The New Orleans Democrat., 1876-06-25
fFor the Sunday Democrskl
the AUTHENTICITY or THE SCRIP,
TURES.


A book IL genuine when its claims tls
to authorship are found to be true. II
silent as to It's author its genuineness is
still established II it can be shown that
the text Is essentially the same as when
the book was composed. On the other
hand, authenticity involves the historic
verify Of the writings 1t implies the
historic truthfulness Of the volume.
There Ii no book OF ancient history that
can exhibit more than a fraction OF the
evidence that sustains the narratives OF
the gospels. And will you permit me,
Mr.. Editor, in an humble way, through
your conservative paper, to state small
portion OF that evidence:
That such wonderful person as Jesus
I Christ fourished In Judea in the Au-
GUSTAV Age, and was crucifled in the
reign of Tiberius CAESAR by Pontius r.
late. Governor or Judea, are facts more
certain than that Alexander the Great
lived and conquered the world. The
memorials of this conqueror no lonKec
exist. His vast empire Is gone. Inc
cities he founded are no more. HOW
. few vestiges Of Alexander are TO be found
Ia the countries overrun by his victori-
ot1s leQions. Not 80 defective are the
traces OF the Kingdom OF Jesus Christ.
The empire he founded still lasts. Chris
fiana OF every age and in every cline
celebrate his birth. death, and resur-
rection. The performances OF public
worship to him as God every seventh
day: the administration Of the SOLEMN
ordinances of baptism and the
Lords Supper; the open. profession
OF the fundamental principle OF Chris
tianity, are 50 many standing memorials
III IL rx1tI cannot
be painsayed that such an extraordinary
person once lived and founded his last
ing government over the hearts OF man
kind. Now, 1t Is every way probable
that one who had successfully founded
such o society would either himself or
bv his chosen disciples give out his doc
trines and principles In writing. And It
Ii In every way probable that such wr1-
tinRs would be valued by his followers,
and be preserved and disseminated, and
translated and appealed to as the stand
ard Of faith and practice Oral 1nstruc-
ton at first might do. but It was soon
sornethino in writing. These writings
compose the New Testament, and we
have far more evidence OF their genuine,
ness and authenticity than we have ior
the productions OF the ancient classics
that have never been doubted.
They contain public matters and re-
late events that they, the writer's, saw OF
heard from those who were eye witness
es. They were men OF sound under
standing, not credulous, but slow OF be,
lief. They were men OF Integrity ano
gave up all and sealed In many instan
COS their testimony by their lives
There Is an agreement on all essentia
points In their narratives; and not con
Trajectory to the times In which they
lived. The accounts were published II
the same age In which the events took
place and when many witnesses were still
living. We have the testimony Of contem
poraneous writer's. In the first foul
centuries we have fifty writer's who tes
etify to the facts stated In the Gospe
narratives, and others too numerous U
mention from that time TO the present
These authors lived in d1Heren
Syriac. Greek and Latin tongues. Dill
ferent sects or Christians have received
the text In its letter, although they dif
fer widely as to it's meaning. Infldel'
who denied the faith yet admit the gen
uineness and authenticity OF scripture
/ propose to mention some OF them.
CELSIUS, an epicurean philosopher, "a
u. 176) does not question the Gospels a.
books OF his day. He admits the mira
cles OF the Savior. but ascribed them =
magic arts he learned while he lived II
Egypt. ~,
did not deny the miracles OF Christ
Julian, the apostate, "a. y. 1911 did no
deny the truth OF the gospel histor.
as history, but denied the deity o
Jesus Christ.
Jewish writer's also corroborate tn
statements or the New Testament.
Josephus CA. ID. 42) has an incidenta
allusion In his Jewish Antiquities to tn
character, miracles and doctrines 9
Christ. "Now, there was about thi
time Jesus, a wise man, IL 1t be Lawful
to call him q man.. for he performe'
many wonderful works"
The Talmuds refer to his nativity, re
late his journey into Egypt, aid do no
deny that he performed miracles, bl
ascribe them to the right pronunciation
OF the name OF Jehovah, which h
learned in the Temple; or they imput
it to the magic arts he learned II
Mohammed also, in the Koran, ex
pressly acknowledges the authority Q
the gospels.
Sentonius, In his Biographical Sketche
"a. u. 117); Pliny. in his letters, an
Ul6uy OJuGl lAtblD tbuGbOl6t III VI
historical statements OF the New Testa
ment.
Pliny the Younger, while Governor Q
Bithynea, wrote letter to the Empero
Trojan, requesting advice as to the pro
per manner Of proceeding against tn
Christians. His letter bears testimon
to their numbers and good morals. W
have also the answer OF Trojan q
= Pliny.
But the most wonderful documentar
testimony is that OF PLATE. 1t wa
customary for governors Of provinces 3
send to the Emperor an account OF re
markable transactions. PLATE informe'
the Emperor In regard to Jesus, tha
being raised up after he had been pu
to death, he was already believed b
many to be God. The reports OF ri
late were preserved or deposited anon
the archives Of the Empire, and Justi
Mortvr in hie first apolopv for tn