The Passion Council, made up of the pastor of the village church and six devout members, together with the Mayor and ten councillors selected for their moral worth, assembled.  After special Divine service, in which heaven’s direction was sought, the vote was taken, and the following persons were appointed to appear in the more important parts of the Passion Play:  Rochus Lang, Herod; John Zwink, Judas; Andreas Braun, Joseph of Arimathea; Bertha Wolf, Magdalen; Sebastian Baur, Pilate; Peter Rendi, John; William Rutz, Nicodemus; Thomas Rendi, Peter; Anna Flunger, Mary; Anton Lang, Christ.

The music began its triumphant roll, and the curtains were divided and pulled back to the sides of the stage.  Lest we repeat the only error in the sacred drama, that of prolixity, we will not give in minutiae what we saw and heard.  The full text of the play is translated and published by my friend, the Reverend Doctor Dickey, pastor of the American Church of Berlin, and takes up 169 pages, mostly in fine print.

I only describe what most impressed me.

There is a throng of people of all classes in the streets of Jerusalem, by look and gesture indicating that something wonderful is advancing.  Acclamations fill the air.  The crowd parts enough to allow Christ to pass, seated on the side of a colt, which was led by the John whom Jesus especially loved.  The Saviour’s hands are spread above the throng in benediction, while He looks upon them with a kindness and sympathy that win the love of the excited multitude.  Arriving at the door of the Temple, Jesus dismounts and, walking over the palm branches and garments which are strewn and unrolled in His way, He enters the Temple, and finds that parts of that sacred structure are turned into a marketplace, with cages of birds and small droves of lambs and heifers which the dealers would sell to those who wanted to make a “live offering” in the Temple.  Indignation gathers on the countenance of Christ where gentleness had reigned.  He denounces these merchants, who stood there over-reaching in their bargains and exorbitantly outrageous in their charges.  The doors of the cages holding the pigeons are opened, and in their escape they fly over the stage and over the audience.  The table on which the exchangers had been gathering unreasonable percentage was thrown down, and the coin rattled over the floor, and the place was cleared of the dishonest invaders, who go forth to plot the ruin and the death of Him who had so suddenly expelled them.

The most impressive character in all the sacred drama is Christ.