Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1858-03-03
.gollGn,Iutn. ITl. ,,,
PoNfIUs PLATE. - = :


VA surrendered to the Jews to be crucifed Were
bis manner and speech those Of doubling Ph'ioso-
pher who had embarrassed his mind with the stray
Of what was truth and at the same time OF vascile
fear of his suspicious and tyrannical mas Ter
iherius Cesar? or such as should be attributed TO
a testy and impatient judge who was dsp'eased
with the conduct of the accused, although ne knew
him to he innocent? or they rather, the natur
nj efsprpr of mind earnestly and anxlousiy 'nquir
ins .fter truth that wonderful which had been
10 unaccoun.bly presented 10 hs m!no 10 the per.
son before him, and whlcn ne OUT 50 i"pe'eS'' " .
darstood after all? o. ...st .1... - -, r- -.
Now, in my humble opinion, the last 'n'errogato'
~ presents the proper point of view IN which We
should regard the conduct of Plate on this interest
:ne and momentous occasion; because 1t was utterly
urssne necessities of this CASE directing and urging
kis mind to an opposite judgment, that he should
have pronounced Jesus wholly innocent, unless he
had been miraculousy guided to that conclusion by
the :nterposton of the spirit OF Truth Therefore,
shall contend that the repeated and persistent dccia
ration Of Plate that he fonnd no fault at all IN Jesus
MAS not only in point Of fact miracle, but that it
VS. 20 intended to be understood; and trust that
INV argument will not leave this an improved asser-
tion however impalatable it may be to that spirit OF
r.t;op.lism or natural INSTRUMENTATION of the human
mind to the Divine will, which so often amounts to
q conspiracy against the kingdom OF Christ Indeed,
I cannot believe such view of this subject ought
to afford lust ground of surprise, when We recolect
that all the important events in the life OF our oa-
vior are accompanied by miracles, which, although
tf,ey we're but imperfecty understood or not at az
appreciated at the time, were nevertheless wrought
BY him, not only for the purpose OF sxh'oitng at
once his own unerring truth and nfalliblc wisdom,
INIT were likewise intended to remain for all future
time as 80 many recorded evidences of his Divine
nature These are the nndeniable evidences which
show the difference between the conceptual Logos
Of the ancients and the personal Logos Of the Scrip
lures, and confirm the truths OF Christ,an'ty-doc
triues which We cannot comprehend-that the Gre
stor of the world, the guide Of mankind from Para
dise to the judgment, was manifested in tie flesh,
n an infant. a child, and patient, suffering and
diving man. Without their assistance Christ could
not have established his Divinity, and without that,
his religion, which commands the unqualified suom's'
sion of all the passions could never have prevailed.
Hence We find our Lord never forgot his Divinity
While diving as a man, he forgave sins as God;
and though deserted, even by bis disciples, because
he would not deliver bis assumed body from the
cross he asserted his power as Lord OF the invisible
world, when he promised residence with hun IN
Paradise to the repentant thief who besought him,
saying, "Lord, remember me sehen thou contest snto
thu finqdom" Now surely the conversion of the
thief on the cross was a miracle! How otherwise
was this man able before Jesus DEATH and the COM
ing Of the Holy Ghost, to discern the Spiritual ma
ture of Chr:sts Kingdom and the value of his atom
inr death and intercession for sinners? His disci.
pies till the Holy Spirit had ilumined their minds,
could not comprehend the nature of his Spiritual
Kingdom Thus we see that as he never forgot his
Divinity so he ceased to manifest it on all i'm
portant occasions, Notwithstanding the religious ha-
tired of apostate church, the power OF Rome, and
even the death on the cross.
To determine this question properly, however, it
will be necessary to examine carefully and under
standingly our Lords statement to Plate OF the ma
cure Of his kingdom, contained in the narratives of
Luke and John and 1t will be equally necessary to
..amine and understand Jesus solemn lesson to the
jews Of obedience to the authority Os1sar,--.--
tanned in the Gospel by ST. Mathew. But while we
bestow the highest consideration upon these mpor-
tant scripture accounts of the teaching and trial OF
Jesus we must not undervalue in this connexion,
the well established truth of the political axiom that
the obligations of the State to religion must of
course be limited by the subsisting constitution OF
the country; ct contra, that the duty of religion
lists to the State must be regulated and governed 5y
the existing laws of the country. Nor, indeed,
must we leave out of view that historical fact which,
in ITSELF and, as coroary truth of the political AK
ION stated above is of special interest in this nqui-
~ viz that the Jews, although under the temporal
dominion of the Romans, we're allowed by the En-
peror render unreserved obedience to the laws OF
God both moral and ceremonial. In other words,
they were not at all hindered either by legal enact
nieIfts or by military rule in giving unto God the
things that were Gods according to their own IN
Outstanding of their Divine Masters requirements,
provided, that they also rendered unto Caesar the
things that were Caesars, according to the laws Of
the Romans.
With due regard to these considerations, and with
fair understanding Of Gods merciful scheme for
Jesus the only begotten Son of the Father, who was
very God of very God, should suffer DEATH deserv.
ing Of it as a common maefactOr but on tie contra
~, that he should suffer nnoninous death on &C
count of the guilt OF sin stricken world, himself
being innocent, and we shall have but little difficult
g. in Gplin a
questions; for it will then be clearly seen that Pr
late, while he owed duly the State governor by
the authority of the Roman Emperor Tberius Cae
ssr in the discharge of which he dare not lose sight
Of the supreme power or dstrustful nature OF his
imperious master, yet might indulge an unreserved,
because constitutional, regard for the religion Of
the Jews; and moreover, under such circumstances,
might by Divine permission, as believe was actu-
ally the case, be allowed also to be understand
enough Of the real character of Jesus to be able
declare him wholly innocent, Notwithstanding his
frank admission that he was rightly called king of
the Jews, and notwithstanding also, the testimony
against him Of the whole multitude Of his accusers
:: Having laid down these general principles, let Us
examine, for the purpose OF having wider field for
the scope Of our argument first of ALL though last in
the order of the Gospel narratives stated above
our Lords solemn lesson to the Jews of obedience 10
Cesar, rs we find it given by St. Matthew. "Then
went the Pharsees and took counsel how they might
entangle him in his talk. And they sent out unto
him their disciples with the Herodians saying, Mas.
Ter, we know that thou art true and teachest the
way OF God in TRUTH neither carest thou for any man.
for thou regardest not the persons Of men: tell US,
therefore, what thinkest thou? Is it lawful to give
tribute to Cesar or not? But Jesus perceived their
wiekedness. and said, Why tempt ye me, ye hypo.
eritesf Show me the tribute money And they
brought unto him penny. And he saith unto them,
Whose is this image and superscriptionP They saw
unto him Caesars Then saith he unto them, Rem.
der, therefore, unto Caesar the things which are
Caesars, and unto God the things that are Gods -
Here We have taught us by our Lord not only the
necessity Of a complete separation of temporal and
spiritual governments but likewise, as regards this
particular inquiry the important fact that there
was nothing incompatible with the supreme tempo.
raj authority Of Cesar, as emperor of the Romans