The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-04-21
CHRIST'S RESURRECTION.
Judge Baldwin Outlines Evidence of
It's Actual Occurrence.

1 am challenged TO produce proof of our
Savior's resurrection and that this is the
worlds only sure hope of Immortality.
The terms of the challenge are that mo
evidence exists OF the resurrection
which would suffice to convict a white boy
OF stealing an egg in any court" 1t is rath-
er a startling proposition that the 5000 900
living and protesting Observation-Disclosures.
Greek and Professionalism both the old and
new world, who are unanimous (whatever
their differences may otherwise be- upon
this great fact, should be so terribly mis-
taken, and that a mighty historic body
now nearly 1900 years old and which has
included untold millions of the greatest and
wisest of this earth, should have been so
fearfully deceived and have lived and died
in faith based upon so fimsy a founda-
ton. Indianapolis boasts of being mo mean
city and may we'll be amazed to number
among its citizens one who can thus, by
single dash of his pen, arraign and
vince the world of one OF it's greatest, if
not its greatest error.
| The underlying question in this discus
| sion is the existence of miracles. Are the
| laws of nature so memorable that their Au-
thor may not suspend them upon an ade-
| quate occasion? OF course not. That is a
| self-evident proposition. 1t is question of
/ proof. Did they happen? And as they were
| physical facts, we must prove them by
human testimony and with the aid Of nat
| ural corroborating circumstances. In
weighing this proof we must not and do
not forget the tremendous negative of our
almost universal experience in the uni
| formity of natures great laws of matter
life and death.
| In one of the little incidental conversa-
| tions that occurred early in our Saviors
career it seems to me that we have the
| key to the solution of this great problem. A
| friendly critic and inquirer-one of the
| big men" of Jerusalem-came to Jesus by
| night and said: Master, we know that
Thou art a teacher sent from God, for no
man can do the miracles that Thou doest
| except God be with him." In other words
| Nicodemus said: Miracles are a misfit +"
| except in a messenger sent from God, which
is logically and philosophically true Mir
acles are the messengers credentials. Then
the words that thou doest" are profoundly
| significant unconscious testimony of the
truth of the gospel narration, for these
same miracles were the town talk of
Jerusalem, so much so that a ruler of the
Jews could not refrain from seeking. under
the friendly cover of the night an expla-
nation Of them from the worker himself.
For the sake of brevity let us assume that
the public is familiar with the usual argu-
ments in favor of miracles, the testimony
OF eye and ear witnesses who sealed their
| truthfulness with their blood; the fitness
of the occasion, etc. etc. A great deal is
made out Of the discrepancies in the four
| evangelists' accounts. for example of the
resurrection and of the hearsay nature of
some of its testimony. but any experienced
lawyer knows very well that after the
lapse of twenty-five or thirty years no four
men can possibly be found who can relate
any notable story without contradictions
and variations among themselves. Sub
stantial unity in diversity of statement
is, the world over the mark of truthful
narration. Instead of dwelling upon the
narration itself, let us briefly look at some
of the corroborating circumstances which
may not inaptly be called the higher evil
dence of Christian miracles
There is that I'm our Savior's character
in the general trend of His life and teach
ings. which tallies with His miracles and
makes us easily believe that He set aside
the laws of birth and death His majestic
personality is in harmony with and makes
natural His claim to have been a miracle
worker. Any such claim on behalf of
Socrates or any other of earth's great men
would only excite suspicion. But here was
one with a message so great and a person
atty so in keeping with IL that we feel no
surprise whatever and no incongruity when
told that He healed the sick raised the
dead and controlled the storms We ex-
pect great works from great men, The
Savior of mankind could not be less than
a miracle worker. This circumstance is a
most powerful confederation Of the truth
of the gospel narrative. We must not for
get that to-day this same Savior is work
ing in another kingdom-the human heart
quite as great a miracle as He did in Pales-
tine while in His flesh. He brought into the
world new power-the divine life-by
which to-day thousands of sin-sodden souls
are cleansed, regenerated and made fit for
heaven. The experimental Christ working
at this present hour harmonzes with the
historical Christ Christ was murdered be-
cause He was regarded as hereto and 10
stamp out His teachings and scatter His
followers. He was crucihed on Friday and
died in the early afternoon. His eleven
disciples firmly believed that He would
come down from the cross and scatter con-
fusion among His enemies. Christ appears
TO have thought the same, for He ex-
claimed. Father, why hast Thou forsaken
me?' evidently referring to the loss then
and there OF His miracle-working power
To be brief there never was victory moro
complete than that of the Jews for the
eight and forty hours after our Savior $
death. But suddenly all became changed
On Monday the disciples became united
and for the next six weeks they made from
5000 TO 5.00c converts TO the new faith and
within the next thirty years by their eff
forts they spread this faith all over the
then civilized world. What new Influence
was this which converted a miserable de-
feat into a glorious victory? 1t was the
risen Christ. who for forty DAYS after His
murder held conversations with His former
disciples. in which He pointed out to them
His predictions made during His soiourn
in the flesh, told them that that was about
TO happen which did happen, gave direc-
tons for the future. and at the close of
which He in their sight assembled up into
| heaven. From this event sprane the grea
Christian church. which has now had / ea
years Of historic unity based upon it's be-
lief In resurrected and still living Master
Now, no great historic movement has ever
been founded upon a myth-in this case &C.
cording 10 Christs enemies of to-day
based upon something white seen lust AT
| daylight by several hysterical and fright
ened women" One of the smaller OF the
facts springing from this great event was