the wars of the jews-第43章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


　reject　pleasures　as　an　evil；　but　esteem　continence；　and　the　conquest　over　our　passions；　to　be　virtue。　They　neglect　wedlock；　but　choose　out　other　persons　children；　while　they　are　pliable；　and　fit　for　learning；　and　esteem　them　to　be　of　their　kindred；　and　form　them　according　to　their　own　manners。　They　do　not　absolutely　deny　the　fitness　of　marriage；　and　the　succession　of　mankind　thereby　continued；　but　they　guard　against　the　lascivious　behavior　of　women；　and　are　persuaded　that　none　of　them　preserve　their　fidelity　to　one　man。

3。　These　men　are　despisers　of　riches；　and　so　very　communicative　as　raises　our　admiration。　Nor　is　there　any　one　to　be　found　among　them　who　hath　more　than　another；　for　it　is　a　law　among　them；　that　those　who　come　to　them　must　let　what　they　have　be　common　to　the　whole　order；　…　insomuch　that　among　them　all　there　is　no　appearance　of　poverty；　or　excess　of　riches；　but　every　one's　possessions　are　intermingled　with　every　other's　possessions；　and　so　there　is；　as　it　were；　one　patrimony　among　all　the　brethren。　They　think　that　oil　is　a　defilement；　and　if　any　one　of　them　be　anointed　without　his　own　approbation；　it　is　wiped　off　his　body；　for　they　think　to　be　sweaty　is　a　good　thing；　as　they　do　also　to　be　clothed　in　white　garments。　They　also　have　stewards　appointed　to　take　care　of　their　common　affairs；　who　every　one　of　them　have　no　separate　business　for　any；　but　what　is　for　the　uses　of　them　all。

4。　They　have　no　one　certain　city；　but　many　of　them　dwell　in　every　city；　and　if　any　of　their　sect　come　from　other　places；　what　they　have　lies　open　for　them；　just　as　if　it　were　their　own；　and　they　go　in　to　such　as　they　never　knew　before；　as　if　they　had　been　ever　so　long　acquainted　with　them。　For　which　reason　they　carry　nothing　at　all　with　them　when　they　travel　into　remote　parts；　though　still　they　take　their　weapons　with　them；　for　fear　of　thieves。　Accordingly；　there　is；　in　every　city　where　they　live；　one　appointed　particularly　to　take　care　of　strangers；　and　to　provide　garments　and　other　necessaries　for　them。　But　the　habit　and　management　of　their　bodies　is　such　as　children　use　who　are　in　fear　of　their　masters。　Nor　do　they　allow　of　the　change　of　or　of　shoes　till　be　first　torn　to　pieces；　or　worn　out　by　time。　Nor　do　they　either　buy　or　sell　any　thing　to　one　another；　but　every　one　of　them　gives　what　he　hath　to　him　that　wanteth　it；　and　receives　from　him　again　in　lieu　of　it　what　may　be　convenient　for　himself；　and　although　there　be　no　requital　made；　they　are　fully　allowed　to　take　what　they　want　of　whomsoever　they　please。

5。　And　as　for　their　piety　towards　God；　it　is　very　extraordinary；　for　before　sun…rising　they　speak　not　a　word　about　profane　matters；　but　put　up　certain　prayers　which　they　have　received　from　their　forefathers；　as　if　they　made　a　supplication　for　its　rising。　After　this　every　one　of　them　are　sent　away　by　their　curators；　to　exercise　some　of　those　arts　wherein　they　are　skilled；　in　which　they　labor　with　great　diligence　till　the　fifth　hour。　After　which　they　assemble　themselves　together　again　into　one　place；　and　when　they　have　clothed　themselves　in　white　veils；　they　then　bathe　their　bodies　in　cold　water。　And　after　this　purification　is　over；　they　every　one　meet　together　in　an　apartment　of　their　own；　into　which　it　is　not　permitted　to　any　of　another　sect　to　enter；　while　they　go；　after　a　pure　manner；　into　the　dining…room；　as　into　a　certain　holy　temple；　and　quietly　set　themselves　down；　upon　which　the　baker　lays　them　loaves　in　order；　the　cook　also　brings　a　single　plate　of　one　sort　of　food；　and　sets　it　before　every　one　of　them；　but　a　priest　says　grace　before　meat；　and　it　is　unlawful　for　any　one　to　taste　of　the　food　before　grace　be　said。　The　same　priest；　when　he　hath　dined；　says　grace　again　after　meat；　and　when　they　begin；　and　when　they　end；　they　praise　God；　as　he　that　bestows　their　food　upon　them；　after　which　they　lay　aside　their　＇white＇　garments；　and　betake　themselves　to　their　labors　again　till　the　evening；　then　they　return　home　to　supper；　after　the　same　manner；　and　if　there　be　any　strangers　there；　they　sit　down　with　them。　Nor　is　there　ever　any　clamor　or　disturbance　to　pollute　their　house；　but　they　give　every　one　leave　to　speak　in　their　turn；　which　silence　thus　kept　in　their　house　appears　to　foreigners　like　some　tremendous　mystery；　the　cause　of　which　is　that　perpetual　sobriety　they　exercise；　and　the　same　settled　measure　of　meat　and　drink　that　is　allotted　them；　and　that　such　as　is　abundantly　sufficient　for　them。

