Mexico weekly ledger., 1889-12-12
/ HE LEDGER.
THURSDAY, DEC. u, 1889.
CHRISTMAS.
Friend Of Christ Gives His
Views Upon the Birth of
the Messiah.

To The Editor of rhe Ledger.
MEXICO, No., Dec. 3.-The joy
full time will soon be here. This
will be, as is usual, a time of glad
ness to millions of children and
youth. Presents from father,
mother, teacher or Sunday School
superintendent will remind vast
numbers of Gods best gift to
man. No forlorn Or respondent
look on such occasions. It is the
time of present-making and, there
fore, of JOY and gladness.
Looking over the LEDGER l have
been surprised and amused with the
objections of Ed. Magee against
the observance of this Christmas
festival. The trend of his thought
reminds one of the usual course
of infdel writer's. 1t is all couch
ed in detectives. "No one can fix
the date of Christ's birth, therefore
/ object to observing any day"
Such an argument is really wonder
full l wonder if 1t ever occurred
to the reverned gentleman that he
is as much under obligation to fix
the date of Christ's nativity as any
one. AS I have suggested, by this
same mode of putting things, in
fdels would destroy our Bible and
all of our Christian institutions.
They would fill the word with sad
ness and night, but would provide
not so much as the smallest peg
upon which the hope of a sorrow
ing world can hang-a system of
detectives. Anybody can object =!
Upon one fact the whole Christian
world agree, namely: Christ
was born in Bethlehem of Judea."
Having s.been born" is the fact
in the Christmas festival. AZ
CHRIST is Gods best gift to man,
so the concentrating of his birth
is the basis of the festival and gifts
on Christmas day. The occasion
is called Christmas" in honor OF
Christ-a simple religious and
social event in commemoration of
Christ's birth. We do not cele-
brate so much the time as the fact.
Is there any uncertainty about
Christ having been born? No but
you cannot with certainty fix the
date. There are many things you
cannot do with absolute certainty.
Who can tell the writers of each
and of all the books of the Bible?
Who can give the date of the writ
ing of each of these books7 Ed.
Sam'l Magee cannot do it. He
wouldn't attempt it. He accepts
the books nevertheless "The
25th of December was fixed in
Difference to a popular supersti-
ton = = and Romanlsts cater.
ed to this superstition" A dog
matism that needs more than the
Spse dirit of any man to sustain.
There are a few writer's who take
the view expressed by Mr.. Magee
but they are not the most learned
Oh trustworthy. Some of the most
learned men who have written up
on this, contend that the 18th Of
December was observed as Christ's
natal day from the beginning. Blu,
what of the argument? Is it pos.
sible that, because the Roman
Catholics are wrong in some things,
they are necessarily wrong in ALI
Apply this logic. Mr.. Magee
teaches that immersion in water is
a necessity to pardon. Press
him upon it and he would contend
with Campbell, that the efficacy
OF the blood of Jesus Christ ha:
been transferred to water" Lone
peioie Mr.. Magee was born, or his
spiritual father, Alexander Camp.
bell, the Roman Catholics held ano
taught this heresy. Let rs throw
away all the teaching of the SO,
called Christian Church, because
they have taken up this blightins
heresy. How would that suit thu
brother? "But it could not be OF
the 25th of December, becaus.
shepherds were not watching theil
hoeks by night in Judea IT tina
time" How do you know2. De
ceInber is the rainy month in South
erIi Palestine. The writer calls t
mind having watched his father
.focks in a much colder climat.
than Judea, in December. He does
not, and cannot know, anythin.
about what he afirms. He il
wholly dependent on records of th'
time, and there are none eithe
~ay. How foolish to dogmatize