CHAPTER II.ADMISSIONS AND PRESUMPTIONS.

With the somewhat scanty and inconclusive evidence from writings of the first one hundred years from the crucifixion, are there any facts that are conceded, and any presumptions from them? There are concessions, and from what motives is immaterial, since there is no doubt of the existence of the facts that are admitted even by those who deny the authenticity of the Gospels. Says Renan[1]: “Not the slightest doubt has been raised by serious criticism against the authenticity of the Epistle to the Galatians, the two Epistles to the Corinthians, or the Epistle to the Romans; while the arguments on which are founded the attacks on the two Epistles to the Thessalonians, and that to the Philippians, are without value.” And it may be added that the genuineness of the Book of Revelations is conceded and insisted upon by most of his way of thinking.

Now, from the four Epistles against whose authenticity “not the slightest doubt has been raised by serious criticism,” and the writings of Josephus, Tacitus and Pliny, these facts are as well established as any facts of history can possibly be established:—Jesus Christ was born in Judea in the days of Herod, and was crucified under Pontius Pilate. He was a most extraordinary character, and a wonderful teacher. He gathered disciples, of whom twelve were called Apostles. After his death, his followers were formed into numerous churches, which, in a few years, extended into all parts of the then known world, and of which there has been a continuous succession till now. If, from their disciples, we know something of the life and teachings of Confucius and Socrates, we should expect as much concerning him whose advent revolutionized the world, within three centuries overturned the oldpagan superstitions throughout the Roman Empire, and is still the greatest moral power of the most enlightened nations of the earth. But, if there were any accepted memoirs of him in that first hundred years from his crucifixion, what has become of them? It is incredible that they should have dropped out of existence and there be no history or tradition of it. It is incredible that they should have been lost to churches having a continuous life, or that others should have been substituted for them, and there be no trace of their disappearance or of a substitution. In the churches in every period, the old and the young were together. How, then, was displacement and substitution possible without protest? How was the loss of accepted memoirs possible, so long as there was a continued succession of teachers? Yet none have reached our time other than those which have come to us through all the centuries as authentic writings of those whose names they bear.

By the law of the “survival of the fittest,” all other productions making any pretensions to such a character perished long ago, only fragments of them remain, and our four Gospels are in the churches. There is, therefore, to begin with, the strongest presumption in their favor. “It is,” says Professor Greenleaf,[2]“for the objector to show them spurious; for on him, by the plainest rules of law, lies the burden of proof.” And from what has appeared it is plain that this “burden” is a very heavy one.[3]

[1]Renan’s Life of Jesus, p. 35.[2]The Testimony of the Four Evangelists (p. 28, section 10), by Simon Greenleaf, LL.D., 1846. His standard work on evidence is in every lawyer’s library.[3]See alsopost,c. 8.

[1]Renan’s Life of Jesus, p. 35.

[2]The Testimony of the Four Evangelists (p. 28, section 10), by Simon Greenleaf, LL.D., 1846. His standard work on evidence is in every lawyer’s library.

[3]See alsopost,c. 8.

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