ed with a
loud voice: "He is a deceiver of the people, an enemy of Moses, an
enemy of the Holy Law!" The people answered mockingly: "Then, if so,
why did you not arrest him? Is he not a prophet?"

Several of the multitude followed Jesus into the temple, but the rest
remained listening to the priests, who cried more vehemently than ever:
"Away with the prophet! He is a false teacher."

But Nathanael, seizing the opportunity, thus addressed the remainder of
the multitude: "Oh, thou blinded people, wilt thou run after the
innovator, and forsake Moses, the prophets, and thy priests? Fearest
thou not that the curse which the law denounces against the apostate
will crush thee? Would you cease to be the chosen people?"

The crowd shaken by this appeal, responded sullenly: "That would we
not."

Nathanael pressed his advantage. "Who," he asked, "has to watch over
the purity of the law? Is it not the holy Sanhedrin of the people of
Israel? To whom will you listen; to us or to him? To us or to him who
has proclaimed himself the expounder of a new law?"

Then the multitude cried all together: "We hear you! we follow you!"
Nathanael continued: "Down with him, then, this man full of deceit and
error!"

The people replied: "Yes, we stand side by side with you! Yes, we are
Moses' disciples!" and the priests answered, speaking all together:
"The God of your fathers will bless you for that."

At this moment loud and angry voices were heard approaching down the
narrow street that led to the house of Annas, the high priest. The
priests and Pharisees listened eagerly. As they caught the word
"revenge" they turned to each other with exultant looks. Meanwhile
Dathan, a merchant, the chief of the traders who had been driven from
the temple, was seen to be leading on his fellow merchants, who were
lifting up their hands and weeping as they recounted their losses.
They shouted confusedly as they came: "This insult must be punished!
Revenge! Revenge! He shall pay dearly for his insolence. Money, oil,
salt; doves--he must pay for all. Where is he, that he may experience
our vengeance?"

The priests replied: "He has conveyed himself away."

"Then," cried the traders, "we will pursue him."

But Nathanael, seeing what advantage might result from the discontent
of the merchants, arrested their pursuit. "Stay friends," he said;
"the faction that follows this man is at present too large. If you
attacked them it might caus