The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-02-13

found 10 be due 70 the translator. About
the same time that Pref. Harris discov.
cred The Syr!ac MSS. the Greek text came
10 light. Prof. Robinson. editor Of the
Cambridge Texts and Studies, showing
that the Apology Of Aristiies was incor-l
porated With the early Christian romance
of Barlaam and Josaphat, We have
therefore. now the transiations OF both
into English, the Syriac being the fuller
Heretofore Justin Martyr has been cons
s,dered the leading apolcgist Of the early
church. This discovery places Aristidesl
as the earliest apologsst. The internal
evidence indicates that Ii is OF a verYi
early date. As Ii was presented TO Had.i
rian on visit to Athens. II dates from
l2S 10 1873. The type OF Christian practicsl
is that found in the Teaching of the
Twelve Apostles" His apology IL there,
fore OF great value. as giving picture %
the lives OF the early Christians and the
simplicity OF their doctrine.
stu further. must mention a NUM-
Der Of spocalypses and romances from the
early church. These are given to ~
Chiefly through the editors OF the Cam.
bridge Texts and Studies and are from
MSS.sranging from the eighth 10 the ff-
teenth centuries. They are largely apoc-
aisptic writings and early Christian ro>
mances.
Among those recently discovered addi-I
tons TO early Christian literature are the
Visions OF Paul. the Apocalypse Of the
Virgin, the Apocalypse OF Sedrach, the
Testament Of Abraham. the Acts of Kan.
thippe and Polyxena and the Narrative or
Zosimus. We shall in all probability re-
cover still more OF this literature, which
must have been extensive
III Is from these apocalypses that We
have those pictorial Representations Of
heaven and he'll which had so wide an
influence. Only one who read the Apoca-
lypse of Peter or the Apocalypse OF the
virgin could have painted such a picture
as Orcagnafs Triumph OF Death" or.
could sculpture such scene as Adam
kraft's Last Judgment on the church
or the Virgin at Nuremberg
In this year OF our Lord rema rka BILE dis
coveries on the Nile are astonishing the
Christian world. The finding of the TO-
gia, or Sayings of Jesus" is fresh IN
our minds, while the news comes that
from that same great collection of papv-
rus rolls dug up at Benesha a page Of the
Gospel OF Matthew has come 10 light. Al
this very hour competent scholars are na-
tientiy deciphering these wonderful docu-
ments.
These are some Of the finds OF recen,
years In the field of Christian archaeologyl
Dry and embarrassing may be these del
tails TO the average mind but to tia
thrislan scnoiar they possess a positive
fascination. That in these last DAYS tn
very stones are crying out and that ths
buried ages are coming forth to give eiel
qnent and unmistakable testimony 10 tn
genuineness and authenticity OF the Scrt II.
ture records. wonderfully s,irs the Chris
tan imagination and gives Increased sta
bility TO Christian faith.
What vast material here for the cor
recting OF the Scripture text. for the M
ing up OF lacunae In the history OF tbs
early church. the understanding of tn
doctrine and polity of the early Christians
and for the clearing away OF much me-
dieval rubbish We expect that whsa
the one hundred tells now marked on
tho map Of Palestine are opened up; wheu
similar mounds in Egypt are expIoredz
when the dark places OF Oriental
monasterfes are cleaned out: whenl
In short. the incubus on Christian
exploration. the Turk, shall have been
swept away-the Archaeological OF fhe+
future Will bring into yet fuller AMI.
clearer ligh, the glory of the -
cred Scriptures, and the reatness
simplicity and influence OF the early
Christian church
AMOS w. PATTEN. ID. ID.
Some headaches are natural and some
are acquired