The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-12-31


correspondence. II the statements o. stu
dents % the Bible ard Bible history are
u be believed. Perhaps no enc Is better
qualified 20 pass an opinion on 50 stEpsn-
G9us question than 8 citizen Of Seattle
who has given the matter the closest
study ard scholarly inquiry. and 20 whose
opinion scarfers ard un5elievsrs are bound
10 listen and acknowledge. II net the truth,
the righteousness 81 his argument.
The person alluded 70 r. Judge Roger :.
Greene. who says with a certainty born
only % conviction that Jesus Christ was
not born IN the year A. u, bur three ard
PERHAPS four years prior 10 that time. and
that the Christmas just past Is the close
Of the last year OF The century. and that
We are now In the first week q the year
800. II reckonsa from the birth % Jesus.
At first the statement is q positive shock.
but upon the assurances that no attempt
Is 10 be made 70 change the calendar tie
question becomes one OF general interest.
As far as dating documents and letters.
as they are now. there Is no particular
reason why the celebration Of Jesus To- rth
birthday should not have been the COM
nencemeBt Of the syslem as well as the
date ~ bis birth. The statement is made
that an old monk sDIonysfus the Little"
was responsible for turning the system
topsy-tnrvy. DionysiaS the Little posed
az a very wise man. who vas rot By any
means as erudits as ne would have people
believe. and having no access to materials
as 10 the correct date OF the Nazarene's
birch. got II years out OF the way by his
guessing process
The bible Records.
According 10 Bible records and compare
tive historical dates Jesus Christ was
born I've years bsfore His first birthday
as set forth IN the ''Di0nyslas the Little
calendar. making the present year. 1855.
really lsss, on the eve % the twentieth
century. This fact does not make the
Paris exposition one OF next year By any
means. but simply throws Il over into
1894 instead OF 1870. as intended. Mort
cages VIII nor l8sl due any sooner. nor
viii railroad tariffs for Isas and those pro-
jected for 1897 be thrown away or flied
away as obsolete. The practical flying
machine promised for 1900 VIII not be
fastened in Its invention: In reality IL
VIII come later than intended, and IT'S ap-
pl.cation VIII not be male 70 commercial
purposes until 1894
Hamlet might have had an idea OF the
condition Of things when he said: The
times are out OF joint" but ~ ne had ne
did not see ~ 10 enIighten the people Of
his time. and the world was allowed 70
turn on It's axis and describe the cycles
Of ages four years out Of schedule time.
IN this age Ii Is most distressing 10 be-
heve tina; NE are four years behind the
times whatever else We are. but the
proofs are not wanting TO show such 70 DO
she ease and instead OF helng up-to-daie
III every thing, we are really very old-fasa-
l8ned. There Is one satisfaction that We
cannot be ronhea CT IN ms connection,
however and that Is that we are emphat
icaliy IN de steele Journalism would
erumhle were il not for the sustaining
quality that the above imported phrase
accords II. and IN view OF the fact that
the calendars viii continue 70 be printed
without reference TO the error. its use
viii undoubtedly go on until 1904. when a
new ore. possibly ''le matin De Steele or
something else equally absurd. will re-
place Il.
The Year ID. G.
Whatever term may be applied nor
how long u may be before IL comes into
vogue. matters very little with the qaes-
tlor that Judge Greene Is solving when
he refers one 20 the King James version
~ the Bible which says in ITS marginal
notes I'm reference TO the event in the
gospel OF 81 Matthew: The fifth year
before the common account called Ammo
Domln.." all OF which is a direct afusion
% the birth ~ Christ in the year r. q.
This makes an additional system of COM
plies lions in which the visit OF the wise
men 20 the lowiy stable IN Judea occurred
four years bafore the Christian world has
been taught % believe that the star stood
sliii above HIS birthplace. sermon after
sermon preached on the Day % the Ma
tivlty has referred ga that event as oc-
curing az many years before as tae mis-
leading calendar has recited In figures.
Whiis the sentiment was undoubtedly
pure and lofty II It's nature. h was four
years behind 'ius. q matter OF no great
Importance IN rural districts. but in
frverish cities whore the hurry and bus
tle in the accumulation Of sorlld wealth
are prpermost iu the minds OF most men
the know ledge vii come with a sicken-
ing sersa ton that four good years have
heeu host StaftSficlans will ind their
calculations turned upside down. Four
years out ~ the way woud have made
the prosperity OF distress Of a presidential
term really CharNeaale 10 the Sacce edfnE
administration, uot with reference 70 the
names 81 lneumb~nts of the presidential
chair and office, but iu relation 70 DAYS
and dates. Consequently. such measure
~ prosperity as was tho portion OF Mr.
BSrrison'S term Is due 90 Mr. Cleveland.
whose dciHSs Viii really De chargeabla 20
Mai Mchlniey. In order 10 gst the erred
Il for what ne may do Ma Mckinley
VIII have 10 succeed himself e T. all
very ccmpiex and very Interesting from
the standpoint that the calendar is wrong
four years worth.
Jaage GrceBe's Authority.
Judge Greene - decidedly serious in ne
2
iJy that weuld ~ cited against his theory
thaJ DE is right. ard that Jesus Christ
was bora to che year B- C..
Judge Greene says ~EGa was about %
years osa AT HIS baptism tLuke IN.
which we reasonably may suppose 70 have
l,ren az a5leh a season as Ragff admit %
lis NsjHg in tHe open Rtr ia tae wilder
ness for forty DAYS sitbout exposure to
extreme cold and without emitting any
Observance OF the law cf Noses AFtsr
Ills BAPTISM came lis ministry. which
vas or sssca Duration that be-, attended
sniv fsur passovers darsnS Sc. Viz. gn
Yaha ll 3. -, lF.. - ~ tV,. s.. T.. Z. $50
81. Z. q Ca v.L. J.. : - 81 e. e. X.
& Is. A.. !. - -. x, 3. =. xv.u.. - -.
AK. "a
.Eiis total life is sae woy,5 therefore.
waS about gste vgsrs- Tass 3e-rn of life
ana lenKth os ministry are derived sran
the Scrlpt0re. ana beinG 8cceptsa rua8ys
as 80 advance 90 flse cS-@a usion established f.
hy the folsowloG arguments
"Flrst-W hen ear L0rd vas under :
wears os sSe shai - about 81 20 - years
safawss IEss aesth Hencd TIE Greas. a Ist-
tts uhis before ais ovu eecease. SOUGHT
10 destroy E&lm tMatA U.1~1s - 80 Her-
ais rrtrn wss - years and ended vita
ss1s sesth ia tha year T. g. sAorsg sftsr
tea nasaa.a ec.tase % the @-e2H. u as-h o.
efrrrd On the 1873 % MATeA - Sh4e year
tJae Aut xVfl. va a. XVI VIA "a as
xxi. -. Nsp. tnasHaca - tAs Lara
raly ffve1 In tbc weird g - "a yesrs haa
rr,.4st from vhAs has susy beer sH24 Asve
A.ee Ne~n w.tnse a1sa1E $40 YeArS next
t@fers March Is =. a.. 4. IS - rsssal}y sas1
rhat ifs mast have dke3 wiEatn tuo or
tn.rr. wears % the sr-tng - a n. B. saa
sine aa alrea8y saoNn- He died oa a
ss-t4es- eHa fsfM - AA+e. ore car EaKEsw :