National Republican., 1882-12-25
Bishop Androws's Christmas Discourse nj
McIxendree Church.

interior was eaborately decorated, and the
pastor, Rev. DIR. Domer, preached upon
"Christmas Observances and Their USE" in
the evening. Choral services will be held in
this church to-day.
The street Baptist church was beautifully
decorated with evergreens and flowers, and
suspended above the altar was an exquisite
floral star. The sermon of the pastor, Rev.
DIR. Faunce, in the morning was At Bethle-
hem and Jordan" The musical services at
this church were very finely rendered
At st. Luke's church on Fifteenth street
Christmas eve musical service was held last
evening under the title of "The Holy Child
Jesus" which consisted of solos, duets, and
choruses, describing the birth of the Saviour,
the visit of the magi and the song of the
angels heralding peace on earth, good will
toward men," The choir is composed ofchildren
from the Sunday school, aided by n few adults
and the effective manner in which all the
music was rendered showed how carefully
Prof johnson had instructed them.
THE PERIOD or TIE NATIVITY.
HISTORICAL ACCURACY or THE TWENTY
FIFTH OF DECEMBER AS THE BIRTHDAY
OF THE SAVIOUR QEsrIoNED.
Rev. Samuel X. Cox, ID. D., pastor of the
dount Vernon Place NJ. L. church south,
preached morning and night from the passage
contained in Luke, H. s. 10. Appropriate and
excellent music was rendered by the choir,
under the leadership of Mr.. j. II. Daniel.
The points discussed were THE Period of
the Nativity" "The Circumstances Attend
ing it," and Its Moral Relations to the Race"
The doctor remarked that the near contact
of the Sabbath with the day which, by COM
mon consent and conventional usuagc, was
observed as commemorative of the birth of
Christ suggested topics suited to the OCCASION.
The morning sermon was chiefly devoted to a
inn of tbn nnrio1 pf thn nativity
was remarked that no one claiming historical
accuracy could regard the twenty fifth day of
December as the true time of the Saviour's
birth. That he was not born in the month of
DecemberI much less upon the exact day es-
pecially designated as the natal anniversary,
had been settled beyond all reasonable ques-
tion. There were 40 reliable data by which
the month of His birth could be ascertained,
and it was only by certain coineident circum-
stances connected with Roman history that
even the year of the nativity could be ac-
curately ascertained. The sacred writers in
forms us that Christ was born during the
reign of Caesar Augustus as emperor of Rome
and Herod the Great as king of Judea. Al
lowing proper time for the purihcation the
visit of the magi, the flight into Egypt, and
the sojourn there until Herod's death-about
six months-it will show the interval between
the birth of Christ and the death of that cruel
prince According to the testimony OF
Josephus and of at least one Roman historian
Herod died in the year $50 of the founding OF
Rome, and in the spring of that year, as indi-
Gated by the lunar eclipse which occurred
shortly before his death. We are told in Luke
that John the Baptist began his ministry in
the fifteenth year of the reign Of Tiberias
which, reckoning from his coregency, must
have been in A. U. rs. AS John began his
ministry like Christ, according to levitical
usage, at 80 years of age, it would make his
birth date back to A. U. 74S, and Christ's as
occurring six months later, or in 7i0, which
corresponds with the relation of that event in
point of time to Herod's death. But nothing
could Oe definitely determined as to the month
in which he was born. We have reason to
believe that John began his ministry in the
spring of the year, and about the time of the
Jewish passover.
Christ must have begun in the fall and was
probably born in the early autumn. Several
additional reasons were assigned why He
could not have been born in December. Why
then, it may be asked, was the twcnty-fifth Of
December fixed upon as the period of the
nativity? We find that in tracing the ap.
pointment to its source it originated in de-
cree of the western church in the early part
of the fifth century, and seems to have been
substituted for the old Roman custom of eel
ebrating on that day the time of the winter
solstic, the birth Of the heather divinity So
or the Sun. This Is rendered more probable
by une ldCt Illu several Oh tIe CnrlStlan 1eStl
walls We're allotted to the most remarkable
days in the Julian calendar Certain it i.
that christmas as II sacred observance is not o
divine appointment, nor was it observed il
the primitive church. This omission, as wei
as the obscurity connected with the day o
Chrst's birth, could not have been accidental
They were probably designed by the great
head of the church who foresaw the abuse t.
which such an appointment would be sub.
jected.
There was one event in-his history which
he did require to be commemorative.
death That was the great central fact Of
christianity around which the hopes of tht
world would cluster, and upon which the eye
of faith in all ages would be fixed. The birth
of Christ was indeed joyous event, the most
JOYOUS in the worlds history, worthy to be
heralded by angels, and hailed as the grand
festal day of a fallen but redeemed race but
it is so because of its relation to his death
because the incarnation paved the way for the
the CrucitiXion.
But, remarked the speaker, while we can.
not recognize Christmas as historically the
period of our Redeemer's birth, nor religiOusly
as binding observance, it occupies place in
the calendar from which we cannot displacC
il if we would, and would not displace it if we
could. We hail its annual return as a season
for family reunions, for fireside greetings fOI
innocent social enjoyment. To christians il
may DC uluuG an OGCuSlOn Oh special gIaLltluC
and gladness by reminding them of the mani.
festaton of Christ in our flesh, and all the
benefits accruing to the world by his advent
to it.
1t was especially season of ioyousness to
childhood, and as such should be fOstcred
Christmas is emphatically the children's day
1t celebrates a childbirth. 1t recalls the
fact that the Saviour of the world was born
into it, and grew up to maturity like other
children. They can feel that He is neal
them that He enters into the sympathies OF
childhood, and that they have an interest in
His life and death. Let everything be done
to make the season to them n bright and
happy one. Let the older members of The
household give themselves up to the further
Snce of their joy. Let no shadow cloud theii
young eXhuberant natures, no disappOnt-
mcnt chill the fond hopes with which they
have looked forward for days and weeks past
to this occasion as the red-letter day of the
year. ~ love God and little children" said
Jean Paul Richter. The saying did credit
to the heart of that great and gifted man
"The spOrtive innocence of childhood" said
ArchdeaGon Paley, is one of the most beauti
ful testimonies that nature gives to the be
nevolence of the creator He must be al
most less than human who does not chime in
with these utterances. These men of philOs
ophy and genius found delight in the glad
sOmness of childhood, and so have all the
nOblest and the best of earth. The Saviour Of
the world thought it no peryersion of his high
and holy mission TO turn aside from thC