, 1875-06-06
RELIGIOUS NEWS.
The Varying Accounts Of tho
Minis try Of Jesus.
Prof. Swing on the Action OF ths Is
sembIy In His Case.
DR.. Felsenthals Review Of MI. In
mans Book.
Note& and Personals at Home and
Abroad.
Church Snrvicea To.nav
Church Services To-Day.
THE MINISTRY OF JESUS.

Luke. LOOK placa 50 ta[ II E3 can gather from
these historians, within the space Of six months
Only one passover 1s mentioned, tho ono which
occurred at the time Of the crucihxion. John,
on the contrary, mentions four paasovers, and
according to him the ministry Of Christ lasted
three years and hall.
Again, all the events rotated b. the first three
svangelists, as taking place after tho commence
mont Of Christs ministry, occurred IN Galilee,
and the country round about; At least, outside
OF Jerusalem, until Christ went up to that city
to the passover. ut the time when 10
was crucitied. On the other hand, the most
OF tho history Of John consists Of
narration OF miracles wrought, and discoutses
held by Christ in Jerusalem, not only At the time
OF His last suffering, but at other times. and
notably On the occasions OF three previous pass
overs.
Matthew wrota in tho SyEiac, or corrupted
Hebrew, the language Of the Jews OF bis day.
His gosut} was wrltton for tbs Jews, and hiA op-
jcct WAS to convince them thai CHRIST Was the
Messiah. Hou, then. ii he wrote from iIBplra-
tion did it happen that be omitted the greater
par: OF the ministry of Chrlst, the omitted pos-
ton, too, having occurred in Jerusalem, IN the
midst OF the people for whom ho WAS Writing
Had he been writing By inspiration, uoull he
have omitted entirely those facts aud arguments
which would hare been the strongest fer his pu1-
pose? Or was bis GosIel Intended as digioe
stumbling block to nlisloaa that unhappy peo-
pie:
There are other d;ec.opancias and inconsist-
eu:ies sinost equally important IN their bearing
upon the question OF inspiration It has been
argued. with good deal OF force, that different
accounts Of tho same transaction only make
stronger the proof that the event occurred elpcf
all possibility OF coIIusion ia thereby precludes
This ia true. But there are certain quailicatloas
to tue rulo which must ba continually born IN
mined. One ls that the difference must II on
immaterial points, another, that the witnesses
must speak from their own knowledge; Il elso,
it they do not, that the evidence pust be
taken only for what it purpozt& to Be heAssay
evidence, or 4 record OF matters assuuao 10 Do
O. public notoriety. And think it nay be add
ed that it essential to this strents tshened eV!-
dence that the Witnesses should no ne inspired
| For it is the prcsumptia that they
speak OF write from q defective memory, snd
caurot be expected to remcnoer Farticula:a
alike that their testimony is cr1sldcred strength
eued if there ba aubstanti- agreement. botr
il they write from defectfe memory, no" can
they It thu same time r:te By di7i4e inspira-
tion?
| sies vera not write. BY inspiration. Bat does
not the same dlfijcuts aisee III peie'1ae IN me
hn9d nd ministry it Christ Can it bo said
;a ;,,n,.tar,N v,>te the childhood Of Christ mas
-,.aad IA vi say it il mmateriai whether Ee
bsl8 ~ fnood And shall We SAY it is imm.-
+A1 RI,AftA
4',an.ho y three anc half years7 And inna~
tar.1 bethar it took place in Galee in Jeru-
I'D: As we'll say it = lmmaterial whether
t:e1s WAS any such ministry. Take AWAY from
an historical fact the limitations OF time and
place, and what remains ct the fActf
Ia The TRIBUNE OF last Sunday is 6n article
from Mr. Work, clozing tho discussion OF tha
genealogy question. 1t is proper that he should
close the discussion. 1t will not be 1eopensd,
except ~ touch upon the new matter in bis last
rtiri xv44 OF hA lima.
age Of DaVid, because she went NTH her bns-
oand to Bethlehem, city OF David, to bo taxed,
under Ian requiring every one to 20 to bis own
city. But this Inference Ia rebntted by the OK
pleBB declaration Of Luke, giving as the reason
for this journey, ''because he 1as OF the house
and lineage Of Dayia.'-Luke, 2: 1t il said
it would be allowable to speak OF Christ
"a the son Of He'll. on the theory that He VAS hia
as tho son OF David, or the son Of Abraham. Not
Ii tracing gonealogy, which purports to giva .
complete chain. II D has decd OF contract q
land from c, G from B. and from 4, we my
say, in general terms. that D is atgranteo Of L.
But in giving chain OF title, IT will not do to say
1ntorTect to say that A conveyed to c.
4. to the reference TO the Talmud the follow
ing Letter from an eminent jewish nabbi OF this
city Bpaaks for its Il:
CH1aAoo, June l, 19i5.-D=An SIR: Your letter Of
JcstesdAy Just received. 1u to ,onr f7:lut5
whether tht TAlmud says anything In reg ard To tho
gtneaogY OF Of Nazareth h4ye to- state that IN
the whoic voltinous Tamudic4l literature, not tho
lsast a1lunon t. or mention Of, tho genealcRy OF
Jesus be fo7nd- bold enough 10 say that
you would not In tie least risk you were to defy the
whole learned woroto ciut out book and pl8e Of tho
Talmud where the Gt-eaosy OF Jesus IL alluded -.
Very respectfully Your B. FELsEH1HAL.
Tho case IL no" s1bmitted, The readers Of
The TE1roSE can judg. for themselves whether
it has tecu shown that -4ukes genoAlogy in on
tho mothers side, either ~ tho Talmud. by tho
liberal use of the word ''soa," bY tho ingenious
substitution Of ''while TO- u.s." as = trans
lation of 'hos" Il rendering vhich, it is admit
ted. was 'forced trausLt1on," violence
having been done to the language
OF Luxe to euable him tho bettert to express his
meaning, or finally, By tho attenpt III tho last
comuu nicat.on to extend the pareIthesis found
in tue English version. Tha parent.es!s. Il it
now stands. is surerdnous, but doea no hsrrn.
To extend it, ~ proposed 10 that instead OF
reading as it now doea, ''belag las Was sup-
posed) tho SOD OF Joseph" Luke shall bo made
10 say: being tho son (as was supposed ct
Joseph} OF He'll" etc, wonld he another
forced TRANSLATION" and would be doing 10
lence, not only to the English version, but to tho
Greek text, which has comma after tho Vo1l
''eaomixeto"
Mr. Work ad1nita that the historical part Of tho
Old Testament is not inspired But how abont
the New Testament? Is the historical portion
inspired? and hon much is there Of the four
gospels that is no. historical? II.