, 1875-05-30

be eame by tho Spirit into tho temple; that
when the parents brought in Jesus, Simeon took
Him up in his arms, and blessed God, uttsring
language similar to that o. 1saiah that tha.s
and she coming In that instant gava
thauks likewise unto the Lord, and sFako
OF Him to ali them that looked 1ur redemption
in Jerusalem that when they had performed
all things according to the law OF the Lord, they
returned into Ga1i!ee, to their own city.
Nazareth; that the child grew and us1ed strong
in spirit, filed with wisdom; that the grace Of
God was upon Him. Luke then states that His
parents went to Jerusalem every year, at the
feast OF the Passover, and cloees the chapter
with al account Of one OF those Waits, when
Jesus ras Ia years DID,
These are the two accounts OF the childhood Of
Jesus, Mark and John being silent Oh the sub
iect. Matthew'S history extends frcm the tina
when Jesus was born till his return from Egypt,
after the death Of Herod- Time uncertain, bus
supposed to ta from six months 10 two years.
Luke commences with the birth OF Christ. and
extends twelve yeass- And how do they agree?
Matthew says not word About tha
visit to Jerusalem and the presentation
1t the temple. Lu2e not word about the flight
into Egypt: Matthew speaks OF the wlso men
coming to Jerusalem, and throwing the city into
CONSERVATION 1nquiring about Christ; that tho
chief priests and scribes were consulted, and it
was found 40 was to be born in bethlehem, etc.
But, according to Luke, il We assume that
Christ went from Bethlehem to Egypt He had
already been 1T Jerusalem, and had been pre-
sented publicly in rhe temple, Luke says not
word about the slaughter OF tha children ctr
cumsthnces, too, omitted By Josephus in his mi-
mute and circumstantial history Of the Jews.
There is no evidence that Joseph and 3Iazy
went the second time to Bethlehem, aud there
WAS, so far az appears, no oocaaion for their
doing 50. Assuming they did not, and that both
accounts commence with the birth Of Christ
and that is the plain meaning OF both narratives,
then We have. according to Matthew, Christ and
His parents, for the first Six months after HIS
birth, At Bethlehem, on his way to Egypt in
Egypt, On the way back, and in Nazareth. Dur
ing the same time, according to Luke, they weEo
at Bethlehem, On their way to Jerusalem, OH tha
WHY from Jerusalem to Nazareth, and in Naza-
of Bethlehem; 90, from Bethlehem, according
to Matthew. He vent one way, and according to
Luke, directly the opposite way. Could any
variance be greater2
Notwithstanding A1 Reeds declination, I sm
constrained to ask him it be considers the Cos
pels OF Matthew and Luke both genuine, aud OF
equal authority? And it not which is tho cor
rect aud inspired record Of ihe geneelog3 and
childhood Of Christ?
In regard to tho genealoeies. It might ba
added that Luke placed great stress upon the
fact that Joseph was descended from David
For instance, in the tventy-seventh verse OF the
first chapter: ITO virgin espoused to man
whose name was Joseph, Of the house Of Dnv;d;"
and again, in tho fourth verae Of the second
CHAPTER: ''And Joseph aiso went up from
unto the City OF David, which il called Beth
lehem (becauso he Was Of the house and iine4go
OF Darid"). It is nowhere etnted it, tbs New
Testament that Mary WAS thus descended- And
yet We are asked to suppose. notwithstanding
Luxe considered the lineage Of Joseph OF 80
much consequence, that in his geuea3osY, after
mentioning Joseph, instead Of tracing his an
cestr7, hs takes up that Of Mary, without even