The Proofs of Christ's Resurrection; from a Lawyer's StandpointMorrison, Charles R. (Charles Robert)
Religion
The Proofs of Christ's Resurrection; from a Lawyer's Standpoint
Morrison, Charles R. (Charles Robert)
Apologetics; Jesus Christ -- Resurrection
[1] Judge Waite controverts the generally received opinion of the date
of Justin’s First Apology. Verissimus became Cæsar in 139, but he is not
addressed as Cæsar, but as “philosopher.” In reply to this, Mr. Waite
says, that the same is true of the Second Apology, “which is admitted
by all to have been written after 139.” In the first place, there is
considerable uncertainty which of the Apologies was first written, and
some critics maintain that what is called the Second was a preface to
the First, and others still that it was a continuation of the First.
(See introductory notice to Vol. II. of the A. N. C. L.) In the second
place, the address to Urbicus in the so-called Second Apology, was
not by _Justin_. He only gives it as the language of _one Lucius_, in
narrating an occurrence which, for aught that appears, may have taken
place before the year 139. Mr. Waite also says that Justin would be but
twenty-five years of age in 139. He might have written his Apology in
139, nevertheless. And there are many who put his birth earlier than the
year 114, and some as early as the year 85. There are no certain data by
which to determine the time of his birth. Again he says that Marcion did
not come to Rome till about 140, and that Justin (c. 26) refers to him
as being “even at this day alive, and teaching his disciples to believe
in some God greater than the Creator.” But Justin meant to express his
abhorrence of his doctrines. He refers to him as “a man of Pontus,” and
again (in c. 58) as “Marcion of Pontus,” and says the devils put him
forward. He nowhere describes him as being _of_ Rome or _at_ Rome. In
his extensive travels he doubtless knew of him while he was at Pontus.
Judge Waite also says that, if in the year 139, Justin would have said
that Christ was born 140 years ago, instead of 150. But correcting the
error for the beginning of our Era, the time would have been A.D. 146,
or 144, as we allow four or six years for the error, and Justin, using
round numbers, would more naturally have taken the longer period. There
is nothing therefore in Judge Waite’s arguments to change the opinion in
what he concedes to be “the very valuable Encyclopedia of McClintock and
Strong,” and of Page, Neander, Lemisch, Roberts and Donaldson, Sears,
Fisher, Eusebius, (c. 8) and many others, assigning the year 139. See
also Canonicity, by Dr. Charteris (1880) p. lv. It is, however, not
essential to the argument from the First Apology, whether it was written
in the year 139, or 144, or 146, or even 150 of our Era. By as much as
it lengthens the period from the death of John to the date of the First
Apology, it shortens the time between that date and the year 180.
[2] “The memories of Light Infantry Poor and Yorktown Scammel.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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