New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-07-05
COL. HOPKINS'S ARGUMENT
LAWYERS CRITICISM OF HIS DISCUS
SION OF THE RESURRECTION.

OLD POINTS BROUGHT OUT AS NEW. AND THE
LATEST RESULTS OF CHRISTIAN
SCHOLARSHIP IGNORED
To the Editor OF The Tribune
Sir: The logic OF the position which Coione N.Y.
kins has taken. II correct. Is that Cnris.' 49,.
founded on a huge imposture. The credio'hty Oh 'e
Gospel narratives Is again to be discussed ""u %
the discussion has heretofore commander 'ne a'.''
intellect and a profound acquaintance WIN '"e
New Testament In the vernacuar ana original
| cro.k and n knowledge Of patrlstic literature
which II Is claimed corroborates the Ne" iestd-
ment version, Il Is a proper inquiry "he'her No'o-
mel Hopkins in reopening questions acquiesceo III
as settled by nearly all Christian peoples OF what
ever persuasion is fully equipped TOT the enterprise
So far as he has proceeded think an Intelligent
,oroh.r q, m. profession to which he and be-
long with but a moderate knowledge OF the mat
ter will have to admit that Co'onei HOPKINS
scholarship IL slender and his case as presented a
weak II. appears 10 have but slight faml-
iarty with the literature even OF MS own sioe Vi tue
controversy.
Colonel Hopkins knows that there are occasionally
disputes In the court which require Struck jury
| one substantially OF experts; and 1t would seem
| emlnenty proper that In case OF such interest as
the one he brings before the public those most
capable Of deciding upon It's merits should not De
excluded but invited 10 give It their consideration
Colonel Hopkins Is professedly tenacious that only
the testimony Of eye witnesses TO the great events
OF Chrst's life should be admitted but to make out
his case he tries exclude those who. thus quail
fed. have testified as to the credibility OF such7
events.
THE cREDIBILITY OF ST. JOHNS GOSPEL
ST John who was the nearest 10 Christ Of all
the dsclplss and familiar with all His sayings and
dongs. His dscourses and His miracles. His DEATH
burial and resurrection Is not to be believed be-
cause some one. in a recent English review. has at
| -
| Hopkins does not seem TO be aware that the cred-
| bity OF that Gospel has been under discussion Tor
nearly a hundred years. and It's authenticity hnaly
settled by the commentary Of Westcot the pres
ent Bishop OF Durham. and the exhaustive mono
graph OF Ezra Abbott. the Unitarian clergyman OF
Boston. Since then scholar OF any pretension
has attempted 10 refute their arguments and con-
cus.ons. The Book OF Acts. in which St. Peter
vouchcs for himself and all the other disciples as
witnesses to the death and resurrection OF Christ
Mr. Hopkins considers unworthy OF notice because
as he says. 1t written or complied by several
! persons Now. the consensus OF opinion among
Christian and other scholars. Including Renan. ~
that Acts IL an authentic record and was written
| by Luke. the companion OF Paul. whose travels and
preaching a large portion OF It's record. Its
authenticity has been tested In every possible way
and Is longer In doubt
when Colonel Hopkins is confronted with Green
leafs great work on the credib.lty OF the Gospels
under the application OF the rigid rules o! legal evil
| dencc. IL
| II II were written at the present time when. as he
asserts the creiib.lity OF the Gospel Is more ques
'lonable. It's author would arrive at different con-
/ customs. Now. as matter OF fact the discussions
heretofore referred 10 have removed more than ever
before all doubts to the truthfuness OF the New
Testament and OF the Identity OF the authors OF It's
several books. and Greenleaf would md that his
conclusions have been amply confirmed
Having attempted In this weak fashion 10 remove
the eye-wi,ne.ses Colonel Hopkins next attempts
TO impeach the corroborating historical narrative
! OF St Paul by saying that he was not an eye-wi;
ness Neither chief Justice Marshall an eye
witness Of the prominent events recorded In his
Life Of Washington. but. Ike Paul. he associated
With the actors IN the events and gathered from
them the facts which make up his biography. and
who has doubted the correctness OF his statements?
Paul for years the associate OF the disciples
who were with Christ during the whole OF His active
NE and he knew. he tells us. hundreds OF other
persons who witnessed his temperance after death.
and 81, Pau. being a lawyer and a person OF COM
mandng intellect undoubtedly made himself famil-
lar with all the evidence before undertaking TO
preach and CONVEX; the world TO religion whose
cornerstone the resurrection from the grave Of
Jesus Christ
40 MIDDLE GROUND POSSIBLE
The Gospel, are biographies OF a Person whose
constant performance Of miracles AMI discourses II
recounis and II these are eliminated but skele-
ton would remain. This Person was either Divine.
as lie represents himself 20 be. or lie vas an I'M
posor There b. moral Christ az distin-
guished from the divine. lie not only performed
miracles II the records at all credible. but
claimed that lie I'D and that they were evidences
OF his ms1ion. The miracles have not only to be sx-
planned away. but the claims also. II He never
wrought such miracles as He bade the disciples OF
John tell their Of not only Is His religion de-
prvel OF It's creiental but II Is founded on an Inn
posture II 4. In vain TO talk about Christ's per
sonal goodness and excellent doctrine and deny HIS
miracles The record OF them Is trustworthy as
that OF the Sermon the Mount.
Christ also foretold to His disciples several
occasions that lie would be killed at Jerusalem and
IN. third day be raised up again from the dead.
The apostle John says II any man says he has not
sinned. ne makes Christ to be liar. II We say that
He ad not do what He claimed and what lie fore
told We place Him In the same predcament Colonel
Uopklns Is so impressed with this alternative that
he resorts to his alter ego Greg TO help him. and
ouotes from the latter the assertion that the pre-
dlcons were asrribed to Jesus after the event and
no, really uttered by Him. Where Mr.. Greg nnds
any authority for this assumption except In his
vivid nagnati ton is not disclosed. but to exonerate
Jesus IT makes the authors OF the Gospel all forg-
ers which should also excite the sympathy OF
Colonel Hopkins
Colonel Hopkins lays good deal Of stress upon
the difference in the details OF the testimony affect
Ing the resurrection When these differences are
marshaled. as has been done by DR.. Purness. they
are found not be very serious. not more 80 than
appear In the accounts given by several witnesses
to any striking occurrence such as a battle or a
murder. The variations In the details OF such mar
ratives are confirmation OF the veracity Of the wilt
nesses rather than engenderng suspicion OF their |
integrity.
EARLY TESTS OF GOSPEL TRUTH.
In considering the credlbty OF the Gospel narra-
tives must take into account that before they |
we're written the substance OF them. and espc-
cially the accounts OF the miracles and Of the
death and resurrection OF Christ were preached to
all the disciples and others who had been witnesses
Of them. by the Apostles. so that II there had been
any doubt about the truth OF their statements they
would have been contradcted on the spot. the peo
pie would not have believed and THE priests and
the Sadducees would not have been troubled be- |
cause the Apostles taught tho people and pro-