A Work in Defence of the Miraculous Element in our Lord’s Ministry upon Earth , both as against Rationalistic Impugners and certain Orthodox Defenders , by the late John Pickard Owen , with a Memoir of the Author by William Bickersteth Owen . By Samuel Butler Author of “Erewhon” Op . 2 Now Reset ; and Edited , with an Introduction , by R. A. Streatfeild London A. C. Fifield, 13 Clifford’s Inn, E.C. 1913 WILLIAM BRENDON AND SON, LTD., PRINTERS, PLYMOUTH Contents   Introduction by R. A. Streatfeil

The demand for a new edition of The Fair Haven gives me an opportunity of saying a few words about the genesis of what, though not one of the most popular of Samuel Butler’s books, is certainly one of the most characteristic.  Few of his works, indeed, show more strikingly his brilliant powers as a controversialist and his implacable determination to get at the truth of whatever engaged his attention. To find the germ of The Fair Haven we should probably have to go back to the year 1858, when Bu

The occasion of a Second Edition of The Fair Haven enables me to thank the public and my critics for the favourable reception which has been accorded to the First Edition.  I had feared that the freedom with which I had exposed certain untenable positions taken by Defenders of Christianity might have given offence to some reviewers, but no complaint has reached me from any quarter on the score of my not having put the best possible case for the evidence in favour of the miraculous element in Chr

The subject of this Memoir, and Author of the work which follows it, was born in Goodge Street, Tottenham Court Road, London, on the 5th of February, 1832.  He was my elder brother by about eighteen months.  Our father and mother had once been rich, but through a succession of unavoidable misfortunes they were left with but a very moderate income when my brother and myself were about three and four years old.  My father died some five or six years afterwards, and we only recollected him as a sin

But it was impossible that a mind of such activity should have gone over so much ground, and yet in the end returned to the same position as that from which it started. So far was this from being the case that the Christianity of his maturer life would be considered dangerously heterodox by those who belong to any of the more definite or precise schools of theological thought.  He was as one who has made the circuit of a mountain, and yet been ascending during the whole time of his doing so: suc

On my brother’s death I came into possession of several of his early commonplace books filled with sketches for articles; some of these are more developed than others, but they are all of them fragmentary.  I do not think that the reader will fail to be interested with the insight into my brother’s spiritual and intellectual progress which a few extracts from these writings will afford, and have therefore, after some hesitation, decided in favour of making them public, though well aware that my

During the dark and unhappy time when he had, as it seems to me, bullied himself, or been bullied into infidelity, he had been utterly unable to realise the importance even of such a self-evident fact as that our Lord addressing an Eastern people would speak in such a way as Eastern people would best understand; it took him years to appreciate this.  He could not see that modes of thought are as much part of a language as the grammar and words which compose it, and that before a passage can be s

It is to be feared that there is no work upon the evidences of our faith, which is as satisfactory in its completeness and convincing power as we have a right to expect when we consider the paramount importance of the subject and the activity of our enemies.  Otherwise why should there be no sign of yielding on the part of so many sincere and eminent men who have heard all that has been said upon the Christian side and are yet not convinced by it?  We cannot think that the many philosophers who

It has been well established by Paley, and indeed has seldom been denied, that within a very few years of Christ’s crucifixion a large number of people believed that he had risen from the dead.  They believed that after having suffered actual death he rose to actual life, as a man who could eat and drink and talk, who could be seen and handled.  Some who held this were near relations of Christ, some had known him intimately for a considerable time before his crucifixion, many must have known him

Setting aside for the present the story of St. Paul’s conversion as given in the Acts of the Apostles—for I am bound to admit that there are circumstances in connection with that account which throw doubt upon its historical accuracy—and looking at the broad facts only, we are struck at once with the following obvious reflection, namely, that Paul was an able man, a cultivated man, and a bitter opponent of Christianity; but that in spite of the strength of his original prejudices, he came to see

Enough has perhaps been said to cause the reader to agree with the view of St. Paul’s conversion taken above—that is to say, to make him regard the conversion as mainly, if not entirely, due to the weight of evidence afforded by the courage and consistency of the early Christians. But, the change in Paul’s mind being thus referred to causes which preclude all possibility of hallucination or ecstasy on his own part, it becomes unnecessary to discuss the attempts which have been made to explain aw

The reader has now heard the utmost that can be said against the historic character of the Resurrection by the ablest of its impugners.  I know of nothing in any of Strauss’s works which can be considered as doing better justice to his opinions than the passages which I have quoted and, I trust, refuted.  I have quoted fully, and have kept nothing in the background.  If I had known of anything stronger against the Resurrection from any other source, I should certainly have produced it.  I have a

[Here, perhaps, will be the fittest place for introducing a letter to my brother from a gentleman who is well known to the public, but who does not authorise me to give his name.  I found this letter among my brother’s papers, endorsed with the words “this must be attended to,” but with nothing more.  I imagine that my brother would have incorporated the substance of his correspondent’s letter into this or the preceding chapter, but not venturing to do so myself, I have thought it best to give t

There are some who avoid all close examination into the circumstances attendant upon the death of our Lord, using the plea that however excellent a quality intellect may be, and however desirable that the facts connected with the Crucifixion should be intelligently considered, yet that after all it is spiritual insight which is wanted for a just appreciation of spiritual truths, and that the way to be preserved from error is to cultivate holiness and purity of life.  This is well for those who a

“ Let us now turn to Luke.  His account runs as follows:— “‘Now upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulchre bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain others with them.  And they found the stone rolled away from the sepulchre .  And they entered in , and found not the body of the Lord Jesus .  And it came to pass as they were much perplexed thereabout, behold, two men stood by them in shining garments, and as they were afraid , and bowed

I have completed a task painful to myself and the reader.  Painful to myself inasmuch as I am humiliated upon remembering the power which arguments, so shallow and so easily to be refuted, once had upon me; painful to the reader, as everything must be painful which even appears to throw doubt upon the most sublime event that has happened in human history.  How little does all that has been written above touch the real question at issue, yet, what self-discipline and mental training is required b

It only remains to return to the seventh and eighth chapters, and to pass in review the reasons which will lead us to reject the conclusions therein expressed by our opponents. These conclusions have no real bearing upon the question at issue.  Our opponents can make out a strong case, so long as they confine themselves to maintaining that exaggeration has to a certain extent impaired the historic value of some of the Gospel records of the Resurrection.  They have made out this much, but have th

(John xix. 38–42) And after this Joseph of Arimathæa, being a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews, besought Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus: and Pilate gave him leave.  He came therefore, and took the body of Jesus.  And there came also Nicodemus, which at the first came to Jesus by night, and brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about an hundred pound weight.  Then took they the body of Jesus, and wound it in linen clothes with the spices, as the manner of the