69. Respondit ergò, ei Simon Petrus: "Domine, ad quem ibimus? verba vitæ æternæ habes.

70. "Et nos credidimus et cognovimus quia tu es Christus Filius DEI."

71. Respondit eis JESUS: "Nonne ego vos duodecim elegi? Et ex vobis unus diabolus est."

72. Dicebat autem Judam Simonis Iscariothem: hic enim erat traditurus eum, cùm esset unus ex Duodecim.

69. And Simon Peter answered him: Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life.

70. And we have believed, and have known that thou art the Christ the Son of God.

71. Jesus answered them: Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil ?

72. Now he meant Judas Iscariot, "the son of Simon: for this same was about to betray him; whereas he was one of the twelve.

The scene now changes; a great number of the followers of Our Lord turn their backs upon Him and went away-nay, a strong expression is added, that they walked no more with Him.

This defection, at such a time, was a great trial to the faith of those who remained. But one day ago they would make Him King and followed Him by land, travelling all night, many of them, until they met Him in Capharnaum. His great Revelation fell like a thunderbolt. The synagogue became empty, a blank expression rested upon the countenances of many among the audience.

Our Lord is not disturbed. Calm and dignified as ever He turns to the Twelve and says: "Will you also go away?"

One has to draw breath in order to take in the splendour of this question. Our Lord said hard things. He said the truth which generally is hard to take in. He was perfectly indifferent to everything except that His assertion must be accepted. His dearest friends may go away. Now, at the end of the second year of His ministry, He may lose all His friends. There is no compromising-no soothing explanation. Stand or fall by the test of truth. If they go He can get others in their places. Natural affection or fellowship falls to the ground, when truth, and espe cially the truth of religion is at stake. How finely this principle was carried out in the ages of faith!

Peter, the senior in position, the most fervent and courageous speaks for the rest and says:-"To whom shall we go!" There is none like you; for you have the words of eternal life, words of spirit and truth.

Our Lord knew, of course, the answer He was about to receive; but there was a wolf there in sheep's clothing; it would have been better for him to have gone away before he did worse. The chance is given him and he refuses to take it.

Why did not Judas go away then? Well, some of the older Fathers give many reasons; and, considering the meanness of Judas, they seem very plausible.

He was ashamed to be the only one; if another was like himself, they both might go-he did not like to be called an apostate. He had charge of the money also, and could help himself, in secret, when he wished. This he did, for we are told he was a thief from the beginning.

Oh, how many stop in religion, in the sanctuary, in the Church itself, through such motives as Judas had! His end ought to be a lesson to many.

1Went back. They went into their ordinary occupations and never minded Our Lord's teaching.

2The Twelve.-One almost comes to the conclusion that the whole synagogue had turned out and left Our Lord and His Twelve in possession of the place.

Simon Peter. He is always in front; and the Evangelists recognise silently his right to be there. Some say S. John was jealous of him. Such a passion could not enter into the heart of the Beloved Disciple.

To whom ?-This question is better understood by saying where, apparently; but the truth is, that the Messias was come, and if Our Lord was not he, where was he to be found?

We have believed.-Peter's confession came before this, according to some, after it according to others. In any case, Peter thought they were all saints like Himself, and Our Lord showed him they were not. What a perfect hypocrite Judas must have been !

"One of you is a devil.-There is his character at once. conduct was fiendish and not human.

His subsequent

The son of Simon.-This reference to his father, who was likely a good honest man, aggravates the guilt of the son.

One of the Twelve.-All the Evangelists mention Judas with a sentiment of shame and humiliation. That he should have been one of the Twelve !

Dogmas:

Ist. Are God's declared truth.

2nd. Cannot be compromised or minimised.

3rd. By them we stand or fall.

False brethren :

Ist. To be found everywhere -even apostles.

2nd. Very often the most observant of extreme regularity.

3rd. In order to deceive with greater success.

CHAPTER VII.

Christ goes up to the feast of the tabernacles. He teaches in the temple.

festum hunc: ego autem non ascendo ad diem festum istum, quia meum tempus nondùm impletum est."

9. Hæc cùm dixisset, ipse mansit in Galilæâ.

10. Ut autem ascenderunt fratres ejus, tunc et ipse ascendit ad diem festum, non manifestè sed quasi in occulto.

day but 'I go not up to this festival day; because my time. is not yet fulfilled.

9. When he had said these things, he himself stayed in Galilee.

10. But after his brethren were gone up, then he also went up to the feast, not publicly, but as it were "in private.

S. John passes over about six months of Our Lord's life, and omits the washing of hands, the 4,000 fed, the Tu es Petrus, the Transfiguration and several other events recorded by the Synoptists.

A question arises here about the proper reading of "I go not up to this festival day." There is "I go not up yet" in the received Greek versions, and some say the yet is an interpolation. Whether or no, Our Lord did not go up with them, nor did He go to the first day publicly, nor did He appear until the fourth day. His hour was not come when they were going. They wanted to have some glory, as being His relations, by exhibiting Him, as it were, and this He gently avoided by going privately and not with the usual caravan.

The yet, after all, seems a good reading, and is well supported by manuscripts, but not by the Fathers.

In Judea.-S. John has given a great deal of Our Lord's labours in Judea; because He followed Him from the beginning, before the formal call of the Twelve. It is generally said that Our Lord omitted one Pasch because of the fury of the Jews.

Tabernacles.—This feast corresponded with our month of October. It was a mild calm month, and they all went and lived in tents in memory of their wanderings in the desert.

His brethren.-These brethren, or cousins, were not of the four or five who were numbered with the Twelve. They were the secular ones, who doubted Him, but thought they could make a figure in Jerusalem by being known as His relations, and perhaps intended to make money out of Him.

"Thy works. This was all pretence. They cared very little about His works when they saw them. Thought he was mad.