The Message of Easter "
SIR,— On reading Janus's comments on The Times's " Message of Easter " one might suppose that the primary evidence of the Resurrection is the Gospel narrative. I think this is not so, however transparently honest the Gospel records may be.
Surely the strongest evidence for the Resurrection is that Christianity survived the tragedy of Calvary, that the Church, founded on belief in Christ, still exists. At the Feast of Passover the disciples all forsook Him and fled. Seven weeks later at the Feast of Pentecost, in the same city of Jerusalem where Christ was crucified, these same disciples, at the peril of their lives, proclaimed Jesus and the Resurrection as their main Gospel. Men will not risk their lives for a lie, knowing it to be a lie, and it is difficult to account for the almost miraculous transforma- tion in the disciples, unless, as they said, " Jesus had showed Himself alive after the Passion by many infallible proofs."
If Calvary had been the end of it all, there would have been no Christian Church, no Christian religion ; the disciples would probably have become atheists. Calvary, with no Easter to follow, would have completely shattered the faith of the disciples.-1 remain, Sir, yours
faithfully, H. W. PEARSON. United University Club, Suffolk Street, S.W.1.
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