this man?' said he,
addressing the priests in the most scornful tone possible. 'If he were
not a malefactor we would not have delivered him up to thee,' replied the
priests sullenly. 'Take him,' said Pilate, 'and judge you him according to
your law.' 'Thou knowest well,' replied they, 'that it is not lawful for us to
condemn any man to death.' The enemies of Jesus were furious--they wished to
have the trial finished off, and their victim executed as quickly as
possible, that they might be ready at the festival-day to sacrifice the
Paschal lamb, not knowing, miserable wretches as they were, that he
whom they had dragged before the tribunal of an idolatrous judge (into
whose house they would not enter, for fear of defiling themselves
before partaking of the figurative victim), that he, and he alone, was
the true Paschal Lamb, of which the other was only the shadow.

Pilate, however, at last ordered them to produce their accusations.
These accusations were three in number, and they brought forward ten
witnesses to attest the truth of each. Their great aim was to make
Pilate believe that Jesus was the leader of a conspiracy against the
emperor, in order that he might condemn him to death as a rebel. They
themselves were powerless in such matters, being allowed to judge none
but religious offences. Their first endeavour was to convict him of
seducing the people, exciting them to rebellion, and of being an enemy
to public peace and tranquillity. To prove these charges they brought
forward some false witnesses, and declared likewise that he violated
the Sabbath, and even profaned it by curing the sick upon that day. At
this accusation Pilate interrupted them, and said in a jeering tone, 'It
is very evident you were none of you ill yourselves--had you been so you
would not have complained of being cured on the Sabbath-day.' 'He seduces
the people, and inculcates the most disgusting doctrines. He even says,
that no person can attain eternal life unless they eat his flesh and
drink his blood.' Pilate was quite provoked at the intense hatred which
their words and countenances expressed and, turning from them with a
look of scorn, exclaimed, 'You most certainly must wish to follow his
doctrines and to attain eternal life, for you are thirsting for both
his body and blood.'

The Jews then brought forward the second accusation against Jesus,
which was that he forbad the people to pay tribute to the emperor.
These words roused the in