Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1910-02-26
CHRIST, GODS SON,
WAS NOT A MYTH
Rev. C. D. Harris, Formerly Pastor OF
Trinity M. &. Church, Replies to
Professor DreWs' Attack.
From The World of Monday:

From The World of Monday:
Rev. Carlton d. Harris, pastor of
Central Methodist Episcopal church,
South, of Baltimore, formerly pastor
of Trinity Methodist church of this
city preached yesterday on the topic
"Was Jesus a Myth?" Mr.. Harris
said:
1T is reported that a certain pro-
fessor Drews, in Berlin, is proclaim
ing as a fact that Jesus was a myth,
that He was only a creature of the
Imagination, and that He never had
an earthly existence.
"Now, if Jesus was a myth, it is
| time We are finding it out, as none of
us are willing to give our life to an in
stitution that has a mythical founda-
ton. Fortunately for us, we do not
have to depend upon he Bible to prove
that such a person as Jesus lived
nineteen centuries ago, that His life
was spent in Palestine, that He died
the death of the eros under Pontius
PLATE, the Roman p%rocurator of Judea,
| who. though he declared he found no
fault in Him, yet consented to His
death TO satisfy the clamor of the
p~rofane history; without considering
| the statements of Josephus, the Jew
ish historian, who lived in the first
century of the Christina era, because
| there is some doubt as to their gen.
uineness.
Eve shall go directly to the writ
ings of two Roman historians, whose
| g~enuineness is beyond all question.
I; Though there are but two statements
concerning Christ in the ancient writ
ings, as far as | can learn. because
the Roman writer's did not think
Christ and is religion worth their
| while, these two on eccount of their
| d%irectness and authenticity, are amply
sufficient. They are from Tacitus and
| Pliny the younger. While Pliny was
~proconsul in Bithwnia and Pontus, in
| Asia Minor, he wrote to Trajan, En-
peror of Rome, of his p~erplexity as to
the wisest method of dealing with
the Christians-the followers Of Christ
in his province, speaking of Christ
a number Of times and clearly imply
ing the recognition of the fact that
| Christ had lived and had founded
Christianity.
"But Tacitus is even stronger; for,
in referring to the persecution of the
Christians, following the destruction
of Rome by fire, by order of Nero,
when the tyrant, in attempting to es-
cape tn infamy of the crime, placed
the responsibility of the conflagration
on the Christians, he writes: Hence,
to suppress the rumor. he (Nero)
| falsely charged with guilt, and punish
| ed with the most exquisite fortunes,
the persons commonly Christians,
who were hated for their enormities.
| Christus, the founder of that name,
was put death as a criminal by Pom
| thus PLATE, procurator of Judea, in the
reign of Tiberius, and much more to
the same effect. So Christ was no
myth, the pagan writer's themselves
being the judges and they confirm the
testimony of the Holy Scriptures in
so far as they declare that Christ
lived, was crucified and was the
author of Christianity. If Christ was a
myth, then, on the same ground, Alex.
ander the Great, julius Caesar, who
was assassinated shortly before
Christ's birth; Napoleon, Martin Luth.
or and John Wesley were myths
Nothing is more absurd than the
declaration that Jesus was a myth"