, 1875-01-04

NhXatela IAbofE1 1lfl1eT bpGElAl 0pFf0nfluHl Do
cauea II wns 0ali1cau and not southern jaw
who ahked Tho rerroRchfnf question whether
any Rood thing could como from that source. 1t
has boon supposed that the ncopln OF Nazareth
noghbors for irseligion and immortality, and
their titliation wonll greatly favor this vev Of
tho caso. Bit Nazatetl, wAs the psco above all
others for contemplation, and Jesus desired
company and mediate and pray alone. Here he
spent his youth until he waH ~ years of ago,
whom l,o performed bis arnt journey to Jcrll-
Bnlcm In connection With jt,se,it and Mary,
hcsidob mnny other Of Ills fin,lrci and ncigll-
borH.
We .ro informed that ,Icsu. was brnug,,t MP
toEnther with . numerous fHin'ly. 1t in matter
Of dispute which la very difficult 10 settle shat
prociso relationship tue children who wero
brought up with Joaus III tho satne family hore
to him. Wuetherthoy we're the Offspring Of Joseph
and Mary .nftcr narriago, and, therefore,
brothers and aisters OF Jobus in the atric.ost
sense, III toms auppose. or whether tllor woro
cl,llrsn OF Joseplia brother, ami, tLerefora, re-
puteu cousins to our Lord, and rccelved by
adoption into the fa:nily. % others would fnsp
tcach ns. wo arc quito unable to determine: His
fcllow-cltlzens say concerning JehnA: Ia nut
this tho carpentora sons and not llis brethren
Jamoa and Iosoph; aud arc tlloy nos
IN x xs nprosS,o Gs'en t1aad 4 'as a+t ''fS n9s
struggled hard and fonnd It difficult, With
bis scanty income, to provide 1neann Ut support
fur Lin numerous family. l;nt hin great gener-
brother Alpheus for lis own children, az vc havo
Bomo considerable eronco to PROVO that lie did
The 1Io1y Scriptures give uA hut very msagrs
Information concerning tho onrfy life OF JeHn-.
Ills history during this porol III comprehonaeI
within tow brlef sentcnceH It,inan Curl
oalty desirea to be gfatitied with mora
complete details. Hepco mankind hare resortei
to fictitious storiea concerning this Interesting
pcrlOd Strange htorics nra narrated concerning
the boyhood OF JeAuB In an apocfyphal Gospel,
which waH written in the Arabic language by
| some Christian some limo about tho sixth ccil-
tury. Thu tradition tolls us 1nanv cn.toaH uci-
dents concerning the miraculous proverbs Of tho
child Jesus. At ono time, as wo arc told. the
| children wero engaged at play they were making
images out Of clay; they coutrised figures to rep:
e' ess ssss cx 4sS x aud sb oss1 a ID
tho lauaablo contention to which should
mnko tho best images. Jesuh also made Homo
figures out OF clay, and told the boys flo would
| nuw compel them to nloye NJ His command. Ac-
cordngly lIo lude .hom 60 andcomo :. His will
and the figures ohoyod Ills bchcst. ....,,.t
At another timo AFRO informed that the bars
chose Him for tiloir King in play. They extern
| porlzcl mimic throne, md spread thor gar
crown OF tlowors upon 1lia head. Aud oYery ono
| who happened lo 10 rnssing by they compelled
to do homage to their King. At length ! 10y
Lad been bitten bitten by poisonous reptile in tho
Jesus to heal him; but lie commanded that tho
| lad should 10 conveyed back to tho woods by
his attendants, that they should drlvo tho snake
| from hls nest under the rock. md compel him
| to Eliclt ont tho poison from tho wound. They
| did alt this at tho command OF Jceus, and
| toonor had tho scrpelt slipped tho poison
into Ills own system than l. swcllol mp,
tictions also mingled with accounts Of other
| actions which Ind tho character of bong cruel
and revengcful rathor than kind aud ncgcful.
Thus, for instance, VIC arc told by M apocryphai
gospel written by uerton by tho mama Of
i'm In Il f]nfi ir,r
| turning huuo At ono timo Jesus wns nccidentlY
mot by careless boy who ran nsaiuHt Him aud
thereby throw Hun down, Immediately Josus
said to linn WAenlte aroke: "You hare uisdt me,
riso." Presently tho boy sickonod. and roou
after died. Indeed, 1t is said by tho anulo un-
| reliable writer that Jcsus became 30 mactierons
with the use OF Ills supernatural powor that tho
nolghborH complained to Josoph about hia e3-
t1enle maicioiBness. lila father gontly rcpri-
manded and ndmonialied Him but Jesus replied,
~ will hereafter abstain from acts Of malice,
cruelty, and revenge, on thy account; but
complaints oi my behavior shall re--
cciyo their own proper recnml'onsc,'
Consequently His accuaers wcro nn sn,itlen with
blindness; but Jesus afterwards restored their
sight.
These anecdotes serve to show tho great dis.
parity between q Eenulue aud authentic gonpol
and one which ID spurious. It teaches lis what
kind Of language aud materials uninspirad men
would havo chosen for tho composition OF their
gospels. They would have glson us bombast in
steaa o1 plaahaeas; thoy would nave "tstton
lnctedih'o hct1ons instead OF auch SIM
pc trnths as tho evangolistH have written
insteah q pfoiohna hhu celestial Wisaotn,
they would nave given us nothing but folly at'd
nonsense. lhe.r wftlngs possosa evident inhIks
OF thcir human origin white tho WORKS OF tho
Apostles havn characte1lstlcs which arc equally
by tho aacrol historian that Jesus grow in wis
DOM anu in stature, and IN f1Sor with uoa and
INN. NeFona thia tue goanino gospels tell u
nothing ABOUT one period OF lis Ilfo, Which lasted
ycafs to tho ago OF 80, ,when lilo Gu
toTed upon the active duties Of Ills
mla'stry, Az that we learn or Al1n Tor the Gu
tire period 1s comprehendcu III ono single son-
crafty M idle curiosity, which i Is not tho pnr.
poso OF tho scriptu!oa to 10. 1t mas tho object
OF tho Evangelist to give All account o. tho birth
aud lineage OF jesus mosely, together with