New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-06-24
CONDITIONS NECESSARY FOR BELIEF.

Erie, June 3. 1888 a. H. SAo"iAHA'
CONDITIONS NECESSARY FOR BELIEF.
AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE SIGNIFICANCE OF
cHRIsr's LIFE AND WORK MUST COME FIRST
To the Editor OF The Tribune
Cir: I have not followed closely the discussion OF
the resurrection OF Christ in columns but reel
that II certainly ought not TO be permitted 70 term'.
nate with the conclusion expressed IN your eu'or&
OF last Sunday morning.
You speak rightly OF two attitudes IN WHICH ons
NAV approach the question: one. relying on 'ns
divine authority Of Bible Church; the other' ap-
p,ying the test Of a critical investigation You Bay
,ru,v that there Is no place for compromise De-
tween the two. But you 20 further tnah this anu
saw that these attitudes are the parting Oh t"e
wavs for those who hold and those who REJECT tne
bodv resurrection OF Jesus" You say that moss
Christians who accept the dogma because they "
Ievo that God revealed It in the Bible occupy
,.,,,on that Is entirely tenabe while all others o.
cupv position that is untenabe. because TX II Is 10
be decided by evidence at all, the evidence "nic" az
be adduced for II must be regarded as insufhcie'.
II Is with this statement that desire 10 'aHs
issue I am confident that represent large oouy
Of thoughtful Christian people when state inc
,oIou,ng attitude on the subject: / believe In the
resu,recon OF Jesus from the dead not because the
Rlbe guarantees It, not because the Church guaran-
teos II but because careful study OF the evidence
renders It overwhelmingly probable 10 my m'"o
that the actually occurren iHsis'' ''sN'N''
unon the Inclusion In that evidence or certain eie
mcnts which are frequently left out OF cohsiue'@-
ton II II were simply a question whether GER
tain man OK" rose from the dead eighteen nun
dred years ago. and the evidence onered cohsiS'e~
.,nv NJ the stories OF the alleged event which APP
near in the New Testament. | should, Win you'
regard that evidence as Insufficient" should con-
slider I, far more probable that some mistake hao
ho.r made and that the event did not occur In
o,b.r words the case for the resurrection tr1ec
solely in the court Of physical science. Is nope.
less one The methods OF the Society Tor fsychical
Research applied to 1t must result IN the 'e'u'''
mot proven a..
But there is another court in which the case TOT
-, r.srrrec,on can be tried than the one In which
tho physical or the psychical investigator SITS on
the bench. There is something ABOUT the e'e"'
which difrerentates It from ordinary mirace-s,ories:
and that something has quite escaped the notice OF
the ratonaistIc critics OF the resurrection. Their
training and temper do not fit them to appreciate
:, They have no eyes TO II. II consists In tho
unlnueness OF the Person who Is alleged 10 nave
RISEN and in the unlqueness OF HIS position IN Ms
tory ,,
Before a man can reasonably be asked 20 oehe's
IN the resurrection he must first be led TO believe
T., ~. ono Who rose II is not ~" but Jesus
chr,st whose resurrection Is alleged. Let man
study Jesus Christ until he has learned 10 appre-
ciate the magnitude and CORY OF that iha'cniess
narsonalitv until he has seen Him towering above
humanity with the stature or the son OF ooo-aHo
he has taken the first lesson in the evidence FOR
thu resurrection Then let him study the place WHICH
this figure occupes in history. Let him study me
vondrous preparation for Him In the history OF the
Jews and OF other nations OF antiquity Ana 10
that let him add the consequences OF HIS life' the
transformation OF human life that has been wrought
through eighteen centuries by the forces proceeding
from Chris,-unt!l ne sees In Him the central figure
in human history. the one sent In the funess OK
time to establish the kingdom OF God In the word.
Let man study those lessons. and he has
gained the necessary spiritual viewpoint for tho
study OF the resurrection. Now let him ask the
question Did this man rise from the dead. as
these ancient records allege?' Let him note the
striking way In which the whole subsequent devel-
opment OF Christianity hinged upon the disciples
belief In the resurrection. II that belief had not
arisen. the followers OF the Crucihed would have
gone back to their fishing. and nothing would have
come OF /, all Think OF that and then ask the
question. Was It simply a co'ncdencey' The great
est character In history. enthroned In the central
place In history. the author OF the grandest reis-
ious movement In hstory-and all BY a mistake. an
accident, a chance Authorization!
That Is the background upon which we must study
the resurrection evidence. Approached in that way.
TO one who believes In any providen;ial plan OF God
at ALL the resurrection takes It's place AT once not
interruption in the uniformity OF nature; but
as an element in that orderly development o, me
est law IN the universe - ,.
There stu remains the question at Issue between
n bodily resurrection OF Jesus and spiritual man.
Hesitation OF the risen Lord &c the disciples For re-
llglous purposes the Is to quite as satisfac-
tory as the other The essential thing Is the mani
festaon OF the triumphant life OF the risen Christ
There some people whose philosophical prepos
sessions prejudice them strongly against physical
miracle like the resurrection OF dead body III any
such md II easier 10 accept the spiritual manites.
taton" theory. let one begrudge 1t them; for II
contains all that Is essential In the resurrection
truth But, un.css am mistaken that philosophical
attitude which regards miracle In the world OF
matter as more difncult or less credible than IN
the world OF spirit Ia passing away. and Is giving
pace to a more id.alistic philosophy which regards
matter itself simply the sensible manifestation
Of spirit.
The essential point. however. OF my contention 70
that n must believe In Christ before he can be
expected believe in the resurrection. To the nrss
disciples the resurrection was a necessary part OK
christian evidences But It is SO no longer Tho
lirht OF the Christian CENTURIES shining upon the
figure OF Christ. brings out His divinity TO us In .
way that was possible In the case OF the disci-
pies The miracles on which they leaned become
Tor us simply the natural accomplishments or the
manifestation OF the Son OF God. We study them
not as aids faith. but rather as works OF mercy,
as tokens OF the divine love. and-in the case OF
the resurrection-as q pledge OF the reality Of the
immortal life. WILLARD h. THORf.
Binghamton. y. Y. June II. 1895