Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1896-02-24


they bring to our knowledge, exhibit
ing Christ as GCd. are within the range
of the possible. then the conclusion that
Christ is God forces itself upon the
mind OF all men Of judgment You re-
ceive a letter from John Smith, who
lives in London, and whose truthful
ness is well known TO everybody, in
forming YOU that q great condagrauon
took place ia the capital Of England.
You show the letter to a neighbOr, say
ing. See what q big fire they had in
London-A fire. how do you know?
Icl did not see it, and | did not see II
But my good man, do you not see
the letter? You know Smith would not
tell a fb for the world. And the letter
is from him: See his handwriting and
signature. and you know a fire is very
possible in a large city-Well, says
your ThomasiGn ncighbOr, unless l take
the steamer and go to London and see
with my eyes the ashes and the ruins,
viii not believe in that fire. You will
stare at him in the face and say: Man,
YOU better call q physician as quick as
Won can. and consult with him about a
good treatment for the softening OF
tie brain.
THE GOSPEL RELIABLE.
Now I proceed. Are the authors Of
the Gospel reliable in their eyangelic
variations? Two conditions are strict
lv required in q witness TO make him
worthy of credence: First, he must be
wei informed, Second. he must be true
and honest. The evaugelists were per-
fectly well posted on what they wrote.
Two of them. Matthew and John ere
among the twelve original apostles, and
for two years and half had lived IN
the intimacy of Christ. following him
I'm his peregriuatiOns and receiving his
special communications. They had
been the immediate witnesses Of his
life. the eye-witnesses Of his doings the
ear-witnesses of his sayings They
wrote. therefore. what they had seen
with their own eyes. heard with their
own ears. The other two were the COM
Dauions of the apostles and obtained
their information directly from them.
Mark was the secretary of Peter, fol-
lowed him i'm his missions, and, after
writing his Gospel at the request OF the
brethren, he had il approved by. and,
therefore invested with, the authority
of the chief of The apostles, as St.
clement declares. Luke was coilea-
cue of Barnabas. one of the seventy;
and In order 10 obtain information
from Witnesses who had seen every
thing from the beginning. he came pur-
posely to Jerusalem and Intercepted
Peter. James the Less and John. before
writing his Gospel Where in the long
list OF historians who have contributed
toward the record of the past, are wit
nesses to be found that were better in
formed than the Scriptural historians?
On the other hand. the truthfulness
and honesty of the evangelist is alto
gether out of question. They We're
simple people, most candid, and, with
one exception ignorant fishermen de
void of literary attachments. They
wrote not to discuss or set forth theOr-
les. They simply recorded words and
facts. The prominent character of
their works i'm their being thoroughly
impersonaL The auth 4 disappear al
together. except to say they are only
witnesses. and have seen or heard what
they write. They tell facts without any
attempt TO explain them. Had they
been scholars they might possibly be
suspected of having put their own
ideas and their own inventions in their
writings, but they simply contented
themselves to remember and TO put
down their recOliectons. This par
t.cUlar feature places the biOgraphars
of Christ far above an other histCr-
ians. who. being generally men OF
learning are more AOr less moved by
5he wish TO explain facts instead of
simply recording them. and to embel-
Hsh or mUulate according to the sys-
tenn or precouceived theory which pre-
walls in their cultivated mind.
ANOTHER PROOF.
Another proof of the honesty and
sincerity of the cvangelists is the fact
that they gave their lives TO uphold
what they declared TO be the truth. A
simple affirmation may be doubted, but
when it is sealed with the blood of the
witness. the good faith of the witness
is triumDhanty put out of the Ques-
tion. Where is the man to be found
who viii suffer prosecution, prison and
death 20 uphold an imposture, especial
ly when no personal benefit is to be
derived from the imposition?
The authenticity II the Scriptural
documents are now beyond the reach
of any reasonable objection. The in
hdel school has for some time cues
toned the genuineses of the four can
T,.,r-r
only served TO a good effect. by pro-
viding scrutinous Investigations which
led to triumphantly establish the an
JiQuity of the Gospels. proving that as
far back as the pOntiGcate of Plus I.
@ little over fifty years after the death
of the last apostle. they were read i'm
the church I'm the same order in which
they are now clasSed, that there al
ready existed a Latin version OF the
Gospels at that time. called the old
IlaLc Version that before this version.
there was one i'm Africa. another one in
Italy and moreover q Syriac Version
called the Ieschito; and that these
TRANSACTIONS were contemporaneous TO
the ORIGINALS. No critic who respects
himself dares now 10 put the authen-
lc.,E OF the Gospels in question. I'm
believers themselves have been forced
10 acknowledge IT, and to change their
strategy by striving 20 misconstrue
their eyjdential character.
The facts recorded i'm the Gospels are
of miraculous mature; but ,aey are
perfectly conceivable and acceptable 10
reason. because they show 10 absurdity