The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1895-12-28

And he thought that ended i'll Pi-
late, for a long time, resisted the
clamors of the mob. He undoubtedly
thought that Jesus was innocent. He
tried to calm that raging human sea
by saying, 81 find no fault in him."
but the storm went laundering on.
HE ought to die" they shrek, "be-
cause being man, he made himself
the Son of God" This was the jew
ish law. Well, my lord Plate is not
greatly concerned over that. The
Roman power will not put man to
death for a breach of Jewish tradition.
Finally, they cry out, eff thou let this
man go thou art not Caesars friend"
Well, thinks PLATE, that does alter
the matter a little. 1t is something
that had not occurred to me before.
1t might be unpleasant to have Cae-
sar's suspicion fall upon me. Now
that l look again, this prisoner is
rather tattered. He may be good
man, but he has no money or int1u-
ence. (Viltue with patches on its
knees and holes in its elbows, stands
little chance beside impudence and
rascality tricked out in the latest
styles. What does it matter, after
all, whether this man goes to the
cross or not? Yes; very good: now
that you mention Cesar's name, l will
let you cruelty Jesus; but upon you
must be the responsibility "Ho,
slave; some water and a napkin!
There, behold my snow white limo
cence!"
And Plate drew a sigh of relief,
and went back into his palace, con-
graduating himself that another dis
turber had been silenced; that he had
strengthened himself in the good will
of his subjects; that he had demon
strated his absolute loyalty to the
Emperor. But-"Here's the smell of
blood still; all the perfumes of Ara
bia will not sweeten this Il * handp
Why did Plate do this thing? Why
did he throw off his responsibility?
Why did he fail to do justice to
guiltless man? There were several
reasons: Q) First, the trouble and
inconvenience. 1t would have requir
ed time and personal sacrifice to have
overcome the demands of the people,;
and PLATE had no time to waste upon
any one in the plight of Jesus. (2)
Next, the clamors of the crowd. 1t is
no easy thing to stem the tide OF pop
ular sentiment, especially when that
tide is rushing furiously in the wrong
direction. (3) But chief of all, was his
fear that his position was not secure;
that he might lose his governorship.
For Plate was politician, and knew
when he had the wires in his own
hands. For these reasons the great
martyrdom of the ages was permitted;
and he who might have prevented it,
who was responsible for Cavalry,
fippantly washed his hands and de-
clared that he had neither part nor
lot in this eliminating infamy of his
administration.
The same motives influence us to-
day. There is nothing so needed in
our own time, as STRONG SENSE OF
PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY. We can see
how the lack of this resulted in the
case of Plate. We can see the de-
fects in his character. But how
closely we often resemble him; how
nearly we follow in his footsteps to-
day, we do not see. PLATE is dead
under the odium of centuries. But
his moral progeny has increased and
multiplied upon the face of the earth
Anything to evade duty. Anything
to wash our hands of responsibility,
for our own sins; for the interests
and organizations with which we are
identified; for the society of which
we form part; the land in which we
live. When the walls of Jerusalem
were to be rebuilt, each man wrought
over against his own house-each
found his place and work,-and so
working. the walls of the sacred city
rose at last in circled completeness.
When each man works over against
his own house, the walls of any city
or state or church can be built. But
when one man has to work over
against his own house and over
against the houses of a score of his
neighbors as well, how much more
slowly and painfully does the struc-
ture rise
l. ONE OF THE REASONS WHY WE
sHIRK RESPONSIBILITY IS THE TROUBLE,
THE INCONVENIENCE.
Pontius Plate, all over againl
81 can not be bothered any longer
with this Jesus. / told the people
onoa that thOuoht he vuas innooarf