The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-12-20

all the dispositions and movements of
creatures, who. like men in boat. look
one way and row another!'
THE TIME OF THE SAVIOUR'S BIRTH.
We are informed as to the time when
the Saviour was born-that it was during
the reign of the Roman Emperor, Au-
gustus Caesar. There were force and
meaning in the statement of Luke, locating
the birth in the reign of the then greatest
potentate in all the earth, for Rome was
paramount, the ruler of kingdoms, and
the empire embraced the fairest and larg-
est portions of the then populated globe.
The Evangelist Luke also mentions that
it was at the time of Cyrenius, Governor
of Syria, when the taxing took place
But a difficulty here arises, and lnfdellty,
ever on the alert. has sought to discredit
the Bible. 1t is always anxious and eager
to pick a flaw or expose an inconsistency
or contradiction, even If they exist only
in its own ignorant and speclous brain.
1t is understood that Cyrenius was really
not Governor until eleven years after the
taxation referred to. 1t is stated by
Christian and informed scholars thai
Josephus, the Jewish author, and Greek
and Latin historians, agree as to this fact.
But there is no explanation. 1t is sup
possible, says an English writer of the
Established Church, that while Cyrenius
was not 'the actual Governor, he presided
on this occasion by a special commission
from Augustus This is altogether prob
able, for it is well known that the En-
peror Augustus acted in this way on other
occasions. 1t is stated that in several
instances, he sent his particular friends to
ha oprol1r,oot without loav-
ing it to the care of the ordinary Cover
nor of provinces. Did not David do the
same when he wished to number the peo
pie of Israeli" DR.. Campbell, a well
known scholar in the past, translates the
passage in Luke, And this enrolment
first took effect when Cyrenius was Gov
ernor of Syria This does not violate
the original, for enrolling is in the mar
gin of the James Bible for taxing"
Luke was not only inspired. but he was
man of superior ability and a scholar.
He knew of the event he described. and
the ''fact was notorious" The narrative,
both authenticates the truth of this af-
fair and the Messiahship of Christ.
1t had been foretold in the Old Tesla
ment as to the time in which Jesus
Christ was born. The dying Jacob said Of
the kingdom of Judah, that 1.-The sceptre
shall not depart, nor a law-giver from
between his feet, until Shiloh (Jesus)
come; and unto Him shall the gathering
of the people be- What did that fore
| tell? ''That when He should come the
supreme power should be dislodged from
their possession The accomplishment
has been stated Supreme power had
now fallen into the hands of Herod the
Idumean, who was exercising his vile
| tyranny under the favor of the Roman
| Sovereign master of Syria and Palestine.
Christ was born in Bethlehem, the place,
but at what time of the year? Was it
on the 25th of December. in the dead of
winter or was it earlier in the year? Let
us look into this. 1 have read some five
| or six of the more famous Lives OF Christ
l-Geikie, Elhcott, Deems, Farrar, Valllngs-
and so far as I recall, but two give atten-
| tion to the question of the date OF the
birth of the Saviour OF course, most peo-
Iple-probably ninety-hve in the one hun
bred, would answer that 1T was on the
18th of December. That Is very nat
ural reasonable answer as all Chrlsten-
dom put the birth on the 25th of Deem
Der, and only a few readers and scholars
and theologlans question tins date. l con-
fess that / never doubted the correctness
OF that generally received date until
about 1875, or possibly few years earlier.
Bishop c. j. Ellicott's Historical Lectures
on the Life Of Christ, delivered in 1859,
are learned and valuable. and rich in
critical, historical and explanatory notes.
have not read it since 1867, and do not
remember that he dwells much upon the
date of the birth of the Saviour. He
writes of the place but not of the prob
able time or day He in a note, intimates
that the received date is not improbable,
and he thinks that it was mid winter. but
says that he slightly leans to the opinion
that early in February (probably A. Z. c.
800 was the time of the nativity. 1t was
not until the fourth century that the Ro-
man Catholics fixed it at 18th of De-
cember. Bishop Ellicott says ''the tradi-
tons as to the time, were anything but
unanimous, some selecting January 10th,
others April goth, and others May GOTH"
great many dissertations have been
written upon the nativity by writers,
beginning with Chrysostom Rev. Charles
F. Deems, d. D., Ii. d. native OF Bal
timore. so eminent as a preacher. and
having long served in North Carolina,
and for twenty years an active
worker editor, and pastor in New York
city. wrote a large octave, over $50 pages,
entitled '.Who Was Jesus?" that is OF
great value and very marked interest 1t
has never had the circulation its high
merits entitled it to receive. 1t is the
most useful of all the lives of Christ with
the one exception of Geikie's most deslra-
BILE and most readable work. 1t was pub
lished in 1861. 1t was much enlarged,
improved, I think, and ten years later
appeared in its new edition. He devotes
over eleven pages to the careful study of
''the date of the birth of Jesus Christ.
1t is too elaborate to be touched upon at
length in this paper, but must give con-
illusions.
DR.. Deems has evidently consulted all
of the main authorities and facts bearing
upon the date. and his conclusion is that
.'Jesus was born in Bethlehem. about the
beginning of August, B. C. 6, A. U. c.
TAI. The Roman or Latin Church APP
pointed in the fourth century. as I have
before stated, that the 25th of December
was the birth day of our Lord. and this
has been adopted by all the Christian de-
nominations. DR.. Deems says that the
tradition of the Latin Church first appears