Chapter LIX.—Pharisees Refuted.

“Then a certain Pharisee, hearing this, chid Philip because he put Jesus on a level with Mo93ses.  To whom Bartholomew, answering, boldly declared that we do not only say that Jesus was equal to Moses, but that He was greater than he, because Moses was indeed a prophet, as Jesus was also, but that Moses was not the Christ, as Jesus was, and therefore He is doubtless greater who is both a prophet and the Christ, than he who is only a prophet.  After following out this train of argument, he stopped.  After him James the son of Alphæus gave an address to the people, with the view of showing that we are not to believe on Jesus on the ground that the prophets foretold concerning Him, but rather that we are to believe the prophets, that they were really prophets, because the Christ bears testimony to them; for it is the presence and coming of Christ that show that they are truly prophets:  for testimony must be borne by the superior to his inferiors, not by the inferiors to their superior.  After these and many similar statements, James also was silent.  After him Lebbæus began vehemently to charge it upon the people that they did not believe in Jesus, who had done them so much good by teaching them the things that are of God, by comforting the afflicted, healing the sick, relieving the poor; yet for all these benefits their return had been hatred and death.  When he had declared these and many more such things to the people, he ceased.”