The mountain sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1844-1853, 1853-08-04

i
far at the Ia6aariuzn. You are denounced by
Vltellus, prefect of Syria, your enemy. for hav-
ing chastened the rebellious Hebrews who had
slain the most noble of the Samaritans, and who
afterwards withdrew themselves on Mount Ga
rizim. 1ou are also accused of acting thus out
of hatred against the Jews
t'No! replied PLATE. .'No! by all the gods,
Albnus, 1t IS not the injustice af Caesar that af
hicts me-
! What then is the cause OF your affliction 90
continued Albinus. Long have known you
sensible, just, humane. l see it-you the
victim of Vitellus''
''Say not so, Albinus-say not that l am the
victim of Vitellus-no; 1 am the victim of
higher power. The Romans regard me an
object of Caesars disgrace, the Jews as the Sc
we're Proconsul the Christians the execution
er of their GodI'
''Of their God, did you say, Pilatee Impious
Wretches Adore a God born in a mangeT, and
put 10 death a cross!'
Beware, Albinus, beware 20 continued PLATE.
Ii their Christ had been born under the purple
he would have been adored. Listen. To your
friendship will submit the events of my life;
you will afterwards judge whether am worthy
of your hospitality
On my arrival at Jerusalem, took possession
OF the PretoriuIn, and ordered splendid feast
TO be prepared, to which l invited the Tetrarch
of Judea, with the high priests and his officers.
At the appoint ed hour guest appeared. This
was an insult offered to my dignity. few days
! afterwards the Tetrarch deigned to pay me
visit. His deportment was grave and decetful.
He pretended that his religion forbade him and
his attendants to sit down ut the table of the
gentiles, and to offer up libations with them. L
thought it e1pedient to accept of his excuse;
but from that moment was convinced that the
conquered had declared themselves the enemies
of the conquerors.
At that time, Jerusalem was of all conquered
cities, the most difficult to govern. So turbu-
let were the people, that lived in momentary
dread of an insurrection. To repress it had
but single Centurion and q handful of soldiers
requested reinforcement from the Prefect of
Syria who informed me that he had scarcely
troops sufficient to defend his own province. In
satiate thirst of empire-to extend our conquests
beyond the means Of defending theml
Among the various rumors which came to my
ears there was one that attracted my attention.
A young man, it was said, had appeared in Cali
lee, preaching with noble JUNCTION, a new law
in the name of the God that had sent him. At
first, was apprehensive that his design to
| stir up the people against the Romans; but soon
were my fears dispelled. Jesus of Nazareth
spoke rather as friend Of the Romans than of
the Jews.
One day, in passing by the place of Siloe,
where there great concourse of people,
observed in the midst of the group young man
leaning against q tree, who was calmly address,
ing the multitude. l was told that it was Jesus.
This could easily have suspected, SO great was
the difference between him and those who were
listening to him. Heappeared to be about thir-
ty years of age. His golden coIored hair and
! beard gave to his appearance celestial aspect.
Never have l seen q sweeter more serene
| countenance. What a contrast between him
and his hearers, with their black boards and
tawny complexions. Unwilling to interrupt him
by my presence, L continued my walk, but sig
nifed to my Secretary to join the group and lis
ten.
My Secretarys name was Manlius. He was
the grandson of the chief of the conspiraors who
encamped in Etrusia waiting for Catilina. Man
Illus was an ancient inhabitant of Judea, and
well acquainted with the Hebrew language. He
was devoted to me, and vas worthy of my con-
fdence.
On returning to the Pretorium, found Man
lius, who related to me the words that Jesus had
pronounced at Siloe. Never have 1 heard in
the Portieo, or read in the works of the Philos-
ophers, any thing that can be compared to the
maxims of Jesus. One of the rebellious Jews,
SO numerous in Jerusalem, having asked him if
it was lawful to give tribute to Caesar or not,
Jesus replied Render unto Cesar the things Vhich
| are Cesar's and unto God the things that are
! Gods.
1t was on account of the wisdom of his say
ings that granted so much liberty to the Naza-
| rene; for it was in my power to have had him
arrested and exiled to Pontus /; but this would
have been contrary to that justice which has
always characterized the Romans. This man
was neither seditious nor rebelllous. le1tended
to him my protection, unknown, perhaps, to
himself. He was at liberty to act, to speak, to
assemble and address the people, to choose dis
ciples, unrestrained by any pretorlan mandate
Should il ever happen-may the Gods avert
the omen should it ever happen, say, that
the religion of our forefathers be supplanted by
the reli gion of Jesus, it will be to his noble toll
! Grafton that Rome shall owe her premature OBJ
sequies-whilst /, miserable wretch II shall
have been the instrument of what Christians
call Providence, and we-Destiny.
But this unlimited freedom granted to Jesus,
provoked the Jews-not the poor, but the rich
and powerful. 1t was true, Jesus was severe
on the latter, and this was political reason, In
my opinion, not to control the Gbeft of the
Nazarene. .sScribes and Pharisees ~ would he
say to them, rye a race of vlpers you re-
semble painted sepulchres." At other times he
would sneer at the proud aims of the Publican,
telling him that the mite of the widow was more
precious in the sight of God.
New complaints were daily made at the Pre-
torium against the insolence of Jesus. l was
even informed that some misfortune would befal
bim-that it was not the first time that Jeru-
salem had stoned those who called themselves
prophets-and that if the Pretorium refused
Justice, an appeal would be made to Cesar OF
all that happened. My conduct was approved
by the Senate. and was promised REINFORCE
ment of troops after the termination OF the far-
THAN war.
Being too weak to suppress sedltlon, re-
solved upon adopting measure that promised
to establish the tranquility Of the city. without
subjecting the Prstorium to humilating oonces-