Razis

RAZIS, or Razias; he was one of the most considerable of the Doctors that were then at Jerusalem, at the time of the Persecution of Antiochus Epiphanes. After the Death of this Prince, and of Antiochus Eupator his Son, and under the Reign of Demetrius Soter Son of Seleucus;¹ Alcimus the Usurper having obtain’d the High-priesthood of the Jews, by giving Money to King Demetrius, was sent into Judea with Nicanor, who had Orders to support him in the Possession of this Dignity. But Nicanor being reconcil’d to Judas Maccabeus, and living in good Understanding with him at Jerusalem; Alcimus took Umbrage at it, and went to accuse Nicanor of betraying the King’s Interests, affirming, that he kept Correspondence with Judas Maccabeus. Demetrius upon this writ to Nicanor, and order’d him to seize Judas, and to send him to Antioch. Nicanor therefore broke with Judas, and began to seek for Means of apprehending him; but Judas discover’d his Design and made his Escape.

Nicanor having fail’d in his Design, was resolved to make the Priests pay for it, and began to threaten them very much. At the same time Razis was accused to him, whom we now speak of, probably as being much in the Interest of Judas Maccabeus, and very averse to that of Alcimus, as having no Right to the High-priesthood. The Scripture does not expressly say what he was accused of, but it gives him this Testimony, that he was very zealous for the Interests of the City of Jerusalem, and of the whole Nation, insomuch that he was call’d the Father of the Jews. His Life was pure and unblameable, and in the Times of Persecution he had already given substantial Proofs of his Firmness to Judaism,² by his Opposition to those that would have introduced Idolatry into Israel. Nicanor therefore sent five hundred Men to arrest him, thinking that if he could succeed in bringing him over, it would make a great Impression upon the rest of the Jews.

When therefore Razis saw that the Soldiers would break into his House, and put Fire to it, and that he could not avoid falling into their Hands; he fell upon his Sword, choosing rather to die bravely, than to see himself in the Power of wicked Men, and to suffer Indignities unbefitting his Birth and Quality. But in the Hurry he was in, not having given himself a mortal Wound, and seeing the Soldiers enter in Multitudes into his House, he ran with great Resolution to the Platform of his House, and throwing himself from the Top to the Bottom into the Street, he pitch’d with his Head foremost upon the Ground. But neither did this Fall entirely dispatch him, so that he made new Attempts; he rais’d himself up, ran through the People, and got upon a sharp Stone, where he drew his own Bowels out of his Body, and threw them with both his Hands among the People, invoking the Ruler of Life and of the Soul, to restore them again to him another Day. And in this manner he died.

The Jews put Razis among their most illustrious Martyrs, and pretend to prove from his Example, and from those of Saul and Samson, that in some certain Cases the Murder of one’s self is not only allow’d, but is also laudable and meritorious. These Cases are, first, the reasonable Distrust of a Man’s own Strength, and the Fear that he may yield in time of Persecution: Then, according to them, it is allow’d to prevent the Danger, by laying Hands upon our selves. The second Case is, that when one can foresee, that by falling into the Hands of the Enemy, they will thence take Occasion to insult the Lord, and to blaspheme his Name. The Circoncellions, a Sort of noted Hereticks of Africa, in the Time of St. Austin, made use of the Example of Razis, to justify themselves in those Cruelties that they exercis’d against themselves, by throwing themselves headlong, and putting themselves to Death in a thousand different Manners; to promote, as they pretended, the Glory of God. Some modern Divines a endeavour also to vindicate Razis, by the Example of certain Christian Virgins, who, to escape the defiling of their Bodies, threw themselves into the Water, and were drowned. They add, That, in this, Razis acted by the Inspiration of the Holy Ghost; That the Manner of his former Life, and the Sentiments in which he died, would hardly allow one to doubt of his Salvation, and of the Integrity of his Action.

Nevertheless, St. Austin³, Thomas Aquinas⁴, and several other Casuists⁵, have maintain’d, that the Example of Razis being only related in Scripture, but not approved, nothing could be concluded from thence to justify the Morality of the Action. ‘Tis agreed it was brave, and such as might befit the greatest of the Pagan Heroes: But the present Question is, Whether it was agreeable to the Law of God, and to that eternal Order that God commands us to observe, and forbids us to interrupt? What does the Scripture commend Razis for, but because he was very stedfast in Judaism, which was then the true Religion; very zealous for his Country, and for his Brethren; so that he was look’d upon as the Father of the Jews; and because, at his Death, he call’d upon the Name of the Lord. But is this sufficient to justify an Action so notoriously contrary to the Law of God? If Razis is neither just nor innocent, why should he be imitated? says St. Austin. If he is just and innocent, why does he put a just Man to death; that is, why does he kill himself? Is it thus that the Martyrs us’d to behave themselves? ‘Tis already said, that he died bravely and heroically; but were it not better to have died humbly, patiently, and submissively? St. Austin’s Words are; Dictum est quod elegerit nobiliter mori. Melius vellem humiliter; sic enim utiliter. Illis autem verbis historia gentium laudare consuevit, sed viros fortes hujus sæculi, non Martyres Christi.

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