The King’s Business
Voi. 4
MARCH, 1913
No. 3
Christian Union. ' I ' H E R E is increasing ta lk on every h a n d of th e ne ed of C h ristian union. ■*" T h e re is c ertain ly g re a t n eed o f such union. In m any p laces th e re a re th re e o r fou r struggling churches, ■ each try in g to su p p o rt a m in ister b u t failing to d o so satisfactorily, w h ere one church w ou ld m eet, an d b e tte r m eet, all th e necessities of th e comm unity. O ften tim es th e se churches differ from one a n o th e r in no essential particu lar, b u t only in m ino r m a t ters o f o rgan ization an d discipline o r form . O ne church w ou ld fa r b e tte r m e e t th e necessities of th e comm un ity th a n th e th re e o r four. But while th e re is a crying n e ed fo r C h ristian union, w e shou ld m ak e sure th a t it is in d e ed Christian union. Som e a re so c a rried aw ay w ith th e th o u g h t o f union th a t th ey are w illing to com b ine w ith an y one an d to sacrifice fu n d a m en tal tru th s o f th e Gospel. A n y un ion th a t d em a n d s th e sacrifice o f e s sential tru th is n o t C hristian un ion a n d c an on ly result in d isaster. Christ is Risen. p 'E W realize: F irst, on w h a t a firm fo u n d a tio n th e resu rrection o f our L o rd rests; Second, w h a t g re a t histo rical a n d legal authorities, whose specialty is th e a tte sta tio n o f evidence, h av e certified th e v a lid ity of th e te s tim ony to th a t co rn e rsto n e o f o u r faith ; T h ird , how this sup rem e m iracle tak e s p re c ed en ce of an d gu a ran te e s all o th e r C h ristian doctrines. It is folly to w aste learning, time, an d la b o r on C h ristian ev idence if th is m iracle n ev e r o c cu rred ; it is equally needless to d e fe n d o th e r d isp u ted su p e rn a t u ral ev en ts of th e biblical re co rd if this first fact is established, as it is, as b ey o n d re a son ab le d oub t. O u r chief au th o rity on in tern a tio n a l law an d in te rn a tio n a l relations, H on . J o h n W . Fo ster, h as sa id : “ I con sid er th a t th e ev idence of C h rist’s resu rrection is as cred ib le as th a t of an y o th e r fact in th e h isto ry o f th e last eigh teen cen tu ries.” H o n .. F red e rick R en e C oud e rt, w ho se rv ed as counsel fo r th e U n ited S tates b e fo re th e In te rn a tio n a l Behring Sea Comm ission, an d on th e V e n e zuelan B ou n d a ry Comm ission, an d as p re sid en t of th e New Y o rk B ar A s sociation, said : “ I h av e n o t stud ied th e testim ony of th e evangelists on th e su b je c t of th e R esu rrection as I w o u ld th e p ro o fs in d isp u ted w ill cases. T ho se, how ever, w ho th ink th a t th ey ough t to m ak e a b rie f on th e su b je c t b e fo re a rriv ing a t a decision m ay stu d y G re en le a f on th e conclusive ness o f th e evidence. H is au th o rity on th e law of ev idence is o f th e h igh est.” A n o th e r em in en t ju rist, of th e Sup rem e C o u rt, said : “ I h av e n o t ex am in ed th e ev idence fo r ou r L o rd ’s resu rrection from a law yer’s s ta n d p o in t; G re en le a f has d o n e so, a n d his opinion is satisfacto ry to me. Now w ho is G re en le a f? H e w as p ro fe sso r o f law a t H a rv a rd , au th o r of “A T re a tise on th e L aw o f E v id en c e ,” which re n d e re d in to th irte en d ifferen t langu&ges be c am e a te x t b o o k in th e law schools o f th e w o rld .
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