THE WRATH OF MAN.
"Thou hast the witnesses?"
"I have the witnesses, my lord; but there was no small difficulty in
persuading any man to serve. A score refused outright, reviling me
moreover and threatening me with death should I dare to molest the
fellow. I placated them as best I was able, saying that I but desired
to assure myself that the reports which I had heard against so excellent
a man were false. Yet do I fear that these may fetch him word so that
he will escape out of our hands."
"He shall not escape. What witnesses hast thou?"
"One Esek--a money lender--who for the sum of ten shekels of silver hath
consented to witness; and with him two of mine own underlings, who will
speak that which is put into their mouths with all diligence, both on
account of the reward which I have promised if they shall acquit
themselves well, and because of the scourging which awaits them should
they fail. One of them is Iddo Ben Obed--a young man of some promise,
who hath by my orders frequented their synagogue much of late, and can
therefore speak understandingly of the thing. To him have I promised
sure advancement if he shall please the Council this day."
"Thou art a faithful servant, Caleb, and shall thyself not fail of thy
reward," said Annas approvingly. "Now see to it that the Council
Chamber be prepared with all speed; we must accomplish the thing
quickly, lest this favorable opportunity pass by us. Hast thou the man
under espionage, that thou mayest lay hands upon him without delay?"
"He is at this moment engaged in his duties of almoner, my lord,
distributing amongst the rabble of Jerusalem that which is little better
than stolen from the Temple treasury, in that it is withholden from us
unlawfully. Afterward he hath the intent to harangue the people
according to his custom."
"He will find a different audience to-day," interrupted Annas grimly,
"and one that cannot be led away by specious words. In what synagogue
wilt thou find him?"
"To-day they purpose to assemble in Solomon's Porch, that they may
entrap the multitude. The fellow Stephen will interpret the prophets,
wickedly alleging--as do they all--that holy men, such as Moses, Isaiah,
and all the prophets, foretold as the Messiah the fruit of the accursed
tree."
"Little need to suborn witnesses when they openly profane the holy
places of the earth with such blasphemies. But go now; keep the fellow
under thine own eye till I shall send thee word, then fetch him with all
speed, together with the witnesses. Stay a moment--see that there is no
tumult made when he is arrested."
Caleb smiled as he again bowed himself before his superior. "I have
devised a cunning plan wherewith to entrap him without tumult," he
replied.
"All is going well," said Annas to himself when he was left alone. "Our
patient and apparently fruitless toil is at last about to be rewarded.
Besides Caleb, who shall in no wise lose his reward, we must not forget
that we owe much to the discretion and zeal of Malluch and Zared, who
have diligently spoken against this man and his words to the people.
The sum agreed upon was forty pieces of silver for each of them--a
goodly sum for such as they, yet if to-day's descending sun finds the
man dead I will command that it be made fifty. But here is our Pharisee
from Tarsus; I must deal wisely with him. I would that he were a
Sadducee, the doctrine of the resurrection is a mischievous one, and one
moreover which these blasphemous Nazarenes preach without ceasing.
Greetings to thee, my son. This will prove a glorious day with us, if
it shall witness a signal victory over unrighteousness."
The newcomer received this friendly greeting with chilling hauteur.
"God knoweth that I long to see the workers of iniquity put to
confusion," he said, throwing himself into a chair and fixing his stern
eyes upon his companion. "But lying and deceit are hateful to my soul.
Neither shall anything prosper that is accomplished thereby."
The face of Annas hardened. "Thou speakest in riddles, friend," he said
coldly. "Whom dost thou accuse of lying and deceit?"
"It hath come to my ears that certain ones have been hired to speak evil
of the man Stephen; that these have stirred up the people against him so
that they are ready to lay hands upon him. It is true that the man hath
spoken freely and openly in every synagogue, alleging that the carpenter
of Galilee was the Christ foretold by the Prophets, and that he hath
risen from the dead and is become the first-fruits of them that sleep."
"And hath he convinced the learned Saul of the truth of these things?"
said Annas with a sarcastic smile. "Nay, that were a victory indeed."
