that form of their government which suffers them not to associate with any others, as well as their contempt of matrimony? And why do not the Eleans and Thebans abolish that unnatural and impudent lust, which makes them lie with males? For they will not shew a sufficient sign of their repentance of what they of old thought to be very excellent, and very advantageous in their practices, unless they entirely avoid all such actions for the time to come: nay, such things are inserted into the body of their laws, and had once such a power among the Greeks, that they ascribed these sodomitical practices to the gods themselves, as part of their good character; and indeed it was according to the same manner that the gods married their own sisters. This the Greeks contrived as an apology for their own absurd and unnatural plea

sures.

39. I omit to speak concerning punishments, and how many ways of escaping them the greatest part of legislators have afforded malefactors, by ordaining that, for adulteries, fines in money should be allowed, and for corrupting+ [virgins] they need only marry them; as also what excuses they may have in denying the facts, if any one should attempt to inquire into them; for amongst most other nations it is a studied art how men may transgress their laws! but no such thing is permitted amongst us; for though we be deprived of our wealth, of our cities, or of other advantages we have, our law continues immortal; nor can any Jew go so far from his own country, nor be so affrighted at the severest lord, as not to be more affrighted at the law than at him. If, therefore, this be the disposition we are under, with regard to the excellency of our laws, let our enemies make use of this concession, that our laws are most excellent; and if still they imagine that though we so firmly adhere to them, yet are they bad laws notwithstanding, what penalties then do they deserve to undergo who do not observe their own laws, which they esteem superior? Whereas, therefore, length of time is esteemed to be the truest touchstone in all cases, I would make that a testimonial of the excellency of our laws, and of that belief thereby delivered to us concerning God; for as there hath been a very long time for this comparison, if any one will but compare its duration with the duration of the laws made by other legislators, he will find our legislator to have been the most ancient of them all.

swore certain new oaths,* and that he affirmed, either in earnest, or, as some say, only in jest, that a certain demon used to make signs to him [what he should not do]. For these reasons he was condemned to drink poison, and kill himself. His accuser also complained that he corrupted the young men, by inducing them to despise the political settlement and laws of their city: and thus was Socrates, the citizen of Athens, punished. There was also Anaxagoras, who although he was of Clazomenæ, was within a few suffrages of being condemned to die, because he said the sun, which the Athenians thought to be a god, was a ball of fire. They also made this public proclamation, "That they would give a talent to any one who would kill Diagoras of Melos," because it was reported that he laughed at their mysteries: Portagoras also, who was thought to have written somewhat that was not owned for truth by the Athenians about the gods, had been seized upon, and put to death, if he had not filed immediately. Nor need we wonder that they thus treated such considerable men, when they did not even spare women; for they very lately slew a certain priestess, because she was accused by somebody that she initiated people into the worship of strange gods, it having been for bidden so to do by one of their laws; and a capital punishment had been decreed to such as introduced a strange god; it being manifest, that they who make use of such a law, do not believe those of other nations to be really gods, otherwise they had not envied themselves the advantage of more gods than they already had; and this was the happy administration of the affairs of the Athenians! Now, as to the Scythians, they take a pleasure in killing men, and differ little from brute beasts; yet do they think it reasonable to have their institutions observed. They also slew Anacharsis, a person greatly admired for his wisdom among the Greeks, when he returned to them, because he appeared to come fraught with Grecian customs. We find many punished among the Persians, on the same account. Apollonius was greatly pleased with the laws of the Persians, and was an admirer of them, because the Greeks enjoyed the advantage of their courage, and had the very same opinion about the gods which they had. This last was exemplified in the temples they burnt, and their courage in coming and almost entirely enslaving the Grecians. However, Apollonius had imitated all the Persian institutions, and that by his offering violence to other men's wives, and castrating his own sons. Now, with us, it is a capital crime, if any one does thus abuse even a brute beast; and as for us, neither hath the fear of our governors, nor a desire of following what other nations have in so great esteem, being able to withdraw us from our laws; nor have we exerted our courage in raising up wars to increase our wealth, but only for the observation of our laws; and when we with patience bear other losses, yet when any persons would compel us to break our laws, then it is that we choose to go to war, though it be beyond our ability to pursue it, and bear the greatest calamities to the last with much fortitude; and indeed, what reason can there be why we should desire to imitate the laws of other nations, while we see they are not observed by their own legislators? And why do not the Lacedemonians think of abolishing nant, p. 61. I am almost ready to suspect, that for yaμous, we

• See what those novel oaths were in Dr. Hudson's note, viz, to swear by an oak, by a goat, and by a dog, as also by a gander, as says Philos tratus and others. This swearing strange oaths was also forbidden by the Tyrians, b. 1. sect. 22, a Spanheim here Doles.

