The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1901-04-21
New Testament
Earthquake Statement
Has Been Wonderful.

New Testament makes a positive state
ment on the subject. And behold, there
| was a great earthquake" or And be-
hold. there had been great earth
| quake AIatthew xxviii:2). This nat
| ural phenomenon has not been associa-
ed in the popular mind with the res
direction so much as with the crucifx-
| ion, as Biblical scholars agree that an
| earthquake marked both events.
The hostile attitude Of science culni-
mated at the time of the publication OF
| the famous earthquake catalogue Of the
| British Association for the advancement
| of Ssience. 1t recorded the earthquake at
the time of the crucifixion, but omitted
the other.
The new. and on the whole, friendly
| attitude of science is seen in the labors
of such men as Professor George Fred
erick Wright of Oberlin Theological Sem
mary, "a most noted theologian and ex-
plorer, who accepts the absolute trust
worthiness of the Scriptures.
With regard to the earthquake at the
resurrection, Professor Wright rejects
wholly the explanations OF the apologize
school, which seeks 20 reconcile such
events with the natural law of probable
ity, and with the science not Of our own
day, but of the first century of our era
The apologize school argues that the
use of the Greek word ''egeneto" leaves
it open to conjecture whether the
earthquake was contemporaneous with
our Lords rising from the dead, whether
it Immediately preceded that event, or
whether it Immediately followed it.
Professor Wright undertakes to vindi-
- nh
ena of the Scriptures in exactly that
sense intended by the Biblical writers
He even carries his antagonism to the
extent of arguing that Northern Siberia
affords proof of the Biblical narrative
the mammaIia. the duration and the
chronological the food. The apologize
school has met the scientists of the Hux-
ley type half way in conceding that the
Noachian flood may have been but
partial .inundation of the world. The
aggressive theologians have resisted this
Interpretation.
Taking into account, from Professor
Wright's point of view, the resurrection
earthquake itself, as distinguished from
the mass Of criticism in which it is in
volved, we have the following narrative,
based upon the collation. OF the received
texts:-It is early dawn, April IS, A. D.
% The Sanhedrim have already OBJ
tanned from PontiUs Plate a guard to
prevent any fraudulent removal of the
body of Jesus. Two parties of women
first, the two Marys and Salome, and,
second, Joanna, VIII the others,-set out
to the sepulcf1re for the purpose of en-
balming the body of their Lord. but be-
fore their arrival the Savior Of the world
rises from the tomb amidst great
earthquake. On arriving at the sepul-
chre the women see the stone already
moved away. This is the canonical mar
rative as confirmed by the labors of such
scholars as Mill, Bengel, Wetstein.
Greisbach, Westcott and Hort It will
be observed that there is absolutely no
compromise here on the subject of the
earthquake 1t is accepted as an inte-
grail part of the canon OF the New Tesla
ment, an event contemperaneous with
the resurrection itself.
A curious feature of the earthquake
catalogue compiled by the British Asso-
citation is that that document accepts
as authentic. as scientifically verified.
the earthquake at the cruciffxion. That
seismic cOnvulsion manifested itself
throughout Bithynia and Palestine, de-
stroying the city of Nisaea, and leaving
well defined evidence OF its progress
throughout the holy land. Its authentic
ity was attested-that is to say. by indie
pendent evidence, but the British Associ-
alton could not find any independent
evidence of the resurrection earthquake.
And Mr.. Mallett, who compiled the cat
alogue, was able to aGduce facts in the
hSefrv Of h.
which, it was claimed, discredited the
event thus. there were no written rec
ords of the Christian religion at the be-
ginning. Christ himself, as every Chris
tian knows, taught orally. His irnmedi-
ate disciples did the same. was not I'M
til some years after the ascension. when
the number of Christian converts had
grown materially and knowledge of the
way of salvation had been quite extern
sively propagated, that a necessity evil
denced itself for the presentation in writ
ten form of the historical and doctrinal
truths of Christianity. The several
| books of the New Testament as they
have come down TO US were written at
various times and on different occasions.
during an estimated interval of sixty
years. Hence the growth of the sacred
text was inevitably gradual. although
| there is an indisputable evidence that as
early as the second century every book.
now admitted as divinely inspired. was
already received as canonical by the
unanimous consent of the whole body of
Christians.
But the British students of earthquake
phenomena, while thus granting the gen
uineness and authenticity Of the books
Of the New Testament. took refuge in
the question which presented itself as
TO whether the writings now current are
| textualIy correct transcripts. The most
orthodox Christian scholars admit that
the present version Of the gospels. as
preserved in the Greek, has suffered in
| its long descent through the centuries as
a result OF errors. omissions and interpo-
lations. The different copyists, during
the period between the fourth and the
fifteenth century, became responsible for
errors, omissions. and even willfui cor
ruptions. Weighing all these considera-
tons, then, the British Association re-
jected the resurrection earthquake ar
/ Philippi, in Macedonia, A. D. -. recorded
1 in Acts. xvi This rejection OF an event
vouched for by the sacred texts marks
the elimination of the spirit of Scientific
| criticism. which was TO make much Of
the circumstance that the passage re-
| counting the earthquake and the descent
Of the angel at the resurrection is pecu-
/ liar to Matthew.
Very different however. IS the scien-
I tific spirit Of today, with its approval OF
/ the establishment OF chairs OF the hzr-
unony Of science and religion IN nearly all
{ the leading theological seninaries- Pro
/ fessor Wright stands Tor this movement
today. as Huxley may be said to stand
! for the opposita moverent earlier IN The