These opinions are not supposed by us for the
purpose of argument, but are evidently recognised in the Jewish writings
as well as in ours. And it ought moreover to be considered, that in
these opinions the Jews of that age had been from their infancy brought
up; that they were opinions, the grounds of which they had probably few
of them inquired into, and of the truth of which they entertained no
doubt. And I think that these two opinions conjointly afford an
explanation of their conduct. The first put them upon seeking out some
excuse to themselves for not receiving Jesus in the character in which
he claimed to be received; and the second supplied them with just such
an excuse as they wanted. Let Jesus work what miracles he would, still
the answer was in readiness, "that he wrought them by the assistance of
Beelzebub." And to this answer no reply could be made, but that which
our Saviour did make, by showing that the tendency of his mission was so
adverse to the views with which this being was, by the objectors
themselves, supposed to act, that it could not reasonably be supposed
that he would assist in carrying it on.
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