The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1897-07-31

NEW YORK, July SO.--Messrs. Ber-
r,rd p GrenfeI and Arthur S. Hunt OF
,ba EGYPTIAN Exploration Fund, in the
course of their excavations at Behnesa
have happened upon an extraordinary
and This is nothing less than leaf from
+, n,pyrus book, five and three-quarteF
inches by three and three-quarter inches
=, size which contains eight logla or
,,,vlngs ascrlbed to Christ. Each begins
Jesus saith" ,.,.,..,,o
~ ,,nr are substantially identical with
SomiIIar passages in the gospels. Inc
ISmoining two not only do not occur IN
anv on the four gospels admitted into the
New Testament canon, but seem TO be az
,,orIanee with the doctrines OF Christ as
they have been interpreted.
Mr.. Henry Froude. OF London, mas
published this fragment, with an intro
ductlon, translation notes ana supple
,nentary general remarks by the discoV-
erers. The little pamphlet has Jus.
coached America. Small as 1t 10, ana
smaller still as was the fragment upon
which Il Is based, It Is full of interest TO
ali Christians and to all students OF
whatever faith interested in the eyolu-
ton of religion.
UIItory OF the Discovery
The discoveries first, gave a general
history of the manner and method of the
discovery. Behnesa, where 1t occurred
ia at present mere hamlet on the edge
OF the Libyan desert, one hundred anu
twenty miles south OF Cairo. It's inhaol-
tants number two hundred. But IL marks
the site OF n hourishing city In Roman
times and was one OF the chiet centres OF
early Christianity In Europe. Arter inc
Arab conquest It declined rapidly into us
present inslgnihcance.
| : Nevertheless It affords peculiarly at
ttactiye field for explorers VINO, ike
Messrs, Grcnfell and Hunt, make the re-
coyery of Greek papyrl, with all the
manifold treasures they may bring
their principal aim.
excavations were begun last winter
For the first three weeks the explorers
devoted their attention to the ancient
cemetery. This proved on the whole
unproductlve. But in the rubbish heaps
OF the town were found large quantities
Of papyrl, chiefly Greek, ranging IN
date from the first Of the eighth century
and embracing every variety oil SUP
feet. No site, with the probable eXeep-
| tIon OF Arslnoe, has proved so fertile III
this respect and for the examination
and editing of the payri FOUND much
time will be required. But the remark
able character Of the fragment to whlch
allusIon has been made seemed to de-
mand its prompt publication. That de-
mand has been met IN the present
pamphlet.
First ofthc Sayings.
The first legion is fragmentary. and
runs as follows: and then shalt
thou see clearly to cast out the mote
that is In thy brothers eye"
This agrees substantially with the
meaning of Matthew, vii, 3. and Is
Identical in language with Luke w., a.
IL" say the editors, I'VE are right IN
maintaining that the verso side OF this
leaf came first in the book there Is
nothing TO show whether the whole OF
the saying, as found in Luke and Mat
thew, preceded. II the Tecto side had
come first. there would have been good
reason for thinking that the saying ap-
reared in a shortened form, since 1t Is
unlikely that more than few lines are
lost at the bottom OF the leaf"
The second legion offers more diiii-
culues to the Christian. 1t runs as fol-
lows:
Jesus saith, Except yc fast to the
world, We shall In no wise find the king
dom Of God: and except We keep the
Sabbath, We shall not see the Father"
Obviously. It Is declared, the Jewish
Sabbath is meant. But It has been the
doctrine OF Christianity that the jew
ish Sabbath was superseded by the new
dlspensatlon. The observance of our
modern Sunday is in Itself an innova-
ton upon early Christian practice. 1t Is,
therefore, suggested that this loGlon
may be forgery committed with
view to supporting the Jewish Sab
bath.
Another Similarity.
The third logion is similar in spirit to
that contained in John, l., 10, but the
form is different. II runs as follows:
Jesus saith. I stood In the midst Of
the world, and In flesh was / seen Of
them, and found all men drunken, and
none found athirst among them, and
my soul grievcth over the sons Of men,
because they are blind in their heart"
Logon fourth has perlshed. only one
word remaining. This IL the Greek word
for bcggary, a word that does not occur
in any saying OF Christ recorded In the
gospels SO this legion was very likely
new.
Tho nth legion ia also new, and is
the one which will attract most eontro'
VerEy, as being hardest TO reconcile with
the New Testament teaching. II sur
Wives only In n fragmentary form. but
the import 10 plain. Here Is the frug'
mont:
The Finn hogion.
Jesus SAITH wherever there arc
and there Is ono alone
am with him. Raise tho stone and
there thou shalt find me. leave the wood
und there am l."
Tho first part Of this passage recalls
Matthew, xviii, 20: FOR where there
Hrc two or three gathered together,
etc, though with considerable diver
Eonc"s. But the latter half seems 10
suggest pnntholsm, either BuddhlatiC
or NcO-plntonlc. II may be quoted In
future In nupport Of the accusation that
tho Gosncl Of st. John is IN itB phil1'
eophlcnl part saturated with Nco- Pla-
tonic Ideas, II will afford lntlnlta COM
fort To the thcOgophlst
Tho sixth saying concludes IN part
with Luke w., q:
''JcWs saith, "A prophet IA not accept
able In hIa own country; neither doth
u phyhlclnn work curca upon them that
Know him."
This 10 considered 70 prove that Luke
hhl tho anmc original records aq the 10.
Fln, bncnuro the Greek for accepted
hrr" domoR. wnH used by Luke only.