[A] Rev. Simeon Parmelee, D.D., celebrated his one hundredth birthday at the house of his son-in-law Hon. E. J. Hamilton, ex-mayor of the city of Oswego, N. Y., Jan. 16, 1882. His intellect was clear, and to those who called he had an ever ready response, and replied happily and wittily to the addresses. He had been in the ministry from 1808 to 1869, and, for years after, preached occasionally. His eldest daughter is 72 years of age, and his descendants now living, number 53. Upon his 90th birthday he wrote a hymn of considerable merit. When 100 years old, he remembered with vivid freshness the Inauguration of George Washington, although at that time but in his 8th year. See _Congregationalist_, Jan. 25, 1882. [3] See Phillips, Parker, and Greenleaf, as quoted in c. 8. [4] Justin in his First Apology (c. 15) refers to many of sixty or seventy years of age, who have been Christ’s disciples from childhood. [5] Prof. Fisher (p. 69) says, that besides the few individuals called the Alogi, or men “without understanding,” there is no allusion to the denial of John’s authorship of the Fourth Gospel by any writer, before the latter part of the fourth century. [6] As to the controverted reference in Justin’s Apology to “Memoirs of Him,” see c. 4, and c. 7, note 14. That, if correctly interpreted by Judge Waite, could only have been Mark’s Gospel. CHAPTER XII. IN THEIR PROPER REPOSITORIES. Certain propositions have been established by facts and arguments that cannot be successfully controverted: (_a_) The advent of Christ and its stupendous results. (_b_) The formation of numerous churches which by the end of the first century were in all parts of the Roman Empire, with presbyters or bishops and elders in every church, and many thousands of communicants. (_c_) They regarded him with the greatest reverence and affection, obeying his commands as their Lord and Master, paying him divine honors, and for his sake joyfully yielding up their lives. (_d_) Of his disciples and followers, twelve, called Apostles, were understood to have special authority from him in the Church. (_e_) From the nature of the case we should look for the reception in these numerous churches, of Memoirs of their Lord which they would _deem_ authentic, and at so early a period, that they would be able to _determine_ whether they were authentic or not. (_f_) To such Memoirs, once accepted, they would be so strongly attached that they could not be displaced and others substituted for them, in hundreds of churches in all the Roman Empire, without such controversy as would have left indubitable evidence of it.