National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1881-06-06
JESUS NOT A MYTH.
A REPLY To A "LEARNED MANI
The Attempt to Blot Out the History Of Christ An
sWered-QGOtatiOns from the Ancient HIS
terians-Ths Death Sentence
of Christ Produced.

Theophilus Bray, of this city, sends us
the following: 81 notice in THE REPUBLICAN of
the list instant an attempt of A Learned Man to
prove our Saviour myth ItIs indeed startling
to think that at last there is found SO learned
to be able with few strokes of his pen to blot
out of all existence Christ and his Apostles and to
reduce the grand system of Christian faith and
hope to mere monkish legend of the dark ages.
This learned man states that such personages as
the Apostles Matthew and John were never known,
and that Luke and Mark were never reputed to be
apostles, but admitted
THAT THEY KNEW NOTHING
OF what they wrote also, that the Apostle John said
that Jesus lived to be an old man. Now, if our
learned friend will look into the New Testament
John xix, Ills, he will find that the Apostle John
testiieS that Jesus Christ was crucfed between
two thieves; Also that before his crucifxon, while
looking upon his mother and JOHN his beloved
disciple, he solemnly committed his mother to
Johns care in all the tender relationship of
mother and son, verses 1921 This same apostle
also details with special minuteneSs all the par
ticulars of the betrayal trial. death, and reSurrec
ton of Jesus. The learned man makes his strong
point to be that three historians, namely Josephus,
JuStuS, and Judas, don't mention Jesus. This,
he thinks, is powerful argument in his favor.
Curtis and Strabo both notice the fact that Alex
ander put to the sword all the BTanchida on the
FROM EYE-wITSESSES,
never mentions the above slaughter in all his his
tory. Then, according to the marvellous logic of
OR learned man, no such slaughter ever took
place! This may appear to be plausible reason
ing to his and like intelligence; but TO ourselves it
is very defective. Again he says that Plutarch,
Seneca, NJ. AureliuS and Antonius never once
mentioned Jesus Well, plenty of others do. This
learned man says that there is not a line
of contcmporaneous history on earth to prove
that such a man as Jesus existed Let
US look at this bold assertion. He refers
to Gibhon as great man, and, as Gibbon was
great infidel, we have no objections to quote him.
Gibbon quotes from Lucicn, who, by the way was
also a great intidel,' well as philosopher
and lived and wrote under the Emperor Commo-
dus, A. D. $50 to 1913. This Lucen, speaking of one
Teregrinus, who passed himself off for Christian,
says: He learned the wonderful doctrines of the
Christians by conversing with their priests and
scribeS near Palestine, and that these Christians
still worship that great man
WHO WAS CRUCIFIED
in Palestine because he introduced into the world
the new religion. NJ. AntOninus, emperor and
philosopher, who lived about A. D. 161 in his
book of MeditatIonS,' speaking of being ready
to die, says: This readiness must proceed from
we'll weighed judgment, not from mere
OBSTINACY, LIKE THE CHRISTIANS
So we see, after ALL that Autoninus knew well of
the followers of Christ and their prosecutions and
is pleased to call it obstinacy! viii next refer
to the Emperor Adrian a. D. lis to 1885, and see if
he mentions Christ. He visited Egypt and while
there wrote to ServiuS, the husband of his sister
adrian Augustus, to the Consul Servius, wisheth
health &c. After mention of Christ, Scraps, and
tie Christians, says The patriarch himself If lie
were to come to Egypt, would be required by some
to worship Scraps, by others Christ This letter
was written only one hundred years afterthe death
of Christ. next quote from the renowned Eisto- |
rian, Tacius, who is good authority. Let see if
he mentions Christ. He was born fifteen years af-
ter the death of Christ and about thirty years after
the death of Christ Nero burned Rome, charging |
the crime to the Christians. Tactus says about it
Nero procured Others to be accused and inflicted
the seyerest punishments on those people, who |
were held i'll adherence for their crimes and were
commonly known by the name of Christians |
