George Hutcheson
18 Therefore the Jewes sought the more to kill him, not only because he had broken the Sabbath, but said also that God was his Father, making himself equal with God.
The fruit of this Apology, among the Jews, is, that their rage of persecution is encreased the more by it, and they thirst the more for his life: And that because he not only had broken the Sabbath, as they alledged; but had asserted that God was his Father in so peculiar a way, as made him equal with God. Whence learn. 1. Clear declaration of truth will not satisfie wicked and malicious men, but the more Christ and the light is held out to such, it is hated the more; for, after his Apology, therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him. 2. No vindication, nor defence of lawfull practices, will wipe off the misconstructions of prejudged men, but they will stick by their prejudices, and maliciously fasten them upon the innocent; for, let him say what he will, yet he had broken the Sabbath, not indeed, but as they alledged. 3. Albeit God have many Sonnes by creation and adoption, yet Christ is his Sonne in a peculiar and proper way, by eternal generation, and communication of the same essence; for, so doth the Jews understand him, he said, God was his Father, or his Father in a proper and peculiar way, otherwise they could not have quarrelled with him; and Christ doth not refute this. 4. Christs conjunction with his Father in working, doth prove his equality with the Father, and that he is of the same essence, and doth partake of the same omnipotency; for, so much do they soundly gather from his Apology, ver. 17. that he made himselfe equal with God, neither doth Christ call them calumniators, nor clear any mistake in it, as in other cases he doth, Joh. 21.23. but cleares and confirmes what they challenged, (though they gathered a vitious consequence, that he should be killed as a blasphemer;) and what they collect, is asserted by the Apostle, Phil. 2.6. 5. Such may be the corruption of a visible Church, as very truth may be accounted blasphemy, and a ground of putting men to death; for, albeit it be horrid blasphemy for any creature to equall it selfe with God, yet they were far wrong, when they would slay Christ for asserting the comfortable and supernatural truth of his Godhead.
