492 A SHORT VIEW OF SCRIPTCRE ttISTORY. SECT. V. -Of 1Vlaltathias, the Father äf the Maccabees, and the Great Reformer. 1. Question. 'When the persecution was so violent in Ju- dea, was there any eminent public opposition made to it by any of the Jews ? Answer. Mattathias, a priest of the course of Jo- arib, who dwelt in Modin, was complimented by the king's officers, and tempted to comply With heathen worship there, according to the king's commandment ; but he boldly renounced their superstitions, and declared his resolution to die in the, religion of the Jews ; 1 Mac. ii. 2. Q. What instance did he give of his courage and zeal? A. When one of the Jews came to sacrifice on the heathen altar which was at Modin, he could not forbear to shew his indigna- tion, as a zealot, but ran and slew the man upon the altar, and at the same time killed the king's chief officer there who came to enforce these wicked commands. 3. Q. In what manner did he maintain his bold enterprize ? A. He cried with a loud voice through the city, " Whosoever is zealous of the law, let him follow me." So he and his sons fled . to the mountains, and a great number of Jews fled with them, and hid themselves in the wilderness. 4. Q. Did not the king's army pursue them ? A. Yes, and camped against them, and attacked a considerable number of them on the sabbath day. 5. Q. And slid the Jews make no resistance ? A. None at all, because it was the sabbath; but they said, " Let us all die in our innocency :" whereupon a thousandpeople were slain. 9. Q. Did Mattathias and his friends approve of this con- duct ? A. It seems as if their zeal at first approved of it ; but upon better consideration they decreed, it was lawful and neces- sary for them to defend themselves, if they were attacked again on the sabbath-day. Note, This decree was ratified by the consent of all the priests and elders amongst them, and it was sent to all others through the land, and was made a rule in their following wars. 7. Q. What did king Antiochos do when he heard of this bold and public resistance made tohis commands and hisgovern- anent ? A. He executed very great crueltieson all the Jews that fell into his hands who,would not forsake the laws of Moses ;. since themere terror of death did not affright them. 8. Q. What very remarkable instances do we find in his- tory of this cruelty ? A. Seven brethren with their mother were terribly tormented, to constrain them to eat swine's flesh, which the law of Moses forbids. 9. Q. How did they endure their torments ? A. With great courage one after another in a long succession they bore the various tortures that were inflicted on them, and declared
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