r 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 tria