THE Christian Citizen says that “But for that government [‘the Roman government’] Jesus himself could not have lived and taught till his work was finished.”
Does not the Christian Citizen know that every child knows that “But for the Roman government Jesus himself” could not have been put to death when he was? and that “But for the Roman government” he could not have been put to death at all as he was—by crucifixion?
Does not everybody, unless it be the Christian Citizen know that the Jews said and truly, “It is not lawful for us to put any man to death”? and that they had to repudiate God, and claim “no king but Cesar;” and under profession of loyalty to Cesar, charge Pilate with disloyalty to Cesar, and threaten him with the consequences of such disloyalty, in order to swing the Roman government so that Jesus should be killed?
And by these same tokens does not everybody, unless it be the Christian Citizen, know that “But for that government” Jesus could have lived and taught until this hour?
We do not suggest in any of this that government is useless in the world. Government is all right in its place. But when it is in the hands of religionists, or when its power can be swung by political religionists, it is the worst thing in the world; because then it is used for the destruction of the best people in the world, as was done in the case of the Lord Jesus. And it is the same record from Nimrod until now.
A. T. J.