The Elbert County tribune., 1903-12-17

by the Western church. the early sub
sequent adherence of the Eastern
church. and the unanimous acceptance
of the whole and undivided church
make us as certain as anything can.
short of mathematical demonstration.
OF the correctness of Dec. 25 as the
true date of the Nativity.
But | presume the most convincing
of all arguments will be allowed to
be this; On the Cross Our Lord COM
mitted the care of His blessed Mother
TO His beloved disciple, st. John. She
spent the closing years of her life at
st. Johns home. The Nativity was
celebrated many times during her life
time 1t is absolutely inconcelvable
that the birth of her son could be cele
hrated with her knowledge and con-
sent on wrong date. II never before.
she must have spoken to St John
after the ascension of the night and
Incidents of the birth of Him they
both loved so well. It is incoDceiv-
able that st John could have cele-
brated the Nativity on any other than
the day os Sirtn. st. John had dis
cipie well known in history, Polycarp.
bishop of Smyrna. He celebrated the
Nativity. and II is inconceivable that
he. whose boast 1t was that what he
delivered he received from st. John.
could observe the Nativity on any
other than the correct date. Now.
Polycarp had disciple named Ireneus.
and lreneus claims that he delivered
the doctrines and customs as he re.
ceived them from st. Polycarp and
others. This Ireneus was made bishop
of Lyons. and delivered to the Chris
tians there the customs he had re-
oeived from st. Johns disciple. He
was martyred 202. Belonging to the
same local church, the Gallican. was
St Martin, born SIG, and made bishop
of Tours in 371. He of cource re-
ceived the customs as Ireneus deliv-
cred them. His sister was the mother
of St Patrick. apostle of Ireland. The
Irish church converted northwestern
Europe. The day observed by all
these as the natal day of Christ is
Dec. 20.
Who were the shepherds to whom
the angel of the Lord appeared? They
were not ordinary shepherds. You re-
member two lambs were offered daily
in the continual burnt Offering on the
altar in the temple. In addition there
were special offerings. These sacrifices
required large focks. Shepherds were
needed to tend these lambs, types of
the Lamb of God" now born. The
pasturage where these lambs were fed
was the field of Bethlehem. The
shepherds were quasi sacred order
inferior to the Levites. Their occu-
patton was similar to Abels. 1t was
to these shepherds. lowly but God
fearing men, that the angel appeared,
and the glory of the Lord shone round
about. They were engaged in dis
charging their duty. and to all doing
their duty to God and man will come
the glory of the Lord and the message
of peace, good will to men.
The events of Christ's sinless life
have not been recorded in the annals
of earthly history, nor emblazoned on
the rolls of earthly fame. nor heralded
in pomp and state by earthly trum-
pets: for He loved to manifest His
spotless life among the nameless ones
of the toiling and busy throng; yet
there is a record kept of that stainless
life in the pages of the Book of
Space. with precision passing earth
ly effort and an exactitude which the
spheres alone could give.