the Christian Faith is built. Remove this central fact, and Christianity falls to the ground as an institution founded by God. It may survive as a useful but merely human institution and guide, but that is not the fundamental idea of the Christian religion. Renan says that there was a Renan and Mary general feeling prevalent that great and good men Magdalene never died. Hence, "On the day after His entombment this feeling was uppermost in their minds; the women above all, rendered Him service with tender devotion. Surely,' said they, 'angels surround Him and veil their faces in His shroud.' On that day the little company of Christians brought to pass the true miracle by the mighty love they bore Him, they brought Jesus to life in their hearts,-on that day for an hour Mary of Magdala upheld the whole fabric of Christian consciousness."1 But this idea is absolutely at variance with all we know of the facts. Mary Magdalene expected the Resurrection no more than and inven the Apostles who refused to believe her story, and the frame of all their minds was far from any idea of a Resurrection. But we are told by other All legend critics, "It is all legend and invention". Schmiedel, tion who is no believer in the rising of Jesus from the dead, says: "The historian who will have it that the alleged appearances are due merely to legend Schmiedel's 1 Les Apôtres, cap. 1. reply Strauss's reply and invention must deny not only the genuineness of the Pauline Epistles, but also the historicity of Jesus altogether". Strauss, another hostile critic, writes, in denying fraud upon the part of the Apostles: "No lie of their own invention could possibly have inspired the Disciples to proclaim the Resurrection of Christ with such steadfast courage amid the greatest danger, and Christian apologists rightly point to the amazing change from the utter despondency and hopelessness of the Apostles after the death of their Lord, to the enthusiastic faith with which at Pentecost, they proclaim Him to be the Messiah. How account, they say, for this, unless meanwhile an extraordinary event had taken place, which inspired them with courage, and convinced them that the crucified Jesus was indeed risen again."2 The Scriptural narratives tell us that in preaching the Resurrection, the corroborate Apostles worked miracles to prove the truth of what they said. They were addressing themselves to strangers of every nationality, and asserting as a fact that with their eyes they had seen the Crucified alive again in the flesh. And they called upon God to bear witness to their truthfulness by miracles. We may well believe that such events occurred. As Thomas of Aquinas has said, “It Apostles worked miracles to their asser tion 1 Encycl. Brit., vol. iii., col. 4061. 2 Leben Jesu, 3rd ed., ii., 685. of Hippo's would indeed have been the most amazing of Thomas Aquinas's miracles, if without any miraculous signs, a few views simple, unknown men had persuaded the world to embrace a faith so far beyond man's comprehension which entailed obligations so onerous, and anticipated a future so sublime". Augustine of Augustine Hippo had written, "The Resurrection could ever views have inspired the Disciples with faith in the Church, and in the future of Christianity; but we who have the Church before us, are certain that Christ rose from the dead. But if anyone believes that the Apostles wrought no miracles when they preached the Resurrection and Ascension of Christ, this miracle alone would suffice us, namely, that the whole world believed without miracle."2 And as the same need of corroboration existed when Need still the eye-witnesses of the Resurrection were dead, so miracles continued to be worked, and still so continue, where the need arises. Christianity has not yet converted all the nations. The followers of Mohammed, of Buddha, of Confucius and of Brahma are in a similar position to that in which the Jewish and Roman world found itself at the death of Christ, and they need more than the uncorroborated word of man to change the faith they hold, for one which makes such great demands upon them. And Jesus is the same yesterday, to-day and for ever; 1 Contra Gentiles, i., 6. 2 Civ. Dei, xxii., 5. the same ever ready to meet the needs and weakness of His creatures. His arm is not shortened, nor has His Conclusion goodwill grown weaker. And here we must draw to a close our examination of the Resurrection. That fact has been shown to be based upon the firmest of evidence. The origin of the Christian Church, its constant tradition, the conversions amongst Jews and Pagans, the testimony of these men, the evidence of the Scriptural writings, all alike place the fact amongst the most certain of historical events, and we have briefly considered many of the leading objections which have been urged against the Resurrection. CHAPTER VII THE ASCENSION Ascension AND now we come to the alleged Ascension of Object of the Jesus into Heaven, in the presence of numerous witnesses. The Ascension is a proof that Jesus, after rising from the dead, dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over Him. He rose with a spiritualised and incorruptible body, over which the ordinary laws of matter had no longer any control. Decay was an impossibility to that body. By virtue of its new nature it could die no more. Jesus, however, would give a further proof, by ascending finally into the Presence of His Father; as the Scriptures figuratively put it, "to sit at His right hand" for evermore. The Redemption was complete, and Heaven was to be opened to all believers. The Ascension took place at Bethany in Galilee Some early writers give in the presence of the Apostles and a large number of witnesses. To it we have the constant witness of the Church, and tradition, and the Apostles' Creed. In the numerous quotations which we have 161 L |