Daily Republican., 1881-01-17
DErENDERs OF lllx FAITiE-
Wore Minsstsrisi Advertising for
n HmKe rsoIB --Revs. Kramer nnd
Caiaweii Reply TO Him.

Fifteen hundred people were pres-
ent st the Opera House, yesterday al
ternopn, to hear Rev. g. lR. Kramer
preach on "Alethia /; or, our Blessed
Faith" The sermon, which was re-
= soonse to Colonel Robert @. Ingersoll's
lecture. was very elaborate, being rich
In rhetoric, brilliant in oratory and
strone in argumunt. The utterances
which fell from the reverend gentle
mau's lips were eagerly devoured by
the gigantic sudiense, and In several
instsnces he was heartily applaudsd.
The texts were selected from John IL !:
IL. Daniel S: IL and Matthew "a: l2-l3.
As Christians, said Mr.. Kramer, we
mus. never be indifferent to the utter
ances OF passing events. Christ rsbuk'
id the Sadducss and Pharisees for de-
manding sign from heaven, saying
'sye can discern the face Of the sky.
| but W cannot discern the signs of-the
times" Prophecy is shining In ful.
| fillment Gil around us. The cloud
drifting to Hermon indicated warm
weather the red sky Of the morning
was the evidence Of rain; 80 the de-
signs OF God, as revealed In His word,
may be seen moving on selemnly and
sublimely in the signs Of the times.
Consideration will result In such dis
lcarnment that We shall be confirmed In
our faith and may be TINS led to see
the majesty and harmony Of the Scrip
lures.
We are living 10 solemn aud stir
ring days. Mark Hopkins, in the last
number Of the Princeton Review, re-
marks that there Ia At present tenden-
cy Of the skeptical mind that no one can
doubt. wish to show from the texts
the truth Of our holy christianity and To
cause You TO see that its triumph Is noi
lin this aion or age, but In the aion OF
age 10 come "when the Son Of Man
shall come in His glory" l shall not
attempt 10 prove the existence OF God.
That is we'll done by the two wonders
of Emmanuel Kant: "The starry world
without and the moral world within"
Reasoning may be classified into
probability, possibility and certAinty.i II
ia possible 70 have q revelation. II is
probable that We would have reve!a'
tion. Does christianity meet the ex
peotation Of such probability IL 1t be
reasonable God would furnish in rich
realization an ideal man. Is Christ the
one7 Even Ingersoll practically says
yes when he ssysW give Him the HON.
age of my admiration and tears"
Well might plate say II find NJ
lfaultin him." Passing on to the high
er evidence Of historical certainty, the
evidence Of which any matter Of fact IL
capable, suoh 90 the existence Of Caesar
and Napoleon, Tsllsyrand, Cromwell
and Milton, We have the proof that
christianity Is Of God, Of the genuine
ness and authentity Of the books oi
christianity.
We call attention TO an intere sting
fact. The great number OF manuscript
Of the New Testament are compared
with ancient writings. Only 6fteeI
manuscripts Of Heroditus are known Il
scholars, not 80 many Of Plato. From
| 700 70 900 copies OF the Greek Testa'
ment have been examined by critics
The most celebrated manuscripts are
the Alexandrian, Vatican, and Sanoitio
, which is called the manuscript OF Tisch
chendori, who dates from the middle o
the fourth century. There are copies
; from the original which must have ex
, istea long before. We receive the book
Of the New Testament as written by thu
men whose names they bear for thu
same reason that we receive Cesar and
Dacitus. For these writings we hav'
the testimony ofthe ages. The books o
the New Testament are referred to b.
the early Christian writer's and als'
by adversariss. Among many others
. We have Jerome, Eusibius, Arnobics,
Origin, then back 10 the second oen
tury to Tsrtulian, Clement Of Alexsn
dria, Martyr lrasnssus, who was thu
disciple Of John, Irsenaeus mentioned
the fsur gospels. Also the testimony
Of Justin Martyr, Barnebus, Clements
Hermas, all alluded to the New Tesla
ment, and Ignatius, OLA. D. 10, quote
Matthew and John. Polyoarp, tn
disciple Of John, himself alluded TO tn
> New Testament. The civil rulers men
: toned In the New Testament are men
toned by other writers.
The characters OF the heathen ma
. tions in history harmorize with tina
described in the New Testament. VIII,
did the apostles write in Greek I! Tn
: Greek was spoken and written through
lout the Roman empire. especially Il
i the eastern provinces. The Septuagint
J, la Greek translation OF the HebreS
. Scriptures, was in use zoo years befor
Christ. Greek was the Official languag
of the Proucurators. The curren
n Greek in Palestine was called Hebrai
4 Greek. The New Testament was no
written 10 Attic Greek. ''If," says
a writer, "it had bsen written with olas
\ sic purity In the language Of Isocrate
I or Plutarch there would be inst groun
to suspect forgery"
' Miracles and prophecy are evidence
OF christianity. To say miracles ar
\ contrary to experience is to beg tn
= question. We must rely upon huma
" testimony. II You reject human test
mony we refer you to Archbishop Wha
;, lsy's ironical doubt AZ TO the existenc
e Of Napoleon.
J. The truth Of christianity depend
). upon the great miracle Of the resurret
tion OF Jesus Christ. The witnesses
a this would not have been deceived no
), could they have had any motive to d.
4 csive others. The body Of Christ wa
:. in the hands OF his enemies or friends
a. All Jerusalem was ringing with th
Y. story Of His resurrection. II In tb
IN hands Of His enemies, they would hav
displayed It as evidence that he wa
not risen: II In the hands Of His friend
they would not have suffered even uni
y death for what they knew to be falls,