Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1904-10-20

from hcdthen customs that toey car
ried extyaqfs from tho Hebrew law
about with them in little boxes or
phyiacteries. They had these boxes
strapped to their foreheads that all
men might see them. But when these
men, these leaders Of Jerusalem, were
standing there cVndcmning a poor out
cast woman for her sins Christ in 81
lcnce wa making figures upon the
ground with lis fingers In which they
might read their ovvu condemnation.
What Jesus Christ was writing upon
the ground is not recorded; but. though
We may nsver know on earth those ex..
act wordA have a good deal Of sym.
patty with that evangelist who saad
that Christ was writing the evil hh-
tory Of each scribe end Phsrisee while
thsy wcro speaking against tho sobblas
cuiprit No sooner DID the arst scribe
begin to talk than Christ began 10
write. az though he he'd sex down S6ese
words: Lawyer, you are not living
With your wife. She has left you on
account Of your disso,uteness. She Is
now gone back to her fathers home
For what are you condemning this wo-
man? For your own sinT' No sooner
did the lawyer look down on the ground
and see what Jcsis was writing than
he turned and departed, When the
next speaker. a Pharisee. began to talk
Christ began TO write again. rich
man. you have never committed tho
crime Of which this woman was guilty,
but you own the house In which shc
lives and carries OIL her vile traffic.
The rent you get from that house Is
blood money. Why are you speaking
against your tenant? You are part.
ner with her in crime" When the
Pharisee capitalist saw what Christ
WINS writing and that all the people
were laughing at him he also disap-
pearcd. So Christ went through the
list Of different ac,-iserS. But whether
Christ was writing the history Of those
accusers on the ground or no we care
not, for one fact we DO kuow-by bis
words Christ was teaching the sweep
ing lesson that a rich mans sins, q
prominent lawycr's or phyncian's or
state1nan's sins or minister's sins
are just rs severely condemned in the
sight Of God rs the poor mans sins
The divine law discrtninates not be-
tween the sins OF the upper and low
or social classes, but between sin and
| righteousness The sin OF the broad
cloth il the same black Sin which some
| times nests Under the rough woolens OF
the laborcr and the mechanic. Sin IS
sin wherever found.
No Immunity Given.
But ! find in the next place another
trelcbant lesson. The divine law does
not accept goal in bringing others to
justice as a ground for absolv!ng the
| prosecutor OF bis own wrongdoing. The
scribes and Phsrisees cannot atone for
their s,ns by denouncing and condemn
ing otAsss. Though . man might prove
every other man q living example Of
total depfavity and devote his life t.
the exposure ana araivnment n cylm.
inas, he most take his own place st
the bar and answer the indictment OF
his own iniQuities. instances have
been known OF a criminal under hu
man government securing for himself
immunity from punishment for his owr
crimes by betraying bis leader to The
officers OF Hlc law or even by himself
executing sentence on that leader. hut
such men are dcspised for their per
fldy, even by The community that profits
by the treachery. A similar principle
Ia applied IN our courts Of Justice wheI
a man is allowed to turn states EVIL
dence. 1t sometimes happens that
there is no way OF convictiug a notori
Gus criminal but by the testimony OF
confederate. That coufoderate'a cvi
dence has TO be purchased, and tho
price paid is n pardon Tor him of his
own share In the crime. 1t Is a heavy
but il is q result Of the inadeQuacy o!
human administration. and It has nc
place under divine law.
When Por1rio Diaz became president
OF the Mexican republic he did not IN
the beginning employ honest men &c
capture scoundrels The hills and tbs
mountains Of Mexico We're the retreats
VI S'oitS htil uuputeOo Vi DFt9hHuS
and robbers. What Diaz did IN tbs
beginning was 10 send for some Of the
leaders Of the rowing bands OF thieves
He then commissioned these leaders al
representatives. OF his own govern
nent He dressed them mp in Me1i
can uniforms and sent them forth al
police to huut down and bring to jus
tice their late companions In thtever!
and murder He sent these scoun
drels forth TO capture scoundrels. Ago
and they dli their WORK we'll JAvert
because he had at heart all tho make
up OF a sooundrel. made hne sieuth
hound on the heeis Of Jean Vatican
And thus many scoundrels in Nexics
during the first administration OF Dfs,
won their pardon for past crimes no
by repentant heas,s. but by trying Z
bring the outlaws Of Mexfco-man inx
theWselves--to Justice. In the scene q
my taxt those scr1bes md Phartsees
sinful men at heart. sinful IN thrf
past lives. were striving by their q
susation Of ibis wicked woman to sail
chasaetsr Tor virtue and purity tina
they knsw they did not deserve.
Bach Must Answer For His Own.
But what did Christ do3 Did b
say: "Pharisee, thou art a hbertinf
Scribe thou art morally corrupt" on
no. He turned and stmply held up be