BOOK REVIEWS

INTERNATIONAL LAW-Singer's work on the above subject published by T. H. Flood & Co., 214 West Madison Street, Chicago, is a fine illustration of how much law can be comprised in a small volume. The price is only $2.50 delivered.

While the book was especially prepared for our Army, Naval and Aviation forces, yet it is a complete compendium for any question that may be raised affecting this important branch of the law. It is difficult to define International Law in this era of the world's crisis. It has been battered into almost a wreck, leaving hardly a basis to rebuild on. Bernard Singer, the author, contributed his share to the world's enlightenment. The Law of Nations unlike foreign municipal laws does not have to be proved as a fact is settled by the Supreme Court of the United States. This raises the delicate question-What is the Law of Nations of today?

INHERITANCE TAXATION.—A New Second Edition 1919 of Gleason and Otis On Inheritance Taxation is announced in press by Matthew Bender and Co., Inc.

It covers the problems arising from graded rates, non-resident estates and conflicting jurisdictions; with the statutes of the different states and the Federal Act, with forms.

One large volume, 1205 pages, buckram, price $10.00.

THE AMERICAN BAR-CONTEMPORARY LAWYERS OF THE UNITED STATES AND CANADA. Prepared and edited by James Clark Fifield, Minneapolis, The James C. Fifield Co. 1918. pp. vi, 746.

This book purports to be a biographical directory of lawyers of the highest standing in all the important cities and towns of the United States and in the larger cities of Canada. Its purpose is to provide a reference list of general and practical value to lawyers and business men who require out of town counsel. It promises annual publication. Of legal directories,, large and small, there have been many. Usually no attempt has been made to select only those members of the profession who have the highest standing in their respective communities. This attempt is made here and so far as the reviewer can judge of the names selected from the bars of those cities with which he has acquaintance, the selecting has been well done.

THE TRIAL OF CHRIST

By Hon. Sain Kei Sun Kee, A. M., L. L. D., one time Professor of Law and Ancient History, Pekin, China.

(Continued from Last Number.)

Luke here records that Jesus told His disciples how the Scriptures required that the Gentiles maltreat and crucify Him; "for all things written by the prophets concerning the Son of man shall be accomplished," and it is God's will. He tells them how accomplished:

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"For He shall be delivered unto the Gentiles, and shall be mocked, spitefully entreated, and spitted on; and they (antecedent of 'they' Gentiles, no other there) shall scourge Him, and put Him to death."

Luke is the third witness, "that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established, as the Bible enjoins. The three witnesses agree as to the divine words, and they are the testimony of the Lord that the fulfillment of prophecy required, and He foreknew that the Gentiles should maltreat and kill Him.

We have reviewed records and found that Pilate and the Gentiles were against Christ, that Jesus foretold that the Gentiles would crucify Him; also that Divine prophecies made before and the declarations of the primitive church immediately after the trial, and death, agree in this.

Now, let us review the arrest, trial and execution, and see if what Jesus foretold was to be, was fulfilled by the Gentiles maltreating and killing Him; and find whether what was done, proves that Pilate was against Jesus, as recorded in the Apostles' Creed, and prayer.

In order to do this let us understand the attitude of Israel toward Christ. I believe that Israel received Christ, rejected Him only when betrayed into it by the ecclesiastical conspirators, dominated by the intriguing Annas. Read the seventh chapter of Luke. There we find that the multitude that followed Him everywhere saw him raise the dead son of the widow of Nain:

And fear took hold on all; and they glorified God, saying, “A great prophet is arisen among us; and God hath visited His people." And this report went forth concerning Him in the whole of Judea, and all the region round about."

Evidently this is not rejection. Judaea, and all the region round about call Him "a great prophet," receive Him as God visiting His people.

Is He the Messiah? is already in their minds, hearts and mouths. John Baptist hears it in prison, sends messengers to ask Him, and Jesus then and there did those things prophecy said the Messiah would do when He came, and answered the messengers:

"Go your way, and tell John what things ye have seen and heard; the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and

the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, the poor have good tidings preached to them. And blessed is he, whosoever shall find none occasion of stumbling in me."

Jesus could have answered, "I am He that should come," but He gives a better answer; an answer to all men for all time. He showed them the credentials of the Divine, certified by the hand and seal of God.

When an ambassador is sent, he carries credentials to prove that he is the one accredited. The world recognizes the validity of this kind of evidence.

For centuries the world had notice that One was coming from God, and the prophets gave in detail the credentials He would bring. The 61st chapter of Isaiah is sufficient certification of the mission, commission of Christ.

Jesus came, He showed His heavenly commission by His life and works, the very credentials the prophets foretold the Messiah would bring. The miraculous birth, the miracles performed, the greater miracle of a life without sin, these were the divine credentials of the One Divine. God attested it with Voice and Spirit, and it was sealed with the blood of Calvary. The same common sense men use in respect to other credentials is all that is necessary to decide as to Christ.

So the Jews decided, and received Him. Received Him as whom?

"And it came to pass, as He was praying alone, the disciples were with Him; and He asked them, saying, 'Who do the multitudes say that I am?' And they answering said, John the Baptist; but others say, Elijah; and others, that one of the old prophets is risen again. And He said unto them, But who say ye that I am? And Peter answering said, The Christ of God. But He charged them, and commanded them to tell this to no man; saying, The son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and the third day be raised up." (Luke 9:18-22.)

