Prophecy Speaks (E.A.Rowell).pdf

When may we have this proof?” His question was followed by an impatient murmur of
accent.
“At the next lecture,” replied David Dare. “And I will ask you Mr. Emerson, to read
these references from the books written by the sceptics, so that you may see for yourself and
for the audience that the quotations are from the infidels I say, and are not misquoted. They
will all be from the original books.”
11. INFIDELS TESTIFY FOR CHRIST
AFTER THE EMERSONS were seated the next Sunday evening, Lucile leaned over
to whisper: “Do you suppose, Dad, that he can really show that sceptics admit Christ to be
the most important figure in all history?”
“I don’t see how he can,” replied her father, brows puckered in deep perplexity, “for if
they do admit that, they will have to be Christians.”
George, who had been listening, spoke up, “Probably he will quote only obscure
writers.”
Mr. Emerson considered this for a moment. “Sounds reasonable, George; I think you
are right.”
“I have noticed,” observed Mrs. Emerson, “that Mr. Dare has so far always done what
he has promised — yes, even more than you would expect from his words. I am confident he
will produce leading, well-known sceptics to prove his point.”
The other three members of her family regarded her in amazement. “Why, Mother,”
gasped Lucile, “has he converted you?”
“No, but I cannot help noticing that one by one the supposed unbreakable props
supporting unbelief have been removed until not many remain. It seems to me that the
doubter’s house is tottering. And now he promises to use unbelievers themselves to finish the
work. I like the way he is doing this.”
They looked in increasing surprise at the usually meek and quiet Mrs. Emerson. “But
Mother ——” began George.
“Hush!” whispered Lucile. “Here comes Mr. Dare.”
The speaker regarded his frankly impatient audience with a smile of welcome.
“I am glad to see you all back again. Last week we called attention to the fact that
while we cannot now cross-examine the writers of the Gospels, they were cross examined as
no other witnesses have ever been examined since the world began.
“They were examined and cross-examined, not only by shrewd enemies like the Jews,
astute reasoners like the Greeks, and nimble-minded lawyers like the Romans, but also by
fire, sword, cross, flogging, and death. The Gospels are the only historical records in the
world tested by the torture of the historians and of many who believed their accounts.
“Now if we accept the writings of other historians whose veracity has not been tested
by the scorching fire of persecution, how much more should we rely on the writings of the
evangelists, whose accounts have been thus tested.
“The Man about whom the evangelists wrote would of necessity be amazingly
unusual to inspire such unheard-of fidelity on the part of those who wrote about Him.
“But he was not only the most amazing, the most lovable, and the most powerful man
in all history to the evangelists, but to modern sceptics as well —”
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