CHAP. II. VER. 3. 107

thing in the character or condition, it always expresses what is natural or innate, as opposed to what is made, taught, superinduced, or in any way incidental or ac- quired. This general idea is of course variously modi- fied by the nature of the thing spoken of. Thus when the apostle says, Gal. 2,15, ἡμεῖς φύσει ᾿Ιουδαῖοι, we by nature Jews, he means Jews by birth, in opposition to profession. In Gal. 4, 8, it is said of the heathen dei- ties that they are not by nature gods, they are such only by appointment, or in virtue of the opinions of men. In Rom. 2, 13, men are said to do by nature the things of the law, i.e. the source of these moral acts is to be sought in their natural constitution, not in the instruction or example of others. In Rom. 2, 27, un- circumcision is said to be by nature, i. e. natural, not acquired. This usage is common in the classic writers. Thus Plato, de Legibus, lib. 10, says, ‘Some teach that the gods are οὐ φύσει, ἀλλὰ τισὶ νόμοις, 1. 6. that they owe their divinity not to nature but to certain laws. Afterwards he says, ‘Some things are right by nature, others by law.’ In another place, he says, of certain persons, ‘They were φύσει barbarians, νόμῳ Greeks ;? by birth barbarians, but by law Greeks. In these writers the expressions, ‘by nature selfish,’ “by nature swift to anger,’ ‘ by nature avaricious,’ &e., are of very frequent occurrence. In all such cases the general sense is the same. The thing predicated is affirmed to be natural. It is referred to the natural constitution or condition as opposed to what is acquired. According to this uniform usage the expression, ‘We