New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1871-03-21
EVIDENCES or CHRLSTLANITT.
LECTURE By TIE REV. DR.. M'CosH.


The Rev. DR.. McCosh delivered the con
Guiding lecture Of the cultural Theology and
Apoocctcs" at the Madisonave. Presbyterian Church.
last evening" before large audience. Ny lectures, said
he will doubtless criticised by those who seek to lead
opinion among young men, hut not by the old Unitarian
party who viii be glad OF even partial yindcaton OF
The truth. They WILL however, meet with keen oppO-
son from the Postivsts and Materiasts in their sru
gle for existence In consSng m fY tbe Rrah
mnicai caste who Is anxious TO know what the eVi-
yG AZ the coumeIccncnt of the second century.
seventy veaes after the death of Christ he finds That the
Christian religion was then widely spread, ana ha l-
mcrous adhcrrns not only in Rome, hut IN most OF the
PROVINCES aud that they claimed one Jesus, WHO was
ftcr he il was attempted To fix the blsne OF
setting fire to Rome the Christians, ana many were
put death in the most cruel manner ny Zero. sueso
MUS Piny the Younger Juvenal and Martial an reier
to tie Christians established sect suchis the teS-
By the end Of the first century Christianity had be
come known III Inc dSe r ~ hoDJ and free II had
penetrated, indeed TO nearly every part OF the theH
Tca in spain and some think in India. In addition to
The testimony of heather writer's We have the four Cos,
pes and If there had been wanting the incidents OF
from the apology Of Justin Martyr Then we
Which are admitted by Renan and other ifde writers
OF Christianity are set iorth we haEe aSP nef{ hG
by year 50 after Christi but think it must have been
| account OF Paul's final slicrings and death.
Such were some of the historic phenomena that presens
themselves the opening of the second century-the
four gospels number of epstes and clear account of
the way in which all this had been produced HOW are
we 10 account for this The most natural supposon is
thar these speak the truth In science blpoth-
eses are a. E3nGed ana hS IS., are tS htefni that
these accounts are true Serit snd Apply bo1ey tc
glance at certain other supposlons. Anu net ,
That the Christian religion is Cunnin-y organized de-
ceit This may appear To be singular hypothesis but,
strange a. IL may SEEM such Is the cone .On mat mas
been reached recently by German lnhdels. Yet how
monstrous the supposltion II could not have entered
into the heart o. any man To CONCEIVE me- OF
like that OF Jesus The great body or shtpcs see TINS
difficulty, and consequently reject the hypothesis sec
| ond, We have the legendary theory-that there was
foundation in truth Tor the accounts given
INT that The truth has been OvcIad with fiction 10
make il impossible for the keenet critics TO distinguish
the from the other. admit that legends regarding
the life Of Christ might have existed; but they would
bear certain marks, and could easily be identified.
Thus If the accounts were legendary IL would nave
been impossible to have colated coherent religious
i; for @TampIe out of the Indian legends OF TINS
country out of those relating TO hing Arthur and his
Now the New Testament its face the evidence
that it is the product "a Of different men, and
! vet there is a wonderful unity throughout the whole.
thus abandoned legendary theory for another which
has imposed upon many-the mythc hypothesis: IL Is
shown that all nations have been accustomed 10 fashion
| myths. These differ from legends, the
| latter have foundation in fact, while myths
| have not They are based on some popular ldea ana
were Invented 20 excuse satisfy it. several German
scholars busted themselves in showing how these
| myths arose, how they nave originated ana migrated
from country TO another. There has been an at
tempt to apply this theory 10 TIE rise OF the CHRISTIAN re-
eiOn Let people say It's advocate believe thal lhey
have certain right and myth will arise TO justify
| il. In the way there was religious CON
| seriousness in the first century and on this
was based the Christian system But whence
this religious consciousness Whence the conception Of
Christs work and His characteri IL must be explained
how this conception came, not only TO mind but To
many all countries and all grades of society.
The Myhic theory thus totally inadequate
for the result produced. There must first be the idea
before there be the theory. But III the Christian
tem If il l. Ill., there an exceptional unity between
and the topography Of the country described. Scholars
have given us biographies OF Homer OF the Hegonauc
expedition and other legends but they do not correspond
with the actual Biographies. But the travels Of IT.
| Paul described in accordance with the actual
geography OF the countries visited, and the entire
of the apostles journey TO Rome Is in accordance
with the style OF travelling in those days Again, there
l. an accordance the state OF society and the
history OF the period the hand and the Acts and
| epistles the other. And FIRST the Jews
| brought under our notice, some being scattered
throughout the Greek cities Then have picture OF
the Greek population. The great body OF the people
degraded, while the upper classes gave themselves
to indulgence III selfish pleasures, believing III the
| Epicurean PHILOSOPHY. The more Intelligent OF
both Greeks and Romans were losing their
faith i'll the old superstitions and betaking
themselves tO sOOth-saycrs and astrOl0gers This
correspondence might be indefinitely multiplied.
This then Ia the correspondence between the place
tualy actually occupied by Christianity in the world
and that predicted for il in the Bible The speaker then
briefly reviewed the present missionary work OF the
Church. In India 10000 in the schools where the
vernacular is taught, and $1,000 girls learning the
truths OF Christianity In Madagar the entire island Is
rapidly undergoing conversion.
DR.. McCosb concluded his remarks by showing that
Christianity accomplishing its mission and fulfilling
all the prophecies that had been uttered concerning IT,
thanks TO the lecturer for the able manner IN
the subjects under consideration had been treated
then pressed unanimously and the large audience
dispersed