El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1897-04-17
THE EVIDENCE
OF the Evapgelists as to the Resurrec-
ton is Conclusive.

ton is Conclusive.
Mr.. Simon Greenleaf, the grea
legal authority on evidence, lays dowr
the following rules which apply to the
weight to be given testimony of wit
nesses:
The credit due to the testimony OF
witnesses depends upon, first, their
honesty: secondly, their ability; third
Iy, their number and the consistency OF
their testimony: fourthly, the con-
formity of their testimony with ex-
perience, and filthy, the coincidence
of their their testimony with collateral
circumstances.
In the absence of circumstances
which generate suspicion, every wit
ness is to be presumed credible until
the contrary Is shown; the burden of
impeaching his testimony lying on the
objcctor
Q 10 matters of public and general in
terest all persons must be presumed to
be conversant, on the principle that
individuals are presumed to be con-
versant with their own affairs.
A proposition of fact is proved when
its truth is established by competent
and satisfactory evidence.
Every document, apparently ancient,
coming from the proper repository or
custody, and bearing on its face no evil
dent marks of forgery, the law pre-
sumes tn be genuine, and devolves on
the opposing party the burden of prov
ing it to be otherwise.
HE THEN ARGUES:
Let the evangelists be tried by these
tests. And first, as to their honesty.
Here they are entitled to the benefit
of the general course of human eXper-
fence, that men ordinarily speak the
truth when they have no prevailing
motive or inducement to the contrary.
This presumption, to which we have
before alluded, is applied in courts of
justice, even to witnesses whose integ-
rity is not wholly free from suspicious;
much more is it applicable to the evan
gelists, whose testimony went against
all their worldly interests. The great
truths which the apostles declared
were, that Christ had risen from the
dead and that only through repentance
from sin and faith in him could men
nope for salvation.
This doctrine they asserted with one
voice everywhere, not only under the
greatest discouragements, but in the
face of the most appalling terrors that
can be presented to the mind OF man.
Their master had recently persisted as
maiefactor by the sentence of public
tribunal. His religion sought to over
throw the religions of the whole world.
The laws of every country were against
the teachings of his disciples. The
interests ana passions of all the rulers
and great men in the world were
against them. The fashion of the
world was against them. Propagatiug
this new faith, even in the most inof-
fensive and peaceful manner, they
could expect nothing but contempt,
opposition, revilings, bitter perSecu-
lions, stripes, imprisonments, torments
aud cruel deaths. Yet this faith they
zealously did propagate; aud all these
Gn.T9rn6
nay rejoicing. AS one after another
was put to a miserable death, the
Survivors only prosecuted their work
with increased vigor and resolution
The annals OF military warfare afford
an example Of the like heroic
patience and unblenching
courage. They had every possible nc
their faith, and the evidences of the
great facts and truths which they as
serted: and these motives were pressed
upon their attention with the most
and terrific frequency. 1t
was therefore impossible that they
could have persisted in affirming the
truths they have narrated, had not
esus actually risen from the dead,
aud had they not known this fact as
&C rtainly as they knew any other fact.
Ii it were morally possible for them to
have been deceived in this matter,
every human motive operated to lead
them 10 discover and avow their error.
To have persisted in so gross a false
hood, after it was known to them, was
not only to encounter, for life, all the
evils which man could inf1ict. from
but to endure also the pangs
Of inward and conscious guilt; with no
hope of future peace, no testimony of a
good conscience, no expectation of
honor or esteem among men, no hope
Of happiness in this life or in the world
TO come.
Such conduct in the apostles would,
have been utterly irrecon-
:ilabie with the fact that they possess
I'd the ordinary constitution of our
common nature. Yet their lives do
show them to have been like all others
)f our race; swayed by the same mo-
lives, animated by the same hopes, af-
fected by the same joys, subdued by
. !, h.