The Greenville times., 1902-03-08

Baur .nd sd kauss rspp pdiate TN view
but offef my ehical eNp la q ~ o ms,
,S1naAss inaheb IL legend initiative Of
Old Testament tresurrectiOns. Banr OPP
poses Strauss, and claims that the mar
1rAttve 1SN ffctton tiegiHned puKtye bo6y-
70 the words, IT am the resurrection
Y and-tbe life-n Reyeille says ills meant
70 represent. I4rasiitish spa b pc Is m
4 which Jesus representa- by Lazarus and
rescl0s u from spifituat Death by Ifu-
ing il and weeping overit ''He bentover
this ktombns we quote, "crying out,
LAZARUS, come forth aud come 10 mel
and Lazarus came forth pale7r otter
Ing" s.,s ara ,s,a..r.
WeIsse, with other more recent crit.
ics, as 1Keim and Hoffman, says the
narrative was originallyai parable of
jesus which tradition mistOok for a re-
lation of facts. Renan, at first called
1t pious fraud to which JESUS WAS A
PARTY. Yielding to the food of indig-
nation excited by this representation.
Renan invented another theory TO the
effect that at this time when the
cause Of Jesus seemed waning, Mary
and Martha suggested that the resur-
rection OF a dead person would turn
the tide for victory. TO this Jesus an
swered; "lf Lazarus himself we're 10
come back 10 life they would not be-
| lieve." This saying was subsequently
misunderstood and developed into this
tradition that Jesus raised Lazarus
| from death.
1t requires neither learning nor gen
ius to invent such things as these.
They are not criticisms; they are libels.
- THE CIJRES
OF the New Testament records are
accounted for by what Is called tile
PSYCHOLOGICAL method. According TO
Ke1m the lly real miracles were cures
of the sick and the possessed effected
by the influence of a finely organized
nature upon suffering and nervous peo-
pie. OF course he makes things plain
and ineligible When he calls this in
huence ACKNOWLEDGMENT. One
thing IS plain-that TO represent J esns
as sort of magnetic healer, claiming |
70 do cures by divine power, which he
knew were effected by a subtle but
natural meanS-is to make Him |
mOuDtebank and tricksteF. This ex-I
planation Is entirely out of harmony |
with the singular purity OF his life and !
the majesty of His character. And,
though In general, Jesus demanded |
faith. as u condition of healing. this
faith was not always demanded of the |
subjects Of his cures. For example,
we may note the nobleman's servant
was healed though miles intervened.
In the case of the paralytic, Keim |
thinks that as impotent people have
been sometimes restored by sudden
shocks, 80 In this case cure was ef-
fected by moral excitement. But IS
Jesus offered the cure in proof OF His
power to forgive sins, His evident as
surance OF the result is marvel that
waits for explanation. The risk was
great. ~ -
THE DEMoNIAC OF GADARA.
Volkmar regards this Incident, not
as fact, but as an allegory. "The de.
moniac represents the heather world:
the swine, the obscentes of idolatry,
etc. Keim repudiated this as nom
sense and accepts the narrative as
true, except the episode OF the swine,
which he thinks a popular amplifica-
tion. But the loss of the swine cannot
be gotten rid of, since it accounts for
the urgency with which the people be-
sought Jesus to leave their country.
Had it not been true, it would have
met prompt and Indignant contra
diction by the whole countryside.
The RESURRECTION OF JESUS
Concerning the resurrection of Jesus
Volkmar admits ''It is one OF the most
certain facts in the history of human
ity, that shortly after His death on the [.
cross, Jesus appears to the apostles, Il
risen from the dead, however we may II
underbandg the fact, which is without
analogy in history" Schleiermacher
claims it was only q revival from leth-
argy;-tOo absurd for sober refuta-
tlOn. Strauss ridicules all such theoF-
les, but cannot acceptsa miracle. He Ii
argues. that. as the result of morbid
and highly excited expectations the
disciples had visions which they mis-
took for real appearances. !. in this
view most fTationalists concur. But
the disciples did not expect the resur-
rection; the tomb was really empty Il
of the body of Jesus: he appeared fre-
Quently to- MANY at time, and once to
as many as five hundred. Were all
these, unanimously visionary? The
theory is almost as. wonderful as the
fact. III IF t' sslt tf'I
Keinh, Weisse and Lotze hold that
the spirit only of Jesus appeared and
caused them to think they saw living
body. What, then, shall we say OF the [
words Of Jesus. "Beheid my hands and
my feet that it is myself: handle me X
and see; fora spirit hath not flesh and {
blood as We see me have" Also {
his challenge of Thomas to make
tactual proof: yReach, hither thy |
hand and til; ust it into, my side.
Nor does this theory account for the I
empty tomb. According to such the i
ories angels hesitate not to lie, saying, 8
"Why seek We the living among the |
dead? He Is not here; He Is risen" S
Rationalism has1gravely bethought /
itself OF another whimsey; that since j
the pretermatural must be expunged at
all hazards, the resurrection of Jesus |
was due to the acceleration of natural n
lew according to the analogy of seed (
which. falling into the ground, revives s
to newness of life. But there is no {
natural law whereby the dead come to Z
life again. In the vegetable world II i
the germ die, there is no revival ever. y
In the animal world death is invariably {
followed by the corruption of the whole lie
body An acceleration OF this law X
would not result In resurrection but in,
more speedy decay. Christ was an Ex-
cEPTeN to the. law.a Gods Holy One :
saw mo corruption He, claimed for /
himself authority to set aside the law
1f nature and take His dife4again; K
!'Therefore doth my Father love me,
because lay down my life that Iamay IA
takei it, again.. have power aois- layI (
ib down and I.haYe. power to takeiL !
again., JesusGould, do what no other
deadsman couldaccOmplish---a miracle j
Whichdid not accelerate, but arrest Ii
ed law of nature by epossessing Hisl
body, '-;'7r sa soF ga =. I,
: Upon the speculations which have /
be e n mentioned no Improvements I