herefore he that
hath delivered me to thee hath the greater sin.'

The undecided, weak conduct of Pilate filled Claudia Procles with
anxiety; she again sent him the pledge, to remind him of his promise,
but he only returned a vague, superstitious answer, importing that he
should leave the decision of the case to the gods. The enemies of
Jesus, the High Priests and the Pharisees, having heard of the efforts
which were being made by Claudia to save him, caused a report to be
spread among the people, that the partisans of our Lord had seduced
her, that he would be released, and then join the Romans and bring
about the destruction of Jerusalem, and the extermination of the Jews.

Pilate was in such a state of indecision and uncertainty as to be
perfectly beside himself; he did not know what step to take next, and
again addressed himself to the enemies of Jesus, declaring that 'he found
no crime in him,' but they demanded his death still more clamorously. He
then remembered the contradictory accusations which had been brought
against Jesus, the mysterious dreams of his wife, and the unaccountable
impression which the words of Jesus had made on himself, and therefore
determined to question him again in order thus to obtain some
information which might enlighten him as to the course he ought to
pursue; he therefore returned to the Praetorium, went alone into a
room, and sent for our Saviour. He glanced at the mangled and bleeding
Form before him, and exclaimed inwardly: 'Is it possible that he can be
God?' Then he turned to Jesus, and adjured him to tell him if he was God,
if he was that king who had been promised to the Jews, where his
kingdom was, and to what class of gods he belonged. I can only give the
sense of the words of Jesus, but they were solemn and severe. He told
him 'that his kingdom was not of this world,' and likewise spoke strongly
of the many hidden crimes with which the conscience of Pilate was
defiled; warned him of the dreadful fate which would be his if he did
not repent; and finally declared that he himself, the Son of Man, would
come at the last day, to pronounce a just judgment upon him.

Pilate was half frightened and half angry at the words of Jesus; he
returned to the balcony, and again declared that he would release
Jesus; but they cried out: 'If thou release this man, thou art not Caesar's
friend. For whosoever maketh himself a king speaketh against Caesar.'
Others said that they would accuse hi