such
a proof be not sound many others are! If such and such a wonder be not
real, many others have been! Being intimately persuaded that Jesus was
a thaumaturgus, Lazarus and his two sisters may have aided in the
execution of one of his miracles, just as many pious men who,
convinced of the truth of their religion, have sought to triumph over
the obstinacy of their opponents by means of whose weakness they were
well aware. The state of their conscience was that of the stigmatists,
of the convulsionists, of the possessed ones in convents, drawn, by
the influence of the world in which they live, and by their own
belief, into feigned acts. As to Jesus, he was no more able than St.
Bernard or St. Francis d'Assisi to moderate the avidity for the
marvellous, displayed by the multitude, and even by his own disciples.
Death, moreover, in a few days would restore him his divine liberty,
and release him from the fatal necessities of a position which each
day became more exacting, and more difficult to sustain.

[Footnote 1: Matt. ix. 18, and following; Mark v. 22, and following;
Luke vii. 11, and following, viii. 41, and following.]

[Footnote 2: John xi. 3, and following.]

[Footnote 3: John xi. 35, and following.]

[Footnote 4: John xi. 33, 38.]

Everything, in fact, seems to lead us to believe that the miracle of
Bethany contributed sensibly to hasten the death of Jesus.[1] The
persons who had been witnesses of it, were dispersed throughout the
city, and spoke much about it. The disciples related the fact, with
details as to its performance, prepared in expectation of controversy.
The other miracles of Jesus were transitory acts, spontaneously
accepted by faith, exaggerated by popular fame, and were not again
referred to after they had once taken place. This was a real event,
held to be publicly notorious, and one by which it was hoped to
silence the Pharisees.[2] The enemies of Jesus were much irritated at
all this fame. They endeavored, it is said, to kill Lazarus.[3] It is
certain, that from that time a Council of the chief priests[4] was
assembled, and that in this council the question was clearly put: "Can
Jesus and Judaism exist together?" To raise the question was to
resolve it; and without being a prophet, as thought by the evangelist,
the high priest could easily pronounce his cruel axiom: "It is
expedient that one man should die for the people."

[Footnote 1: John xi. 40, and following, xii. 2, 9, and followin