cross, the Holy Sepulchre, in Jerusalem, the coat of Jesus, and quite
a number of other mementos, can explain why the original manuscripts
were lost. I have a suspicion that there were no "original"
manuscripts. I am not sure of this, of course, but if nails, bones and
holy places could be miraculously preserved, why not also manuscripts?
It is reasonable to suppose that the Deity would not have permitted
the most important documents containing His Revelation to drop into
some hole and disappear, or to be gnawed into dust by the insects,
after having had them written by special inspiration.

Again, when these documents, such as we find them, are examined, it
will be observed that, even in the most elementary intelligence which
they pretend to furnish, they are hopelessly at variance with one
another. It is, for example, utterly impossible to reconcile Matthew's
genealogy of Jesus with the one given by Luke. In copying the names of
the supposed ancestors of Jesus, they tamper with the list as given in
the book of Chronicles, in the Old Testament, and thereby justly
expose themselves to the charge of bad faith. One evangelist says
Jesus was descended from Solomon, born of "her that had been the wife
of Urias." It will be remembered that David ordered Urias killed in a
cowardly manner, that he may marry his widow, whom he coveted.
According to Matthew, Jesus is one of the offspring of this adulterous
relation. According to Luke, it is not through Solomon, but through
Nathan, that Jesus is connected with the house of David.

Again, Luke tells us that the name of the father of Joseph was _Heli;_
Matthew says it was _Jacob_. If the writers of the gospels were
contemporaries of Joseph they could have easily learned the exact name
of his father.