Quesnel: Moral Reflections on the Gospels Vol 1

432 ST. MATTHEW.
low said, I ara able to destroy the temple of God,
and to build it in three days.''
It is the constant practice of the envious and un-
just, to change the words of those whom they do not
love, and so make them the heads of their accusation.
It is easy, by means of a few small alterations, to
render the most holy truths, and the most innocent
persons, odious to the world. O sacred humanity
of Jesus, thou art truly the temple of God, built up
by the mystery of thy incarnation, destroyed on the
cross, and rebuilt by thy glorious resurrection ! Nay,
thou art more, since thou art the victim of this ador-
able temple, and since it is the destruction of this
temple, which makes the sacrifice of thy religion the
glory of God, and the salvation of men.
" 62. And the high priest arose, and said unto
him, Answerest thou nothing ? what is it which these
witness against thee ?"
Jesus, as being the truth itself, deigns to be hum-
bled by false witnesses. There is a time to defend
the truth by apologies, and a time to suflPer for it in
an humble silence. It was necessary for mankind
that there should be a victim to merit for them the
grace to receive the truth ; and also an example of
patience, to encourage them to endure calumnies.
To this end, Christ came into the world ; to this end,
he suffers himself to be accused without so much as
opening his mouth in his own justification.
" 63. 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."
The silence of the eternal Word confounds the