the wars of the jews-第177章

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　proposal；　he　was　afraid　lest　perhaps　these　effeminate　persons　should；　by　their　lamentations　and　tears；　enfeeble　those　that　heard　what　he　had　said　courageously；　so　he　did　not　leave　off　exhorting　them；　but　stirred　up　himself；　and　recollecting　proper　arguments　for　raising　their　courage；　he　undertook　to　speak　more　briskly　and　fully　to　them；　and　that　concerning　the　immortality　of　the　soul。　So　he　made　a　lamentable　groan；　and　fixing　his　eyes　intently　on　those　that　wept；　he　spake　thus：　〃Truly；　I　was　greatly　mistaken　when　I　thought　to　be　assisting　to　brave　men　who　struggled　hard　for　their　liberty；　and　to　such　as　were　resolved　either　to　live　with　honor；　or　else　to　die；　but　I　find　that　you　are　such　people　as　are　no　better　than　others；　either　in　virtue　or　in　courage；　and　are　afraid　of　dying；　though　you　be　delivered　thereby　from　the　greatest　miseries；　while　you　ought　to　make　no　delay　in　this　matter；　nor　to　await　any　one　to　give　you　good　advice；　for　the　laws　of　our　country；　and　of　God　himself；　have　from　ancient　times；　and　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　b