But Jesus held his peace. And the high priest answered and said unto him, I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us whether thou be the Christ, the Son of God.
Ver. 63. I adjure thee by the living God] So had the devil done once before, horrendo impudentiae exemplo, Mark 3:7. Sed os Caiaphae et culeus Satanae in eodem sunt praedicamento. It is nothing with the devil and his to pollute and dishallow that nomen maiestativum, as Tertullian styleth it, that "glorious and fearful name of God," as Moses calleth it, Deuteronomy 28:58; and to call him in, at all turns, as an author or abettor, at least, of their abominable plots and practises. How much better that holy man that said, My heart, head, and tongue trembleth as often as I speak of God? a Yea, the very heathen sages had the same thoughts, that men ought to be better advised than to toss God's reverend name upon their tongues as a tennis ball, or to wear his image for an ornament. b And surely, as St Mark relateth this history, one would think Caiaphas a very conscientious person. For he brings him in saying to our Saviour, "Art thou the son of that blessed one?"Mark 14:61. So he calls God by. a periphrasis, as if he were afraid once to name God, ευλογητου. Baruch hu, quasi ipsum Dei nomen exprimere vereatur; when as yet presently after, he profanely adjureth our blessed Saviour "by the living God, that thou tell us whether thou be the Christ," &c. And this he doth, not out of any desire to know the truth; but as seeking an occasion from his bold and free confession of the truth, to put him to death; so going about to entitle God himself to his villanous enterprizes. See here the hateful nature of damned hypocrisy, and abandon it.
a Lingua, mente, et cogitatione horresco quoties de Deo sermonem habeo Nazianzen.
b εν δακτυλιω εικονα θεου υν περιφιρειν Praecept. Pyth.