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RESURRECTION.
531
None of these statements is compatible with the dignity of the Son of God, nor are they quite consistent with the attitude of Jesus crucifying the man within him. The nature of the contradictions involved in them is such that no reliance can be put upon them, and it is more than probable that the disciples of Jesus had taken to their heels, at the earliest opportunity, after his arrest, except possibly Peter.
Touching the account of the resurrection of Jesus, as contained in the New Testament, we shall let Dr. W. Wenzlic, M.D., state his views on the subject. In 'The Greatest Good of Mankind' (pages 205, 206 and 207), he writes :
“An angel descending from heaven amid an earthquake to roll away the stone from the tomb of Christ, witnessed, according to Matthew, by Mary Magdalene and the other Mary, is certainly something so remarkable that if it had occurred, Mark, Luke and John would also have recorded the miracle as a prelude.
“Instead of merely omitting the testimony, these apostles, three of them, testify to the contrary; Luke, XXIV. 2, says:And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb and no angel outside bat one within the tomb, and that 10, Joanna was with the two Marys.' John, XX, however, says, Mary Magdalene alone went to the tomb. Mark, XVI. 4, mentions no angel from heaven, but They see that the stone is rolled away.'
“ Thus the four records contain four different accounts.
" While the one young man angel of Luke was sitting on the right side, XVI. 5, two men in dazzling apparel stood by them according to Luke XXIV. 4: but John says, XX. 12, Magdalene beholdeth two angels in white sitting, one at the head, and one at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain.
“If these several recorders were so particular in the number of angels and their postures, why do they contradict one another as to the number of witnesses that gave the testimony : Matthew sayin:
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