The Freethinker's Text Book, Part II. eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 420 pages of information about The Freethinker's Text Book, Part II..

The Freethinker's Text Book, Part II. eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 420 pages of information about The Freethinker's Text Book, Part II..
from its text, which, in some cases, are both repeated by Justin and found also in other writings” ("On the Canon,” p. 98).  We regret to say that Dr. Westcott, in laying the case before his readers, somewhat misleads them, although, doubtless, unintentionally.  He speaks of Justin telling us that “Christ was descended from Abraham through Jacob, Judah, Phares, Jesse, and David,” and omits the fact that Justin traces the descent to Mary alone, and knows nothing as to a descent traced to Joseph, as in both Matthew and Luke (see below, under h).  He speaks of Justin mentioning wise men “guided by a star,” forgetting that Justin says nothing of the guidance, but only writes:  “That he should arise like a star from the seed of Abraham, Moses showed beforehand....  Accordingly, when a star rose in heaven at the time of his birth, as is recorded in the ‘Memoirs’ of his Apostles, the Magi from Arabia, recognising the sign by this, came and worshipped him” ("Dial.,” ch. cvi.).  He speaks of Justin recording “the singing of the Psalm afterwards” (after the last supper), omitting that Justin only says generally ("Dial.,” ch. cvi., to which Dr. Westcott refers us) that “when living with them (Christ) sang praises to God.”  But as we hereafter deal with these discrepancies, we need not dwell on them now, only warning our readers that since even such a man as Dr. Westcott thus misrepresents facts, it will be well never to accept any inferences drawn from such references as these without comparing them with the original.  One of the chief difficulties to the English reader is to get a reliable translation.  To give but a single instance.  In the version of Justin here used (that published by T. Clark, Edinburgh), we find in the “Dialogue,” ch. ciii., the following passage:  “His sweat fell down like drops of blood while he was praying.”  And this is referred to by Canon Westcott (p. 104) as a record of the “bloody sweat.”  Yet, in the original, there is no word analogous to “of blood;” the passage runs:  “sweat as drops fell down,” and it is recorded by Justin as a proof that the prophecy, “my bones are poured out like water” was fulfilled in Christ.  The clumsy endeavour to create a likeness to Luke xxii. 44 destroys Justin’s argument.  Further on (p. 113) Dr. Westcott admits that the words “of blood” are not found in Justin; but it is surely misleading, under these circumstances, to say that Justin mentions “the bloody sweat.”  Westcott only maintains seven passages in the whole of Justin’s writings, wherein he distinctly quotes from the “Memoirs;” i.e., only seven that can be maintained as quotations from the canonical Gospels—­the contention being that the “Memoirs” are the Gospels.  He says truly, if naively, “The result of a first view of these passages is striking.”  Very striking, indeed; for, “of the seven, five agree verbally with the text of St. Matthew or St. Luke, exhibiting, indeed, three slight various readings not elsewhere found, but such as are easily explicable. 
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The Freethinker's Text Book, Part II. from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.