The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1890-11-20
THE RESURRECTION.
Accounts Of this Event submitted to Legal
Examination.

Accounts Of this Event Submitted to Legal
Examination.
resurrection from the dead is a stupendous
event. No one should be obliged 10 believe IL
happened without at least the ordinary proofs
demanded ia human courts. How OF the Tesur-
TeetiOn Of Jesus2 We have several reports.
Can they go through thorough legal ordeal ?
Let US sec.
Jsdge Booth, who shared fame somewhat
similar to that of Hon. Robert Ingersoll, once
said, at a certain Philosophical Society, that
the account of the resurrection of Christ is an
"excrescence upon the record the result of
snperstitious imaginings or pious fraud" He
declared further that our Christian ideas are
errors not now generally accepted by ad-
yaBeed thinkers" Some critics may be enough
unzind 70 imagine at least that such language
Is somewhat presumptuOus, bordering a little
on egotism. 1t is TO DO admitted. Of course,
that the Judge must be ranked with I'D
vanced thinkers"
So much for one Judge. Is there a Consensus
OF similar opinion in the legal Paternity
Must we give up the case AZ lOstP On the start
we say that the decision Of Judge Booth is the
almost universal exception.
Chief Justice TheOphilus Parsons was known
as the Giant Of the Law" Without neglect
ing his own profession, he gave goOdly atten-
ton TO the investigation Of religious concerns.
memorial service was conducted in his honor.
at which Judge Isaac Parker delivered the
commemorative address. Read the following
extract theTefrOm:
About three months before the Chief JUS
tice died, had q conversation with him upon
the subject Of the Christian religion, and par
tlcularly upon the proofs of the resurrection
contained in the New Testament. He told mo
that he felt the most perfect satisfaction on
that subject; that he had once taken it up
with view 10 ascertain the weight of the
evidence by comparing the accounts given BY
the four eyaHgelists with each other; and that
from their agreement in all substantial and
important facts, as we'll as their disagreement
ia mlr6r circumstances, considering them all
as separate and independents witnesses, giving
their testimony &C different periods. he believed
that the evidence would be considered perfect
if the question were tried at any human trib-
unal"
We can see the doctrine Of the resurrection
is not merely oue-sided matter, 20 be dis
posed Of by gufaw.
DIR. Thomas Arnold, the famous Rugby mas
ter and sturdy preacher. said, as We quote
from his Sermons on Christian Life:
"The evidence Of our Lords life and death
and resurrection may be and often has been
shown to be satisfactory; it is good according
10 the common rules for distinguishing good
evidence from bad. Thousands and tens Of
thousands have Como through it. piece by piece
as carefully as ever judge summed up on a
most important case. / have, myself done it
many times over, not TO persuade others, but
10 satisfy myself. I have been used for MANY
years to study the history Of other times, and
to examine and weigh tho evidence OF those
who have written about them, and i know of
no one fact in the history Of mankind which
is proved by better and fuller evidences of every
Sort to the understanding Of fair INQUIRER.
than the great sign which God hath given Us
that Christ died and rose again from the dead !"
De Wette was recognized as the leader in
German RatiOnalism, and yet when he came TO
die he said
"The fact Of the resurrection, although a
darkness which can not be dissipated rests on
the way and manner, can not be called into
doubt any more than the assassination Of
Cesar"
Gilbert West, Iiterateur famous and inHu.
entail in his day, was skeptical as to religious
evidences in general. Atlength he agreed with
Lord Littleton to make thorough study of the
doctrine of the resurrection of Christ. First he
went critically over the accounts as given in
the four Gospels. He decided, on che start, the
reports were either piOus frauds ," or products
of imagi nation affected by superstition or true
What particularly affected Mr.. West was the
fact of Christs Life before the eruciix-
ion. It was wonderful, and prepared the stu
dent TO expect q peculiar and unique termina-
ment illusions and with the general tone Of the
Epistles. More and more he was impressed.
lie put his thoughts ntoshape-clothed bis con-
vicIions in words How did he come out from
the research? Every Bible student should read
the work of Mr.. West on the Resurrection Of
Christ. 1t is one Of the strongholds Of the
faith.
Canon Liddon. who recently passed from life,
was held to be not Ouly one of the greatest
~ fkA by.F
scholar. He was author of the following:
There can, apPrehend, be no sort of doubt
that If an ordinary historic occurrence, such as
the death of Julius Cesar, were attested as
clearly as the resurrection of our Lord, not
more clearly, nor less, as having taken place
10 centuries ago. all the world would believe it
as a matter OF course"
All will admit GFeenleaf was an authority in
law and specially rs to evidence. He was
author of works which have become text. books
in Europe aud America. IIe resolved one time
to take into court the miracle of Chrsts resur-
rectiOn; to sift the facts to examine aud cross
examine the witnesses; to submit the reports
to all the most critical principles of law as ap-
piled in the English and American courts.
Read the result:
LET the witnesses" he says. "be compared
with themselves, with each other, and with
surrounding facts and circumstances; and let
their testimony be Siited as If it were given in
a court Of justice on the side of the adverse
party, the witnesses being subjected to a rigOr-
Gus cross-examinatiOn. The result it is con-
fidently believed, will be an undOubting con-
yiction Of their integrity, ability. and truth
In the course Of such an examination the I'M
designed condolences will multiply upon US at
every step in our progress; the probability of
the veraeIty OF the witnesses and of the reality
Of the occurrences which they relate will in
crease until it acquires, for all practical pur-
poses, the value and force OF demonstration"
When you ask for Hoods Sarsaparilla do not
DO persuaded to buy any other preparation.