[3.] In this place He also meeteth the accusation respecting the violation of the Sabbath. For since those persons argued, “How can he be from God, seeing that he keepeth not the Sabbath?” ( c. ix. 16 ), therefore He saith, “Which My Father hath given unto Me.” Yet in truth, He acted with absolute power, but in order most abundantly to show that He doth nothing contrary to the Father, therefore He hath put the expression of much inferiority. Since why did He not say, “The works which the Father hath given Me testify that I am equal to the Father”? for both of these truths were to be earned from the works, that He did nothing contrary, and that He was equal to Him who begat Him; a point which He is establishing elsewhere, where He saith, “If ye believe not Me, believe the works: that ye may know and believe that I am in the Father and the Father in Me.” ( c. x. 38.) In both respects, therefore, the works bare witness to Him, that He was equal to the Father, and that He did nothing contrary to Him. Why then said He not so, instead of leaving out the greater and putting forward this? Because to establish this was His first object. For although it was a far less thing to have it believed that He came from God, than to have it believed that God was equal with Him, (for that belonged to the Prophets also, but this never,) still He taketh much pains as to the lesser point, as knowing that, this admitted, the other would afterwards be easily received. So that making no mention of the more important portion of the testimony, He putteth its lesser office, that by this they may receive the other also. Having effected this, He addeth,