The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1909-11-06

i 0~8 0D ~ H48 ~ ~ OsVs 4A14
raised his voice against them, urging
the people to 6nffer death rather than
70 pollute themselves By yielding 70
the demands Of the wicked Greeks.
what II the Greeks have declared
It unlawful to keep our Sabbath
days." he cried IN the streets. what
II they declare that we must share in
their feasts and pay. homage to their
godf Shall we forget our God and hiS
lawf What II we gain our lives at
the hands Of these wicked Gsntiles
and lose them before our God, the God
Abraham and Isaac and Jacob7"
Some listened to the words Of the
old man while others turned In fear
away, saying under their breath:
eyes, he may well talk for he is
even now an old man and It means not
much to him to die. But how Is It
with US who have wives and children
and much goods in the city. We may
outwardly yield to these Gentilos and
still be Jews at heart. OF what avail
II we die?"
Thus was the city. filed with oonten-
ton among the Jews. few choosing
to remain loyal to Moses law, while
the great majority outwardly obeyed
the mandates Of the man from Athens.
It was during these days that the
king Of Greece celebrated the anniver-
sary Of his birth, and the Greeks In
Jerusalem, anxious to do honor to
their king and to their great god, made
great sacrifices and held feasts and
commanded that the Jews of the city
enter into the festivities, and eat Of
the meats which had been offered to
their god. And when the feast Of BAG
chus was kept the'sJews were COM
PEELED to go in the procession carrying
ivy and garlands before the great I'm
age. Moreover there went out the
decree to the neighboring cities
against the Jews that they should OBJ
serve the same fashions and be par
takers of their sacrifices. And whose
would not conform Themselves to the
manners of the Gentiles should he put
to death.
| And that terror might seiBe upon
the hearts of the people who darad to
4 HAoODOyS WV WOhCh WhO hha SAAN'tAiA-
cised their babes after the law end
command of Moses. were taken and
having been openly led about the city
with their babes in their arms, they
were taken to the highest point on
the wall and cast upon the jagged
rocks In the abyss below. And 9th.
ers, that had run together In the
caves nearby to keep the Sabbath day
secretly. being discovered. were all
burned together, because they fesred
to dishonor God and violate his holy
day.
And Eleazar, who had done much to
encourage the people to remain loyal
to Gods law, was not to escape, for
he was seized and made to open his
mouth into which swine flesh was
thrust with the command to cat for
his good health. But he, choosing
rather to die gloriously than to live.
stained with such abomination, spit Il
forth.
Then did those who had charge OF
the wicked feast, and who had come
to know the old man and understand
his great influence with hfs people, be-
ing anxious to win him over TO their
customs. that It might encourage 9TH
ers to do likewise. took him one side
and said:
What profit II you should die. Let
US tell thee how thou canst save thy
self and still remain true to thy law.
Bring thy own flesh such as Is lawful
for thee to use, and make as though
thou didst eat Of the meat Of the sac
rifce commanded by the king, but eat
that which thou thyself hath provided.
Then all will be we'll"
1T becometh not my age in any wise
to dissemble," he declared with dig.
nifty, 'for by so doing many persons
might think that Eleazar being four
score years old and ten. were gone
to a strange religion, and so they
through mine hypocrisy. and desire to
live a little time, should be deceived
by me. and get a stain to mine old
age, and make It abominable For
though for the present time I should
be delivered from the punishment Of
men; yet should not escape the hand
of the Almighty, neither alive or dead.
Wherefore now, manfully changing
this life. will show myself auch an
one as mine age requireth, ami leave
a notable example to such as be
young. to die willingly and courage
ously for the honorable and holy
laws
And having thus spoken tn those
who would have saved him II he
would have but dissepbled. they were
greatly indamed against him and
dragged him on to the torment which
was made as awful as possible, his
tongue being first cut out and then all
his extremities cut on and laat of all
he was cast upon red-hot psn. And
when he was about to give up the
ghost. ne cried:
1T is manifest unto the Lord. that
hath the holy knowledge, that where
as might have been delivered from
death, now endure sore pain In my
body. but In soul / am well content
to suffer these things, for fear him"
! Thus did Eleasar die, leaving his