The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1897-10-16

ing that way? Certainly the recovery
of ten genuine sayings of our Lord,
evidently written before our Cos
pels, part of which are not found
in the New Testament, seems very
meagre foundation upon which to
build such an assumption. And the
probabilities are entirely against
it. Only the disciples, or some very
intimately associated with them, as
Luke was with Paul, or Mark with
Peter, would be qualified to write
full life of Jesus, or would be likely
to undertake it. And if any such had
done so, it is very unlikely that the
church would have allowed their
works to be forgotten. The rever-
ence that caused Paul's letters to be
preserved, and the canonical Gospels
would have preserved their earlier
records.
The arguments of Prof. Harris es-
tablishing the "extreme antiquity"
of these logia. seem conclusive. Also
that our Gospels were not founded
upon oral tradition, as the Tubingen
school claim. They are authentic
records, very early made, by eye and
ear witnesses. The Professor even
thinks he has actually recovered Shy
critical methods the opening sem
tences of the Ur. Evangelium," or
book which preceded our Gospels,
and his reasons seems very strong.
He thinks the Introductory formula
ran something like this: I'VE ought
to remember what things our Lord
said in his teaching, for he said"-
and then would follow the first logion.
This all seems very probable, and
might be a very appropriate introduc-
ton to such a record, or one of them,
as l have indicated as sure to be made
by some who heard him speak. But
it would be very inappropriate, if
not impossible, introduction to mar
rative "earlier and fuller than any of
our canonical Gospels"
In word, the argument from the
critical examination of these recently
discovered logia, by such a scholar
as Prof. Harris, is very strongly in
favor of the truth of historical Chris
tianity, as we have it in the evangeli-
cal narratives; but it by no means
goes to show that our Gospels are
founded upon previously existing
records. Indeed, the absence of any
known records earlier than our Cos
pels, has been an argument with
skeptics in favor of the traditional
origin of the evangelical narratives,
and consequently of their unreliable
character-against their literal truth
fulness." Why, it was asked, if the
words were actually spoken, and the
acts really performed by our Master,
why was there not record made
earlier? Now this argument is very
much weakened, if not taken away.
There were early records, which there
would not have been had there not
been some foundation for the claims
Christ made, or which were made for
him. True, the objection never had
any force, only appeared to have; for
the legitimate inference from the
extant letters of such a man as Paul,
so early written and so we'll attested,
is abundantly sufficient to establish
the truth of all that is related of
Christ in the Gospels. There is no
other reasonable way to account for
his convictions and actions. Let the
disciples of reason. as they claim to
be, attempt to account for the con-
version and change of life of the great
apostle, as we gather it from his own
writings, on any other supposition
than the truth of what he believed
and taught. If he believed what he
taught about Jesus, believe it; and
no caviling of the rationalists can
ever weaken my faith. And Luke
was an educated, strong man, and a
constant companion of Paul, as his
writings show; which to me is suf6-
cient evidence of the truth of what
he wrote. That is enough. Every
thing else we claim follows as
matter of course. The doubts of the
skeptics are the height of unreason.
While the value, as evidence, of the
discovery of these logia, may not be
great taken by itself, yet it is import
ant as link in the chain, and goes
to strengthen and confirm the truth
of what the church has always
claimed. In that view it is interest
ing and valuable. Soon we may
hope investigation and discovery will
render doubts and unbeliefs i'm
possible.
FIT. SCOTT. KAN.
The report of the Michigan Conven-
tion Dranared nv our alwaya thonoht