6。　And　truly；　as　for　other　things；　they　do　nothing　but　according　to　the　injunctions　of　their　curators；　only　these　two　things　are　done　among　them　at　everyone's　own　free…will；　which　are　to　assist　those　that　want　it；　and　to　show　mercy；　for　they　are　permitted　of　their　own　accord　to　afford　succor　to　such　as　deserve　it；　when　they　stand　in　need　of　it；　and　to　bestow　food　on　those　that　are　in　distress；　but　they　cannot　give　any　thing　to　their　kindred　without　the　curators。　They　dispense　their　anger　after　a　just　manner；　and　restrain　their　passion。　They　are　eminent　for　fidelity；　and　are　the　ministers　of　peace；　whatsoever　they　say　also　is　firmer　than　an　oath；　but　swearing　is　avoided　by　them；　and　they　esteem　it　worse　than　perjury　（4）　for　they　say　that　he　who　cannot　be　believed　without　＇swearing　by＇　God　is　already　condemned。　They　also　take　great　pains　in　studying　the　writings　of　the　ancients；　and　choose　out　of　them　what　is　most　for　the　advantage　of　their　soul　and　body；　and　they　inquire　after　such　roots　and　medicinal　stones　as　may　cure　their　distempers。

7。　But　now　if　any　one　hath　a　mind　to　come　over　to　their　sect；　he　is　not　immediately　admitted；　but　he　is　prescribed　the　same　method　of　living　which　they　use　for　a　year；　while　he　continues　excluded'；　and　they　give　him　also　a　small　hatchet；　and　the　fore…mentioned　girdle；　and　the　white　garment。　And　when　he　hath　given　evidence；　during　that　time；　that　he　can　observe　their　continence；　he　approaches　nearer　to　their　way　of　living；　and　is　made　a　partaker　of　the　waters　of　purification；　yet　is　he　not　even　now　admitted　to　live　with　them；　for　after　this　demonstration　of　his　fortitude；　his　temper　is　tried　two　more　years；　and　if　he　appear　to　be　worthy；　they　then　admit　him　into　their　society。　And　before　he　is　allowed　to　touch　their　common　food；　he　is　obliged　to　take　tremendous　oaths；　that；　in　the　first　place；　he　will　exercise　piety　towards　God；　and　then　that　he　will　observe　justice　towards　men；　and　that　he　will　do　no　harm　to　any　one；　either　of　his　own　accord；　or　by　the　command　of　others；　that　he　will　always　hate　the　wicked；　and　be　assistant　to　the　righteous；　that　he　will　ever　show　fidelity　to　all　men；　and　especially　to　those　in　authority；　because　no　one　obtains　the　government　without　God's　assistance；　and　that　if　he　be　in　authority；　he　will　at　no　time　whatever　abuse　his　authority；　nor　endeavor　to　outshine　his　subjects　either　in　his　garments；　or　any　other　finery；　that　he　will　be　perpetually　a　lover　of　truth；　and　propose　to　himself　to　reprove　those　that　tell　lies；　that　he　will　keep　his　hands　clear　from　theft；　and　his　soul　from　unlawful　gains；　and　that　he　will　neither　conceal　any　thing　from　those　of　his　own　sect；　nor　discover　any　of　their　doctrines　to　others；　no；　not　though　anyone　should　compel　him　so　to　do　at　the　hazard　of　his　life。　Moreover；　he　swears　to　communicate　their　doctrines　to　no　one　any　otherwise　than　as　he　received　them　himself；　that　he　will　abstain　from　robbery；　and　will　equally　preserve　the　books　belonging　to　their　sect；　and　the　names　of　the　angels　（5）　＇or　messengers＇。　These　are　the　oaths　by　which　they　secure　their　proselytes　to　themselves。

8。　But　for　those　that　are　caught　in　any　heinous　sins；　they　cast　them　out　of　their　society；　and　he　who　is　thus　separated　from　them　does　often　die　after　a　miserable　manner；　for　as　he　is　bound　by　the　oath　he　hath　taken；　and　by　the　customs　he　hath　been　engaged　in；　he　is　not　at　liberty　to　partake　of　that　food　that　he　meets　with　elsewhere；　but　is　forced　to　eat　grass；　and　to　famish　his　body　with　hunger；　till　he　perish；　for　which　reason　they　receive　many　of　them　again　when　they　are　at　their　last　gasp；　out　of　compassion　to　them；　as　thinking　the　miseries　they　have　endured　till　they　came　to　the　very　brink　of　death　to　be　a　sufficient　punishment　for　the　sins　they　had　been　guilty　o