Montpelier examiner. [volume] (Montpelier, Idaho) 1895-1937, 1917-12-21
CHRIS TN a ..
BY REV. ISRAEL PUTNAM

December 25th, which is celebrated
nearly everywhere in Christendom as
the birthday Of Christ, the worlds
Divine Redeemer and Savior, IL occu-
pied, therefore, with the event-trhe
Incarnation-which forms the cen
ter and turning point of the history
OF the world. It is the first of all the
Christian festivals and the one most
thoroughly interviewer with the pop
ular and family life and stands at the
head of ell the great feasts in the
Western church year. 1t continues in
the Catholic countries and In the
greater part of Protestant Christen-
dom as the grand jubilee of children,
on which occasion innumerable gifts
celebrate the Infinite love of God in
the grit OF His only begotten Son for
tne salvation OF the world. 1t kindles
IN the cold OF mid-winter a warm Are
or love and gratitude in the heart
and breaches In the darkest nfwht
the rising of the brightest son the
sinful world has ever seen. 1t de-
notes the advent of the Real Golden
Age, Of the freedom and equality OF
the Redeemer before God and in God
NO man can weigh, nor measure. nor
truly appreciate the blessings of 10Y
which from year to year flow out up
on all ages and conditions OF life from
the contemplation OF the Holy Child
Jesus in His Heavenly innocence and
earthly and divine humility.
There Is nothing to show in either
the Old or New Testaments. nor INV
special revelation that it Is OF divine
appointment, consequently some do
not believe in nor attend the cele-
bration. The exact day of the birth
OF our Savior can not be proved bv
the Bible, nor indeed, from any other
source. The fathers of the first three
centuries make no mention of any
celebration of the nativity The bap-
t1sm of Jesus was observed first in
the Eastern church in 220 Al. D.. but
not In the Western until sometime in
the fourth century And the Eastern
church finally adopted the Christmas
festival from the Western about $50
"A. d. Some writer's trace the OBJ
servance to the second century. about
the time of the Emperor Commodus.
He cites to prove that 1t was before
the time of Constantine the follow
ing sad event: While persecution
ragged under Dfacietian, who then
held his court at Nicomedia, the ty-
rant finding multitudes OF Christians,
young and old, met togather to ceIe-
brate Christ's nativity, commanded
the church to be shut and fire put to
1t, which reduced them and the
church to ashes" While this lis NOT
entirely authenticated it is historical
~ true that the Christmas festival is
of comparatively late origin which
may reasonably be accounted for in
the following manner: In the hrat
place, no corresponding festival was
to be found in the Old Testament, as
in the case of Easter and Pentecost.
In the second place, the day and
month of the birth OF Christ are no.
where stated in Gospel History, and
can not be certainly determined.
Again, the church fingered at flfsg
about the death and resurrection OF
Christ, the completed fact of redemp-
tion, and made this the center of the
weekly worship and the church year.
Finally, the earlier feast of Epiphany
afforded q substitute. The artistic
religious impulses, however. which
produced the whole Church year.
must sooner or later have called into
existence festival which forms the
foundation work of all other annual
festivals in honor OF Christ.
To account for the origin of Christ
mas, therefore, 1t Ia not necessary to
trace 1t as some do to the feast OF
dedication celebrated by the Jews, or
as others do to the heather Satur-
MALTA, which was, perhaps, the great
est mistake ever made concerning the
Christmas festival. Jablonski en-
deayors to show that 1t originated
with the Basilidians In Egypt in 372.
The Institution may be sufficiently ex-
planned by the circumstance that It
was the taste OF the age to multiply
festivals and that the analogy of
other events in our SaviOr's history,
which had already been marked by
distinct celebration, may naturally
mark his nativity with the same
honorable distinction. It was cele-
brated with all the marks of respect
usually bestowed on high festivals
and distinguished also by the custom.
derived from the heather antiquity,
OF giving questionable entertain
ments, in addition to giving and re-
ceivfng gifts, which was a kind OF q
compromise and not right. At the
same time the heather winter holi-
days Saturnalia. Juvenalia and Brum-
ALA were transformed and, in a way,
sanctifled, or set apart by the estab-
1ishment of the Christmas cycle OF
holidays and number of the heather
customs We're brought over into the
Christian church, contrary to Chris
tian teaching.
The Christian cycle of festivals !
gradually grew up around the observ- |
ance of the day of Christ's birth. 1t |
embraced Christmas eve, which was
celebrated with special solemnity, be-
cause, tho the exact day of His birth |
could not be ascertained. IL il very
certain that 1t took place in the night. |
The four Sabbath days next proceed |
Ing Christmas were preparation days
for the festival Memorial days, etc.
for the Martyrs Stephen, Dec. Is, st. |
John, Dec. 81, Massacre OF the limo
cents, Dec. %, were established In |
the fourth century. The festivals or /
Circumcision and New Year Han ~