Saul laughed aloud, a harsh, unmirthful sound. "I am of all men least
likely to become a victim of this monstrous delusion. The man should
not be suffered to speak further, for he hath the cunning tongue of a
great orator, and convinces the people mightily. Neither I, nor any who
have disputed with him have been able to undo the mischief that he hath
wrought. But I like not that we suborn liars to serve our cause."
"We forbade these men to speak the name of the Nazarene some three years
ago, letting them go with but a scourging, according to the counsel of
the most sapient Gamaliel, whose pupil thou art. But how did they obey
the commands of the most holy Council, and how hath the advice of
Gamaliel profited our cause? Since that day they have not ceased to
bruit the hateful name of Jesus of Nazareth about Jerusalem, till the
very beggars of our streets pray to him openly. If we have employed
discreet men to assist us in rooting out this menacing evil, what is it
but the part of wisdom? Do not the Nazarenes also feed and clothe the
men who are daily spreading this poison to the confusion of Israel?
This man Stephen, being a Greek, not only doth not himself observe the
law, but he is forever bringing to the mind of the people the words and
practices of the Nazarene, who would be well forgotten by this were it
not for such pestilent fellows. He diligently reminds the multitude how
that the man worked miracles on the Sabbath day, declaring that God
would have mercy and not sacrifice, and how he openly prophesied the
destruction of the Holy Temple. The carpenter from Galilee, he
blasphemously alleges, was God made manifest in the flesh; therefore his
acts and words are greater than the law of Moses, and rather to be
observed than any priestly commands. For such as this fellow there is
but one remedy, as it is written also, 'The mouth of them that speak
lies shall be stopped.'"
Saul was silent for a moment. Before his mental vision there arose the
face of Stephen, as he had seen him many times during the furious
controversies which had of late taken place in the synagogues, glowing
with high courage, hope and confidence, and illumined withal by a
mysterious light at which he had more than once inwardly marveled. Then
his face hardened. "It is just that this apostate be put to death," he
said. "This is no time for half-way measures; but let it be done
according to the law and without fear of the people."
"Thou hast said!" cried Annas. "This will we do, for the time is ripe.
Listen, this very day he shall be brought before the Council; witnesses
are at hand that every word may be established according to the law. As
it is written, 'in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word shall
be established.'"
"Who are the witnesses?"
"Reputable men--most reputable men. One Esek, a Jew, who dwells near to
their synagogue, and----"
"Do these testify freely?--without money, I mean?" again interrupted
Saul with an irritable gesture.
"It is the custom, my son, to compensate witnesses for the loss of time
entailed upon them in the pursuance of their duty," began Annas
smoothly.
But Saul broke in rudely. "I will have none of it," he cried, springing
to his feet and striding stormily up and down the room. "Hired
agitators amongst the people; hired witnesses against a man who,
whatever his accursed beliefs, is at least incapable of such meanness."
Annas also arose, and with an air of awful dignity fixed his piercing
eyes upon the flushed face of the young man. "Thou dost assuredly
forget," he said slowly, "the respect due him in whose presence thou art
standing. As the head of the high-priestly family, which for many
generations has acceptably served Jehovah in that most holy office, I am
not lightly to be accused to my face of that which my soul abhorreth, as
also it is written: 'I hate and abhor lying, but thy law do I love.'
Twice hast thou cast this thing in my teeth, and in so doing thou hast
proven thyself unworthy of the high confidence which I have given thee;
unworthy of the love which I have freely bestowed upon thee;
unworthy----"
"Stay, I beseech thee!" cried Saul, raising his hand. He had grown
deathly pale, and trembled visibly. "It is true, I have forgotten
myself. I am well nigh mad because of the failure of all that I had
confidently hoped for. Day after day have I gone forth to do battle for
Israel, and day after day have I been worsted. I am of all men most
unworthy, in that I have failed--miserably failed. I will return to
Tarsus, and thou shalt see my face no more."
