The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1877-04-02
THE MURDER OF CHRIST.

THE NORTHUMBERLAND AS WILEY
POLITICIAN.
At the Fifth Avenue Baptist Church yesterday
morning The Rev. Thomas Armitago, u. D., delivered
the last sermon oil the series upon "rhc Men OF the
Great Week. his subject bong .Christs Judicial Mur
DER" The PASTORS teAt was Matthew, xvii, rs, aud
Acts ". %. In former discourse these words It
was shown, said DR.. Armitagc, that Roman as well
Hebrew law held human liio to be sacred II threw
It's most sacred and inyolabc guards around its
citizens as such. But tho Romans had orders OF Cit
izcnship-a perfect class and perfect class All
tho private rights OF man belonged 10 the imperfect
class as well TO tho perfect, while the honors OF
magistracy might be added the perfect order only.
But 10 tho days of Christ the conquests Of the Empire
had become enormous that millions Of persons In
tho subjugatcd provinces who wero mother ctzcns
slaves yet subjects, made first caplivcs In
asmuch thon, The Jewish nation had boon
qucrcd by Rome before the time or Chrsts birth and
Judca then held as tributary OF that Power,
Hc was born, not citizen OF Romo, but simply
a subject ani SUCH was answerable 10 the provn-
cial law, whatever II might be.
Christ was neither prisoner Of war nor captive.
He was tho subject OF conquered country when
not even under national law Tor its civil ana ecclesi-
astcal laws then intuct and operative. As the
oprosentalve OF tho Emperor there tho Procurator
had tho power or lie ana death over subject under
tho application OF those laws which protected subject
III the enjoyment OF those rights which we're &C.
corded him by the code Of the province
In which no lived. We thus shut up TO thM
conclusion that the Procuraor of imperial prov
nce IL the duty of Plate to know whether not
tho Sanhedrim had tho lie OF Jesus IN jeopardy under
the national and proper application Of jewish law and
Of doubt either 10 order new trial In which
the laws should be properly applied or TO modify the
whole proceeding because OF It's illegally. Instead Of
eide against their sentences. and then himself
committed judicial crime of the highest mag
nhuae BY assisting Thorn to enforce what he,
Illegal Or to uso the words OF tho m0st careful and
patient student and interpreter OF law In our country,
who says ~ cannot call TO mind anything In all my
researches whcro such arbitrary power
cIsed against Christ was authorized by law He was
offence, and tho act of arrest arbitrary act
founded in no law, but clearly despotc." Hence az
claim the execution OF Christ was but judicial muir
CHRIST BEFORE TIE ROMAN COURT
Plate, invested with those powers, was not mere
agent through whom the jewish Court could inict ts
injustice upon Jesus but he the centre OF the high
judicial power that tho crime the trial, the find.
right OF jurisdiction The sanhedrim had gwen its de-
cislon that He worthy OF death. but they had no
power pass the formal sentence OF death upon Him.
This court to have adjourned IN uproar carly
the morning, when according 70 ST. Luke thew whole
cred Him into his hands 10 DO put TO death:
As nearly We can ascertain Jesus entered
Pilates nall Of judgment about seven in tho morning.
wnen His Roman or civil trial commenced Here such
a and such series OF events transpircd as have
parallel the history OF the Judiciary wild ad-
OF craft passion, cowaruce meekness, vaci-
lalion and Inconsistency - found here such has
never been compounded elsewhere on earth. The re-
suit shows that sadder heart never beat q mans
bosom than that in Pilates when he assembled Tho
Judgment seat" and the young man OF Nazareth
stood before him. The jewish leaders OF the people
held great power the proud Roman, aud not
only insisted that he must deal with the case as they
wished. but that ho mrst confirm their own hndinga
OF condemnation Plate does not appear to have been
In his usually passive state OF mind that morning
Possibly he annoyed TO lind public business pushed
upon him that uutimoly hour, he may have boon
disqueed by the apprehension that The passover day
to be marked by some act vi turbulence
which would cost hlm and his troops great troubles or
he, perhaps, ielt slight tnge OF scorn and
resentment toward tho city magnatcs and naughty
against him 10 silcnus; or last OF all II Is possible
tuai, with the sharpness OF the eagles eve, the cm
blcmatic bird OF his own standard, he saw by the
bearing OF tho prisoner that not ordinary
elon. He carried no hardened aud brazen front, no
defiant and guilt bespcaking manners like those oi
common criminal, but was mock, pure, gentle and
dignhed, qualities which appear in tho innocent aud
not tho reprobate Tor Pilale had seen too much Of
crMc not 10 read It's hollow, sunkcn, sullen look.
