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The Unknown Life of Jesus Christ
But the Governor Pilate, fearing the great popularity of the Saint Issa, whom his opponents believed to the inciting the people to have himself chosen for king, ordered one of his spies to accuse him.
Then he ordered the soldiers to proceed to arrest him, and they imprisoned him in a dungeon, where they caused him to. endure various torments, hoping thereby to force him to accuse himself, which would permit them to put him to death.
The Saint, desiring only the perfect happiness of his brothers, endured these torments in the name of his Creator.
The servants of Pilate continued torturing him, reducing him to a state of extreme weakness; but God was with him and did not suffer him to die.
Learning of the sufferings and tortures which their Saint endured, the principal priests, and wise elders requested the Governor to set Issa free on the occasion of a great feast which was near at hand.
But the Governor refused them decidedly. They asked him then to have Issa appear before the tribunal of the elders in order that he might be condemned or acquitted before the feast; Pilate consented to this.
The next day the Governor called together the principal captains, priests, wise elders and legislators for the purpose of having them judge Issa.
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