New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-06-24
CHRIS1'S RISEN BODY.
MIR. HOPKINS DISCUSSES SCIENCE AND
THE RESURRECTION

EVIDENCE REQUIRED TO CONVINCE OF THE
MIRACULOUS CONFERENCE.-THE ST.
PRA-MENTAL SENSE
To the Editor OF The Tribune
SIR: Your issue of Monday the 10Th. seems 10 III
dictate continued interest in the question vi INC
bodily resurrection. and as all or your correspond
ents address themselves more or less 10 "'"'
have said. venture once more TO tax the patience
OF your readers ~
Let me first notice the letter OF G X. ne
quotes from Professor Langley to show that SCI
ent.fc men OF the last century were $40" ~ ="
cent as fact the fall OF meteoric stones anu
draws the inference that am "a phhosop"e' y.
the last century" because he says my methoh Oh
dealing with the resurrection is similar 10 'he"S'
10, us SOC I am Indebted to him for referring 10
The fall OF meteoric stones in this connection ioi
what is said seems to me TO establish exactly """'
have contcnded for. When irst there began W ''
stories OF such things. being supposeu 10 oe u"
precedented occurrences and contrary 10 I'D" va,
law they were properly doubted and questioned '''
so many OF them fell and the accounts gre"
rumerous and so we'll authenticated that, VIII
nesses being examined and the stones 'he"'Se"s
produced the evidence became JUST "ha' " ""o"'
10 be In such cases-overwhelTning lheh 'ne W.
nighted last-ccntury scientists were convinced ana
that there were natural laws to account lor 'n.",
xov sunnose II had been the question or the ran
~ \ single stone and that such thing had never
been known to happen: that. further 'here Was
no witness who said he had seen H. put three VI
four ur,,,cn accounts OF unknown authorship.
which said that certain people had many years ~"
fore told some one that they had seen It, suppose
further that one OF them said that II fell Win
or.at light accompanied by an earthquake that
terrified every one and that the deah came out VI
their graves and walked about: and another re-
,,rrIrg IN tho same occurrence said 1t came down
40 gently and quietly that hardly any one noticed
II: another that he dug 1t M and handled IT, ana
4, vas n real stone: and still another. that he ran
HE hand through Il and II vanished out OF s'eh''
that yet another said that as he sat IN MS mouse
I, suddcnIv came through the wall without max
Inc any noise or break and dropped AT MS i"c' anu
that there was SIN another account when sta''n
tina, II fell In the very midst OF ten or dozen men,
and that although It was largo and plainly visible
"some OF them doubted" Then. that there was
tale which bore signs o. having been added 10 III"
manuscript later on. that the stone AFTER ha'."e
been seen by many. had risen into the air ana dls
appear.d in the skies. Had this been all the evil
dence to be had that meteoric stone had ever
fallen even "C X" would probably be n doubter'
though he regards evidence OF the same character
coupled with what he calls his own internal evil
dencc" ms entirely adequate 10 establish the res
toraton to life OF a dead body.
THE EVIDENCE AS TO MIRACLES
have nowhere claimed that miracle Is I'M
poss.bIc: only that have never seen evidence
enough 10 convince me OF one. II that be msr-
century metaphysics ard science, Of which ="
X 81 nosltlvc statement will not convince every
body I am content 20 abide there. i, Is an entire
shifting % the ground TO say as he seems 10 30
tina, the bodily rcsurrer ton IL within the laws OF
nature The theological position has always BEEN
lss
was A miracle and outside the laws o. nature. that
/ :, vas 70 10 believed. as that made manifest the
divtn. lnicrposii!On and served as an autheh'l''-
ton as well Sow. despite the fact that the Dot
tom Is knocked out OF my argument tn" average
common sense man IL. think. going 20 keep right
on r.ouiring more evidence FOR belief In an event
out Of the common than FOR belief In an ordinary
| occurrence I, meet n on the corner. ana
ne tells me he has just seen a runaway morse pass
by | believe II as matter ~ course hnt suppose
he tells me that week before some one toid MN
,h,, no saw n horse suspended In air forty feet
above the earth. with no support. and that IL re-
NAMED there hour. now. very likely II were
"a NJ. ,o-late a philosopher and me;aphyslcan as
"G X" should say. There Is no inherent I'M
probability IN that Nature has never gwen any
testimony against A. This man says somebody
.au # and (, mus, hc so" with my "antGuated"
anA exploded IDEAS" | should demand very
large amour, - the very best proof before be-
u.ycd him exactly a. should were II saii dead
body had come out o, the grave. In no such case
so ,ar n. | can discover. has such Evidence been
Incoming
% X" saws am inconsistent, because be
reve I'm immortality That is n subject by NSet
and need not Dee drawn INTO the discussion Tor the
accordance % an historical fact there must be- AZ
Tho Tribune editorial clearly points out, SUM
ccnt evidence ~ a reliable historical character or
+, mus; bc accepted on authority. Even those VINO
,ey IL Is "A revelation. and who ~till claim TO eS-
crclse the right o, pryai" judgment must nave
mad. use q, their reason to satisfy themselves
that 1, was "A real revelation. other beliefs are
Inherently formed I, d" objects to my saying
believe I'm The Immortality OF the soul he may call
I, oninion or IN ference what he likes NO on"
knows anything OF Ne on another planet, nut
may form an opinion based various grounds
Amounting 10 a belief that = exists there. When,
however | am told that certain thing happened
cha, nullha was born without human father.
that the body OF Jesus rose from The dead there
f. no way ~ certifying II To my mind except by
proor 40 amount %, spiritual sense can certify II.
DI II happen or dil (, not 20 X" alone 80 idr
ns | know denies that the presumption is against
the violation o, natural las.
IMMORTALITY And PHYSICAL. BEING
IIe SAYS that a belief In immortality ~ contrary
10 IN. uniformity Of nature say anything about
science to 90 fin dc steele adept with great nm
d.nce but | had supposed that II asserts the per-
manencc and indcstructblity OF all matter ana AL
forms Of force OF which vitality Ia one. II the
immortal part the llfc the soul. whatever ne
may c,u IL nlvavs associated with matter, ana