The Childhood of Jesus
The Gospel of James
Biographical Gospel of the Lord
- Chapter 74 -
The Pardon Of The Priests
WHEN CYRENIUS heard this from the to him above all exalted little Cradle-Orator, as he sometimes called Him, he hesitated within himself and did not know just what to do.
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For on the one hand he felt himself to be too greatly exposed before the people as an inconsistent commander-in-chief and supreme governor,
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but for all that he just had too much respect for the tried and tested power of the Child.
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For a while he thought back and forth and then said to himself,
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'Oh Scylla, oh Charybdis, oh myth of Hercules at the crossroads!
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Here the hero stands between two chasms; if he avoids the one, he plunges inevitably into the other!
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What shall I do now? Where shall I turn? Shall I for the first time appear inconsistent before the people and do the will of this mighty Child?
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Or shall I act according to my own anyhow very mild decision?'
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Here the Baby again called Cyrenius to Himself and smilingly said, 'My dear friend, you concern yourself vainly over nothing!
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What is Scylla and what Charybdis and what the hero Hercules before me? You follow Me, and you will not have to deal with these transitory things!'
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And Cyrenius, recovering from his indecision, said to the Child,
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'Yes, my Life, my little Socrates, Plato and Aristotle in the cradle, You I will please let come what may!
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So then let us go to the place of execution and there promptly transform our sentence into mercy!'
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At this Maronius also approached Cyrenius and said to him in an aside,
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'Imperial, consular highness! I am quite in agreement with the advice of the Child. For it has just come into my mind that the death penalty in priestly matters may never be inflicted on the priests without the sanction of the Pontifex maximus in Rome -
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unless they were instigators to revolt against the state, which these here are not, but only blind zealots in their cause.
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Therefore I am altogether for the advice of the Child. To comply with it can only be to your advantage and can never give you a setback.'
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Cyrenius was pleased at this observation of Maronius and therefore went on his way at once with all who were to accompany him.
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Arrived at the place of execution, he found the three priests almost lifeless - from too great fear of a most excruciating death.
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Only one of them still had enough presence of mind to lift himself up before Cyrenius with the greatest difficulty and entreat him for a merciful manner of death.
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And Cyrenius said to him as well as to the other two, 'Look at the Child whom this mother carries upon her arms. He give you back your life, and thus I also grant it to you and recall my sentence.
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Therefore arise again and walk at liberty. Fiat! And you guards, judges, carriers of the staves and jailers, depart with everything. Fiat!'
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This declaration of grace cost the three priests their lives - but the Baby stretched a hand over the three and they came back to life and in a happy frame of mind promptly followed the little Savior of their lives.