CHRISTS Arraignment before Pilate.
The chiest Priests and Elders bring Jesus to Pilate, but would not go into his House [the House of a Heathen] lest they should be defiled, but that they might eat the Passover. John 18. 28. Why? They had eaten the Passover over night, at the same time that Jesus ate his [and well they had spent the night after it.] But this day that was now come in, was 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 their day of presenting themselves in the Temple, and offering their Sacri∣fices and peace offerings, of which they were to keep a solemn feasting, and this John calls the Passover: In which sense Passover Bullocks are spoken of, Deut. 16. 2. 2 Chron. 30. 24. and 35. 8, 9. The School of Shammai saith, their appearing was with two pieces of silver, and their chagigah with a Meah of silver. But the School of Hillel saith, their appearing was with a Meah of silver, and their chagigah with two pieces of silver. Their burnt offer∣ings at this solemnity were taken from among common cattel, but their peace offerings from their tithes. He that keepeth not the chagigah on the first day of the feast, must keep it all the feast, &c. Chagigah per. 1.
Pilate conceives him brought to him as a common malefactor, and therefore he bids them take him back and Judge him by their own Bench and Law: and in these words he meant really and according as the truth was, that it was in their power to judge and exe∣cute him, and needed not to trouble him with him. And when they answer, We may not put any man to death, Joh. 18. 31. They speak truly also, and as the thing was indeed, but the words of Pilate and theirs were not ad idem: 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 It is a tradition that fourty years before the Temple was destroyed capi∣tal Judgments were taken away from them. Jerus. in Sanhedr. fol. 18. col. 1. But how? Not by the Romans, for they permitted them the use of their Religion, Laws, Magistracy, ca∣pital and penal executions and judgments in almost all cases, as freely as ever they had: and that both in their Sanhedrins within the Land, and in their Synagogues without, as far as the power of the Synagogues could reach at any time: as might be proved abundantly, if it were to be insisted on here.
The words then of these men to Pilate are true indeed, That they could put no man to death, but this was not, as if the Romans had deprived the Sanhedrin of its power, but because theeves, murderers and malefactors of their own Nation were grown so nume∣rous, strong and heady, that they had overpowred the Sanhedrins power, that it could not, it durst not execute capital penalties upon offenders as it should have done. And this their own Writings witness. Juchasin fol. 21. The Sanhedrin flitted fourty years before the destructi∣on of the Temple, namely from that time that the Temple doors opened of their own accord, and Rabban, Jochanan ben Zaccai rebuked them and said, O Temple, Temple, Zechary of old pr••∣phecied of thee saying, Open thy doors O Lebanon that the fire may enter, &c. And also becaus•• that murderers increased, and they were unwilling to judge Capital matters, they flitted from place to place, even to Jabneh, &c. which also is asserted in Schabb. fol. 51. Avodah Zarah fol. 8.
When they perceive that Pilate no more received the impression of their accusation of him as a malefactor like others, they then accuse him of Treason, as forbidding to pay Tribute to Cesar, and as saying that he himself was a King: and this they thought would do the business. Pilate hereupon takes him into his Judgment Hall [for hitherto