phets had foretold these and ten thousand
other wonderful things concerning Him. And the tribe of Christians,
so named from Him, are not extinct at this day."

Now, on external grounds there seems little doubt of the genuineness of
this passage. It is in all copies of the historian's work, and is quoted
in full by Eusebius, though not alluded to by fathers previous to his
day. [183:1] If it is an interpolation, it must have been by the hand of
a Christian; and yet it is absolutely inconceivable that any Christian
should have noticed the Christian Church in such words as "the tribe of
Christians, so named from Him, are not extinct at this day." It would
have been absurd beyond measure to have described the Christians, so
early as Justin's time even, as "not extinct," when they were filling
the world with their doctrine, and their increase was a source of great
perplexity and trouble to the Roman Government. It is just what a Jew of
Josephus' time would have written who really believed that Jesus wrought
miracles, but expected that nothing permanent would result from them.

And yet there can be no doubt but that the passage is open to this
insurmountable objection, that if Josephus had written it he would have
professed himself a Christian, or a man of incredible inconsistency.
Setting aside the difficulty connected with the acknowledgment of Jesus
as the Christ, inasmuch as this name was frequently given to Him by
those who did not believe in Him, yet how could Josephus state that His
Resurrection was predicted by the prophets of his nation, and continue
in appearance an unbeliever?

But, whether genuine or not, this passage is decisive as to the
impossibility of what is styled an independent testimony to our Lord:
"He that is not with Me is against Me." The facts of our Lord's chief
miracles and Resurrection were such, that the nearer men lived to the
time the more impossible it would have been for them to have suspended
their judgment.

So that, instead of having the witness of men who, by their prudent
suspension of judgment, betrayed their lurking unbelief, we have the
testimony of men who, by their surrender of themselves, soul and body,
evinced their undoubting faith in a matter in which there could be
really no middle opinion.

SECTION XXV.

DATE OF TESTIMONY.

One point remains--the time to which the testimony to our Lord's
miracles reaches back. Can it be reasonably said to reach to withi