The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-11-19
JESUS AND ANNAS
 THEME OF SERMON Rev. Dr, Dickinson's Subject Bearing on Civil Virtue GREAT PROBLEM OF DAY Jesus Would Stand Less Chance in Birmingham Today Than He
 Did In Jerusalem in
 the Long Ago.
GREAT PROBLEM OF DAY

the pulpit at the First Baptist chureh last night at the evening services and preached on Jesus and Annas,' bearing on civil virtue. He took his text from the twelfth and thirteenth verses of the eighteenth chapter of John: So the band and the chief captain and the officers of the Jews seized Jesus and bound Him and led Him to Annas first; for He was father-in-law to Caiaphas which was Hign Priest that year"
 Dr. Dickinson spoke as follows:
 Annas had been brought from Alexan- dria by Herod the Great, more than thirty years before and was typical business man in politics with an eye all ways for the cash. He was appointed high priest by the Roman Legate Qulrinus in A. D. 6. and held the office until he was deposed by the Procurator Valerius Gratus in A D. 15. But he still held on to the powers of the office by getting his sons appointed his successors So the house of Annas and sons had held the high priesthood for nearly half cen tury They knew how to use public of- flee for private profit, and had secured to themselves and their associates the chief priests the exclusive privilege and fran- chise grant of furnishing the victims for the sacrifices in the temple and the eX- elusive right to exchange foreign money into the temple currency in which alone it was lawful to pay the temple dues.
 Through this monopoly he and his house had gotten immensely rich by eXorbltant charges for their cattle and doves, and the big discounts eXacted In their ex- All of them were multi-million- aires. which could put a modern trust clique or system to the blush. They were all great and successful business men, an easy thing to be when you have a monopoly in the business Exclusive fran chises were then what they are now viz: grants of power to exploit the public; and great fortunes were as easy to get then as now by those who used this pre- datory power for what it is worth. So- ciety has always been absurdly foolish in such grants and franchises. We have it engrafted into our social structure here in this city and county today.
 Fortunes for Franchises.
 The sheriff, probate judge and the clerks of our courts are paid for their services not with an equitable salary, but by a franchise to exploit within limits the pub lie who may have dealings with them in their official duties. Men spend fortunes to get such franchises as these, for large. fortunes are to be made out of them and 1t is easy to purchase support in the campaign with pledges to divide the spells of the office. So we are offering reward for the corruption of the electorate by this absurd and immoral franchise at taened by law to these offices. It is doubt ful whether civic virtue can stand such q strain as that We have been called on to pass through within the past few weeks; and it is to be hoped that the next legislature will relieve us of this old, ob- solete mother of graft and bribery by put ting the servants of the state on just and equitable salary.
 It was this same thing which in the middle ages corrupted the church and brought 1t into dlsrepute. If Annas and sons lived today they would find in the American republics better field than they did under the Legate of Syria in the long ago.
 Annas and sons had the exclusive con- trol of the booths and money tables of the temple, and robbed the people through their exorbitant prices and discounts. So when Jesus came into the temple on Mon da,, n,nrnJno of passinn Ueek and saw his outrage He took a whip of cords and drove out those who sold oxen and sheep and doves, and turned over the table of the money changers; and said to these clerks of Annas and sons. Take these things hence and make not my fathers house q house of merchandise. den of robbers; for 1t is written My house shall be called house of prayer for all peoples. but you have made it den of robbers ex- familiar with the methods and workings of a trust to foreknow that his end was now fixed He had lifted up His hand against the greatest monopoly of the Jewish world with unlimited resources and His doom is determined. He is an enemy of "the vested interest," and Is neither sane nor sound' Notice if you please the sin of which He was guilty in the eyes of the financial world. First the temple was for prayer and not for merchandise. Secondly 1t was for all nations and not for the private emolument of Annas and sons Thirdly their charging all the trade would bear was a species of robbery under monopoly. Immediately when the chief priests and the scribes, servants and are told that they sought how they might destroy Him. But how can 1t be done. for they feared the people.
 Prosecution of Annas and Sons.
 But Annas knows how to protect his in- terets and so bribes Judas the next even ing to betray Jesus into his hands. This was not the last time that corporate silver of predatory trusts has bribed a servant to betray the peoples friends into their hands. It is clear to my mind that the skilled hands of Annas was guiding in that plot and directing it's execution on that memorable day. Hence when Jesus is apprehended the officers of the temple trust bring Him before Annas first. and he begins to examine Him in order to pre- fer charges against Him before the lawful tribunal of Pilate. The prosecution of the case from beginning to the end Is done by Annas, Caiaphas and their associates, the chief priests. They fortunate the indict- ment they prosecute the case; they make the arrest; they witness the execution and add their scorn to the cross and the spear. Humanly speaking the death of our Lord was accomplished by Annas and sons, and