the wars of the jews-第138节

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　as　soon　as　ever　we　could　use　our　reason；　continually　taught　us；　and　our　forefathers　have　corroborated　the　same　doctrine　by　their　actions；　and　by　their　bravery　of　mind；　that　it　is　life　that　is　a　calamity　to　men；　and　not　death；　for　this　last　affords　our　souls　their　liberty；　and　sends　them　by　a　removal　into　their　own　place　of　purity；　where　they　are　to　be　insensible　of　all　sorts　of　misery；　for　while　souls　are　tied　clown　to　a　mortal　body；　they　are　partakers　of　its　miseries；　and　really；　to　speak　the　truth；　they　are　themselves　dead；　for　the　union　of　what　is　divine　to　what　is　mortal　is　disagreeable。　It　is　true；　the　power　of　the　soul　is　great；　even　when　it　is　imprisoned　in　a　mortal　body；　for　by　moving　it　after　a　way　that　is　invisible；　it　makes　the　body　a　sensible　instrument；　and　causes　it　to　advance　further　in　its　actions　than　mortal　nature　could　otherwise　do。　However；　when　it　is　freed　from　that　weight　which　draws　it　down　to　the　earth　and　is　connected　with　it；　it　obtains　its　own　proper　place；　and　does　then　become　a　partaker　of　that　blessed　power；　and　those　abilities；　which　are　then　every　way　incapable　of　being　hindered　in　their　operations。　It　continues　invisible；　indeed；　to　the　eyes　of　men；　as　does　God　himself；　for　certainly　it　is　not　itself　seen　while　it　is　in　the　body；　for　it　is　there　after　an　invisible　manner；　and　when　it　is　freed　from　it；　it　is　still　not　seen。　It　is　this　soul　which　hath　one　nature；　and　that　an　incorruptible　one　also；　but　yet　it　is　the　cause　of　the　change　that　is　made　in　the　body；　for　whatsoever　it　be　which　the　soul　touches；　that　lives　and　flourishes；　and　from　whatsoever　it　is　removed；　that　withers　away　and　dies；　such　a　degree　is　there　in　it　of　immortality。　Let　me　produce　the　state　of　sleep　as　a　most　evident　demonstration　of　the　truth　of　what　I　say；　wherein　souls；　when　the　body　does　not　distract　them；　have　the　sweetest　rest　depending　on　themselves；　and　conversing　with　God；　by　their　alliance　to　him；　they　then　go　every　where；　and　foretell　many　futurities　beforehand。　And　why　are　we　afraid　of　death；　while　we　are　pleased　with　the　rest　that　we　have　in　sleep？　And　how　absurd　a　thing　is　it　to　pursue　after　liberty　while　we　are　alive；　and　yet　to　envy　it　to　ourselves　where　it　will　be　eternal！　We；　therefore；　who　have　been　brought　up　in　a　discipline　of　our　own；　ought　to　become　an　example　to　others　of　our　readiness　to　die。　Yet；　if　we　do　stand　in　need　of　foreigners　to　support　us　in　this　matter；　let　us　regard　those　Indians　who　profess　the　exercise　of　philosophy；　for　these　good　men　do　but　unwillingly　undergo　the　time　of　life；　and　look　upon　it　as　a　necessary　servitude；　and　make　haste　to　let　their　souls　loose　from　their　bodies；　nay；　when　no　misfortune　presses　them　to　it；　nor　drives　them　upon　it；　these　have　such　a　desire　of　a　life　of　immortality；　that　they　tell　other　men　beforehand　that　they　are　about　to　depart；　and　nobody　hinders　them；　but　every　one　thinks　them　happy　men；　and　gives　them　letters　to　be　carried　to　their　familiar　friends　＇that　are　dead＇；　so　firmly　and　certainly　do　they　believe　that　souls　converse　with　one　another　＇in　the　other　world＇。　So　when　these　men　have　heard　all　such　commands　that　were　to　be　given　them；　they　deliver　their　body　to　the　fire；　and；　in　order　to　their　getting　their　soul　a　separation　from　the　body　in　the　greatest　purity；　they　die　in　the　midst　of　hymns　of　commendations　made　to　them；　for　their　dearest　friends　conduct　them　to　their　death　more　readily　than　do　any　of　the　rest　of　mankind　conduct　their　fellow…citizens　when　they　are　going　a　very　long　journey；　who　at　the　same　time　weep　on　their　own　account；　but　look　upon　the　others　as　happy　persons；　as　so　soon　to　be　made　partakers　of　the　immortal　order　of　beings。　Are　not　we；　therefore；　ashamed　to　have　lower　notions　than　the　Indians？　and　by　our　own　cowardice　to　lay　a　base　reproach　upon　the　laws　of　our　country；　which　are　so　much　desired　and　imitated　by　all　mankind？　But　put　the　case　that　we　had　been　brought　up　under　another　persuasion；　and　taught　that　life　is　the　greatest　good　which　men　are　capable　of；　and　that　death　is　a　calamity；　however；　the　circumstances　we　are　now　in　ought　to　he　an　inducement　to　us　to　bear　such　calamity　courageously；　since　it　is　by　the　will　of　God；　and　by　necessity；　that　we　are　to　die；　for　it　now　appears　that　God　hath　made　such　a　decree　against　the　whole　Jewish　nation；　that　we　are　to　be　deprived　of　this　life　which　＇he　knew＇　we　would　not　make　a　due　use　of。　For　do　not　you　ascribe　the　occasion　of　our　present　condition　to　yourselves；　nor　think　the　Romans　are　the　true　occasion　that　this　war　we　have　had　with　them　is　become　so　destructive　to　us　all：　these　things　have　not　come　to　pass　by　their　power；　but　a　more　powerful　cause　hath　intervened；　　and　made　us　afford　them　an　occasion　of　their　appearing　to　be　conquerors　over　us。　