The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1914-11-17
\ JUDGE FOUND GUILTY
The International Sunday School
Lesson for November 22d Is
Jesus and Pilatc"-Mau, 27:11.
81: Luke 23:1-25.
William T. Ellis.

81: Luke 23:1-25.
william r. Ellis.
There sits old. the crooked Judge
and politician. Let US stone him. He
deserves no mercy. For he is a
~petty-souled tyrant, an obstinate
martinez. a shifty. sordid, craven
creature. At him now, and let the
stones fly. lie failed the noble Ro-
man name and law in a crisis. He
played false to the human race. He
sacrificed the greatest Man because
Of his own smallness. Gather more
stones and bigger: for this is the
most Infamous poltroon Of history.
Bury him beneath the missiles Of JUS
ticc; for PLATE, with Judas, has earn
ed an immortality of shame.
Stay: what is this word that holds
back our hands? Let him that is
without sin among you cast the first
stone What, Master, would you
have us turn to examining ourselves
when we have so clear and easy a
mark of olloquy before us? May we
not have the joy of denouncing this
false Judge whom the centuries have
found guilty?
We confess ourselves lesser Pilates.
for we, too, have been supine when
truth needed testifiers: we have been
craven when we should have beer
courageous: we have been polite
when we should have been outright:
We rave put self-interest above holy
truth, we have squirmed and shirked
and evaded when loyalty to our own
manhood and our trust called for
downright, unequivocating and fear
less steadfastnesS In tontrition we ad-
NIT our kinship to Plate, the Judge
who failed to play the man.
Public Office and Private Character.
Fear Tor votes unmans many a
politician. Solicitude for place takes
the place Of fidelity to trust. That Is
the difference between the petty poll
ucian-scheming, whispering, trading
and the great statesman, willing to
sacrifice all for an ideal. / know a
man. recently a candidate for high
Office, who received many letters from
ministers Of the Gospel (to their
shame be the story told), asking him
To contribute to various church en-
terprlSes, II promising to influence
votes for him if he did so. All this
was Immediately before election, and
my friend, had he been a mere poll
ucian, would either have made the
gifts or sent some co~nciliatory, wa
klFt reply. Because he is first of al
a fearless Christian man, my friend
~htralShtWay wrote to every cor
respondent a clear-cut rebuke, point
ing out that the proposal was a vio-
Iuoh OF the corrupt practices act,
ierhaps he lost some votes thereby
Out ne retained his manhood.
u instance occurs to me In on
uast with the conduct of PLATE, who
was essentially a politician, caring
more Tor his place than for his honor
IL IL had been convenient and polite,
ne Would have freed Jesus, in ac-
'ordance with the failure of the Jews
10 make out a legal case against the
prisoner. But he was ruled by the
Hoo-spirit: he always chose the ma
Jorlty side. lie wanted to be popular
win the Jews-though all the while
ne was offending them-and most OF
az ne craved the favor of Caesar
A"' l1late, you may ostentatiously
WASH your hands Of responsibility fol-
.'uI own treason to your trust and
EuuI but the stain still re-
mains, red and glaring for all the
world to see. Your character was not
up TO the level of your office. Time
"'N JudSed you as a judge, and found
You blackly guilty.
fi'e Strong Man Stands Forth.
~ has not been uncommon
,~ntoushout history. for the real cul,
p.H 10 be sitting on the bench, while
nv Judge is in the prisoners dock
WNh all Pilates it remains rue tina,
HI JUDGMENT they render judge the
yuuse. Really. Plate was on trial be-
aoIe Jesus; even as all of us who
LIEU 10 sit in inevitable Judgment
Gp9h tne Christ, find ourselves beng
''4sed by our verdict.
IN SHINING contrast to the Shifty
Endorous Roman potentate, a weak
rs III character, stands the strong
aehe, n silent Saviour. What a
sill Ia was there. Daring to treat with
Iata"t contempt both Herod and Pi-
I" o" on their thrones. Anybody who
tSb 2Ns with discriminating eye upor
iE n" scene in the Roman praetorium
jerusalem must say of Jesus
PIE was a man. In a sense that
FL ana not intend. he may repeat
Ii" an unconventional but ragged
pjct VI verse Ezra Pound has drawn a
Terraer OF the Master as The Goodly
ra5e 1ere' meaning mate. or com
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