40. We have already demonstrated that our laws have been such as have always inspired admiration and imitation into all other men: nay, the earliest Grecian philosophers, though in appearance they observed the laws of their own countries, yet did they, in their actions and their philosophic doctrines, follow our legislator, and instructed men to live sparingly, and to have friendly communication one with another. Nay, farther, the multitude of mankind itself have had a great inclination of a long time to follow our religious observances; for there is not any city of the Grecians, nor any of the barbarians, nor any nation whatsoever, whither our

Why Josephus here should blame some heathen legislators, when they allowed so easy a composition for simple fornication, as an obligation to marry the virgin that wa corrupted, is hard to say, seeing he had himself truly informed us, that it was a law of the Jews, Antiq. b. iv. chap. viii, sect. 23, as it is the law of Christianity also; see Horeb Cove

contrary, that we returned to our country by our own choice, and with sound and strong bodies. Those accusers reproached our legislator as a vile fellow; whereas God in old time bare witness to his virtuous conduct; and since that testimony of God, time itself hath been discovered to have borne witness to the same thing.

customs of resting on the seventh day hath not come, and by which our fasts and lighting up lamps, and many of our prohibitions as to our food, are not observed; they also endeavour to imitate our mutual concord with one another, and the charitable distribution of our goods, and our diligence in our trades, and our fortitude in undergoing the distresses we are in, on account of our laws; and, 42. As to the laws themselves, more words are what is here matter of the greatest admiration, our unnecessary, for they are visible in their own nalaw hath no bait of pleasure to allure men to it, but ture, and appear to teach not impiety, but the truest it prevails by its own force; and as God himself piety in the world. They do not make men hate pervades all the world, so hath our law passed one another, but encourage people to communicate through all the world also. So that if any one will what they have, to one another freely; they are but reflect on his own country, and his own family, enemies to injustice, they take care of righteousness, he will have reason to give credit to what I say. It they banish idleness and expensive living, and inis therefore but just, either to condemn all mankind struct men to be content with what they have, and of indulging a wicked disposition, when they have to be laborious in their callings; they forbid men been so desirous of imitating laws that are to them to make war from a desire of getting more, but foreign and evil in themselves, rather than follow- make men courageous in defending the laws: they ing laws of their own that are of a better character, are inexorable in punishing malefactors: they ador else our accusers must leave off their spite mit no sophistry of words, but are always estabagainst us; nor are we guilty of any envious beha- lished by actions themselves, which actions we ever viour towards them, when we honour our own legis- propose as surer demonstrations than what is conlator, and believe what he, by his prophetic autho-tained in writing only; on which account I am so bold rity, hath taught us concerning God; for though as to say that we are become the teachers of other we should not be able ourselves to understand the men, in the greatest number of things, and those of excellency of our own laws, yet would the great the most excellent nature only; for what is more multitude of those that desire to imitate them, jus- excellent than inviolable piety? what is more just tify us, in greatly valuing ourselves upon them. than submission to laws and what is more advantageous than mutual love and concord? and this so far that we are to be neither divided by calamities, nor to become injurious and seditious in prosperity; but to contemn death when we are in war, and in peace to apply ourselves to our mechanical occupations, or to our tillage of the ground; while we in all things, and in all ways, are satisfied that God is the inspector and governor of our actions. If these precepts had either been written at first, or more exactly kept by any others before us, we should have owed them thanks as disciples owe to their masters; but if it be visible that we have made use of them more than any other men, and if we have demonstrated that the original invention of them is our own, let the Apions, and the Molones, with all the rest of those that delight in lies and reproaches, stand confuted; but let this, and the foregoing book be dedicated to thee, Epaphroditus, who art so great a lover of truth, and by thy means to those that have been in like manner desirous to be acquainted with the affairs of our nation.

41. But as for the [distinct] political laws by which we are governed, I have delivered them accurately in my books of Antiquities; and have only mentioned them now, so far as was necessary to my present purpose, without proposing to myself either to blame the laws of other nations, or to make an encomium upon our own,—but in order to convict those that have written about us unjustly, and in an impudent affectation of disguising the truth :and now I think I have sufficiently completed what I proposed in writing these books; for whereas our accusers have pretended that our nation are a people of very late original, I have demonstrated that they are exceeding ancient; for I have produced as witnesses thereto, many ancient writers, who have made mention of us in their books, while they had said no such writer had so done. Moreover, they had said that we were sprung from the Egyptians, while I have proved that we came from another country into Egypt; while they had told lies of us, as if we were expelled thence on account of diseases on our bodies, it has appeared on the

AN

EXTRACT

OUT OF

JOSEPHUS'S DISCOURSE TO THE GREEKS

CONCERNING

HADES.

