enter into it till the Jews had had experience of His wonderful power by
which alone they had been, or could be, preserved in a state of prosperity
(Exod. xix:4, 5). (48) It is because they believed that nothing but
God's power could preserve them that they surrendered to God the natural
power of self-preservation, which they formerly, perhaps, thought they
possessed, and consequently they surrendered at the same time all their
natural right.

[17:4] (49) God alone, therefore, held dominion over the Hebrews, whose
state was in virtue of the covenant called God's kingdom, and God was said
to be their king; consequently the enemies of the Jews were said to be the
enemies of God, and the citizens who tried to seize the dominion were guilty
of treason against God; and, lastly, the laws of the state were called the
laws and commandments of God. (50) Thus in the Hebrew state the civil and
religious authority, each consisting solely of obedience to God, were one
and the same. (51) The dogmas of religion were not precepts, but laws and
ordinances; piety was regarded as the same as loyalty, impiety as the same
as disaffection. (52) Everyone who fell away from religion ceased to be a
citizen, and was, on that ground alone, accounted an enemy: those who
died for the sake of religion, were held to have died for their country;
in fact, between civil and religious law and right there was no distinction
whatever. {in Biblical Hebrew, there was no word for what we call Religion."
Modern Hebrew has selected a word whose root is "knowledge."} (53) For this
reason the government could be called a Theocracy, inasmuch as the citizens
were not bound by anything save the revelations of God.

(17:54) However, this state of things existed rather in theory than in
practice, for it will appear from what we are about to say, that the
Hebrews, as a matter of fact, retained absolutely in their own hands the
right of sovereignty: this is shown by the method and plan by which the