What　Roman　weapons；　I　pray　you；　were　those　by　which　the　Jews　at　Cesarea　were　slain？　On　the　contrary；　when　they　were　no　way　disposed　to　rebel；　but　were　all　the　while　keeping　their　seventh　day　festival；　and　did　not　so　much　as　lift　up　their　hands　against　the　citizens　of　Cesarea；　yet　did　those　citizens　run　upon　them　in　great　crowds；　and　cut　their　throats；　and　the　throats　of　their　wives　and　children；　and　this　without　any　regard　to　the　Romans　themselves；　who　never　took　us　for　their　enemies　till　we　revolted　from　them。　But　some　may　be　ready　to　say；　that　truly　the　people　of　Cesarea　had　always　a　quarrel　against　those　that　lived　among　them；　and　that　when　an　opportunity　offered　itself；　they　only　satisfied　the　old　rancor　they　had　against　them。　What　then　shall　we　say　to　those　of　Scythopolis；　who　ventured　to　wage　war　with　us　on　account　of　the　Greeks？　Nor　did　they　do　it　by　way　of　revenge　upon　the　Romans；　when　they　acted　in　concert　with　our　countrymen。　Wherefore　you　see　how　little　our　good…will　and　　fidelity　to　them　profiled　us；　while　they　were　slain；　they　and　their　whole　families；　after　the　most　inhuman　manner；　which　was　all　the　requital　that　was　made　them　for　the　assistance　they　had　afforded　the　others；　for　that　very　same　destruction　which　they　had　prevented　from　falling　upon　the　others　did　they　suffer　themselves　from　them；　as　if　they　had　been　ready　to　be　the　actors　against　them。　It　would　be　too　long　for　me　to　speak　at　this　time　of　every　destruction　brought　upon　us；　for　you　cannot　but　know　that　there　was　not　any　one　Syrian　city　which　did　not　slay　their　Jewish　inhabitants；　and　were　not　more　bitter　enemies　to　us　than　were　the　Romans　themselves；　nay；　even　those　of　Damascus；　（16）　when　they　were　able　to　allege　no　tolerable　pretense　against　us；　filled　their　city　with　the　most　barbarous　slaughters　of　our　people；　and　cut　the　throats　of　eighteen　thousand　Jews；　with　their　wives　and　children。　And　as　to　the　multitude　of　those　that　were　slain　in　Egypt；　and　that　with　torments　also；　we　have　been　informed　they　were　more　than　sixty　thousand；　those　indeed　being　in　a　foreign　country；　and　so　naturally　meeting　with　nothing　to　oppose　against　their　enemies；　were　killed　in　the　manner　forementioned。　As　for　all　those　of　us　who　have　waged　war　against　the　Romans　in　our　own　country；　had　we　not　sufficient　reason　to　have　sure　hopes　of　victory？　For　we　had　arms；　and　walls；　and　fortresses　so　prepared　as　not　to　be　easily　taken；　and　courage　not　to　be　moved　by　any　dangers　in　the　cause　of　liberty；　which　encouraged　us　all　to　revolt　from　the　Romans。　But　then　these　advantages　sufficed　us　but　for　a　short　time；　and　only　raised　our　hopes；　while　they　really　appeared　to　be　the　origin　of　our　miseries；　for　all　we　had　hath　been　taken　from　us；　and　all　hath　fallen　under　our　enemies；　as　if　these　advantages　were　only　to　render　their　victory　over　us　the　more　glorious；　and　were　not　disposed　for　the　preservation　of　those　by　whom　these　preparations　were　made。　And　as　for　those　that　are　already　dead　in　the　war；　it　is　reasonable　we　should　esteem　them　blessed；　for　they　are　dead　in　defending；　and　not　in　betraying　their　liberty；　but　as　to　the　multitude　of　those　that　are　now　under　the　Romans；　who　would　not　pity　their　condition？　and　who　would　not　make　haste　to　die；　before　he　would　suffer　the　same　miseries　with　them？　Some　of　them　have　been　put　upon　the　rack；　and　tortured　with　fire　and　whippings；　and　so　died。　Some　have　been　half　devoured　by　wild　beasts；　and　yet　have　been　reserved　alive　to　be　devoured　by　them　a　second　time；　in　order　to　afford　laughter　and　sport　to　our　enemies；　and　such　of　those　as　are　alive　still　are　to　be　looked　on　as　the　most　　miserable；　who；　being　so　desirous　of　death；　could　not　come　at　it。　And　where　is　now　that　great　city；　the　metropolis　of　the　Jewish　nation；　which　vas　fortified　by　so　many　walls　round　about；　which　had　so　many　fortresses　and　large　towers　to　defend　it；　which　could　hardly　contain　the　instruments　prepared　for　the　war；　and　which　had　so　many　ten　thousands　of　men　to　fight　for　it？　Where　is　this　city　that　was　believed　to　have　God　himself　inhabiting　therein？　It　is　now　demolished　to　the　very　foundations；　and　hath　nothing　but　that　monument　of　it　preserved；　I　mean　the　camp　of　those　that　hath　destroyed　it；　which　still　dwells　upon　its　ruins；　some　unfortunate　old　men　also　lie　upon　the　ashes　of　the　temple；　and　a　few　women　are　there　preserved　alive　by　the　enemy；　for　our　bitter　shame　and　reproach。　Now　who　is　there　that　revolves　these　things　in　his　mind；　and　yet　is　able　to　bear　the　sight　of　the　sun；　though　he　mi