into the earth as into a potter's furnace, in order to be formed again, not in order to rise again such as it was before, but in a state of purity, and so as never to be destroyed any more: and to every body shall its own soul be restored; and when it hath clothed itself with that body, it will not be subject to misery, but, being itself pure, it will continue with its pure body, and rejoice with it, with which it having walked righteously now in this world, and never having had it as a snare, it will receive it again with great gladness: but as for the unjust, they will receive their bodies not changed, not freed from diseases or distempers, nor made glorious, but with the same diseases wherein they died; and such as they were in their unbelief, the same shall they be when they shall be faithfully judged. 6. For all men, the just as well as the unjust, shall be brought before God the word; for to him hath the Father committed all judgment; and he, in order to fulfil the will of his Father, shall come as judge, whom we call Christ. For Minos and Rhadamanthus are not judges, as you Greeks do suppose, but he whom God even the Father hath glorified; CONCERNING WHOM WE HAVE ELSEWHERE

GIVEN A MORE PARTICULAR ACCOUNT, FOR THE SAKE

will not be impossible to discover the way of ascending thither. The earth will not be uncultivated, nor require too much labour of men, but will bring forth its fruits of its own accord, and will be well adorned with them. There will be no more generations of wild beasts, nor will the substance of the rest of the animals shoot out any more: for it will not produce men, but the number of the righteous will continue, and never fail, together with righte ous angels, and spirits [of God], and with his word, as a choir of righteous men and women that never grow old, and continue in an incorruptible state, singing hymns to God, who hath advanced them to that happiness, by the means of a regular institution of life; with whom the whole creation also will lift up a perpetual hymn from corruption to incorruption, as glorified by a splendid and pure spirit. It will not then be restrained by a bond of necessity, but with a lively freedom shall offer up a voluntary hymn, and shall praise him that made them, together with the angels, and spirits, and men now freed from all bondage.

7. And now, if you Gentiles will be persuaded' by these motives, and leave your vain imaginations about your pedigrees, and gaining of riches and OF THOSE WHO SEEK AFTER TRUTH. This person, philosophy, and will not spend your time about subexercising the righteous judgment of the Father tilties of words, and thereby lead your minds into towards all men, hath prepared a just sentence for error, and if you will apply your ears to the hearevery one, according to his works; at whose judging of the inspired prophets, the interpreters, both ment-seat when all men, and angels, and demons of God and of his word, and will believe in shall stand, they will send forth one voice, and say, God, you shall both be partakers of these things, JUST IS THY JUDGMENT; the rejoinder to which and obtain the good things that are to come; you will bring a just sentence upon both parties, by giv. shall see the ascent into the immense heaven ing justly to those that have done well an everlast- plainly, and that kingdom which is there; for what ing fruition; but allotting to the lovers of wicked God hath now concealed in silence [will be thea works eternal punishment. To these belong the made manifest], what neither eye hath seen, nor unquenchable fire, and that without end, and a cer- ear hath heard, nor hath it entered into the heart tain fiery worm never dying, and not destroying the of man, the things that God hath prepared for them body, but continuing its eruption out of the body that love him. with never-ceasing grief; neither will sleep give ease to these men, nor will the night afford them comfort; death will not free them from their punishment, nor will the interceding prayers of their kindred profit them; for the just are no longer seen by them, nor are they thought worthy of remembrance; but the just shall remember only their righteous actions, whereby they have attained the heavenly kingdom, in which there is no sleep, no sorrow, no corruption, no care, no night, no day measured by time, no sun driven in his course along the circle of heaven by necessity, and measuring out the bounds and conversions of the seasons, for the better illumination of the life of men ; no moon decreasing and increasing, or introducing a variety of seasons, nor will she then moisten the earth; no burning sun, no Bear turning round [the pole], no Orion to rise, no wandering of innumerable stars. The earth will not then be difficult to be passed over, nor will it be hard to find out the court of Paradise, nor will there be any fearful roaring of the sea, forbidding the passengers to walk on it: even that will be made easily passable to the just, though it will not be void of moisture. Heaven will not then be uninhabitable by men: and it

8. In whatsoever ways I shall find you,inthemskall I judge you entirely; so cries the END of all things. And he who hath at first lived a virtuous life, but towards the latter end falls into vice, these labours by him before endured, shall be altogether vain and unprofitable, even as in a play, brought to an ill catastrophe. Whosoever shall have lived wickedly and luxuriously may repent; however, there will be need of much time to conquer an evil habit, and even after repentance his whole life must be guarded with great care and diligence, after the manner of a body, which, after it hath been a long time afflicted with a distemper, requires a stricter diet and method of living; for though it may be possible, perhaps, to break off the chain of our irregular affections at once,-yet our amendment cannot be secured without the grace of God, the prayers of good men, the help of the brethren, and our own sincere repentance and constant care. It is a good thing not to sin at all; it is also good, having sinned, to repent,-as it is best to have health always; but it is a good thing to recover from a distemper. To God be glory and dominion for ever and erer. Amen.

APPENDIX.

DISSERTATION I.

THE TESTIMONIES OF JOSEPHUS CONCERNING JESUS CHRIST, JOHN THE BAPTIST, AND JAMES THE JUST, VINDICATED.