The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah Vol 1 - Predestination

shows, that none of them has proved satisfactory to
any but their own inventors. And of all it may be
said, that they have no foundation whatever in the
narrative itself. Thus the only alternative left is
either wholly to reject, or wholly to accept, the
narrative.
If our judgment is to be determined by the ordinary
rules of historical criticism, we cannot long be in
doubt which of these propositions is true. Here is a
narrative, which has the consensus of the three
Evangelists; which admittedly formed part of the
original Evangelic tradition; for the invention of
which no specific motive can possibly be
assigned; and which is told with a simplicity of
language and a pictorial vividness of detail that
carry their own evidence. Other corroborative
points, such as the unlikeliness of the invention of
such a situation for the Christ, or of such bearing of
the disciples, have been previously indicated.
Absolute historical demonstration of the event is,
of course, in the nature of things impossible. But,
besides the congmousness to the Parabolic