They had
THEIR NAME FROM CHRIST,
who in the reign of Tiberius was put to death by
the procurator, Pontius Plate 1 only quote part
of the account Mr. Gibbon con!eSSes that the |
most sceptical criticism is obliged to respect the |
truth of this extra ordinary fact and the integrity
of this celebrated passage of Tacitus, Yet our |
learned friend says we have not "a line of con-
temporaneous history earth to prove that such |
a man as Jesus ever existed that
JESUS Is A MYTH
"Now, observe: TacituS testifies that Christ was
put death by Pontius PLATE in the reign of Tbe-
RUS, which fact is also proven by Suetonius who |
wrote the lives ofthe first twelve emperors of Rome
and is admitted TO be a fact by Gibbon. Com
mentS are needless l have quoted from some of |
the greatest historians of any age-intidels, too
and they fatty and plainly contradict our
learned friend. l can go further. Any one hay
ing copy of Roman Antiquities well knows,
or can soon find out by reference to it, that it was
a Roman law that the government must preserve
'r political and historical purposes a careful rec
ord of all important events in the empire Now
the Acts of Plate were preserved for over $50
years after his death. EuSebius, referring to the
custom of the governors, states this fact: Our
oaviours resurrection being much talked of
throughout Palestine, Plate
GAVE AN ACCOUNT OF IT
nd his miracles to the Emperor, of which he had
heard report, and that being raised up 10 life
again after he was put to death, he was already
believed by many persons to be god Justin
Martyr, who wrote his Apology for the
Christians about A. D. 40, and pre-
Sented it 10 the Emperor .Antoninus Plus
and the Roman Senate, aftcrspcaking of the cruel
ixon OF Christ and of circumstances connected
with it, states this remarkable fact: And that
heSe things were so done you may know from the
acts made in the time of Pontius Plate
TEETCLLIAN, ABOUT 10 YEARS AFTER
he death of Christ, in his Apology for Christi
mi V iys OF all those things relating to Christ
Pila himself already Christian at heart seut an
account to Tiberius. then Emperor And in the
"a ne Apology makes this statement: AT the
IL Dment of Chrst's death, the light departed from
he sun, the land was darkcned at noon day which |
Wonder is related in your own archives to
his day. Now this letter was presented to
he Emperor Antoninus Plus, and was intended
y Tertulian, as just stated, as an apology
)y him to the Emperor for the poor Christian s.
iut would like our learned friend to look over
HI following, originally copied from the lie
Droit Journal and see what he thinks of it, cs-
oecially he so triumphanty asserts that no such
'rsOn as Christ ever lived. l present both him
md the readers of THE REPUBLICAN a copy of the
greatest and most important judicial sentence ever
in the world. This is a correct tran
cript, and is, word for word, as follows:
CHRIST'S DEATH SENTENCE.
Sentence pronounced by POntius PLATE Intendent
If all the lower province of aee that Jesus of Naz-
reth shall suffer death by the cross. In the seven
zenith year of the reign of the Emperor Tiberus on
he 2ith day ofthe month of March, in the holy
ty Of Jerusalem, during the ponfcate of Annas and
IaphaS, POnus PLATE. Intendent of the province of
Ower Galilee, sitting judgment the presidential
eat of the Proctor, sentences Jesus OF Nazareth to
eath on cross between robbers as the numerous
md notorious testimonies of the people prove First
eStlS Is q mlseader; second lie eNctteS the people
D sedition; third, He is enemy to the law
ourth, He calls Himself the Son of God: fifth He
ais Himself falsely the King of Israel; SIXTH He
vent into the temple followed by multitude carry
nS palms in their hands Orders FROM the first Cen
ariou, Quirrillis Cornelius to bring the place of
1ecution FOrbids all persons, rich poor to pre-
ent the execution of Jesus The witnesses who have
igned the execution of Jesus Daniel Robani,
'harisee; John Zorabel, Raphael Robani, Capet
eSus to be taken of Jerusalem through the gate
rsS, in the Hebrew language. On its sides the fol-
owing words: A similar plate has been sent to each
ribe.'
IT WAS DISCOVERED