Obrázky na stránke
PDF
ePub

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Proof of the Resurrection of Jesus-Greenleaf's Definition of Evi-
dence The Crucifixion-Establishing the Corpus Delicti-Did Jesus
Simply Swoon?-Either Resurrection or Fraud-Modernists Rob
Him of His Divinity, Clothe Him with Imposture, and Then Ask
the World to Sit at His Feet with Them.

Construction of the Law as to Judgment-Punishment and Reward—
Emerson and the Law of Compensation-Intent of the Law-Giver.

THE BIBLE IN COURT

DIVISION I.

THE AUTHENTICITY OF THE SCRIPTURAL RECORD

For the purpose of this discussion, let us assume that we have the original manuscripts which compose the Scriptures, bound in one volume, in a court of law, and that the question of the veracity of the document has been raised, in a trial in which it is involved. We will assume that objection has been raised to its admission as evidence, and that opposing counsel must present their arguments to the court in favor of or against such admission. Probably the objector would insist that the whole document would be irrelevant, incompetent and immaterial for the reason that no living witnesses were to be had who could be introduced for the purpose of examination and cross-examination, under oath, touching the question or questions involved in the suit. Such objection would be likely to be sustained unless counsel could find some rule or authority which would permit its admission. Thus the point would become of vital importance.

1

Undoubtedly the court would ask for authorities on the question raised, and counsel for those who would sustain the veracity of the document could do nothing better than cite as his authority Professor Simon Greenleaf, of the Harvard Law School, whose treatise on the "Testimony of the Evangelists" bears directly on that subject. Among the legal profession, Professor Greenleaf is regarded as one of the greatest authorities who has ever written on the law of evidence, in any land where the English jurisprudence is in vogue, and his volumes may be found in every well selected law library, whether public or private.

Reading from the authority cited, counsel would quote as follows:

"That the books of the Old Testament, as we now have them, are genuine; that they existed in the time of our Savior, and were commonly received and referred to among the Jews as the sacred books of their religion; and that the text of the four Evangelists has been handed down to us in the state in which it was originally written, that is, without having been materially corrupted or falsified, either by heretics or Christians, are facts which we are entitled to assume as true until the contrary is shown.

"The genuineness of these writings really admits of as little doubt, and is susceptible of

as ready proof, as that of any ancient writings whatever. The rule of municipal law on this subject is familiar, and applies with equal force to all ancient writings, whether documentary or otherwise; and as it comes first in order, in the prosecution of these inquiries, it may for the sake of mere convenience be designated as our first rule.

"Every document, apparently ancient, coming from the proper repository or custody, and bearing on its face no evident marks of forgery, the law presumes to be genuine, and devolves on the opposing party the burden of proving it to be otherwise.

"An ancient document offered in evidence in our courts, is said to come from the proper repository, when it is found in the place where, and under the care of persons with whom, such writings might naturally and reasonably be expected to be found; for it is this custody which gives authenticity to documents found within it. If they come from such a place, and bear no evident marks of forgery, the law presumes that they are genuine, and they are permitted to be read in evidence, unless the opposing party is able successfully to impeach them. The burden of showing them to be false and unworthy of credit is devolved on the party who makes the objection. The presumption of law is the judgment of charity. It presumes that every man is innocent until he is proved guilty; that everything has been done fairly and legally until it has been proved to

have been otherwise, and that every document found in its proper repository, and not bearing marks of forgery, is genuine. Now this is precisely the case with the Sacred Writings. They have been used in the church from time immemorial, and are thus found in the place where alone they ought to be looked for. They come to us, and challenge our reception of them as genuine writings, precisely as Doomsday Book, the Ancient Statutes of Wales, or any other of the ancient documents which have recently been published under the British Record Commission, are received. They are found in familiar use in all the churches of Christendom, as the sacred books to which all denominations of Christians refer, as the standard of their faith. There is no pretense that they were engraven on plates of gold and discovered in a cave, nor that they were brought from heaven by angels; but they are received as the plain narratives and writings of the men whose names they respectively bear, made public at the time they were written; and although there are some slight discrepancies among the copies subsequently made, there is no evidence that the originals were anywhere corrupted. If it should be objected that the originals are lost, and that copies alone are now produced, the principles of the municipal law here also afford a satisfactory answer. For the multiplication of copies was a public fact, in the faithfulness of which all the Christian community had an interest; and it is a rule of law that

« PredošláPokračovať »