Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1872-12-28
lINMMIINICATEN.
ICUMNUNItAIEU.
Again---sVas Christ Born
Oh the 3jth day OF December?

Mr.. Editor: I lur Correspondent tIdclls, or
Faithful, very kindly sugg, S,ed sOme points
which he suppos,> We're overlooked III reaching
the conclusion tina! Christ WAS not born Oh the
Gel, brated 18th day OF December:
|. The first pUiut is Ia reference To the ell
lnact!c chauges which are cUIDg OH age alter
age But ii tits Is true OF Palestine, rs it Is of
some other countries in about the same latl-
tule and IN the samc way, then, that country
has Il mllder climate now than at the time 10
debate. Be that as 1t may, all must admit
that ii was cold weather when Christ Was cru
CITED, for Peter had to warm himself at the
tire with the servants This was about the first
of April. But there is another clmactlc diff
Guilty which will help to give light on this sub.
jrct. Ii Is we'll known that 1t never raos III
thar country in the summer. But rain sets IN
about the middle or last of October and con-
tiuues ill near the last Of March. These rains
continue necessarily all through November and
D.ccmber. except when the cold turns the rain
into SLOW or slret. ln consequence OF this the
hocks were watched in the fields during the
entire summer and brought in aud housed just
before the rainy season set lD, and kept III all
The winter or till about the first of May, when
The grass was again green 10 the fields.
= The next pOn! is the general acceptatlon
o; the % % day of December as the right one,
&c. Ii this proves the point in question, IL also
proves hat whcn I'LL the world believed that
Tic earth WAS ii vast plain instead of sphere
ana that the SUI went round the earth every
twenty four hours, that they were correct. The
TACT VIII scarcely be denied that the birthday Of
Christ was NOT celebrated by any body during
the first three centuries. It. was their custom
to celebrate the death, not the birth of great
Icn. Hcice the pruverb, The day of omc $
,ic:.;h is D:ttor than the day Of his birth. !"
Somc syctS. however, about the beginning oi
t!c iuar:h century began 10 celebrate the birlh
day III Christ III opposition TO the feast that
had long been kept III commcmoratioD Of the
grca; tnilSslcre OF the iuEoccnts at Bethlehem
Both Of these ic;lSts were kept Tor i time on
th;' 6.h Of January. But about the beginning
NJ the iourh century the Lltln Church, which
was then the rnllug church and thought, or at
least claimed TO be infalllblt, changed the day
10 the 18th day Of December. This vas done
act h,:rausc ;has church claimed TO know
which sas the right day, for no one could find
that ont, but b"cau>c it was the day on which
they had long celebrated the birth Of Sol
Thry claimed this as the birthday Of their an-
clcnt god the sun, because AT this time the
sun begins to return to US, or the earth begins
to return towards the south and the days be-
gin to cngthen, illustrating the rising Of the
SUI Ut righteousness upou the world.
Thus it seems that what the churches have
long been puzzled over as a matter of great
Importance, was not considered at all import
ant to Him who inspired the Scriptures.
Would it not seem that the silence of the Holy
Ghost IN this subject indicates that God did
not desire this event to be celebrated? 1t is
not only doubtful point as to wha; day is the
right one. but whether any day should be
thus celebrated as the birthday of our Savior,
>iucc there is not one word 10 the Bible to en-
courage it. J. LITTLE.
Alexandria, December %