y accuse some men of
having slain others without a legal trial, they do themselves condemn
a whole nation after an ignominious manner, and have now walled up that
city from their own nation, which used to be open to even all foreigners
that came to worship there. We have indeed come in great haste to you,
and to a war against our own countrymen; and the reason why we have made
such haste is this, that we may preserve that freedom which you are so
unhappy as to betray. You have probably been guilty of the like crimes
against those whom you keep in custody, and have, I suppose, collected
together the like plausible pretenses against them also that you make
use of against us; after which you have gotten the mastery of those
within the temple, and keep them in custody, while they are only taking
care of the public affairs. You have also shut the gates of the city
in general against nations that are the most nearly related to you; and
while you give such injurious commands to others, you complain that you
have been tyrannized over by them, and fix the name of unjust governors
upon such as are tyrannized over by yourselves. Who can bear this your
abuse of words, while they have a regard to the contrariety of your
actions, unless you mean this, that those Idumeans do now exclude you
out of your metropolis, whom you exclude from the sacred offices of your
own country? One may indeed justly complain of those that are besieged
in the temple, that when they had courage enough to punish those tyrants
whom you call eminent men, and free from any accusations, because of
their being your companions in wickedness, they did not begin with you,
and thereby cut off beforehand the most dangerous parts of this treason.
But if these men have been more merciful than the public necessity
required, we that are Idumeans will preserve this house of God, and will
fight for our common country, and will oppose by war as well those that
attack them from abroad, as those that betray them from within. Here
will we abide before the walls in our armor, until either the Romans
grow weary in waiting for you, or you become friends to liberty, and
repent of what you have done against it."

5. And now did the Idumeans make an acclamation to what Simon had said;
but Jesus went away sorrowful, as seeing that the Idumeans were against
all moderate counsels, and that the city was besieged on both sides. Nor
indeed were the minds of the Idumeans at rest; for they w