The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1918-11-30
POPULAR ApoLoeETles.
Adapted from the German of Rev
Peter Mikes, S. j., by Rev.
James Watcher.


GO. Christ's Resurrection - the
Trance Hypothesis.
Objections: The Resurrection is IN
deed the strongest proof of the diVin-
ity of Christ. But if Christ was not
dead but only in a trance?
Answer: This subterfuge Of the old
rationalists has not found any sclen-
tific defender since the last failure OF
Schleiermacher (T1S34l; only now
and then its ghost appears in the
pages of socialist papers and is calcu-
lated for those OF a low degree OF edu-
cation.
If PLATE. the Roman official, did not
doubt the death of Jesus after having
been assured by the military officer,
we too, may be satisfied. The Roman
officer understood his bloody business;
he was an expert to know whether
man was dead or alive; besides, he
was very exact in his examination,
and if Christ had not been dead, the
thrust with the lance, the well-knoWn
libby have caused death. No Jew, no
heather ever thought of trance.
The Jews knew quite we'll that they
had killed the hateful Nazarene, and
did not deny it when few weeks
later, on Pentecost, St. Peter accused
them of the murder of the Son of God.
The trance theory came nearly 1880
years too late and is dead today,
really dead and scientifically buried
David Strauss says we'll: One
half dead, one Just crept out of the
grave. and sneaking around, one in
need of a physicians treatment, OF
bandages and restoratives. and finally
succumbing to his wounds, could i'm
possibly have made on the Apostles
the IMPRESSION of victor over death
and the grave, Of the prince OF life,
which was the foundation of their
later conduct. That could not
have changed their mourning into en-
thusiasm and their veneration into
alteration" Leben Jesu-Life of
Jesus-I., p. 37S).
81. The Deception hypothesis.
Objection: But suppose the Apos-
ties have stolen the body OF Christ
and thus deceived the people?
Answer: This deception hypothesis
laughs for 1900 years at the sleeping
witnesses whom the Jews bring on
the stand in proof of this theft, and
asks sarcastically with st. Augustine
tI430): If the guards slept, how did
they see the theft? And if they did
not sleep, why did they not prevent it?
The only one of the Apostles who
knew how to steal had hanged him
self. Stealing has to be learned; no
one becomes robber-chief over
night. To steal a corpse out Of a
grave so we'll guarded would have
been a mastery theft indeed which
would have done honor TO an expert
enced robber. Just imagine the Apos-
ties so full of fear and their honest
character performing such feat!
Considering this, there can be no
thought of theft.
Moreover, if they really had per
formed this impossible theft, they
would have to consider their Master a
liar and deceiver because He did not
rise as He had foretold. For this
liar and deceiyer, hence for nothing,
they would have begun a plot of
hypocrisy, which brought them only
stripes persecution and death. That
,supposition is too nonsensical even
for the Christ-hater David Strauss, for
he says: AN invented lie would i'm
possibly have inspired the Disciples to
announce so braveIy amid the greatest
dangers the resurrection of Jesus"
Moreover, this lying and deception,
so pleasing to Satan, should have
effected the moral renovation of the
world, should have laid the founda-
ton for the tender consciences, the
.piety and fear of God Of Christianity
Who believes that must have given
up the very foundation of sound rea-
son, the law of sufficient cause.
Finally we ask: Could this deeep-
ton have been kept secret, known to
so many men and women? From all
this it. is clear that only fool can
hold this hypothesis.