The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-06-25
THE TRIAL OF CHRIST
JUDGE MNUTT CONSIDERS 1T FROM
A LEGAL STANDPOINT.
An Interesting Lecture at Roberts
Pari<-Dr. Tanner, the Faster, Talks
About Christian Life.

The pulpit of Roberts Park Church was
occupied last night by Judge Cyrus Nc
Mutt, Of Terre Haute. Judge McNutt de-
hvered discourse, THE Trial of Jesus of
Nazareth TO a large audience, which
manifested an intense interest in the
views advanced regarding the sacred trag-
edy. Many attorneys OF the city were
present. Judge McNutt possesses the nat
ural gift of eloquent speech, and last night
brought all of his powers of oratory to bear
upon the sacred subject. Much of the tes-
timony of the trial of Christ is unsealed,
said the speaker, and lies before us so that
all men can read it. He believed that it
would finally come to pass that the world
would see the man as he was. Judge Nc
Mutt expressed the belief that every pro-
vision of the Jewish code was violated in
the trial of Christ. He thought that the
genuineness of the four gospels must be
assumed, for without this nothing could
be said. The records of the great trial
are meagre, but if the gospel is studied
with the faculties of learning the scenes
of the tragedy grow into a startling drama.
Judge McNutt did not believe that the
better class of Jews were implicated in
the arrest and condemnation of Jesus. He
held that the officials of the high courts
were not the judges of the law that con-
victed the Savior. Christ was put to death,
he believed, by mob composed of the rab-
BILE and led by Caiaphas. rascally money
changer, who had been thrust out of the
temple by Jesus because OF the pernicious
practices which he had employed TO vic
timize the people. To strengthen the theory
advanced Judge McNutt produced sections
of the old Jewish law, the provisions of
which made it almost impossible for the
innocent to be convicted. Witnesses under
the Jewish code were sworn TO speak the
truth and must suffer punishment IL they
swore falsely. A woman could not be
called as a witness because she did not
possess the courage to strike the first
blow. The simple confession of the accused
one would not Justify his own condemna-
ton, and circumstantial evidence was not
admissible. The Jewish law had at this
time had thrown such safeguards about its
provisions that il almost impossible
to inflict the death penalty upon the con-
victed.
The Jews were strongly averse to capital
punishment If found guilty the judges
three DAYS, and at the expiration of that
period those judges who had at first con-
demned could acquit, but those who had
Should the prisoner be condemned to die
his eXecutiOners administered to him a
supplying beverage that made his death
less painful. These points of Jewish law
the speaker advanced to prove the fallacy
of the theory that Christ was arraigned
before a legal court. The scheme was to
scenes that led to the crucifxion would
have been enacted at another time and
another place. Many incidents indicate that
the band which caused the arrest of
Christ was not authorized to carry out the
brutal work. He was not carried into
court but taken to the house of the
money changer There is nothing to show
that the people of Judea were
in sympathy with the acts of the mob.
Christ had nothing to conceal He testified
against himself, and was convicted on that
testimony.
When brought before Plate that officer
sneered at the charge of blasphemy placed
against the Savior. Then they charged him
with treason against Caesar and the Ro-
man empire. The prisoner plainly told all
to Judge PLATE, not denying that he was
King of the Jews, but setting up his claim
as spiritual and not a temporal one. Pr
late refused to sustain the charges and
Christ was sent to Herod. Here again the
mob was refused recognition, and their
prisoner taken back to PLATE, who
said that he could find no fault with Christ.
The mob cried, IF you release this man
you no friend of Caesar" This showed
that they were not Jews. for the Jews
hated Caesar. Christ was taken from the
presence of PLATE, who protested to the
last that he was not guilty Of the death of
this man.