The Resurrection of Jesus Christ 87 Suppose we should find four accounts, of the battle of Monmouth. Suppose, furthermore, that nothing decisive was lenown as to the authorship of these four accounts, but, when we laid them side by side, we found that they were mani- festly independent accounts. We found, furthermore, strik- ing indications that they were from eye witnesses. We found them all marked by that artlessness, straightforward- ness and simplicity that always carries conviction; we found that, while apparently disagreeing in minor details, they agreed substantially in their account of the battle—e ven though we had no knowledge of the authorship or date of these accounts, would we not, in the absence of any other accounts, say, “Here is a true account of the battle of Mon- mouth?” Now this is exactly the case with the four Gospel narratives. Manifestly separate and independent from one another, bearing the clear marks of having been derived from •eye witnesses, characterized by an unparalleled artlessness, .simplicity and straightforwardness, apparently disagreeing in minor details, but in perfect agreement as to the great central facts related. If we are fair and honest, if we follow the canons of evidence followed in court, if we follow any sound and sane law of literary and historical criticism, are we not logically driven to say, “Here is a true account of the resur- rection of Jesus.” Here again we might rest our case and call the resurrection of Jesus from the dead proven, but we go on still further: 4. The next thing we notice is the unintentional evidence ■of words, phrases, and accidental details. I t oftentimes happens that when a witness is on the stand, the unintentional evidence that he bears by words and phrases which he uses, and by accidental details which he intro- duces! is more convincing than his direct testimony, because it is not the testimony of the witness, but a testimony of the truth to itself. The Gospel accounts abound in evidence of this sort.
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