John 10:33

By this discourse of Christ it seems their hands were bound up for a time, but not their mouths. And in this verse to avoid the dint of his challenge, they lay aside the matter of his works (which oft-times they carped at) without opposition or approbation, and take hold of a pretence of blasphemy, in that he being a man, had made himselfe God, for which they would have stoned him. Whence learn. 1. Persecutors, though they be most wicked, yet will be ashamed to avow the true cause of their persecuting of Christ, and that they are dissatisfied with any good thing, or to let their course be seen in its own colours; Therefore, albeit his works did clear this contraversie, verse 37, 38. and they did indeed hate him for them, more then for his alleaged blasphemy; yet they are unwilling that that should appear, for a good work we stone thee not. 2. It is the great policy of Satan and his instruments, first to calumniate Christ and his followers, and then to persecute them because of these alleaged calumnies; for, say they, we stone the not, but for blasphemy. 3. Such is the perversity of men, even within the visible Church, that having occasion and a tentation, that they may come to that height of impietie, as to blaspheme God; And where men do so, they are guilty of death; for, so much doth the Law of Moses, which they pretend to obey here, import, both that some within Israel were ready to fall in that sinne, and that such ought to be stoned, Lev. 24.16. Blasphemy properly signifies the hurting of ones fame, and being applyed to God, imports the wounding and depriving him of his honour and glory, which (omitting rash and idle swearing) is committed, when men deny unto God what is due unto him; when they attribute unto him that which doth not beseeme him; when they ascribe unto man that which is due only unto God; and, when they curse and raile, or reproach God, his Word, and works. And for preventing hereof, men should avoid unbelief and distrust, pride and selfe-love, and murmuring under dispensations. 4. Such corruption may creep into a visible Church, as even Christ may be accounted a blasphemer, and his most precious truths condemned as blasphemy; for, so it was here, we stone thee not, but for blasphemy, and (which explains and specifies what they accounted blasphemy) because that thou, being a man, makest thy selfe God. Where they do indeed understand Christ rightly, that he declared himselfe to be true God, equal with the Father, nor doth he contradict this, but confirme it in the following answer; Only they wrong him, in accounting it blasphemy. For albeit it be indeed blasphemy to assert that any meer man is God, in proper tearmes, (though in some respect some men do bear that name, ver. 34.) yet he had abundantly cleared before, that as he was true man, so he was true God also in the same person.