Arizona republican., 1903-04-13
PROOF OF CHRISTIANITY
By the Admission of Enemies and the
 Testimony of Friends

The subject of the Easter service at the Fifth Avenue Christian church yesterday morning was ''The Supreme Hypothesis of Christianity" the pas tor. Rev. W. H. Bagby taking for his text. Acts 26: 6-S. The following is a synopsis of his address:
 The supreme hypothesis of Chris tianity is the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. If God doth raise the dead" ali other claims of the gospel are credible. If it stands firm at this point it stands firm at all other points, If it falls down at this point, it falls down at all points. In his de- fense before kings. in his sermons be- fore learned congregations. in his epistles to the churches, Paul rests the case of Christianity upon the correct ness of this sublime hypothesis. Frank ly he admits, If Christ hath not been raised, then our preaching is in vain, your faith and hope are vain, you are yet in your sins. the dead are perished and we are of all men most pitiable.' The proof of the resurrection of Jesus is found in the admissions of his enc mics. the testimony of his friends and the triumphs of the gospel.
 I.-Admissions of Enemies.
 Every lawyer knows the value of ad- missions, and the chief end of crossing a witness is to get them. We have many valuable admissions from the other side.
 l. That Jesus lived. J. s. Mill says: Ut is of no use to say that Christ as exhibited in the gospels is not histori- caI'
 g. That Jesus died. This deceiver said while he was yet alive.' etc. An unwilling admission that they knew him to be dead.
 3. That Jesus was buried. Command, therefore, that the grave be made Sc cure" A clear admission that they knew the body to be in the grave.
 f. That the tomb was empty. Say ye that his disciples came by night and stole the body away while we slept" A clear admission that the body was missing.
 These admissions esta blish the life. the death. the burial and the disap- pearance of the body from tomb sealed with the Roman seal and made secure with a Roman guard; but it does not prove that he arose from the dead. This must be established upon other evidence.
 II.-Testimony of Friends.
 The Christians theory of the empty tomb is that Jesus arose from the dead This theory is based upon the testl- mony of competent witnesses. who, in the presence of death, testified and throughout their lives continued to tes- tify that they saw, heard and handled him after his resurrection Paul enum- crates the male witnesses alone as fol- lows: He appeared to Cephas; then to the twelve; then he appeared to above five hundred brethren at once. of whom the greater part remain until now; then he appeared to James; then to all the apostles; and last of all to me-
 shall introduce only those witnesses who bear direct testimony 10 having seen Jesus after his resurrection.
 l. John Affixing his signature to his deposition concerning the appearances of Jesus, the beloved disciple says: This is the disciple who beareth wit ness to these things. and wrote these things; and we know that his witness is true.' In another place he says that he testifies concerning That which we have heard, that which we have seen with our eyes, that which we beheld and our hands handled"
 2. Peter. Before a vast multitude on Pentecost, Peter said: This Jesus did God raise up, whereof we are all wit nesses." The next day in the temple he repeated, "Ye killed the Prince oi Life; whom God raised from the dead whereof we are witnesses" Before the great Sanhedrim he boldly testified Be it known unto you all, and to al the people of Israel, that in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead even in him doth this man stand here before you whole At the house of Cornelius he testified: We are wit nesses of all things which he did; whom also they slew, hanging him on a tree Him God raised up the third day, anC gave him to be made manifest, not t. all the people, but to witnesses tha were chosen before of God, even to us who did eat and drink with him aftc he rose from the dead.'
 g. Paul. Standing on the steps lead ing into the governors palace in Jeru salem, surrounded by a mob bent upol his destruction, Paul testified. Tt cam to pass that, as I made my journey and drew nigh unto Damascus, abou noon, suddenly there shone from heav en great light round about me. An' I fell to the ground. and heard a voic saying to me. Saul, Saul, why perse cutest thou me? And I answered Who art thou, Lord?' And he said [ me, T am Jesus of Nazareth whor thou persecutest.' Standing befor King Agrippa, his hands bound wit chains, he told the same story of hay