1 Machabees — Chapter 2

And Mathathias fayd: Woe. iste, Wherfore was I borne to fee the affliGion of.my people,and the. affliction of the holiecitie, and to ticthere , when it-is giuen inthe hands of the enimies?8. The holie places are come into the hand off {trangers : the temple therof as an ignoble man. g. The veffels of her glorie in the mountayre of Modin : 2. and he had ' *litsc. 5.U, 11, OF MACHABEES glorie are caried away captive: her old nten are murd and her yong men are fallen by the {word of the e nation hath not inherited-her 859 ered in the {treets, nemies, 10, What Kingdom , and hath not obteyned her fpoiles ? 11, Al her beautic is taken away. She that was free , is madea feruant. 12, And loe our holies. and-our beautie , and our gtorie is de t : folate, and the Nations haue defiled them. 13, Where to then is it for vs Mmportance , is Yet to liue? 14. And Mathathiasrent his garments, and hisfonnes : and ae pade: mher- they couered themfelues with haire-cloths , and lamented exceedingly, Ipbe cied cher,

This final helpe of great importance, is that aide wherof Daniel prophesied ch.11. v.34.

the citie of Modin, toimmolate and to burne frankincenfe,& to depart from the law of God,16, And manie of the people of Ifrael confenting came to them : but M athathias, & his onnes {tood conftantly, 17. And they that were fent from Antiochus. an{wering fayd to Mathathias: Thou art the Prince, and moft honou- table , and great -in-this citie, and adorned with fonnes >and brethren. i8. Therfore comethou firt ,and doe the Kings commandment » as-al ALAA 12 Ti 1(a) Thitsfmal 'helpe of great in lerufalem : & thou fhalt be & th and amplified with god, and fi y fonnes among the Kings freinds, ; , luer , and manie gultts, 19, Aud Matha- thias aniwered , & fayd witha loude voice: Although al Nations obey King Antiochus , that eucrie man reuolt from the feruice of the law of his fathers, and confent to his commandments: 20, I and my.fonnes, & my brethren wil ob cy the law of our fathers, 23. God be merciful vnto- VS :1t is net profirable for vs to forfake the law, and theiuftices of God: 22.we wil not hearerhe words of King Antiochus, neither wil we facri-. fice , tranf grefling the commandments.of our law, to goe an other way..

God io be propicious to our nation quickly , and that chou with torments and ftripes maift confeffe that he onlic is God. 38, But in me and in my brethren fhal the wrath of the Al- Then the King incenfed with anger, raged againft him more cruelly fame therfore died vnfpotted , wholy trufting in our Lord, 41. And laft of al after the fonnes the mother alfo was confumed. 42, Therfore of the facrifices, and of the exceeding cruelties there is enough fayd. * CHAP, VIIL Iudas Machabeus with fix thoufand men , commending their caufe to God , S. profpereth in bartel. 8. Philsppe foliciting for more belpe, Nicanor and Ger- bias are fent with twentie thoufand men againft Iudac, 12.Whofe men be- ginning to feaxe and fome flying be encourageth the reft,19 . resting manie examples of Gods aftBance: 22, difpoferh his armite , and preuaylech, 30. killing manie of Timethees and Bacchides men, 3.4. The principal hardly ef- caping by fight , acknowledge that God protecteth the lewes. 4 VT Iwdas Machabeus andthey that were with him, & went in fecretly into the townes: and calling together their kinfemen and taking vnto them thofe that con- tinued in ludaifme , they brought out to them fix thoufand men, 2. And (a) they inuocated our Lord, that he would haue refpect vnto his people that was mercie on thetemple, thar was contami- Bas in battel, As wel for good . fuccefle ( fup- pofing alwayes agood caufe) as alfo that eerie one aray for his owne foul, 4 bat it bein tate of grace, nated of the impious ; 3. he would haue pitie alfo vpon the deftrudtion would heare the voice of the bloud crying to him: 4. he would re- member alfo the moft vniuft deaths of innocent children, & the blaf- But Machabeus having gathered a multitude , became intolerable to the heathen : for the wrath of our Lord was turned into mercie, 6.And comming vpon the.caftels and.cities ynlooked for , he burnt them: and taking mightie ceafe , which hath iuftly been brought vpon al our ftocke. 39, aboue al the reft, caking it grieuoufly that he was mocked, 40. And this of the citie , which wasforthwith to be made flat with the ground, and phemies done to hisname,and would take indignation for them. 5,_ * Ui. 1.6, 2.0.1. ea * ite. 3.10, 4+ Reg. io OF MACHABEES. 919 taking commadious places, he made net few flaughters of the enemies:

Mathathias not of priuate spirite, but being general capitaine of the people, did this iustice according to the law, where it is commanded to kil the authours of false pretended religion. Deut.13. S. Cyprian Exhort. ad Martyr.

These are commended by S. Ambrose li 1. Offi. c. 40 and other Fathers, dying in the simplicitie of serpents. Yet ordinarie meanes of lawful warres are also vsed, by which God conserveth his Church from vtter ruine.

Assideans, otherwise called Esseni, not hypocritically as the Pharisees, nor erroneously as the Sadducees, but sincerely professed a peculiar holie rule of life.

In al affayres order is of singular importance, that euerie office be designed to fittest persons. Mathathias appointed Simon the chiefe for determining matters in counsel, & Iudas the first for execution.