Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1885-12-24


one having become legally defled. To
this castom of substitution, st, Chrys-
ostom must have referred. Nor does he
stand alone. For st. Ambrose asserts
the same.
However, this is not a question of
Office, but of time. II Zaeharias was on
duty on or about the day of the Atone
ment it makes no difference what his
duties were. st. Chrysostom believed
he was. SO did st. Ambrose. What
ever their ource of information, they
are competent witnesses to the fact. And
it is clear that if Zacharias saw the
vision at the time OF the atonemept,
(September 14-October 12), our Lord
was born in December of the year fol.
lowing.
Such are the proofs furnished by the
greatest of oriental christian writer's.
And this is the summary of the evidence.
that Christmas day is the true natal
day OF our Lord. From a very
early time, the western churches cele-
brated it as such. and never doubted it.
The eastern churches kept other deys,
mainly Epiphany, and disputed whether
they were right. CAT last in the bright
light of the fourth century, in the days
of the giants OF the church, the western
observance gains almost instant and un-
iversal acceptance in the east. And
when we ask, what brought this about ?
their representative man answers: Be.
cause the hand of Providence is plainly
to be seen in the spread and observance
of Christmas Day; because we have
learned from the Roman archives that
our Lord was indeed on this day born
because it is known that Zacharias saw
the vision in the temple about the Day
of Atonement. And this 'better infor.
nation" prevailed, even over the alleged
authority of the APOSTLE st. James
Verify, in all the realms of human
thought, it would be hard to find evi.
dence more direct, more unimpeach-
able, more authentic, than that which
goes to prove that Christ was born on
Christmas Day-Rao. W. T. Ten Broch;
IN Living Church.
The Wise Men and the Star-"Now
when Jesus was born in Bethlehem oil
Judea in the days of Herod the king
behold there came wise men from the
east to Jerusalem, saying, Where is he
that is born king of the Jews? For We
have seen his star in the east and are
come to worship him. y y = And
when they we've come into the house
they saw the young child with Mary His
mother and fell down and w%orshippeG
him, and when they had opened theil
treasures, they presented unto him gifts
gold, frankincense, and myrrb.-Kathea
l.. 3. ii.
This universal Joy of Christmas is Ger,
tainly, wonderful. We ring the bel
when princes are born, or toll a mourn
full dirge when great men pass away
Nations have their red-letter days, their
carnivals, aud festivals; but once in tht
year, and only once, the whole worlC
stands still to celebrate the advent O
life. Only Jesus OF Nazareth claims Thu
worldwide, undying remembrance. YOU
can not cut Christmas III of the calep
dar, nor out of the heart of the world
!. ". HHaadffordf.
L have always thought of Christmas
: time, when it came around, as a goot
time; q kind. forgiving, charitable time
the only time / know of, IN the Ion,
calendar of the year, when men ant
, women seem by one consent to opel
their shut-up hearts freely, and to thinl
! of people below them as if they reall,
were fellow-passengers to the grave, ant
g not another race of creatures bound OIL
other Journeys. = = y And 40 a
Tiny Tim said: "a merry Christina,
: to us all, my dears. God bless us ever,
one.-Charles Dickens.
After all the Christmas spirit at it
best is but the Christly spirit. All thi
world needs to make o heaven here ant
now is the prevalence of this spirit il
/, the homes and hearts of men. Ant
b slowly as the morning grows from gloon
to glory the world is coming into tn
possession OF the peace and good will
Slowly but surely the weary world ii
marching toward the zone far off diyip
s event" Sooner than many men thin
s the dream of the old Hebrew prophe
will be fulfilled: "'Thine officers shall b
peace, and thine exactors righteous
ness."-EImo.