We shall now take in order the doctrines of the Sadducees, so far as we know them, and see in what ways they are illustrated in our book. The utterly un-Jewish doctrine that God takes no interest in the world of His creation and that He is not concerned in men’s doing or not doing what is evil was certainly not held by the “Sadducees” in pre-Maccabæan times; its adoption must have been due to Greek influence if Josephus is to be relied upon at all here. Ben-Sira’s book is full of very different teaching; indeed, in one striking passage he seems to be combating something similar to the very doctrine with which Josephus credits the Sadducees; in xvi. 17-23 he says: Say not: “I am hidden from God, And in the height who will remember me? I shall not be noticed among so illustrious a people, And what is my soul among the mass of the spirits of all the children of men?... In truth, unto me He will not have respect, And as for my ways, who will mark them? If I sin, no eye beholdeth it, Or if I deal untruly in all secrecy, who will know it? My righteous dealing, who declareth it? And what hope is there, for the decree is distant.” They that lack understanding think these things, And the man of folly thinketh this. Positive teaching on the close relationship which should normally exist between God and men is given again and again in the book. Ben-Sira’s doctrine of sin is inadequate,[363] it is true; but that is in spite of, not in consequence of, his exalted teaching concerning God. Regarding the teaching on human free-will Ben-Sira sometimes reflects a thoroughly Sadducæan standpoint; nothing could be more uncompromising, for example, than this: God created man from the beginning, And placed him in the hand of his _Yetzer_.[364] If thou so desirest, thou canst keep the commandment, And it is wisdom to do His good pleasure. Poured out before thee are fire and water, Stretch forth thine hand unto that which thou desirest. Life and death are before man, That which he desireth shall be given him (xv. 14-17). With this may also be compared xxxvii. 17, 18: The roots of the heart’s deliberations Bring forth four branches: Good and evil, life and death, But the tongue ruleth over them altogether. On the other hand, assertions regarding the action of Divine grace are not wanting; perhaps the most pointed of these is that contained in the words of xxxiii. 13-15: As the clay is in the power of the potter, To fashion it according to his good pleasure; So is man in the power of his Creator, To make him according to His ordinance. Over against evil stands the good, and against death life; Likewise over against the godly the sinner. Even thus look upon all the works of God, Each different, one the opposite of the other.