The Proofs of Christ's Resurrection; from a Lawyer's Standpoint

by Charles R. Morrison

CHAPTER VIII.
PRESUMPTION OF PERMANENCY.

In general, says Mr. Phillips,[1] there is a presumption in favor of the continuance of what is once proved to have existed. It is a familiar principle of law, says Chief Justice Parker, that a state of things once shown to exist is presumed to continue until something is shown to rebut the presumption. And this position, says Professor Greenleaf, is founded “on the experienced continuance or permanency of longer or shorter duration in human affairs. When, therefore, the existence of a person, a personal relation, or a state of things, is once established by proof, the law presumes that the person, relation, or state of things continues to exist as before, until the contrary is shown, or until a different presumption is raised from the nature of the subject in question.” With other examples of the application of this presumption, he mentions opinions and religious convictions: “The opinions also of individuals, once entertained and expressed, and the state of mind, once proved to exist, are presumed to remain unchanged until the contrary appears. Thus, all the members of a Christian community, being presumed to entertain the common faith, no man is supposed to disbelieve the existence and moral government of God, until it is shown from his own declarations.” This presumption being founded in reason and experience, is of universal application. It is not conclusive, but stands “until something is shown to rebut it.” It is the basis of Hume’s argument against miracles, but which he misapplies, making it conclusive instead of presumptive evidence. As a presumption, it is strictly applicable to the question in hand, and will be found to have great force. For, from this natural and reasonable presumption, it should be taken, unless the contrary is proved, that the accepted “Memoirs” of Justin’s time remained in the churches. Hence if we can ascertain with entire certainty what “Memoirs” were accepted in the churches in the year 180, and no evidence of displacement and substitution appears, we shall have most satisfactory evidence what “Memoirs” were the ones intended by him in his Apology.

[1] Phillips on Evidence, 4th Am. Ed., 640: 17 N. H. Rep., 409: 1 Greenleaf on Evidence, §§ 41, 42.

CHAPTER IX.
THE MEMOIRS OF THE YEAR ONE HUNDRED AND EIGHTY.

There is undoubted proof that within forty years from the time Justin wrote his First Apology, our Four Gospels (and no others) with the Book of Acts, were universally received in the church, as we now receive them. It comes from the writings of Agrippa Castor, Apollinaris, Bishop of Hierapolis, Apelles, Athenagoras, Basilides, Celsus, Clement of Alexandria, Eusebius, Heracleon, Irenæus, Jerome, Marcion, Melito, Bishop of Sardis, Origen, Pantænus, Polycarp, Serapion, Tatian, Theophilus, Tertullian, Valentine, The Letter of the Church of Vienne and Lyons, and the unknown authors of the Clementine Homilies, and the Muratori Canon—Christians, Gnostics, Heretics, and Heathen, all concurring to prove universal reception, beyond a reasonable doubt. So strong is this proof that even Strauss does not deny such reception by the end of the second century, and he admits that there is evidence of an earlier date. He says: “We learn from the works of Irenæus, of Clement Alexandrinus, and of Tertullian, that, at the end of the second century after Christ, our Four Gospels were recognized by the orthodox church as the writings of the Apostles and the disciples [companions] of the Apostles, and were separated from many other similar productions, as authentic records of the life of Jesus. The first Gospel, according to our Canon, is attributed [i. e. by the authors named] to Matthew, who is enumerated among the twelve Apostles; the fourth to John, the beloved disciple of our Lord; the second to Mark, the interpreter of Peter;[1] and the third to Luke, the companion of Paul. We have, besides, the authority of earlier authors, both in their own works, and in quotations cited by others.” As a false witness sometimes admits a part, the better to conceal what is more important, so Strauss admits a state of things as existing at the end of the century, that, beyond dispute, should be carried back to a time at least twenty years earlier. Thus Professor Fisher, in his exhaustive work, says of John’s Gospel (which is conceded to have been the last): “We choose to begin[2] with the unquestioned fact of the universal reception of the Fourth Gospel as genuine in the last quarter of the second century. At that time we find that it was held in every part of Christendom to be the work of the Apostle John. The prominent witnesses are Tertullian in North Africa, Clement in Alexandria, and Irenæus in Gaul.” And Professor Abbot[3] says: “I begin with the statement, which cannot be questioned, that our present Gospels, and no others, were received by the great body of Christians as genuine and sacred books during the last quarter of the second century.”

Theophilus of Antioch, as early as A.D. 180, not only quotes from the Fourth Gospel, as Scripture, but names John as its author, as follows:[4] “As the Holy Scriptures, and all who have the Spirit, teach us, among whom John says, ‘In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God;’ signifying that God alone was in the beginning, and that the Word was in him. And then he says, the Word was God, and all things were made by Him, and without him there was not anything made.” Theophilus also wrote a Commentary upon the Gospels. Before this time, also, our Gospels and Acts had been included in a list[5] of canonical books received in the churches. They were in their present order, and, as far as their authorship is stated, are attributed to the persons whose names are now assigned to them. And before[6] this date, Celsus (who anticipated Strauss by seventeen hundred years) had cited alleged contradictions in the Gospels, and particularly as to there being one or two angels at the sepulchre. He attempted to ridicule the idea that blood and water came from Jesus’ side—a fact that is stated only in John. He refers to the fact that Christ “after his death arose, and showed the marks of his punishment, and how his hands had been pierced.” Although he does not name the authors of the books, yet his numerous quotations correspond with them, including Luke and John. And in respect to all of the discrepancies, etc., he says: “All these things I have taken out of your own books,” i. e. Scriptures. “We need,” says he, “no after witness, for you fall upon your own swords.” His work has not come down to us except as contained in Origen’s writings, which, however, quote so fully from it, that it is nearly reproduced. And ten years[7] before this time, Tatian, who had been a disciple of Justin (but after Justin’s death became heretical), wrote a Commentary or Harmony upon the Gospels. He called it Diatesseron, which means the Gospel of the Four. The celebrated Syrian, Father Ephræm, who died A.D. 373, wrote a commentary on it. Bar-Salibi, who flourished in the last part of the twelfth century, was also well acquainted with Tatian’s work; and says that it began with John i. 1: “In the beginning was the Word.”

Before this date, Heracleon, a disciple of the Gnostic Valentine, wrote a commentary upon the Fourth Gospel. The work is known[8] to us through many fragments, which Origen has woven into his own commentary on the same Gospel.

Quotations from the canonical Gospels between the periods mentioned are very numerous. It is unnecessary to cite them, or to give other specific proof of a state of things existing as early as 180, as shown by most incontrovertible evidence, whatever doubt may be had as to some items of this evidence. Indeed an earlier date might properly be assumed than that taken as the basis of our argument. Thus Dr. Charteris, in his recent work, says, in view of all the circumstances: “When we pass the middle of the century, and come to the works of Tatian, Athenagoras, and Theophilus (with a quotation by name) we are out of the region of controversy.” (Canonicity, lxxxi.) There were a few persons called the Alogi, a nickname having the double meaning of “deniers of the doctrine of the Logos,” and “men without reason,” who denied John’s authorship of the Fourth Gospel. They were probably a few[9] eccentric individuals, who attracted no attention, and none of whose names are preserved. The fact that they appealed to no tradition in favor of their views, denied John’s authorship of the Apocalypse likewise, and absurdly ascribed both to Cerinthus, whom no one supposes could have been their author, shows that they were persons of no critical judgment. They were outside of the churches of which Justin wrote. The reception of the canonical Gospels, to the exclusion of all others, was universal in those churches.