Page:Apocryphal Gospels and Other Documents Relating to the History of Christ.djvu/388

272 is a great sin. Yet by the life of Cæsar, we swear that his birth was without sin; and if we lie, command that we all be beheaded. And when they said these things, the Jews who accused him, answered Pilate, and said, And dost thou believe these twelve Jews alone, more than the whole multitude, and us, who know well that he is a magician, and a blasphemer, and calleth himself the Son of God?

Then Pilate commanded all to go out of the prætorium, except only the twelve spoken of, and when this was done, Pilate saith to them privately, As for this man, it appeareth that, for envy and madness, the Jews wish to slay him. For they accuse him of one thing, that he breaketh the sabbath. But he then doeth a good work, because he healeth the sick. This is no cause for condemning the man to death. And the twelve said to him, Yea, lord, thus it is.

, Pilate went out in anger and wrath, and he said to Annas and Caiaphas, and the multitude who brought Jesus, I hold the sun to witness that I find no fault in this man. The multitude answered, If he were not a sorcerer, and a magician, and a blasphemer, we should not have brought him to thy majesty. Pilate said, Try him yourselves; and since ye have a law, as your law saith, so do. The