The Idaho world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1864-1918, 1873-12-25

throughout nearly the whole Of christenoo" -
the birthday of our Savior. Some remarks %
the dav and its ceremonies may not be "noAy
devoid Of interest to the WORLD family.
We cannot affirm with absolute certainty Tue
date of our Lords nativity. That there -
great difference of opinion among the learned
amounting almost to confusion, as to the date
Of Christ's birth. will appear from the follow
ing quotation from DR.. Schaff: "LIghtfoot as
signs the nativity to September; Lardner and
Newcome, to October; Wieseler to February;
paulus to March; Greswell and Alfera to April;
Lich.enstein to July and Strong to August.
But we think the evidence in favor Of the
popular tradition-fxing it On the 25th OF De-
cember-as strong. if not stronger than any to
the contrary, without going into the question
too minutely, the following facts may be OF
some service in resolving any doubts upon this
subject:
lst. The practice Of celebrating the day,
originated at Rome, where, and where only,
they had the means Of knowing the day. Ter
tuIIian. who flourished in the second century,
saws: The census roll made by the Roman gov
eminent. for the purpose Of taxation, was laid
up in the archives at Rome. accessible to all. !"
According to these State documents, the CEN
sus of Bethlehem requiring Mary's presence IN
Jerusalem, was made on the eighth, before the
calends Of January, to wit: on the 18th Of De-
cember
I'd. 1t was, in some manner. observed as
early a. the middle Of the second century in
Rome Baronius says: While the persecu-
ton ragged under Diocleiion. the tyrant. find
ing mul,ituies Of christians. young and old.
me, together To celebrate Christ's nativity.
commanded the church door TO be- shut and fire
put TO it." II was, therefore. in all probability
observed by the christians at Rome from the
time Of Commodus. A. ID. 1c0.
3D. The Eastern churches adopted the prac-
tce from the Western. about the year $50. A. D.
Tha, the difference Of opinion respecting the
date, grew up among the Eastern churches.
while in the Yves, 10 difference of opinion ex.
is.s We may. therefore. with a reasonable
assurance. rest in the common belief that our
Redeerner wa. born on the 18th Of December
The ancient heather festivals which occurred
about the same time. were modified. transform
ed, or improved by the Christians festival. and
some Of the customs commonly observed 10 this
day. had their origin in the safarHaiia of the
Romans prynne says. in condemnation oil
these gross and absurd practices: "Oar Christ
mas lords Of misrule. together with dancing
masks. nnmmeries, stage-rlayers. and such
other Christmas disorders. now in use with
Christians, were devised from these Roman
sa;urnalia and bacchanalian festivals which
should cause all p.ous christians e,ernally To
abomnatc them"
Bearing in mind the event 10 BE- comfnemo.
rated there il not much liability Ia abuse in
the ceremonies Of the festival. II is proper Ia
celebrate il with music and rejoicing. with
songs Of praise and thanksgivings Suddenly
there was with the angel multitude Of the
heavenly host praising God and saying glory to
God in the highest, peace Oh earth" The ad.
vent has furnished theme for Poets who have
sung Of it in their purest strains. Lytton pro-
nounces Millions poem on the Nativity. the
finest in our language. a stanza or more OF
which we here transcribe:
No war or battles sound
Was heard the world around:
The idle spear and shield were high np-hung:
The hooked chariot stood
Unstained with hostile blood,
The trumpet spake not to the armed throng.
And Kings sat still with awful eye
As If they surely knew their Sovereign Lord was by
But pc acefn the night
Wherein the Prince Of Light
His reign Of peace upon the earth began.
n. then. we keep in mind the day, we will
avoid those excuses too often thoughtlessly in.
duleed in There is more Of the social and
family life in this festival than all the rest-il
| is the children's jubilee-and the annual de-
tour Of Santa Claus with his cargo of gifts fol
stocking or tree is the theme of conversation
weeks before his arrival. No child should BE-
subjected to the modification Of having rcceiv
ed nothing on that eve. The parents and friend,
Of children can perpetuate the memory Of that
day in no surcr way than to give suitable pres
ents in imitation Of Him who SO loved US as Il
give his son for US. 4" Freely ye have received
freely give"
A merry. happy Christmas to you all.
| ANoTHER.-Double o Howard, Of Freed
mems Bureau notoriety, has {" irrepulared" II