"Nay, my son," said Annas softly, "because thou hast acknowledged thy
fault, it is forgiven. And dost think that I have not watched thee in
this thy struggle against iniquity; that my heart has not bled for thee?
Possess now thy soul in patience, trust in the Lord--and in me--and it
shall assuredly come to pass. Thou shalt see the confusion of thine
enemies; for the honor of Israel shall this day be vindicated right
gloriously. As for the thing that thou hast spoken of, it shall be even
as thou hast said. There is no lack of them that can witness against
this man. Ay! and that will witness right gladly for the glory of
Jehovah. Surely there is no need for us to say, 'Who will come up to the
help of the Lord?--to the help of the Lord against the mighty?' Israel
shall arise in her might, and shall gird herself against them that would
do her violence, that would plague her with idolatrous and blasphemous
practices. Too long have we held our peace in the presence of this
devouring evil; the very stones of the Temple will cry out if we longer
submit to them that profane its sanctity."
"As in the case of the Nazarene, it will be possible to do nothing of
ourselves," said Saul bitterly. "And the Romans--they care for none of
these things."
"Ah--there we have gained a signal victory over our enemies," said Annas
triumphantly. "Herod is with us this time, though not openly. I have
taken good care that reports should reach his ear from time to time how
that these fellows continually proclaim the return of the crucified one
to reign over Israel. He loves his paltry throne, and actually fears
that the thing may come to pass. Not many days since he sent for me. He
was lying at full length among his purple cushions.
"'Hast thou heard what these Galileans are saying,' he said, scarcely
tarrying for the accustomed greetings.
"'They are saying many things that are unlawful,' I answered him, 'but
nothing more dangerous to the peace and prosperity of the nation than
that the dead malefactor--whom they claim is alive--will shortly return
to rule over Israel.'
"'Dost thou believe that the man is alive?' he asked, fixing his eyes
upon me.
"'If he be not alive,' I said, 'the sedition is none the less to be
feared, for these fellows are capable of forcing the people to believe
what they will. Wilt thou not then take measures against them who alone
art in power?'
"'I cannot,' he whined fretfully, 'I fear the people--I fear the
man--the--the dead man. I am not well. Hast thou not a law which will
stop their prating?'
"'We have a law--yes,' I made him answer; 'but we cannot enforce it,
since----'
"'The law--the law,' he interrupted.
"'The law is this--He that blasphemeth the name of the Lord shall surely
be put to death, and all the congregation shall certainly stone him. The
stranger, as well as he that is born in the land, when he blasphemeth
the name of the Lord shall be put to death.'
"'Carry out your law upon these men,' he cried, throwing himself back
upon the cushions.
"'Not so,' I answered, 'lest we fall upon evil times afterward. We be
law-abiding in all points--civil as well as religious--and it is not
lawful for us to put any man to death.'
"'There shall no harm come to thee,' he cried, 'I swear it. There is
now no governor in Jerusalem. I am a Roman. I am the law.'
"'Give me a warrant sealed with thy seal,' I said. And he gave it
straightway."
"Hast thou this writing with thee?" said Saul.
Annas drew a parchment from his bosom and gave it into the outstretched
hand of the young man without a word.
"Inasmuch," he read aloud, "as the peace of Jerusalem and all Judaea is
endangered by malicious persons, who proclaim that a crucified
malefactor, to wit, one Jesus of Nazareth, is alive, and will shortly
overturn the present government that he may himself rule; and as these
persons moreover blasphemously affirm that said malefactor is the
Jehovah-sent Messiah, I, Herod, do empower the Senate of the people of
Israel, called also the Sanhedrim, to deal with such seditious persons
according to their judgment and after their laws, which do fully provide
for the scourging, imprisonment, and putting to death of all persons
whether Hebrew or alien, who believe, affirm, and declare mischievous
doctrines of the like. Signed and sealed, to the glory of Jehovah and
the peace of the nation, this fifth day of Nisan, in the Asmonean
Palace."
"God hath given them into our hand, my son," said Annas solemnly. "We
must deal with them even as Elijah dealt with the prophets of Baal, and
'let not one of them escape.'"