The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1897-11-10
NoNsENsEl SAYS DIR. WARD.

No Reliance 10 Be Put In Stories of the
Finding OF Pilates Report on the
CruclRxion.
ut Is nonsense" said DR.. William
Hayes Ward, one Of the leading Biblical
scholars of this country, when asked
his views in relation to the reported
finding of parchment In the vatican
containing Pilates report OF the cruel
fixIon, with quotations from Christs
utterances. "You can place no reliance
in such stories, nor in the dates or au-
thenticity OF manuscripts that may bo
found, Musty parchments telling all
sorts of things are likely to be turned
up at any time, for they are only TOD
pientlful, as shown by the records OF
apocryphal writings that have been ap-
nearing from the second century down
to our own time.
"There Is no reason for believing that
any report made by PLATE on the cruci-
nXion or events connected with 1t IL IN
existence, or even a copy OF any such
document. Yet we are hearing Of such
things every now and then, and there
is quite n large collection of various
TRANSACTIONS of writings that are cred'
tied to PLATE, but there Is no reason
TO suppose that plate had anything to
do with them, or that they had any eX.
istence until long after his time.
I'm the early centuries Of our era
people wero much given 10 writing
what may be called Sunday school
| stories They were not always partic-
| ular as TO whom they credited these
writings or TO the dates they attached
TO their manuscripts. but what was
| written was copied and circulated. The
result has been that these manuscripts
have been appearing from time to
time, md modern writer's have collated
them, and II will be found that any sup
| posed to be n new discovery Will not de-
part from the usual trend OF the writ
lngs, for they are all on the same lines
AN APoCHRYpHAL REPORT.
Nov" continued DR.. Ward, as he
| took n book from the shelves within
reach and opened IT, here In the Ante
Nlcene Fathers Is one Of these reports
credited 10 PLATE. II Is formed from
four sources, and none Of them ancient
Its origin Ia unknown, but 1t " pre-
served among npocryphal writings"
Examination OF other letters and rc.
ports, as set forth IN the "Antl-Nlceno
| FHthcr8," credited to PLATE and which
purport 10 be official communications
with the government at Rome, are In
J the same general etraln. They all set
| forth an apparent regret on the part OF
| plate that the cruclnxlOn ever took
place, with alrcltcrntlon that II was not
| Induced "by my own WISH He con-
| tlnunlly refers to "lnnocent blood" and
writes Of Chrlst's peaceful mission, and
that His life might have been spared II
the execution could have been post
poned. His inability TO either prevent
or poHtpono the execution In charged to
| tho clnmorlng OF the people, who cried
| "Cruclfy HIM" and his desire 10 show
fidelity TO the central government st
| Rome,
10 amy Of these letters and reports II
IN impossible to assign date, ana the
best the authorities can do IN to state
their various publications mono OF
which go bnclt to any time near the days
Of plate. Many NJ them show by formH
of expression that they are compnrn-
| lively modern In their origin, and they
often further show that they nrc copies
Of writings n little older which tho
copylatn have Accn M TO change To
their purpose, ana In cases to clnbor-
ate ana extend,
AN ELABORATE REPORT
Among these pretended writings "
| pllniO N quite nm extended report with.
out date or mark Of naturalization
which N Hnld TO hive been fcsurrUctpd
from pnmr ont Of TIN why corner cen.
| uflpn nfior plate was dead II was
| frat publlHhOd by FnbflcluH with n
Latin translation, then by Birch, and