Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-10-07
BY REV. HUGH T. STEVENSON.

When the Jewish leaders Learned
that their plot against Paul had failed
because Lysias had sent the prisoner
to the procurator at Caesarea for his
examination they recognized that with
the failure of their lynch law efforts
that they must secure the best lawyer
to represent them at the hearing be-
fore Felix Ananias and the other
Jewish leaders knew the marked an
tipa.hy of the procurator against the
rulers of the sanhedrim. because Felix
had acted with great severity toward
the nations chiefs in consequence of
the riots between the Jews and Syrians
in Caesarea They knew that their
only chance to secure a verdict against
Paul called for the employment of Ter
,urus the noted criminal lawyer, whose
familiarity with the customs OF the
10 an law and eloquence an orator
in he use of the Latin tongue might
u-nce Felix to decide against Paul,
- cialiy II the procuratcr rec lived
e. e, torr: Of q gener' US Iteration.
TN Paul faced his third trial be-
q. "a Roman Official the character OF
TIE administrator OF the law dIsicrf
Wi.ely from tnat OF Gallo or Serglus
T-uIus whose decisions. based upon
tie Roman law. which had been care
fully built up on the principles of JUS
ticc. furnished the early church With
powerful legal protection. The excel
lent system of the Roman law. that is
sill! the foundation of Jurisprudence in
attn nations and in the form Of the
apoleonic code is the law of Louis
lama has often been perverted by the
venality of officials whose duty called
fer their impartial Interpretation Of
=" law, but who used their official
posi,ion 10 feather their own nests.
Fell intimated pretty strongly To Paul
Sat for a reasonable considerable he
Gould OBTAIN his freedom. although, in
Kit Of Tertullas' skillfulress in pre-
8 tag the prosecution charges. the
l~r.n ator tan no moral tigh. to EolI
} - Tie Ialace prison.
'1ae lawyers fattery OF Tho benefits
achieved 10y Felix's administration
vert Ia. beyond the truth. for his ad-
Bir!stratioH was noted for disorders
and troubles that grew steadily worse
Il is true he did suppress some robber
bands. vet he was correctly consid-
cred the worst of d series of insult
able procurators- Tacitus with his
tncjsive pen revealed the character OF
Felir in one sentence. The historian
savs that Felix vas at once de-
L..Cchee and 4 tyrant, who performed
Iu1ctious little less than royal with
- away from his past, for he was a
L. oman OF the Emperor Claudius.
! rtder of Palias. the favorite OF
: 'ppina. In order to establish him
. J. ia his position In Judea, he had
gar led Drusilia. the beautiful and
. illiant daughter of Herod Agrippa.
vho deserted her lawful husband.
szi=. the King of Amesa. for Felix.
Tertullus' TRADE of iuyective against
, Paul painted the apostle as an arch
Eend. His three specific charges OF
sedition. sectarianisn and sacrilege
were based upon the general PROPOSE
ton that Paul was making a public
Nuisance of himself. The political
Charge of sedition was a serious Of
Tense. II found guilty the penalty
would be capital punishment. 1t was
the most dangerous of all because IL
was the duty of every government Of
hcial to preserve peace and put down
political insurrection at any cost
The religious fharge that he was the
leader of the heretical sect of the
Nazarenes was not as serious, as II
only implied that the faith he preached
Vas that of an unrecognized religion
not having been approved by the gov
eminent. The last charge-that he had
profaned the temple-was serious
crime. and IL proven Paul would have
received the death penalty. Roman
hw had recognized the Jewish reli-
zion. and their laws, like those OF
America. would protect man in his