The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1893-10-07
THE RETORT COURTEOUS.
A.. IL. Nelson Replies tn Rev. j. II
CrOOkeF's Card.

A. IL. Nelson Replies tn Rev. j. II.
Crooker's Card.
Acknowledging tho ready courtesy with
which Mr.. Croker responded to my appeal
for light upon q certain illustration used
by him In his recent address upon tho
theme. Jesus the Nazarsne." I can but
confess that the light he has granted
me seems transmitted Through a glass
He Is evidently desirous Of maintaining
the authenticity Of John viii: ILL. ~ found
in the received version Of the New Tesla
mont, although he sonoedss the founda-
ton Of my cSiticism Of his argument de-
duced therefroM, viz, That no such inter
view e recorded N either OF the most
com plete and authoritative manuscripts OF
the Nsw Testament now exsant. But. says
Mr.. Croker, THAT this passage Is absent
from tho oldest manuscripts of the fourth
gospel. 10 no proof that it IL not historical =
| am glad to learn, from one whom ! esteem
to be q biblical scholar. that the manu-
scripts to which ! referred are not only the
most complete. bat "the oldest" We have OF
the fourth gospe'. / did not claim for
them ahe authority OF longevity, Mr..
Crooker further says: 1T was probably
intsrpolated from ono of the many print
tive gospels now lost. which were more his
torioal than the evangelical records which
We possess.'
In the foregoing quotation the words
probably" and NOV LOST are %singularly
significant, since they show most clearly
that Mr.. Crooktr maintains it to be more
scholarly to believe, has something would
probably" be found In ono OF more manu-
testimony of some of the ''oldest manu-
scripts" OF the same work Zone at least
having bsen In existenc CO for sixteen centur-
les, the Codex Sinaiticus being believed to
be one of the nifty copies Of the complete
Bible transcribed in A. D.. 33l under direc-
tion OF Eusebins Of Caesa'ea by order Of
the Emperor Constantins), that no such
occurrence ever took place. But how does
Mr.. Crooker know Che doesn's use the word
probably" hers) that these now lost"
manuscripts were more historical" than
the oldest manuscripts which are still in
existence? Neither MI. Crooker nor any
other scholar Judges the accuracy of IL YER
the 6atires of Juvennl by any such rule;
and / cannot believe that he expects, or
even wishes anyone to accept his mere do
tnm Of probabilities as argument upon the
point in question.
Since ~"proot" ia one thing and levi.
dence" is another, at least according to
exact legal definition, the omission of the
disputed passage from the Sinaitio manu-
script may not be 'p,oot" OF its spurious
character, but il is certainly such "evi-
dencs' as rebuts the prima faois character
OF the story in question, as found in a trans
lation made before that manuscripts was
discovered. and compiled from several cop
ies, not one of them as complete. nor I'M
questionably as old as that manuscripts.
As regards the colloquy between Jesus
and the Womap OF Eyohar, after the Master
had shown her. In a single hash-light OF
his omniscience, that he knew all Of her
past life. she said, II know that Messias
cometh which is called Christ; when he is
come he will tell US all things." Query:
How could any bat a being clothed with
omniscience tell Us all things'? TO that
dsola, alton Of the woman's idea
of the essential attributes of the prom
ised Messiah. Jesus replied. probably in
the svro. Chaldaio dinleot. but according to
the G eek text of Wescott d Hort. Ego
eimi no lalloon SOL" Jehovah declared
his divinity TO Moses by the Hebrew title
translated II am." That title by IN exact
translation into the words Ego eilni''
Jesus claimed for himself. The woman
not only said to her townspeopIe Come
sec q man." but as it was "a man. Ian out
ward appearance) who had, as to her past
life. omniscience. she very confidently
asked lis not this the Christ?' or in other
words. this very being whom. as she had
told Jesus. she expected, when he did come,
would prove himself by his omniscience to
be ''the Christ" Positively my last appear
ance In this discussion. A.. H. NELSON.