"Hearken, my children. These accuséd men Unlikely, most unlikely, choice of Heaven To be His prophets, seemed, and seem, to me. I look at them and find no prophet mien; I listen and their Galilæan speech Offends me; and far more the scandal is To think what message they propound to us. Their person and their message I reject-- Reject, or if reject not, not receive. And yet, my brethren, yet, I counsel you, Beware! What ye intend, accomplished once, Were once for all accomplished, not to be Undone forever. Ye consult to slay, And find your purpose hard to come by. How, If, having slain, to your repentance, ye Consulted to bring back to life again? Were that not harder yet? Wherefore take heed, Ye men of Israel. Remember how, A generation gone, Theudas arose, Proud boaster and asserter of himself, Who drew his hundreds to his standard; he Was slain, and all his followers came to naught. Some space thereafter, out of Galilee Judas arose and mustered to his side Many adherents; but he perished too, And all that clave to him were far dispersed. "This therefore as to these is my advice: Refrain your hands from them; let them alone. Know, if their deed and counsel be of men, Its doom is certain, it will come to naught; But if it be of God, strive how ye may, Ye cannot overthrow it. Well take heed, Lest haply ye be found to fight against God. For myself, when close upon the heels Of what was wrought mysterious in the escape Of these our prisoners from that warded keep Fast-barred, I heard their answer to our sharp Inquest and blame, I felt as felt of old That prophet chanting his majestic strain, 'The Lord is in His holy temple, let The earth, let the whole earth, before Him keep Silence.' My soul kept silence and still keeps. And silence keep, all ye, before the Lord! For the Lord cometh, lo, He cometh swift To judge the earth! And who of us shall bide The day of His approach? Not surely he Then found in arms against God and His Christ!" Gamaliel spoke and ceased; but, while he spoke, His speaking was like silence audible, Rather than sound of voice; and when he ceased, His silence was as eloquence prolonged.