OCR Text |
Show PILATE'S TRIBUTE. The Official Heport of the Trial of J03U3 Christ. The earthly ministry of Jesus, though weighted with heavier trlalp, and ad-B ad-B e'ened by docper Borrow, was also rtrcucthoned by purer motive, and lllu-minuted lllu-minuted by fairer hopes, than any experi-B experi-B nc before or slui?, in ,tho record of hu- H One nftor another of tho conditions 'Which prophecy and tradition had held Hj hi tho signs of hin coming had been iu-filled, iu-filled, and tho tlmo seemed near when tho voice in tho wlldernoas should herald tho Mercian's approuoh. From tho wild and fl barren region to tho cast of Joruealom, tho fl lord's forerunnor at longth camo forth. H 'J'ho Ieraelito3 had looked for a prophet H whoso appearance would be similar to B John's, but they had hoped for a fiir dlf- B irent message. They had loet their dls- Hj ttnctlve and particularly proinlHing char- B nctor os a nation, nnd wcro burdened by B Roman oppression. From, tho depths of Hj their Borrow Uioy had longed for the full-ncss full-ncss of tlmo, when the promised Menaiah Hj should come, to lift them from bondage, Hj mid set up a kingdom whose glory uhould lover the curth. For upwards of 400 yoaxB thoy hnd bad i o prophet, and when John carao tho Ho- Hi brew peppio woro clearly at the bottom of Hl the social and political scale. Steeped in ice and reveling in social corruption, the prleuts and the temporal rulorn were wicked boyond compare, Taxes for Hj Caesar, tnxes for Herod, and taxes for Hj tho blinded and faithless prioRts, wore lov-led lov-led on tho maescB in all Juden, and tho region about the Jordan, till they woro broken in spirit and many were living In want. It is natural, therefore, that the 1 prophet's appearance among them should 1 bo held ns a matter of vital concern, and i when ho came bohold tho elTcctl His j "Repent ye, repent ye, for tbo kingdom of BEBBI heaven is at hand," was a cry that rang on tho cars of tho rulora llko tho Mcnc BBBB and Tokel to Bolshazzar. To tho poor, his arraignmont of rulorn BBBB and of priests alike for astounding cor- BBBH ruption of morals in ail high places, and 1 i he fearless and torriblo robuko ho admin- BBBB Istored appearod as a beacon of hope. BBBB From Jerusalem and Samaria, and all tho BBBB Jtle.? about them, they flooked to hla opon BBBB temple to learn of the kingdom of heaven. BBBB Day after day ho had called for repent- BBBfl ar.ee nnd told of tho coming of Jeous till BBBB his own lmportanco became obscured in BBBB tho greator anxiety to behold the Princo BBBB -of Poace. At length he came. The He- BBBB brews had lookod for a temporal advnncc- BBBB mcnt. but tho messago of John had fore- BBBfl shadowed another, and a dlffcront plan. BBJj Would ho set up a kingdom, subdue the onprcesors and round out for Israel a 1 nlorj' surpassing the greatness of Rome? BBBB Xo. He lifted the standard of lovo and BBBB peace and challenged tho world to the BBBB conflict. John had baptized and callod on BBBB . tlic people to reform; Jesus did more. Ho BBI lifted the veil from tho human heart and BBBB taught It a loftier motive, revealed a rooro BBBB perfect ideal. He had no creed but his BBH Father's lovo, and that he taught. "He BBB hath sent mo to preach the go.spel to the poor, to heal the broken-hearted, to bring BBB deliverance to the captive, to rocovcr the BBBB Fight to the blind, to Bet at liberty the BBI bruised." And this he did. When the angels announced his birth BBB they told it first to tho shepherds, and the BBBB few wlso men In tho desert wero shown BBBB tho star, while tho bigoted pricsta wero BBH loft to revel in the works of their own BBB conceit. Christ's mission was clearly at BBH variance with tho hopes and ambitions of BBB tht ruling close, and all tho way on, from BBH the day when ho preached in the Naza- BH re tli temple till ho gave up his llfo on the BBB cross there was ever against him tho BBB power of the priesthood, tho unyielding BBfl hatred of klnps, There camu a time, at BBB length, when tho burden had grown too BBB heavy, and he laid it down. His ministry BBB was rinlshed, but tho grand consummation BBB of his mission was yet to be accomplished. BBB r can say but a word of his trial by tho BBB priests. Conceived In prejudice, with ncl- BBB ther tho sanction of law nor tho sem- BBB blancrt of authority, and carried to a dis- BBB graceful termination by an almost fren- BBB zled mob, it must alwavs appear as tho BBBB grossest farco In tho history of that sin- BBB ful oko. To tho Christian world aaldo BBB from tho sentiment that clings like a pur- BBB plo robe to tho Savior's trial in Pilate's BBBB court, there Is q'e!i desire, from a orlti- BBB cal standpoint . gathor sucli n;v.- infor- BBB matlon concerning that event, a tho dc- BBBI vriopinents of time may reveal, and for BBH this reason I have ventured to bring more BBBB prominently to view the apparently BBB authentic report from Pilato hlm- BBBB uciT to the Emperor Tiberius at BBB Rome Partly by accident and BBBB partly as a result of persistent BBfl Decking after something moro dcllnlte con- BBB corning tho historical phaso of tho cruci- BBBB n:!on. there came into my iiossesslon sev- BBB eval years apo thla transcript of Pllato'a BBB memorial. It had been procured after BBH months of waiting, and at tho end of a BBBB long correspondence by Rev. W. D. Ma- BBB han, then living In Boonville, Mo. Through BBB his kindness, without the recompense BBB even, which his personal outlay of money BBB mighf have donmnded, thi report as prlnt- BBBB ad below, was dven to his manv friends: BBBB Westphalia, Germany, 1SSG. Ptev. W. D. BBB aiahan.--Ijear Sir: Fatlior Frcelluhuuen BBBH monk of great learning and chief guar- BBBB dlan of tije records in tho Vatican at BBBH Rome), ban answered my letter in regard 1 . to Uie transcript you want. He informs BBBB1 mc that the writing is go line, being in the 1 Latin language, as I told you, and the BBB parchment ho old and dirty, that ho will BBBB b toilgei! to uoe a glass for most of it. BBBB He can only give It in I-atln. a he docs BBBB not understand Kngl'.sh, He will do tho BBBB work for ? . If you will forward the BBBB nmount I will havo tho copy sent to mv BBBH brother-in-law, C. C. Vantbergcr, who will BBBH translato It for a trlile. With tender rc- eaidp. H. C. "WHY DM AN. 1 Translated." ,Ro,n?'. 1S5-S. H. C Whydman.l-pear BBBB Sir: I hereby forward to you the tvau- BBBB nrript, as It is on record in the Vatican BBBB in Tiberius Caesar'a court, by Pilate. I BBBB certify this to be a true copy, word fc- BBBB word, as it occurs there. Yours,' etc , PKTER FREELINHUSEN. Blflffi ,sNuv'"r,70r,V W D. Mahnn.- BBBB Dear Sir I am in possession of a docu- BBBB ment from H. C, Whydman. with ln- BBBB -iructlon to translate it Into English. My BBBB thnrgcH will bo $ a preface to Its publication Mr. Ma- BBBB han says: "With this correspondence 1 BBBB received the following document, and I BBBB confess that, although it Is not i'nsplra- BBBB tlon. yet tho words burned In my heart BBI as the words of Christ did, In the hoarts - BBBH of hL-i dlclptc and I am satlrnscl, from tho spirit It biars, that it I trun," |