remote and mysterious silence. More and more impressed with superstitious terror, Pilate demands the reason of this silence, reminding him of his own absolute authority over life and death. Christ does not condescend to explain, but loftily takes the position of one whose divine. nature soars superior to mere human authority, (xix. 11). "From thenceforth," we are told, "Pilate sought to release him;" — he is now fully convinced that his prisoner is a semi-divine being, and, according to "Matthew," — the governor's wife, coming into the hall at this juncture, adds her influence, a warning corroborated by the fantastic horrors of a "dream," in Christ's behalf.

"John" does not give the detail, on which the synoptics are agreed, of its being customary to release one Jewish prisoner at the Passover,—of Pilate's offering to liberate Christ as this one, and the Jews demanding, instead, the freedom of Barabbas. But he narrates several more successive efforts of the weak governor to protect the life of Yaishooa. Pilate "brings Jesus forth," from the judgment hall into the open streets, into a place “called the Pavement," intending to appeal from the priests to the common people, with whom, he knew, Christ had been the idol of an hour. He shows him to the multitude, and cries, "Behold your king." He finds however that the popularity of the prisoner has utterly died out. Priestly influence has resumed the ascendant, and the populace, too, shout, "Crucify him." He makes a last appeal, "Shall I crucify your king," and is silenced and overwhelmed by the formidable retort, "We have no king but Cæsar," (15);"If thou let this man go, thou art not Cæsar's friend." This amounted to a direct threat of the denunciation of Pilate to the Emperor as abetting rebellion and a native king.

This unanswerable argument prevails, and Pilate at length "delivers" Christ "unto them to be crucified." As the Jew authorities had no power to execute, a detachment of Roman soldiers is placed at their disposal. But

Pilate is still determined to avail himself of every chance in Christ's favor. The mob at "the Pavement" had appeared to be under the influence of the priests. Still there must be, (he argues,) a strong party of partisans of the Jew "king" somewhere, doubtless in Galilee, whence he comes, — and many Galilæans must now be present in the city. To attract the attention of these borderers, who spoke Greek and Latin at least as commonly as Aramaic-Hebrew, he writes a placard in the three languages and causes it to be posted on the cross intended for Christ, announcing him as "the king of the Jews," "Jesus of Nazareth." This was evidently done in hope of a rescue by his Galilæan neighbors.

Although Christ had now, apparently, passed beyond the power of the governor to aid him, the soldiers who were to execute him were under Pilate's orders; - and though the latter, after the threats that had been made, dared not openly, even to these soldiers, express the desire that Christ might escape with life from the terrible ordeal, it was still possible to do something, if aided by fortune, for this object, through their officer the centurion. Whether Pilate really wrought still, though secretly, for Christ's safety, through the officer of the executing party, must be decided by a comparison of all the circumstances. That the centurion was of Pilate's opinion, that the sufferer was in fact a demigod, may be gathered from "Mark" xv. 39, etc., where this officer says, "Truly this man was the son of God," i.e., in the classical sense, a hero or demigod, like the many sons of gods of whom Greek and Roman legends tell.

The accounts of the crucifixion, in the several Gospels, though different, cannot fairly be regarded as contradictory. Passing over unimportant circumstances such as the division of the garments, etc., we find from several of the narratives that, as was usual in crucifixions, sour wine, (Mark xv. 23,) in which a powerful bitter tonic, myrrh, (gall in one account,) had been infused, was administered

to keep up the sufferer's strength.' This was by no means done in mercy, but in order that the suffering of this barbarous punishment might be prolonged as much as possible. We learn from classic authorities that the crucified generally lingered during two to three days.

Another point worthy of notice is, that Christ, though by his previous habits of life he might be expected to be of strong and healthful body, was assisted in the work of carrying his cross, an unusual favor, ("Mark" xv. 21, "Luke" xxiii. 26, "Matthew" xxvii. 32). Thus he would arrive at the place of execution less fatigued than was usually the case with the condemned. Notwithstanding these favorable circumstances for the protraction of life, he appears to die unusually soon, and long before those who were crucified at his side.

