There is another reason for noting this, in order to observe the power of prejudice and passion in influencing men’s belief or disbelief. There are few men who believe strictly in accordance with their reflecting faculties. The desires, prejudices, and passions of men largely share in the making of their beliefs; and if this be true of beliefs, it is equally true of men’s unbelief. If there be those here who do not believe in Christ, I ask them: Are you quite sure that your unbelief is the result of calm, and thoughtful, and careful study of what Christianity has to say for itself? Are you sure you have not hastily taken up some objections against Christianity without waiting for the answer? Are you quite sure that you have not misunderstood some words of Christ—some words that, having offended you, you have passed away without waiting for the reason? Are you sure that there is no unreason in your unbelief, you that say there is so little reason in our belief? It is because I am deeply convinced of this that I am here. It is because I believe that misconception, prejudice, and hasty adoption of other men’s opinions upon slender grounds, make a large part of ignorant belief, often a large part of ignorant unbelief. It is because these misunderstandings may be removed, that I am here to speak of the subjects I have announced. It is because I believe it is useless to argue against prejudices, that I shall endeavour to remove those prejudices, and mistaken feelings and opinions, that make men unwilling to listen to arguments for Christianity. Those who follow me will bring many arguments for Christianity, and I am here to-night to prepare the way for them. I ask you, then, to turn again to this story, and to see why it was that those new disciples left Christ. It was for this reason, that they were offended because he appeared to deny them the possession of liberty. When they became his disciples he said, “Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” Then they answered him, “We be Abraham’s seed, and were never in bondage to any man; how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free?” He had offered them liberty, and this implied that they were not free, and this they regarded as the gravest of affronts. We, the children of Abraham, the aristocracy of humanity, those whom the Lord delivered out of Egypt, whose slaves are we that you venture to offer us freedom? The offer is an absurdity and an affront, and you are denying us freedom in the very words; and so left him, for they deemed it an insult to their birthright of freedom. We, who understand the story, can see how much these men were mistaken. Our Lord was offering them moral freedom, and they supposed that he was offering them political freedom.