Page:Philochristus, Abbott, 1878.djvu/159

Rh heaven, at the last day." But others mocking said that the sick man seemed not yet to have gained much profit, albeit his sins had been forgiven. All this noise and stir ceased at once when Jesus began to speak. He said, "Why reason ye these things in your hearts? Whether is it easier to say to the sick of the palsy, 'Thy sins be forgiven thee,' or to say, 'Arise, and take up thy bed and walk'? But that ye may know that the Son of Man hath authority even upon earth to forgive sins"—here he paused and stood up, and behold, the whole of the congregation was constrained to stand up with one consent; insomuch that I saw even Eliezer the son of Arak standing up with the rest, and his face was kindling as the faces of the rest, and the silence was even such as could be felt, and the palsied man himself seemed half to raise himself in his bed in expectation: and, like a shock, there fell on us the word, "Arise." And lo, the man arose at once, and stood straight up, and Jesus said to him, "Take up thy bed, and go thy way into thy house." And immediately he arose, took up his bed, and went forth whole before them all.

Then were all amazed, and glorified God, and some said, "We never saw it in this fashion." But others praised and magnified the All-merciful because He had given this new authority to men, so as to forgive sins, and this too not hereafter in heaven, but at once and upon earth. But Eliezer and the chief ruler and others of the elders of the synagogue, when they had recovered from their first astonishment, took counsel how they might again catch Jesus in his doctrine. For they said, "None can forgive sins, except God only: therefore it is certain that this man maketh himself God." Howbeit they veiled their thoughts with a smooth countenance, for fear of the multitude; and going up to Jesus they saluted him before