JUDICIAL MURDEE
Instead Of taking word full credit ratiiy-
ing the Dnangs the Jews, supreme JUDICIAL "Coun-
cl' Off hand, and without hearing 10 tho ineflaDly
meek victim, who stood before him with rope
his neck, Plate proposed 70 retry the This
ragged them beyond endurance Plate had by this
decision served notice on hcm that he could not DO
passive instrument IN their hands by playing tho pars
cupr to please the legal arstocracy the
In their court they had accused Jesus of BIAS
phemy, but once they saw that their religious quar-
rel had interest for Roman judge. who knew
they lett by Tho conquest In the Tree exercise or
bic himself with nm alleged offence against the Jewish
God, IN whom he did not believe, because ques-
tons did not pertain TO Roman law Therefore. be-
lore this court they suddenly abandoned the old
accusation and substituted tor II new political
charge They louger alleged that He guilty OF
constructive blaspheiny but that He Was guilty OF
constructive treason. When Plato boldly aud EN-.
phulically absovcd Him from the acc saion saying
II lind iauit in him., 1t was his duty 10 have
charged prisoner. The acqual OF Jesus mado tho
Jews ncrce and they chargou that Jesus stirred
up Tho people, "bcgnning from Gacc To this place. Z"
PILArk, tbs CRAFTY POLITICIAN
Up to this point Plate had acted manly part, but
the iumu OF the people began alarm HIM just hero,
probably tearing an outbreak the peace oil the city
and desiring to rid himself Of troublesome with
all lis responsibility when he heard the was
Galiean, he began 10 play the crafty politician and
ceased from that moment TO be The lair judge Galce
was outside OF his province. Herod, OF Galeo, ard
Plate were not friends. Hcrod was Ut the time at
Jerusalem, having como 10 attend the passover. Plate
thought that II would DO master stroke OF policy 10
Tree himself Of this troublesome prisoner INSIDE and
this clamorous mob uutslde, wcIl to concIluto
Hcrod by sending Jesus 10 hun the plea that mad
not proper Jurisdiction III The case SO instead OF
leasing Christ he sent Hin Herod The latter aftor
| allowing Christ 10 DO maitroatcd. returned
HIM TO Plate On every principle of common
| law and equity, say nothing of humanity.
Plato was Responsible for ali the mockery
indIgnity and suffering which Jesus endured ut tho
hands OF Herod and his brutal men o war, alter beng
| acquitted upon his own examination. Then I'llato
violated every principle VI common law by preparing
to scoursc an innocent person. HIS proposition to
release Jesus instead OF Barabbas caused Wild satanic
passion to seize tho multitude, the frantic throna
yelled like lends Tor tho release OF arabuas, who mad
pccH itB"y VI scultlOu ana lUl
the cruciixon Of Jesus. The bitter boistcrous dc.
mand Of tho mob prevailed Tho scowliup hardened
villain BuraDDas went forth to bloodsaincd Jubilee,
wh'lc the quverins shoulders OF Marys son were
acerated I'LL every nerve and muscle shuddcrcd under
thc torture oi tue Roman thong Siill, PLATE sought
to release Christ but the threat al least OF ths mob at
he was not Caesars friend opened Plate q OF
concentration, degradation and banistmcnt ut the
hands Of hs gloomy and SUSPICIOUS muster. S,Iehus.
whch siiehced aii convictions OF JUSTICE equity aud bu
mainly ana under This impulse, Tor the 1rss
Il uhc III clviilzei country, judge venturcd to
to reverse his own decision three times rendered with
out new evidence and without discovering Ilaw or
mistake 10 Inc proceedings Jesus fell The hands
OF HIS judicial inurdcrers victim OF malice and hate
inc Jews prayer. ellis blood be upon aud up n or
chliureh, mas not been what Longciiow calls Ia al.
CONTINUED ON NINTH PAGEl