The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1913-09-24
BY Eminent Lawyer Of
Southwest.
ASSUMES LEGAL STANDPOINT
In Case and Takes Evidence
Which Shows 1t Is
Irrefutable.
VIEWS OF COURT IN MATTER

at the r1rSt christian cnurcn In Ok-
lahoma City, Judge John b. Harri-
son, formerly of Lawrenceburg, KY,
now one of the members of the Ok
lahoma Supreme Court, delivered
one of the most remarkable address,
es ever heard in the Southwest. The
address is being printed and will be
sent out to the bar of this and other
States and to various ministerial as
sociations.
Judge Harrison chose as his sub
ject, THE Divinity of Jesus Christ
Under the Rules of Evidence From
Lawyers Standpoint
After emphasizing the importance
of the question, Judge Harrison said
that the subject might be treated
either from a criminal standpoint,
wherein Jesus accusers would I'M
dertake to prove Him an impostor,
i'm which event the burden of proof
would be upon the accusers, or from
a civil standpoint; alleging His di-
vinity in civil action, thereby plac-
ing the burden of proof upon the
advocates of His claims. He chose
the civil procedure, thereby assum-
ing the burden of proof.
But" said Judge Harrison, eff
the issue were being tried as a Grim
inal action, charging the Saviour
with being an impostor, and | We're
appearing as counsel for the defend
ant, the first thing | would do, after
the testimony of the prosecution
was submitted, would be to demur
to the evidence. For if all the evil
dence which the infidel world has
been able to discover in 1900 years,
together with all the puny phioso-
ply which has been picked out of
/ the pigmy heads of skeptics during
all these centuries, were offered in
evidence in support of the charge,
there is not civilized court in all
Christendom that would not, with
out hesitation, sustain the demurrer
to the evidence and discharge the
defendant"
1T will be unnecessary to offer
in evidence" continued the speaker,
such facts as are agreed to be true.
1t is agreed by the scholars and his
torians that there was such a man
as Jesus of Nazareth; that He was
born in Bethlehem of Judea at or
about the time testified to by evan
gelists; that He was brought up by
Joseph and Mary; that His early
life, His occupation and lack of ed
ucational advantages were practi-
cally the same as testified to by the
evangelists; that it was known
among the acquaintance of Jesus
that He had some mission on earth;
that some great things We're expect
ed of Him: and yet no effort was
made nor pains taken to prepare
Him for the important events He
was expected to engage in or per-
form.
1T is agreed that at about thirty
years of age He began to- preach the
very things the evangelists say He
preached; that Notwithstanding He
was uneducated and had never been
prepared for the ministry, yet in
preaching and in His teachings He
'evinced a most profound knowledge
OF philosophy, thorough and com
plete understanding of men and hui
man affairs and most intimate
familiarity with every detai1 of the
law, the prophets and OF all the Old
Testament writings.
1T is also agreed that He was
man OF deep piety, was a good man
and went about doing good; that af-
ter about three years of His preach
ing He was betrayed. accused, tried,
condemned. crucified and laid in the
sepulcher under guard of the Ro-
man soldiers. practically as testified
10 by the evangelists that He was
crucified and laid in the sepulcher
Friday and was missing Sunday
morning; that His body was never
recovered by the soldiers. nor was
any attempt made to recover it. al
though they claimed 1t had been
stolen while the soldiers were
asleep; that none of the disciples
were prosecuted for stealing the
body nor any OF the soldiers prose-
cuted for going to sleep and allow
ing the body to be stolen. although
such an offense under. the Roman
law was punishable by death"
After arranging the evidence in
a logical manner. citing the lack of |
or other signs of theft. |
the evidence of the disciples as |
against the mere allegation Of the