At the moment of apparent death, he utters a despairing exclamation, or more than one, in so loud and strong a voice, that the centurion is astonished, and immediately thereafter, suddenly and without perceptible loss of strength, Christ appears to "give up the ghost." Though contrary to the custom of leaving the crucified several days upon the cross, the disciple "Joseph of Arimathea" goes in "boldly" that very evening to Pilate, and "craves the body of Jesus," ("Mark" xv. 43). Pilate, we are told, “marvelled if he were already dead," and directly calls the centurion into consultation; the result of the conference being that the body is ordered to be given. to "Joseph," (45). An additional torture, used in this kind of execution, the breaking of the legs of the crucified, is not put in practice in Christ's case; this torture probably hastened death, and its omission now, is justified on the plea that Christ was already dead, (“John" xix. 33). One of the soldiers however, pricks his side to ascertain if vitality still remains; a watery cyst, tumor, or abdominal dropsy, is, apparently touched and relieved by this slight wound, for "blood and water" issue. This is said

This was not the stupefying draught sometimes given in charity.

to have been witnessed by the apostle inspiring this Gospel, (35,) and though a hint is given of its being miraculous, it would seem to have been a natural occurrence and a healthful relief of a morbid watery accumulation. All these circumstances were favorable to Christ's recovery, (if not really dead,) when removed from the cross; and his being placed at once in the quiet, cool, dry and ventilated "new sepulchre" in the garden; - above ground as all these sepulchres were, hewn out of the living rock of a cliff-side, and closed only with a huge round stone at the door, was still more favorable.

Added to these hygienic conditions, were those of his body being carefully covered, and surrounded by the invigorating odors of various balsams, ("John" xix. 40). If he were in a deathlike swoon, these would surely revive him. Indeed it is difficult to understand how, under all the circumstances, the slight wounds which Christ had received, in hands, feet and side, and his short exposure, for only six hours, on the cross, (Mark xv. 25, 34,) — could possibly have caused his death.' To these reasons for believing that he, in fact, did not die upon the cross, we must add Pilate's urgent and intense interest in the pres ervation of his life, and his apparent collusion with "Joseph."

The worthy and garrulous Father, Irenæus, certainly seems to indicate in one place, — (strongly as the statement militates against the early adopted Christian theories,) that Christ did not die upon the cross, but survived to be fifty years old. The expressions in Grabe's edition. of Irenæus, lib. ii. cap. 22, are to the effect, that Christ lived through infancy, youth, and manhood, to "sanctify" those ages to his followers, and in order that he might also "sanctify" old-age, (ætatem seniorem,) he lived to the period when manhood declines to elder age, (declinat jam in ætatem seniorem). For this holy purpose, Christ

Such wounds, naturally, would only kill through slow exhaustion or gangrene, in the course, at least, of several days. This was the usual result in crucifixion.

lived and taught, (docebat,) he says, until the fiftieth year, (quinquagesimo anno,) of his age, and then "came to death," (ad mortem pervenit,) "that he might be the first born from the dead," (ut sit primogenitus ex mortuis). (See also original Greek text in Appendix.) To this fact, he says, (in the latter,) "all the elders who assembled in Asia together with John the disciple," (uanry) "of the Lord, bear witness, that John taught these things, for he remained," (apeμeive,) "among them till the times of Trajan." Though Irenæus makes many strange assertions, this one seems to be supported by the evidence of the facts of the case, taking these facts entirely apart from the vehement assertions of early Christian enthusiasts and lovers of the miraculous.

I

When Christ appears again to his disciples after his supposed death, the accounts are such, as, — in any case but one in which an infallible Church had made it a dogmatic article of faith that resurrection from the dead had taken place, - would lead to the conclusion that he had not died at all. Thus, (on the one hand,) he distinctly denies being a spirit; "a spirit hath not flesh and bones as ye see me have," ("Luke" xxiv. 39,) and proves that he possesses his physical, corporeal nature unchanged, by eating with an excellent appetite, (43);-thus making it impossible to suppose him now identified with God, Whom he declares,

It is true that Irenæus does not state that Christ continued to live on earth af ter the resuscitation or so-called "resurrection," — (though the close of "John's" Gospel can only be understood as implying that he did so,) — and that the worthy Father also says that, in his opinion, Christ was over forty when the Jews said to him "Thou art not yet fifty years old." But the essential point is, that Irenæus' statement proves that there was a well-established tradition, held by the whole Asiatic church, (in opposition to the Roman one of Christ's death at the age of from 31 to 33 years,) that the great Teacher lived on to his fiftieth year. For this he gives the authority of "all the elders,”. - παντες οι πρεσβύτεροι, of that church, as well as that of "John," and "other Apostles," meeting with that church. It was an important dogma of this important Christian community. Now, there are only two ways of reconciling this statement of Christ's age at death with the known dates of Pilate's procurator. ship and Herod's tetrarchy,- the Christian era must either be set back nearly 20 years, - a proposition to which few historians would agree, - or it must be assumed that Christ survived, for a considerable period, the crucifixion; as also the close of the Ephesian Gospel implies