nuscripts" have been consulted. Not
one of the original manuscripts is in existence, the earliest extant
dating from the fourth century A.D., while the most ancient portion of
the New Testament in any museum was transcribed in the sixth century.

Accepting, therefore, the King James Version of the New Testament as the
most reliable source of information, the question arises as to what
portion of the chapters therein may be considered authentic. Scholars
have rejected the entire gospel of John as less reliable than the
synoptic gospels; and the sixteenth chapter of Mark as an addition after
the original papyrus had broken off. Modernists, being confronted, in
spite of these deletions, with inconsistencies in the gospels of
Matthew, Mark and Luke, have assumed the further privilege of rejecting
any verses which appear at variance with their beliefs. Liberals of this
class contend that the supernatural side of Jesus may be disregarded and
yet that Jesus will remain Our Lord. They reject certain evangelistic
passages that conflict with modern thought, but accept other statements
by the same authors as authoritative.

As the Christian churches have not accepted any abbreviation of the
Bible as a substitute for the King James Version, it seems proper for
the critic to have recourse to that translation as the most authentic
description of the life and teachings of Jesus. He is justified,
moreover, in considering every word in the supposedly inspired gospels
as equally reliable. His only concern should be to interpret each verse
as nearly as possible as the original writers intended their words to be
understood, allowing for Eastern hyperbole and the custom of the times.

_Retain the Good_

In preparing a critical analysis of the character of Jesus, it is freely
admitted that many of the thoughts attributed to the son of Mary are
superlatively fine. They will live forever whether the personality of
Jesus be rejected as a divinity or not. That these beautiful preachments
are ignored here is not due to any desire to belittle admirable
sentiments or to disparage right living. The loving side of Jesus has
been emphasized again and again and will be borne in mind by the reader
when other less admirable traits are criticized. The intent of this
criticism is not to destroy idealism but to assist the spirit of true
progress.

_Christianity Must Go_

The significance of this investigation lies in the changes that would
have t