"MODERN LIGHT ON CHRISTIANITY"

Wanganui Herald, Volume XXXVII, Issue 10976, 16 June 1903, Page 6

"MODERN LIGHT ON CHRISTIANITY"

TO THE EDITOE.

Sir, — Mr Field compares me to a cuttle- . fish. Such, language is evidently a great relicf f to his feelings. But I must insist that it is no answer to solid argxinient. 'I have already shown how .he has misquoted Papias. He -now admits that Papias speaks of "a Matthew Gospel." I have no where said that this was our gospel of St. Matthew, though I believe ours to be founded on it. But he has not yet withdrawn hisformer statement that the first mention of "a Matthew gospel" was in a.d. 185, ( some 45 years after 'Papias. I said in my last letter "th^fl Mr Field shows extreme ignorance of early Christian literature. He now makes this ignorance more evident by the wild statement that these writers "do not contain a single mention of tlfe gospels." In reply to this I will briefly consider one or two quotations of only oiie writer — Justin Martyr, — who wrote shortly after Papias. All his quotations correspond exactly with the range and contents of our gospels, and are free from the legendary admixture of later apocryphal gospels. ' He preserves everywhere ' the peculiarities of the New Testament phraseology without the admixture of any foreign element. In explaining the Lord's Supper he says : "The Apostles, in the memoirs made by' them, which are called Gospels, handed down . . . ."* Further on he says that these memoirs of the Apostles were read at the service together with the writings of the Prophets. It was, of course, only gradually that the Gospels took the place of the oral teaching. Elsewhere he says": , "In the memoirs, which I say were composed by the Apostles and those who followed them, it is written that sweat as drops of blood streamed down as Jesus was praying and saying "If it be possible, llett t this cup "ass from me." This is strictly correct as the words occur in St. Luke's Gospel, and he was not an Apostle, but "a follower of the Apostles." Again \\6 says: "Jesus, as He gave up His spirit on the cross, said, 'Father, into Thy hands I «ommend my spirit': even as I learnt from the memoirs this fact also." Mr Field professes to have studied early Christian literature for himself- . I have my' doubts of this. At all events, be has come to a strong anti-Christian conclusion, and in tlie same breath would hiive us believo fhat he is a Christian and a CliurcJiinan. I have already shown that this is an impossible position, for "No man can serve two masters."- Mr Talbot is more honest He has eA'ictently read certain articles in the "Encyclopedia Biblica," and blindly follows all their conclusions. I have for years studied the original documents for, myself, and come to a different conclusion. We can agree to differ. Though Dr Harnack is not exactly a Christian apologist, he is a far greater authority than either Arnold Meyr or Mr Talbot or Mr FieJd. So far from ignoring the latest results of Biblical criticism, I hail them with joy. For; though certain traditions concerning the Bible must be given 'Tip, my faith in all ita essential truths has beeit euor-' niously strengthened by mv studies. Had t couv« 'to Mr Field's conclusions -vyheii I' was studying tlieotogy at Cambridge. I" should certainly 1 riot -have taken Holy' Orders. Controversy seldom converts anyone. I certainly did not exrtect to convert Mr Field. But I considered it my ,duty' to show the rottenness of his position. It does not require great knowledge «r ability to do this. I have already written fat more than I intended, and T must thank you, sir, for printing' my letters so fully and accurately. As far as I am concerned this correspondence is now closet! — I am etc.,

A. W. H. COMPTON.

A new deposit of infusorial earth lias been discovered in County Antrim. Irelawd, the diatoms in which are rpmarkably large and beautiful. Dr'T. L. Phipson, who reports utton it, warns* analytical chenjists to watch against its being-used to adulterate flour. >a fraud which he has in past years detected" on- the Continent.