The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-03-26
MIR. MALLORY AND MIR. HOWE
Whole Fabric of Religion Rests Upon
the Resurrection, Says Mr. Mallory.

Whole Fabric of Religion Rests Upon
the Resurrection, Says Mr.. Mallory.
The interest aroused by the Howe
Lay Sermons in that part of Topeka
adjacent to the Third Christian church
was demonstrated by the large audience
which assembled to hear the pastor,
Rev. F. E. Mallory. speak on Ed Howe's
BlaSphemouS DenialS versus the Evi-
dence of the Divine Authority of the
Bible' Sunday night. Mr.. Mallory pre-
faced his discourse by reading extracts
from the works of Josephus, Tacitus,
Julian the ApoState and other early
writer's in proof that the gospels
were in existence at that time. This was
in the Lay Sermons" that the gospels
were written 400 years after the death
of the apostles.
Mr.. Mallory incidentally remarked in
connection with his sermon that he had
known Editor Howe for several years,
and had shaved him a number of times
in Atchison. Before entering the minis
try Mr.. Mallory was a barber in Ed
HoWe'S town.
The text taken by the pastor of the
Third Christian church was the fol-
lowing:
ITO whom also he showed himself
alive after his passion by many infalli-
BILE proofs, being seen of them 40 days
and speaking of the things pertaining
to the kingdom of God"
Mr.. Mallory said:
This statement is fundamental. 1t
is the basis of the Christian religion 1t
involves the entire relation of God to
man.. If it is true the Bible is true.
With this statement the Bible stands or
falls. If Christ did not rise from the
dead the Bible is a pack of lies. If
Christ did not rise from the dead Mr..
Howe's statement that Death ends all
is true. On the question of Christ's
resurrection the whole fabric of relig
ion stands.
1.-The issue to be examined is not about
an opinion or speculation but about a
question. The issue is about Christ
himself, a person. The question is, did
Christ rise from the dead. If He did
rise, His claims are established. If He
did rise the Bible is divine. 1t is neces-
sary in this discourse to array against
each other two parties, the believers
and the unbelievers; the friends of
Christ and the enemies of Christ. We
must examine their claims.
THE unbelieverS deny everything.
They deny Christ and the prophets and
the church; but they propose nothing
in their stead. They would take away
our worship and our hopes, but they
have nothing to give in their place.
They have no religion; they believe
nothing; they advocate nothing. They
have nothing to offer but doubt in place
Of unshaken faith. They have nothing
to offer but continual distrust in every
thing. We might have reason to listen
to a man who proposed something, but
certainly not to a man who proposes
nothing
ITO be happy the soul of man must
have something on which to rest /
want to say tonight that there are many
things in the Bible l can't understand.
Many things I can't explain. But this
only proves that the Bible is like the
other works of God, deep and profound.
THE friends of Christ and the Bible
come before the s-sorld with a PROPOSE
tion. The Christian affirms something
to be true on which everything rests.
In reference to this proposition the fol-
lowing are admitted, by unbelievers as
well as believers:
"That there was such a person as
Jesus of Nazareth. Mr.. Ingersoll said
He was good man. Mr.. Howe admits
that there was Jesus of Nazareth.
1T is admitted that Jesus of Nazareth
lived at the time the Bible states and in
the country the Bible states. And that
He was nailed to a Roman cross and
actually died on that cross.
1T is admitted that a Roman guard
was placed at the tomb of Jesus of
Nazareth, and that on the third day
the tomb was mysteriously empty.
There is not an unbeliever who de-
MES these statements. The friends of
Christ account for the empty tomb by
the resurrection. The enemies say the
body was stolen. Here is the direct is
sues.
Let us turn our attention to the
claims of the enemies of Christ. They
say the body was stolen. Who were the
witnesses? The guard of so Roman
soldiers we are told. Who stole the
body? The disciples they say And
where were the soldiers when the body
was stolen? At their posts is the an
swer. That certainly places them in
the proper position of witnesses, and
why was it that they allowed the dis
ciples to steal the body Oh they We're
asleep, we are told. The guards were
asleep when the body was stolen, but
they were the only witnesses that the
the witnesses that Christ did not rise
position, my friends Would you believe
the testimony of a witness in the courts
of Shawnee county who stated he was
asleep when that which he attempted
to testify about happened. Besides,
there was a Roman law imposing death
on a soldier found asleep on duty. There
is no history of the so Roman guards
being punished for sleeping while
Christ's disciples stole his body from the
tomb.
"Christ's friends account for Christ's
absence from the tomb by the resurrec-
tion. He was seen alive by all the
apostles repeatedly during the period of
40 days. In regard to the witnesses of
ChriSt's resurrection 1 want to say that
there are but two grounds on which a
witness testimony can be doubted The
first is the possibility Of a mistake. The
second is the evidence of dishonesty. I
expect to show next Sunday evening
that neither of these grounds can be
considered for a moment in connection
with the witnesses of Christ's resurrec-
tion.''