Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1919-09-29

4
was the theme upon which Rev.
William Sunday last evening spoke
at the tabernacle, taking his text
from Matthew 27:22, in which he
emphasized the fact that the great
men of history have been believers
in the Jesus Christ and have been
ashamed to own Him. He said in
part:
Tonight in the 27th chapter of
Matthew and the 22nd verse:
What shall do with Jesus, which
is called Christi"
Nineteen hundred years ago a
star poised above a lowly Manager
in Bethlehem, and above the moon
lit hills of Judea the angels her
aided the beginning of the life OF
Jesus Christ upon this earth, who
came to teach us the religion OF
human kindness, brotherly love
and repentance through His shed
blood.
No matter what he said or did,
the Jews refused TO acknowledge
His Gains as the Messiah, and
their enmity finally eliminated in
the greatest tragedy that the bru-
tality of man ever committed or
the eye of God ever witnessed-ths
murder of Jesus Christ under false
testimony. Jealous of His popu-
larity, and rejecting his divinity.
they resolved at all hazards to kill
Him.
Not having the power of life and
of death in their own hands or tri-
bunals, they denounced Him be-
fore PLATE. the Roman governor
To stir up his enmity, they said
that He was an imposter. that He
had stirred up sedition and that He
was an enemy of the government.
PLATE knew that these Jews had
no use for Jesus. and PLATE knew
that if they heard that he had
thrown his influence on the side o..
Jesus, that would only increase
their enmity and their hatred and
they would bring stronger infiu-
ence to bear And PLATE figured
out: These Jews up at Jerusalem
have no use for Jesus. They say
He is a fraud. If they hear that /
say He is not a fraud. they will
have no use for me: but if they
hear that l have denounced Him,
l will win their friendship; they
will withdraw their opposition and
l will hold my job"
And Plate was willing to let
that gang nail Jesus Christ on the
cross to keep their friendship and
hold his job; he was perfectly
willing to do it. And there are
people who are willing to do the
same thing today, all over this
land, for a trifiing reason. And
PLATE. my friends, asked himself:
What would the Jews say about
it?"
PLATE should not have yielded to
their ciamor. He should have been
willing to sacrifice his Office and
his life TO avoid convicting Jesus
Christ. an innocent person. It was
that Jewish hierarchy that threat
eIed old PLATE as an Office holder
PLATE was a stand-pat, free
lunch, pie-counter, pliable, plastic,
lick-spittle, rat-hole. tin-horn, wea-
sel-eyed, ward-heeling. grating.
whisky-soaked politician of his
day, pure and simple. Old plate
was a direct product of the politi-
cal system of Rome. PLATE was a
typical machine politician, and
there is no lower-down scoundreT
on earth than a mere typical ma
chine politician.
1t wasn't the common people
mon people heard Him gladly.
The common people shouted, "Ho-
sanna!" The common people
pressed upon Him to hear the word
of God The common people pluck
ed branches from trees and they
tore the flowers and paved His way
with mementoes OF esteem. The
common people tore off their gar
ments and threw them at His feet
for paving stones as He went down
the streets of Jerusalem. The COM
mon people? No! 1t was the tenn
pie thieves and the high priests,
the elders, the scribes, the Pharl-
sees, the hierarchy who possessed
the delegated power, and they used
that power in defiance of the COM
mon people They made a mistake
when they gave the dirty pups the
power
DenOunces Unitarianism.
Away with your damnable Uni
tartan theory that makes Jesus a
BASTARD My mother taught me
that the good book didn't lie, and il
Jesus Christ wasn't the Son of God, /
It does lie. My mother taught me |
that a good man didn't lie, and il !
Jesus Christ wasn't the Son of God, |
He was a liar and all the teachings |
Of the bible are false.
Just imagine what hard time |
hose priests would have had If |
here had been a syndicate of |
that played up on the |
'front.' page a three-column display |
headline about the villainy of that |
little crowd of religious bigots and |
crooked politicians who we're in
ent on numbering Jesus Christ, |
Who stood for the common people !
Is no man in history had stood, or
10 man in history has stood, or no |
nan in history ever will stand.
PLATE didn't have the courage OF /
lis convictions. He was convinc-
"a that Jesus was right. Oh. If
plate had barred his back and
;aid: This man is on the level;
,ou can take me and cruelty me.
nut you can't touch one hair of His
read" he would have taken his
.tand with Joseph OF Arimathes
md other famous men. We would
lave been glad to have named our
after him, while tonight
ne speak his name with ignomy
md repulsion. He had mis- chance.
lie was a miserable, white-livered
coward.