Silence before false witnesses
When false witness was borne against our Saviour and Lord Jesus Christ, he “kept silent” (Matthew 26:63); when he was accused, he “answered nothing” (Matthew 27:12). He was convinced that his whole life and his deeds among the Jews were stronger than a voice refuting the false witness, or words of defence against the charges. But you, Ambrose, lover of God, wished, I do not know why, that we should make a defence against Celsus: against the false witness he bore against Christians in his writings, and against the charge he brought in a book against the faith of the churches. It is as if there were no clear refutation in the facts themselves, and no word stronger than all writings, which both makes false witness vanish and does not allow the charges even enough plausibility to have any force.
To show that Jesus “kept silent” when false witness was borne against him, it is enough for the present to quote Matthew, since Mark wrote what amounts to the same (Mark 14:55–61). Matthew’s words run as follows: “The high priest and the council sought false witness against Jesus, so that they might put him to death; and they found none, though many false witnesses came forward. At last two came forward and said, ‘This man said, “I am able to destroy the temple of God and to build it in three days.”’ And the high priest stood up and said to him, ‘Do you answer nothing to what these men testify against you?’ But Jesus kept silent” (Matthew 26:59–63).
And that he did not answer when he was accused is written as follows: “Now Jesus stood before the governor; and he questioned him, saying, ‘Are you the King of the Jews?’ And Jesus said to him, ‘You say so.’ And when he was accused by the chief priests and elders, he answered nothing. Then Pilate said to him, ‘Do you not hear how many things they testify against you?’ And he did not answer him a single word, so that the governor was greatly amazed” (Matthew 27:11–14).
Greek
Ὁ μὲν σωτὴρ καὶ κύριος ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦς Χριστὸς ψευδομαρτυρούμενος μὲν „ἐσιώπα“ κατηγορούμενος δὲ „οὐδὲν ἀπεκρίνατο“, πειθόμενος πάντα τὸν βίον ἑαυτοῦ καὶ τὰς ἐν Ἰουδαίοις πράξεις κρείττους γεγονέναι φωνῆς ἐλεγχούσης τὴν ψευδομαρτυρίαν καὶ λέξεων ἀπολογουμένων πρὸς τὰς κατηγορίας· σὺ δ᾿, ὦ φιλόθεε Ἀμβρόσιε, οὐκ οἶδ᾿ ὅπως πρὸς τὰς Κέλσου κατὰ Χριστιανῶν ἐν συγγράμμασι ψευδομαρτυρίας καὶ τῆς πίστεως τῶν ἐκκλησιῶν ἐν βιβλίῳ κατηγορίας ἐβουλήθης ἡμᾶς ἀπολογήσασθαι. ὡς οὐκ ὄντος ἐναργοῦς ἐλέγχου ἐν τοῖς πράγμασι καὶ πάντων γραμμάτων κρείττονος λόγου, τοῦ τε τὰς ψευδομαρτυρίας ἀφανίζοντος καὶ ταῖς κατηγορίαις μηδὲ πιθανότητα εἰς τὸ δύνασθαί τι αὐτὰς ἐνδιδόντος. περὶ δὲ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ ὅτι „ἐσιώπα“ ψευδομαρτυρούμενος, ἀρκεῖ ἐπὶ τοῦ παρόντος τὰ Ματθαίου παραθέσθαι· τὰ γὰρ ἰσοδυναμοῦντα αὐτῷ ὁ Μάρκος ἔγραψεν. ἔχει δ᾿ οὕτως ἡ τοῦ Ματθαίου λέξις· „ὁ δὲ ἀρχιερεὺς καὶ τὸ συνέδριον ἐζήτουν ψευδομαρτυρίαν κατὰ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ, ὅπως θανατώσωσιν αὐτὸν, καὶ οὐχ εὗρον πολλῶν προσελθόντων ψευδομαρτύρων. ὕστερον δὲ προσελθόντες δύο εἶπον· οὗτος ἔφη· δύναμαι καταλῦσαι τὸν ναὸν τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ διὰ τριῶν ἡμερῶν οἰκοδομῆσαι. καὶ ἀναστὰς ὁ ἀρχιερεὺς εἶπεν αὐτῷ· οὐδὲν ἀποκρίνῃ. ὅτι οὗτοί σου καταμαρτυροῦσιν; ὁ δὲ Ἰησοῦς ἐσιώπα.“ ἀλλὰ καὶ ὅτι οὐκ ἀπεκρίνετο κατηγορούμενος, τοιαῦτα γέγραπται· „ὁ δὲ Ἰησοῦς ἐστάθη ἔμπροσθεν τοῦ ἡγεμόνος· καὶ ἐπηρώτησεν αὐτὸν λέγων· σὺ εἶ ὁ βασιλεὺς τῶν Ἰουδαίων; ὁ δὲ Ἰησοῦς ἔφη αὐτῷ· σὺ λέγεις. καὶ ἐν τῷ κατηγορεῖσθαι αὐτὸν ὑπὸ τῶν ἀρχιερέων καὶ πρεσβυτέρων οὐδὲν ἀπεκρίνετο. τότε λέγει αὐτῷ ὁ Πιλᾶτος· οὐκ ἀκούεις, πόσα σου καταμαρτυροῦσι; καὶ οὐκ ἀπεκρίθη αὐτῷ πρὸς οὐδὲν ῥῆμα, ὥστε θαυμάζειν τὸν ἡγεμόνα λίαν.“