CHAPTER XII.IN THEIR PROPER REPOSITORIES.

Certain propositions have been established by facts and arguments that cannot be successfully controverted:

(a) The advent of Christ and its stupendous results.

(b) The formation of numerous churches which by the end of the first century were in all parts of the Roman Empire, with presbyters or bishops and elders in every church, and many thousands of communicants.

(c) They regarded him with the greatest reverence and affection, obeying his commands as their Lord and Master, paying him divine honors, and for his sake joyfully yielding up their lives.

(d) Of his disciples and followers, twelve, called Apostles, were understood to have special authority from him in the Church.

(e) From the nature of the case we should look for the reception in these numerous churches, of Memoirs of their Lord which they woulddeemauthentic, and at so early a period, that they would be able todeterminewhether they were authentic or not.

(f) To such Memoirs, once accepted, they would be so strongly attached that they could not be displaced and others substituted for them, in hundreds of churches in all the Roman Empire, without such controversy as would have left indubitable evidence of it.

(g) As far back as history goes, doctrines[1]were taught, facts asserted, and quotations made, corresponding with the Canonical Gospels, and such use was continued until a time when there is a positive identification of them by name. Within this period there was one writer making numerous quotations and references, who declared that the writings from which hequoted, and to which he referred, were “Memoirs” of Christ “drawn up” by Apostles or companions of Apostles.

(h) There is no proof of the existence of writingsotherthan those Gospels answering to his description, or corresponding with the quotations; and finally within forty years of his first reference to these “Memoirs” they are clearly seen to be the Canonical Gospels.

(i) From first to last there is no evidence whatever of displacement of Gospels previously accepted, and the substitution of others for them in the churches generally.

(j) The Fourth Gospel is of such a character, and was in use so soon after the death of its author (and who is also stated as its author in the Gospels itself), as to make the idea of attempted and successfulforgeryin the highest degree improbable.

(k) And these Gospels within less than eighty years from the death of the Apostles other than John, and within forty years ofhisdeath, were read with the Prophets in the churches, in city and country, every Lord’s day,and accepted as Apostolic.

(l) From the earliest period they were where they should be if authentic, and where they could not have been, unlessacceptedas authentic.

Some illustrations have already been given in chapter eleven of the brief interval between the Apostles and Justin Martyr. Let any intelligent reader of sixty, from his own recollection, or any young person, from the recollections of others with whom he is acquainted, determine for himself. The writer was admitted to the Bar almost forty years ago; he has within a few months seen an original deed[2]of land in Londonderry (the home of his ancestors) executed one hundred and fifty years ago; he has in his possession certified copies of certificates of marriages and births, in his own genealogical record—going back from one to two hundred years, in one instance two hundred and thirty years, and these certificates would be received asevidencein any Court. They would be received,because made by the proper custodian of public documents, found in the proper repository for them. The presumption of law in such case is the judgment of charity. It presumes that documents found in their proper repository, and not bearing marks of forgery, are genuine. A deed forty years old, followed by a possession agreeing with it, is admitted in evidence without other proof of its execution. Our Gospels in Justin’s time were where theyshouldhave been, if authentic. The Church was the proper repository for authentic Memoirs of its Founder.Our Gospels were there.They were in their proper repository. And upon every principle that rules in the administration of justice, or in the common affairs of life, it must be presumed that they wererightfullythere. Their rejection isnot“the judgment of charity.” It reverses the maxim that fraud is not to be presumed. It charges forgery, of which there is no evidence, upon persons whom it finds it impossible to discover and identify. It imputes ignorance and indifference to multitudes who had every opportunity for knowing the truth, and who were willing to suffer all things for their convictions of the truth. It presses, as of vital consequence, trivial objections and alleged errors in chronology, geography and history, which (if made out) would not for a moment be thought sufficient to successfully impugn the authenticity of any secular work as well supported by external evidence. It is unnecessary to further consider such objections.[3]It is no exaggeration to say, that the various theories and speculations of those who deny the genuineness of the Gospels are, in the main, but ingenious attempts at the solution of the problem: “Given, the impossibility of miracles, what may be supposed to be the true history of Jesus Christ?” The only consistent answer that could be made, would be that upon such an hypothesis, it is impossible to determine what was his life or character. But, given, the possibility of miracles (and if there is a God they must be possible), there is no reasonable doubt of the authenticity of the Gospels, and the book of Acts. They come to us from their proper repositories,and must be presumed to be rightfully there. They are proved to have been in those repositories within but a short period from the death of the Apostles. They were accepted as Apostolic, and as having been drawn up by Apostles or companions of Apostles. If such undoubted reception, and use, and tradition, at so early a period, and thence until now, cannot betrusted, no credit can be given toanywritings or history from ancient times. Theycanbe trusted. The stream which eighteen hundred years ago was issuing from Apostolic times and the hills of Palestine, has flowed onward, enriching and blessing the nations.

[1]Mr. Waite assumes that Clement did not hold to a literal resurrection. Clement’s language admits of no such construction, although in writing to Christians who understood all about it, he was not as definite upon this point, as Justin inhisaddress to a different class. Clement refers to the resurrection in c. 24: “Let us consider, beloved, how the Lord continually proves to us that there shall be a future resurrection, of which he has rendered the Lord Jesus Christ the first fruits by raising him from the dead.” And again in c. 42, after saying that the Apostles were commissioned, he adds: “Having therefore, received their order, and being fully assured by the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, and established in the Word of God, with full assurance of the Holy Ghost, they went forth proclaiming that the kingdom of God was at hand.” The force of this language is not controlled by any means, by reference to the day’s following the night, and the springing up of the fruits of the earth, from the sowing of the seed.[2]The deed dated June 16, 1731, was by David Morrison, one of the grantees in the Charter of Londonderry of 1722, to his brother-in-law, David McAlister. This deed with another from the same grantor to William McAlister dated February 24, 1746, are now in the possession of Jonathan McAlister, Esq., a descendant of David and an owner of the original granted land.[3]One other correction should be made. Judge Waite arbitrarily assigns Cerinthus to the year 145. He gives no reason or authority for it. It is the testimony of all antiquity that Cerinthus was contemporary with the Apostle John, and that John died about the year 100. Irenæus, upon the authority of Polycarp, says that John, being about to enter a bath and finding Cerinthus within, drew back saying: “Let us even be gone lest the bath should fall to pieces,—Cerinthus, that enemy of the truth, being within.” See Vol. II., Encyclopedia of McClintock and Strong, p. 190.

[2]The deed dated June 16, 1731, was by David Morrison, one of the grantees in the Charter of Londonderry of 1722, to his brother-in-law, David McAlister. This deed with another from the same grantor to William McAlister dated February 24, 1746, are now in the possession of Jonathan McAlister, Esq., a descendant of David and an owner of the original granted land.

[3]One other correction should be made. Judge Waite arbitrarily assigns Cerinthus to the year 145. He gives no reason or authority for it. It is the testimony of all antiquity that Cerinthus was contemporary with the Apostle John, and that John died about the year 100. Irenæus, upon the authority of Polycarp, says that John, being about to enter a bath and finding Cerinthus within, drew back saying: “Let us even be gone lest the bath should fall to pieces,—Cerinthus, that enemy of the truth, being within.” See Vol. II., Encyclopedia of McClintock and Strong, p. 190.

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