The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1906-02-16
MANKATO FKEE PKESS

peloie ne couiu De put TO. uealH lie
trial was not to be had in the night nor
on Sunday, or feast day, nor the day
before feast day, nor until an hour had
been devoted to sacrifice in the morning.
time to face the accused and testify.
If the penalty was DEATH the trial
could not be completed in one day. If
it was, then the trial must be had over
again the next day. There were no
lawyers, the judges doing the work now
done by the lawyers. Little attention
was paid to confession, and man
did not have to testify against himself
The Sanhedron consisted of seventy-one
men. The youngest voted first, so as
not to be swayed by the votes of the
older men. The court did not have to
he unanimous, as the present jury has to
be. If it was unanimous. no conviction
could be secured, for it was considered
by the law that it would be impossible
for seventy one men to agree upon any
thing, and if they did it was considered
evidence that they had been bought.
When a man was condemned to death,
the court sat until notified that the
prisoner had been executed.
The Bible gives the only reliable ac-
count of the crucifxion Of Christ.
number of errors or violations of the
Jewish law were committed, estimated
by some writers at twenty seven, and
by another as nineteen.
In the first place Jesus was tried at
night He was arrested at midnight and
His ecclesiastical trial began at three
o'clock, and without the hour from day
light to sunrise being devoted to prayer
Secondly, the court had no jurisdic-
ton, until after the morning religious
service, and could pass no valid Judg-
ment.
ing before the feast day of the Passover
Fourth, the accused man was in
terrogated by the high priest, who was
also acting as judge who had conspir-
ed in his absence. The court had met
three times in secret consultation in SIX
hours, to see how they could put Chris
to death. They had prejudiced Him be
fore His trial.
The high priest voted first, when the
Youngest should have done so. All were
asked at once for their votes, when they
should have been asked one at time
according to the law. The verdict was
unanimous, which was unlawful.
The verdict against Jesus was con-
trary to the law and the evidence. The
charges were false. The trial was con-
Quoted on the charge of blasphemy, that
Christ had cursed the name of jehovah
On the contrary every word and prayer
that he had uttered had abounded in
reverence and love for Jehovah.
Then the civil trial was had, and after
| that Christ was placed in charge OF the
Roman guards, who tainted and tor
mented Him, when He was entitled to
| the protection of the sheriff until the
time arrived for the execution. The
blacklist negro rapist is entitled to this,
and it is a burning shame upon ma
ton that permits mob violence. Jesus
| was subjected to mob violence through
out.
Why did not the Jews put Jesus to
death? Why call in the Romans? 1t
Roman empire. 1t could try and pun
ish for petty offenses, but could put no
one to death, for life and death were
the prerogative of the sovereignty of
Rome.
Pontius PLATE was one of the most
| highly educated men of the times and
was not bad man in the worst sense.
although sensual, and lover of ease.
He wanted to release Jesus, but had
not the nerve to do so. The Jews did
not tell Plate The charge that they had
| convicted Him upon, but said that lie
had tried to pervert the nation, had add
vised against paying tribute, and had
set Himself up as king. He had not done
these things, nor been tried on these
charges. Plate dismissed the first two
charges as being unworthy Of considera-
ton, but questioned Jesus as to whether
He claimed to be king, for that would
mean treason to the Roman emperor.
Christ said that His kingdom was not
of earth. and PLATE reasoned that if He
claimed to have q kingdom anywhere He
must regard Himself as the king. Still
Plate regarded Jesus as harmless
fanatic. an amiable enthusiast, and
found Him not guilty, but instead OF
releasing Him as He should have done
he remanded Him back to Herod, who
tried Him and found Him not guilty.
The mob told Plate that if he released
Christ he was not friend of the en-
peror. PLATE then acceded to the de-
mands of the mob, but washed his
hands of it.
The penalty for blasphemy was death
by stoning. CrucifiXion was form OF
death never pronounced by a jewish
court; that was a form of punishment
resorted to by the Carthegenians and
Romans.
Many remarkable trials have charac-
terized the judicial history of the world,
but even the trial of Socrates is tame
and commonplace before that of Christ
Two questions present themselves
to us all: IF man die. shall he live