em. You are also acquainted with the
slavery we were under at Babylon, where the people were captives for
seventy years; yet were they not delivered into freedom again before
God made Cyrus his gracious instrument in bringing it about; accordingly
they were set free by him, and did again restore the worship of their
Deliverer at his temple. And, to speak in general, we can produce no
example wherein our fathers got any success by war, or failed of success
when without war they committed themselves to God. When they staid at
home, they conquered, as pleased their Judge; but when they went out
to fight, they were always disappointed: for example, when the king of
Babylon besieged this very city, and our king Zedekiah fought against
him, contrary to what predictions were made to him by Jeremiah the
prophet, he was at once taken prisoner, and saw the city and the temple
demolished. Yet how much greater was the moderation of that king, than
is that of your present governors, and that of the people then under
him, than is that of you at this time! for when Jeremiah cried out
aloud, how very angry God was at them, because of their transgressions,
and told them they should be taken prisoners, unless they would
surrender up their city, neither did the king nor the people put him to
death; but for you, [to pass over what you have done within the city,
which I am not able to describe as your wickedness deserves,] you abuse
me, and throw darts at me, who only exhort you to save yourselves, as
being provoked when you are put in mind of your sins, and cannot bear
the very mention of those crimes which you every day perpetrate. For
another example, when Antiochus, who was called Epiphanes, lay before
this city, and had been guilty of many indignities against God, and our
forefathers met him in arms, they then were slain in the battle, this
city was plundered by our enemies, and our sanctuary made desolate for
three years and six months. And what need I bring any more examples?
Indeed what can it be that hath stirred up an army of the Romans against
our nation? Is it not the impiety of the inhabitants? Whence did our
servitude commence? Was it not derived from the seditions that were
among our forefathers, when the madness of Aristobulus and Hyrcanus, and
our mutual quarrels, brought Pompey upon this city, and when God reduced
those under subjection to the Romans who were unworthy of the liberty
they had enjoyed? After a siege, therefore