The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1870-01-25

by rnR nsy. HOWARD CROSBY, D. y,

Both the year and the time Of year
OF our Lords birth are uncertain.
l. Justin Martyr says that Christ was
born hundred and fifty years before the
time in which he was writing his second
Apology, Now, u he wrote this Apollo.
gy in A. ID. LAG (which is very doubtful),
and II the round numbers are to be used
with exactness, than the date of Christ's
birth by this authority would be b. c., 8.
z. lren@us (Hdcr. 3, 25) says: "Our
Lord was born about the forty-frst year
of the reign Of Augustus" Now, the
reign of Augustus may have been reckon.
ed from the death Of Julius Caesar or
from the triumvirate, year later. So
that, according to this authority (if, again,
we disregard the important word 'about),
our Lords birth was in b. G. A or b. G.
3.
3. Tertullian (Adr. .Jud. 81 gives the
reign of Augustus as So years, of which
Al were before and Is after the Nativity
Beginingwith the triumvirate, we COM
plete Al years in b. G. 2, and thus have
ID years left for the reign of Augustus,
which satisfies the facts Of history. So,
according to this authority, our Lord was
born in b. q. 2.
4. Clement of Alexandria (!Strom. ~
says that curious investigations (they had
to be curious investigation even in A. D.
2OO) gave both year and day of Christ's
birth, to wit, 25th Pachon of the 2sth
year of Augustus. OF course, here the
reign Of Augustus is dated from the bat
tie of Actium, or the death of Anthony,
few months later(B. G. 81 or B. c. 3O).
The Alexandrine epoch of Augustus,
which Clement would undoubtedly refer
to, dates from lst Tholb that is, Doth
August, B. G. 80. The 25th Pachon is,
goth May. So, according to this "curi.
GUS investigation" Christ was born May
Goth, b. C2.
.. The iaschal Cycle of Hippolytus
Portuesis and the Computus Pachaiis of
Cyprian give data which make the year
of the Nativity b. G. 2.
6. Sulpicius Severus in his Historic
.Sdcro, written about A. d. 400, says,
"Inl the reign of Herod, in the 33d year
of his reign, Christ was born, when Sa.
binus and Rufus were consuls, on the sth
day before the Calends of January"
This is the 25th Dec, B. G. 4, or (if by
".Sabmo et Ruto o,,suhbus," We take it as
anticipating the consular year of those
two which began on the lst january
25th Dec, b. C. 3. We might multiply
differing authorities, but this is enough to
show that there is no certainty regard.
ing the year. The years b, c. 5, 4, 3
and 2 are each claimed.
As to the time or year. We have Severus,
testimony above, given in the year 400,
for Dec. 25th, and 30 years later, Theo-
dosius II. fixed Christmas at that date.
But We look in vain for an earlier de-
of the Christmas season Of
the year. The 9th January was the
the date used in the Eastern churches in
the fourth century. Epiphanivus of Cy-
prus "a. d. 367) uses that date as an
Eastern bishop (Panor., lib. p. Canon
Brown, in his O,do Seciormn, by a care
full examination of the time of Herods
death and other connected events, con-
lectures Dec. Sth, as the true date
Other authorities, with equally careful
have fixed it on April 5th.
The truth is that the anniversary Of
our Saviour's birth was never celebrated
till two centuries had passed away after
the event. 1t was then too late to recover
the date with precision. We see Gods
hand in this. The Lords Day." or the
first day of the week." was the day Of
convocation, the holy day of the primi-
tive Church Comp. Rev. /. 10; Acts
XXI; l Cor. xvi. 2; John Xxx. /, 10,
20). Any addition of holy days would
weaken this one. The appointment of
Christmas was a departure from primi
tive simplicity, and was contemporaneous
with sacerdotal assumptions, sign Of
growing externalism, which eliminated
in the gorgeous hierarchical Church of
the white-washed pagan, Constantine.
The season of the year in which our
Lord was born was most probably the
spring. The beautiful springtime Of Pal
estine, we might suppose priori, would
be the time chosen for the appearance Of
the Hope of the World. When all ma.
ture was putting forth new life, how
fitting that the Life from Heaven should
start in its earthly growth Moreover,
VIC have great doubts whether shepherds
would "abide in the field by night near
about the 18th of December.
The nights in the hill-country of Pales.
tine are very cold in the winter, and
shepherds at the season seek shelter
But the scene in the gospel Luke ii. 5.
l5) is evidently suggestive of mild skie,
and genial atmosphere. The use Of Dec.
ember by the Church doubtless originated
in the desire TO conform to the customs
Of heathenism as far as possible, and
thus smooth the road for the heather to
In the Roman world the
Saturnalia, or festival of Saturn was the
most priced feast of the year. During
It's continuance no public business could
be transacted, the law-courts were closed,
he schools kept holiday, and everybody
gave himselfup to absolute relaxation and
merriment; Presents were
given among friends and mockkings
we're elected in private circles. These
festivities continued for seven days. Such
. yearly playtime would be hard for Il
pagan 10 surrender. Christianity may
ldopt il and change its name, the char.
'cter of the festival remaining very much
he same, there being more fun than re-
igion in it the world over W,iS,d.
mon.
Josh Billings says: The mewl is
arger burd than the guse or turkey. 1t
las two legs to walk with, and two more
o kick with, and it wares its wings Oh