New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-05-27
CHRISTS APPEARANCE IN THE FLESH.
THE PROOFS THAT CONVINCED THE DISCIPLES
STILL. ALI~CoMPELLING.


To the Editor OF The Tribune
Sir: When Christ appeared 10 his Disciples was
the form which they saw a material body. with
flesh and blood? The Church OF that day were
unanimous In their belief that the body which they
the very which had been laid in the
sepulchrr. DR. Newton attaches little importance TO
what they say. because they were he thinks so
prejudlced In favor OF a bodily resurrection that
they TO be relied on. The whole story. how
ever. shows that their preJudices were against H.
although they had seen Lazarus come out OF the
grave. and the rulers daughter and the widows
rise from the bed and bier, and thus had actual
experience that once dead bodies could be caused
TO i've yet when they Jesus among them they
thought OF its being His physical body. but
supposed they behel a spirit"
/, Only after repeated statements and multi
Piled physical proofs-any one OF which wound have
been sufficient for the most cautious scientst-that
they dropped the lca Of spirit and accepted what
has since been the belief OF the Church. To the
doubling Thomas. Christ said Reach h!ther thy
finger AMI behold NV hands. and reach hither thy
hand and thrust II into my side" one would have
thought that enough but. realizing how difficult II
was for the Disciples to beeve In a bodily resur-
rcc,ion He SAID See my hands and my feet that
II is l. myself handle mo AM see. FOR a spirit hath
flesh and bones. as W see mo have And when
lie had so sad He showed them His hands and Ills
feet"
Then for the first time the idea Of His bodily
We can almost their incredibly changing to
Questioning and doubt then to disbelief for JOY
ana wonder" then - absolute certainty as h"
asked for food and they hin. eat piece OF
brolcl fish" ~ 20. they knew that this was not
that cosl. lncompr' hcrsibc something sprI, visi-
bic. a spiritual body. but the warm. living brerh-
ing friend with whom they had SO often broken
broad 80 wonder that ne cary Church hence
forth believed that every one llil IN the earth would
rise with tho same body. /, was only another In
stance u ,ha, human weakness common nov
among scml-sclent.ts where the conclusion over
matches the facts from which 70 vas drawn
Admitting the Disciples. IAN to So" WHY they
were no, as competent TO give testmony as 20 their
having seen christ eat piece ~ h~h or His offer
Ing them hts nnnds AMI side TO examine. and see
whether II. had n'rh and bones. a. would now be
a committee u scientists thoroughly posted n tho
laws OF evidence only expert pr.stiiigaicur
could have deceived them. WIN any one take that
horn - the dilemma
IS 10 Thomas having misunderstood what was
sail to him. u would NOT bee asking too much ~
those who - claim no. not lain. nut spsscs,n
n. real words - Christ. which should nc
enough Ike IN. record although opposite IN ls
teaching to justify Thomas In making such mis-
Hu, pr. Newton says In substance, No matter
wha; the eyangeis's report II Is Simply inp'Ssio'e
that Christs body. after his resurrection, VAS
disappear AZ viii. They cannot pass this close!
door This Is true. but u prove. 100 much II
ton was not a physical body. II proves the sam"
tang before that event our bodies cannot walk
on The sea our faces cannot shine as docs m"
sun our garments cannot AT our VIII become
gistening. exceeding whit" no fuller on "arth
"a vhifcn them. our eyes could not nave bchrd
PHILIP under the FIX tree. nor hAv" seen the nsh in
Ia, Lake win The piece y silver In his mouth.
Nor could the touch ~ hands have multi
piled the loayrs and fishes. nor tho touch OF our
,arncni haV" ftAnchel the issu" of blood. nor
our voices have called IN" dead 20 hfe. no. II
that reasoning b" correct. there never was any
bodily Jesus Tho 'in0sfirs N'r" r.gnt when tn"y
said IL only appearance that lived In JuIca
and died The cross They, too. rejected the
evidence % ne evausc'isis. setting NJ In their
place certain priori ideas as 10 what could
could not be
All the difficulties which Dr. Newton meets dis
appear II admit that Christ had miracle
working power after well a. before the result
possible why not In the other To hc consistent
one must accept both reject both. They can
not hc divided
whether our bodies Will rise unchanged or not
has far = can see" no bearing on the ques-
ton. Christ unique person In that HIS MS
tory foretoii with remarkable minutencss 10y
persons living centuries befor" Him. In His miTacu-
Ous birth. IN Ills sway over the powers ~ III" visi-
be AMI Invisible world. In HIS bearing hefor" lis
Judges HIS words The cross. in His exercising
the function ~ kngshp. I'm His words 10 IN" lying
thief IN HIS resurrection and ascension one Vel
might believe that His rising from the dead might
dfrcr from ours In that In His case the very idcnti
cal n. sh and blood which had lived with HIS discl-
pies should rise from the grave. {. H. WARNING
poughkeepsie. y. Y. May -. 1888.