ing, criminal, infamous, and, to sum up all in one term—sinners, all of which things are undoubtedly not of God.  Therefore what wonder is it, if Christ says to sinners, convicting them of this very thing that they were sinners and did not believe in Him:  "Ye are not of God;" and on the other hand, without prejudice to the former statement:  "All things were made through Him," and "All things are of God?"  For if not to believe Christ, to repudiate Christ’s advent, not to accept Christ, was a sure mark of souls that are not of God; and so it was said:  "Ye therefore hear not, because ye are not of God;" how would that saying of the apostle be true that occurs in the memorable beginning of the gospel:  "He came unto his own things, and his own people did not receive him?"206  Whence his own if they did not receive him; or whence therefore not his own because they did not receive him, unless that sinners by virtue of being men belong to God, but by virtue of being sinners belong to the devil?  He who says:  "His own people received him not" had reference to nature; but he who says:  "Ye are not of God." had reference to will; for the evangelist was commending the works of God, Christ was censuring the sins of men. 206 John i. 11. 170 How Evil Men are of God, and Not of God.