New-York tribune., 1901-03-13
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
THE CHRISTIAN RELIGION.

HISTORY OF THE CHRISTIAN RELIGION lB;l rhspss TO
Waite. a. ~. Fifth Editor, teRlsee -
This work is interesting because u is written
nv a layrnan presumably who Is not only free
from any ecclesiastical bias, but who is strongly
onnosed 10 everything ecclesiastical and theo-
loeioal He is plainly a man Of learning VINO
has spent many years in an exhaustive study OF
che history Of the early church. and having hon
cs,lv arrived at conclusions very different from
,bose % the church historians he deems IL his
dutv no less than his right 10 give those con-
clusions TO the world. His work gives evidence
Of wide knowledge Of his subject and whlle ne
makes no attempt 90 conceal his views his facts
are fairly and accurately presented. The f~ct
,bat four editions Of the work have already been
issued indicates that il has found certain de-
gree of favor with the reading public.
or the numerous gospels in use in the church
IN the second century the author says that only
three were probably apostolic, namely. the Cos
pel Of St Paul. the Gospel or Recolleetions or
Peter and the oracles or sayings Of Christ at
tributed to Matthew These. as well as numer
Gus other sacred writings now unknown, were
reserved as sacred scriptures in the early
church until they were suppressed In the in
terest of the present four gospels Il found
,nvself" saws Theodoret "a n. 431D. upward of
two hundred such books held in honor among
your churches and. collecting them all together,
7 had them put aside and instead introduced
the gospels Of the -Four Evangelists." Many Of
the early fathers refer plainly TO these sup
pressed writings. and some Of these references
indicate that writings now unknown 70 the
church were regarded authoritative. The
three writings mentioned above probably did not
teach the miraculous conception Of Jesus or His
physical resurrection But il is the contention
OF the author that these and other beliefs gradu-
ally grew into shape in the church, and that
then the present gospels were written. many
OF the materials in the older writings being used.
The Gospel of Paul was thus the germ Of the
Gospel Of Luke. the Ciofpel Of Peter Of the Gospel
CT Mark. and the oracles CT the Gospel Of
Matthew. Holding thus 10 their origin. the
author naturally rejects the gospels as unhis-
torical. Undoubtedly. ne says, there
moral and religious teacher who came 10 be
known as Christ. This teacher, who had de-
voted followers and disciples was put TO death
I'm the reign of Tiberius and after His death
Paul the chief OF His disciples, founded a new
religion on His doctrines and precepts and
the belief in His resurrection.
Both Peter and Paul. in the opinion OF the
author, were responsible for much OF the cruelty,
bigotry and fanaticism which later 10
characterize Christianity. Ire ApoStollc fAthefs
emphasized most the supernatural elements in
Christianity. and I'm a credulous age super
natural additions could easily be made without
exciting any protest.
1T is difficult TO believe . that Paul,
when he declared. IT is sCwn IN corruption; Il
is raised in interruption Gt is sown a natural
body; il is raised spiritual body), had before
him gospel in which Il was recorded that
\ Jesus expressly denied being spirit after his
n resurrection, and called for meat that he might
demonstrate 20 His disciples that He had a
material body like theirs. The spiritualism OF
Paul and Clement too refined for the gross
conceptions Of the second century, which would
bc satisfied with nothing less than the resurrec-
tion Of the very crucifed body of Jesus. Gospels
were accordingly constructed containing ac-
counts Of such p resurrection related with great
circumstantiality."
Most OF Mr.. Waite's book is devoted 10 a
critical examination Of the early Christian writ
iaGs. only a few OF which are included I'm the
present New Testament Few Christians know
anything at all about these other writings,
which were once considered sacred and inspired
by the church. And yet a knowledge Of them is
essential TO any proper study Of the early
church Mr.. Waite has. therefore. done a service
10 truth in gathering together many facts con-
cerning them and presenting them in popular
form. Whether, as he holds they make against
the claims of Christianity. they certainly throw
light on its early history, and so ought 10 be
known and studied