National Republican., 1881-07-15
ANSWER OF STUDENT.
A FEW MORE HISTORICAL FACTS.
Donbts rs TO Napoleon Bonapsrte-ReV Robert Tay.
lor's Diegesls-Dates and Their Correct
ness-Hlss Bacon and Hugh NIL
ler-Other Matters.
To The Editor of rnr Rrrun1IcAx.

To the Editor OF THE REPUBLICAN;
w. NJ. NJ" asserts in last Tuesdays
REPUBLICAN, that "such attempts as these (of
'Iconoclast' and Suddenly have always so sig
nally failed when brought to the test Of contro-
versy that It is almost surprising that the subject
should be reopened by men maniestly less able
than those who have already suffered inglorious
defeat" And after making this bold assertion the
writer commends Archbishop Whately's Historic
Doubts as to Napoleon Bonaparte" and says Z" In
this little book 1t is proved beyond reasonable
doubt that Bonaparte never existed"
Docs W. NJ. NJ" mean to be understood liter
ally or ironically2 Bonaparte was living when
Whatcly's anonymous pamphlet first appeared in
1879 Ten years later q book Of ii0 pages entitled
THE Degcsis" was published, proving Jesus
Christ q myth. Much Of II was written in Jail,
where the learned author the Rev. Robert Taylor,
was undergoing imprisonment for blasphemy. II
is dedicated to the master, fellows, and tutors Of
ST. Johns College, Cambridge where the author
had graduated with honor, and the dedication is
signed Robert Taylor, A. b., prisoner, Oak.
ham gnol, February 10, 1929" That work
has never, / believe, been attempted
to be answered The author after serving out his
years sentence, resumed his discourses to large
audiences in London, and they were reported and
printed by the hundred thousand. But the Vice
Society sent its spies 10 inform against him. and he
was again tried. convicted, and sentenced to two
years imprisonment md q fine OF 600, and was
put under bonds TO keep silence for further term
OF five years. That, so far as l can learn, was
about all the answer the clergy ever made to the
Rev. Bob Taylor. Even now his name and pro-
| found literary works are mcanly ignored In the
oyolopadias. That Is the way he "signally failcd'
without ever being brought TO the test OF contro
versy,' to which he repeatedly challenged the
| learned clergy. That is the way they stood up
| for Jesus"
"W + G." seeks TO account for the silence of
contemporary heather and Jewish historians by
prcsuming that the anti Christian vandals Of those
times, such as students" teachings now bcget,
expungcd all references to Jesus Christ. Aud
after denouncing such vandalism and magnifying
the purity and honesty of believers in Jesus, the
writer concludes thus If this be learning which
Student proclaims, Lord give me ignorance-ig-
norance in fullness." We have all heatd Of the
old Catholic motto, Ignorance Is the mother of
devotion" Nv. F.G prays to God for ignorancel
| Student" will not be omalicious or unmannerly
us to respond "Amenl"
&c. II. b." inquiries, with native simplicity,
" How docs Student know his dates are correct2'
Let him put the question to the standard church
authorities. They all agree approximately, but so
obscure was Christianity for two hundred years so
few and feeble-minded were the fathers OF the
church, and little history did they write that the
exact dates are generally impossible to be deter
practical purposes.
What If Miss Bacon became insane on purely
literary question: 50 did Hugh Miller in the
| vain attempt to reconcile Genesis with geology
Religious speculation has driven millions to mad
ness, while the pursuit OF secular literature has
| seldom dethroned reason. Miss Bacon sought TO
prove that her distinguished namesake wrote
some ofthe Shakspearean plays. Professor Nathan.
iel Holmes, following up the inquiry, has proved
conclusiyey that Bill ShoXpcr was incompetent
to write q successful play Professor Holmes still
lives, and haven't heard Of his getting crazy.
| But this is aside from the Jesus question. &c.
II. B." says that somebody sat on the mountain
and gave the Sermon on the Mount" Not so
sure OF that, even. Luke says that Jesus came
down and stood in the plain when he delivered
the discourse wi, ~. And Luke only gives about
quarter as much of the sermon as Matthews does
but at later periods during two or three years.
he has Jesus repeat much of the additions con.
tained in Matthew as If spoken for the first time
But neither Mark nor John makes any allusion to
such sermon.
:" Some one was mobbed in Jerusalem, and Paul
| preached and wrote about this one" says &c. II.
b. Paul has little or nothing to say about the
circumstances OF the death of his Jesus and JOSE
| phus born in Jerusalem from four to eight years
after the alleged event, knows nothing about it.,
nor does he know anything about the first Chris
tian council alleged to have been held there when
he wasabout fourteen years old (Acs xv nor of any
of Pauls subsequent visits to Jerusalem, especially
| the last remarkable one when Josephus was from
twentyone to twcntythree years of age (Acts XXI,
xii, xxiiD All theexciting and uproarous scenes
described in Acts escaped the notice of the great
Jewish historian.
| All have to say to Veritas" is that he should
| have signed himself Munchausen."
| STUDENT