）　Although
  experience　can　give　no　clear　knowledge　of　these　things；　nor　explain　the
  nature　of　God；　nor　how　He　directs　and　sustains　all　things；　it　can
  nevertheless　teach　and　enlighten　men　sufficiently　to　impress　obedience
  and　devotion　on　their　minds。
  （77）　It　is　now；　I　think；　sufficiently　clear　what　persons　are　bound　to
  believe　in　the　Scripture　narratives；　and　in　what　degree　they　are　so　bound；
  for　it　evidently　follows　from　what　has　been　said　that　the　knowledge　of　and
  belief　in　them　is　particularly　necessary　to　the　masses　whose　intellect　is
  not　capable　of　perceiving　things　clearly　and　distinctly。　（78）　Further；　he
  who　denies　them　because　he　does　not　believe　that　God　exists　or　takes　thought
  for　men　and　the　world；　may　be　accounted　impious；　but　a　man　who　is　ignorant
  of　them；　and　nevertheless　knows　by　natural　reason　that　God　exists；　as　we
  have　said；　and　has　a　true　plan　of　life；　is　altogether　blessed　…　yes；　more
  blessed　than　the　common　herd　of　believers；　because　besides　true　opinions　he
  possesses　also　a　true　and　distinct　conception。　（79）　Lastly；　he　who　is
  ignorant　of　the　Scriptures　and　knows　nothing　by　the　light　of　reason；　though
  he　may　not　be　impious　or　rebellious；　is　yet　less　than　human　and　almost
  brutal；　having　none　of　God's　gifts。
  （80）　We　must　here　remark　that　when　we　say　that　the　knowledge　of　the　sacred
  narrative　is　particularly　necessary　to　the　masses；　we　do　not　mean　the
  knowledge　of　absolutely　all　the　narratives　in　the　Bible；　but　only　of　the
  principal　ones；　those　which；　taken　by　themselves；　plainly　display　the
  doctrine　we　have　just　stated；　and　have　most　effect　over　men's　minds。
  （81）　If　all　the　narratives　in　Scripture　were　necessary　for　the　proof　of　this
  doctrine；　and　if　no　conclusion　could　be　drawn　without　the　general
  consideration　of　every　one　of　the　histories　contained　in　the　sacred
  writings；　truly　the　conclusion　and　demonstration　of　such　doctrine　would
  overtask　the　understanding　and　strength　not　only　of　the　masses；　but　of
  humanity；　who　is　there　who　could　give　attention　to　all　the　narratives　at
  once；　and　to　all　the　circumstances；　and　all　the　scraps　of　doctrine　to　be
  elicited　from　such　a　host　of　diverse　histories？　（82）　I　cannot　believe　that
  the　men　who　have　left　us　the　Bible　as　we　have　it　were　so　abounding　in　talent
  that　they　attempted　setting　about　such　a　method　of　demonstration；　still　less
  can　I　suppose　that　we　cannot　understand　Scriptural　doctrine　till　we　have
  given　heed　to　the　quarrels　of　Isaac；　the　advice　of　Achitophel　to　Absalom；
  the　civil　war　between　Jews　and　Israelites；　and　other　similar　chronicles；　nor
  can　I　think　that　it　was　more　difficult　to　teach　such　doctrine　by　means　of
  history　to　the　Jews　of　early　times；　the　contemporaries　of　Moses；　than　it　was
  to　the　contemporaries　of　Esdras。　（83）　But　more　will　be　said　on　this　point
  hereafter；　we　may　now　only　note　that　the　masses　are　only　bound　to　know　those
  histories　which　can　most　powerfully　dispose　their　mind　to　obedience　and
  devotion。　（84）　However；　the　masses　are　not　sufficiently　skilled　to　draw
  conclusions　from　what　they　read；　they　take　more　delight　in　the　actual
  stories；　and　in　the　strange　and　unlooked…for　issues　of　events　than　in　the
  doctrines　implied；　therefore；　besides　reading　these　narratives；　they　are
  always　in　need　of　pastors　or　church　ministers　to　explain　them　to　their
  feeble　intelligence。
  （85）　But　not　to　wander　from　our　point；　let　us　conclude　with　what　has　been
  our　principal　object　…　namely；　that　the　truth　of　narratives；　be　they　what
  they　may；　has　nothing　to　do　with　the　Divine　law；　and　serves　for　nothing
  except　in　respect　of　doctrine；　the　sole　element　which　makes　one　history
  better　than　another。　（86）　The　narratives　in　the　Old　and　New　Testaments
  surpass　profane　history；　and　differ　among　themselves　in　merit　simply　by
  reason　of　the　salutary　doctrines　which　they　inculcate。　（87）　Therefore；　if　a
  man　were　to　read　the　Scripture　narratives　believing　the　whole　of　them；　but
  were　to　give　no　heed　to　the　doctrines　they　contain；　and　make　no　amendment　in
  his　life；　he　might　employ　himself　just　as　profitably　in　reading　the　Koran
  or　the　poetic　drama；　or　ordinary　chronicles；　with　the　attention　usually
  given　to