Observe that Jesus uses the word "Multitudes," and it is the testimony of Jesus as to how He had reached the people early in His ministry. The multitudes are receiving, not rejecting, and the disciples receive Him as Christ. But it was stronger in the seventh chapter:

"And ALL THE PEOPLE THAT HEARD, and the PUBLICANS, justi fied God, being baptized with the baptism of John. But the Pharisees and lawyers (scribes) REJECTED the counsel of God against themselves." (Luke 7:29, 30.)

Here the line of cleavage is given, all the people that heard receiving, Pharisees and Scribes rejecting. Watch that line of cleavage change, and by whom it is changed, when the change comes.

After the miracle of feeding the five thousand with five loaves and two fishes the record is: "Then those men, when they had seen the miracles which Jesus did, said, "This is of a truth that prophet that should

come into the world." (John 6:14.) Here is the proof that the people

received Him as the Shiloh of Gen. 49:10, the Prophet of Deut. 18:15, The Messiah. We get an idea of the number of the people, the Jews, doing this, from the fact that here are five thousand of them following Him into a desert place and receiving Him.

"And many of the people believed on Him, and said, When Christ cometh, will He do more miracles than these that this hath done?" (John 7:31.)

"Many of the people, therefore, said, Of a truth this is the Prophet. Others said, 'This is the Christ.'" (Jno. 7:40, 41.)

The people have spoken for themselves, "This is the Christ."

The people receive him. Now let the rulers of the people speak. "Then gathered the chief priests and Pharisees a council, and said, What do we? for this man doeth many miracles. If we let Him thus alone, ALL MEN WILL BELIEVE ON HIM." (Jno. 11:47, 48.)

The rulers in solemn Council officially declare that if let alone all men will believe on Him! Multitudes already believe, all the remainder will follow, if let alone. This is official evidence!

The recorded voice and act of the people, the official voice and act of their rulers, are decisive that the Jews received, did not reject Christ. For, the official act was, "It is expedient that Jesus should die." "So from that day forth they took counsel that they might put Him to death." (Jno. 11:53.)

To prevent the whole nation of the Jews doing what multitudes of Jews were doing as fast as they heard Him,and saw His divine credentials, a conspiracy is formed among the chief rulers to turn the people against Him. The foregoing quotation, "All men will believe," etc., Jno. 11:47, 48, is a transcript of the record of a session of the Supreme Court of the Jews, the judges the avowed enemies of Jesus; the contents of the record are the official admissions of the judges against themselves, evidence incontrovertible, unimpeachable, that the Jews received Christ.

Turn to the records, and the reiterated fact that the chief priests did not harm Jesus on many occasions because they feared the people, proves that the nation was not hostile to Jesus. Why should the conspirators fear the people, unless the people were friendly to Christ? If the Jews as a nation had been as hostile as the conspirators, only a sign from the Sanhedrin was needed to end the matter with a mob.

But the records read, "The people heard Him gladly."

"Many of the Jews believed on Him." (Jno. 11:45.)

"Among the chief rulers also many believed on Him." (Jno. 12:42.)

A moiety of the effort these conspirators made to turn the people against Christ, if made for Him, would have made His rejection by the nation impossible. It was not so to be, and "blindness in part happened to Israel till the fullness of the Gentiles be come in."

We have here the key to the trial and crucifixion of Christ.

What lawyers call "the pivot point of the case." The PEOPLE RECEIVE, the PHARISEES AND CHIEF PRIESTS REJECT. The hierarchy continues rejection until the people are deceived and turned against Jesus, by the power of the temple aristocracy.

This is why Jesus forewarned them, "Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, and Sadducees."

When a Gentile would know that the Jews received Christ, he has only to read, "They feared the people."

When a Jew would know that his nation received instead of rejecting Christ, and finally rejected instead of receiving Him only because conspirators betrayed them into it, he may read, "They feared the people."

To be loyal to the real Israel, the Israel of the heart, soul, faith, and love of the people, the Jew should now receive Christ, as Israel did before conspirators betrayed them. For the Jew to reject Christ now is to be loyal to the conspirators instead of the Israel of God, Israel before betrayal.

When the conspiracy against Joseph, a type of Christ, was revealed, Jacob did not reject Joseph and cling to the conspirators. He welcomed Joseph with kisses and tears of joy. So let the true Israel do today, for Christ is not dead, "but alive forevermore."

Will the Jew of today be blind to the truth? Will the true Israelite be deceived by the artifice and trickery that misled his nation nineteen hundred years ago? Israel rightly read Jesus' divine credentials, "Justified God," "Received Him gladly."

Will Israel today follow the Pharisaical and Priestly deceivers, or be undeceived?

Are Pharisees and Priests blinded by envy, enraged by disappointed greed, acting from fear of loss of power and perquisites, true exponents of the nation?

Because such fathers ate sour grapes, shall the children's teeth be set on edge?

For nearly nineteen centuries the Jews have errantly followed these conspirators that deceived and betrayed the nation. "The wandering Jew," burning under the kiss of Judas, carrying the Cyreian cross, bearing the unmerited brand of Cain, continuing the deception, and the curse!

How long will they suffer in error, rather than turn to the truth, and the true Israel of God!

"Come, now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord." (Isa. 1:18.) Having charged the chief priests, scribes and Pharisees with conspiracy against Christ, it is proper for me to show a motive for their crime. The temple hierarchy rejected Jesus, and conspired against Him because the elders hated Him for convincing the people that revelation was paramount in authority to their traditions. The scribes were His foes because He taught the people to live the spirit, instead of the letter of the law.