Year: 1859

The wheels Of Time have again brought
rs 70 that day which is celebrated over Chris
,.odom "a the anniversary of the birth Of
the greatest of all beings ever born upon
earth, JESUS CHRIST.


In the early period Of the Christian Church,
The Feast Of the Nativity was held Mt the
same time with that of the Epiphany, if we
may rely upon St.Chrysostom. The Feast of
the Epiphany was in honor Of the appear
ance of Christ to the three Kings or Magi of
the East who came from far to worship him.
Il is agreed, however, between st. Jerome
and St. Chrysostom, that the feast was origin
ally intended to celebrate, not the appear
ance of Christ to the Magi, but simply MS
baptism-the occasion described in the Scrip
lures. when the divine dove lowered over
the Savior, and the words were heard de-
scending from Heaven, This is my beloved
Son. in whom am well pleased" The two
feasts went together in the Armenian branch
Of tho Catholic Church up to as late period
"a the twelfth century. But, st. Chrysostom
remarks, somewhere about the year A. ID.
s97, that it was but recently that Christmas
had been celebrated at Antioch as distinct
feast. 1t is now observed everywhere, we
believe, by the regular Roman Catholic
Church and by all Protestant denominations
as distinct feast, it being determined after
much controversy that the 25th of December
was probably the day on which Christ was
born. Still, it is left to conjecture. With o
view Of determining the question, one Of the
POpes at Rome Pope Julius) ordered an &C.
clOsiastical commission, whose business it was
to investigate the subject and, if possible,
clear the mystery. The Commission conclu-
ded that the 25th of December must be the
day, but did not pretend to found their Judg-
ment upon any positive knowledge derived
from the records. Finally, to give the matter
an ending, the Roman Catholic Church COM
mandcd the day named to be observed. and
doubtless the greater portion of the Christian
world now suppose that the 25th of Decem-
Der is certainly the day on which our Savior
was born. Notwithstanding the decree of the
Pope, there were those who, very soon after,
vehemently contended that the evidence of
the records was in favor of the 25th Of the
month Pachon, answering to the 18th of May.
But the evidence was not at all conclusive
Others again contended, as we are informed
by Clement Alexandrinus, that the birth of
our Savior must have occurred in the
AUTUMN, for the reason that we have scrip
tural aud profane history both to show us
that he was certainly born during an assess
ment by the Roman Government, and the
best time for such an assessment was in the
Autumn. But, it does not appear that as
sessments were never made by the Roman
Government except in Autumn or even Cf
we recolleet aright) that they were usually
made at that season.


1t follows from the above facts that this
mystery of the birth Of Christ will never be
cleared up. All the facts connected with
the event, all the records remotely touching
thereon, were before the ecclesiastical COM
mission appointed by Pope Julius. Investi-
legations were made by the Christian Church
both authorized and unauthorized investi-


gntions-at period only few hundred


years subsequent to the event itself, and it is


not likely that we shall have any more light
upon the subject.


Since the first establishment of the Day,
as one of Christian Observance, it has been a
day Of feasting and rejoicing. Nor is it in
appropriate that universal joy should be felt
among the believers of Christianity. over
such an event as the birth of him who gave
hope and salvation to mankind.


What mighty changes have come over the
world, since the appearance Of that little
babe in the mangerl How the NEUROLOGICAL
and Pagan deities have fed before Him
How their temples have crumbled and their
worshippera vanishedl How far aDd wide
have been spread the banners of the cross


A great man once said, while passing an
old abandoned church which had been con.
verted into stable, christianity begun ia
a stable and it will end there" But, even as
he uttered the sentiment, he knew that the
march of Christianity had been commensu-
rate with the march of civilization and the
arts; that its path had been from conquest
to conquest, and that, at the moment in
which he gave vent to his infidel sneer, the
Christian faith was pouring its food of light
into the remotest Of lands. The bold sneerer
has gone to his grave, and his name is i'm
mortal, but it shall grow dim with the mould
of time before the Christian Religion shall
have failed in its power or diminished in its
glory.


We would fain dwell longer on this theme,
for we love the day and the associations
which cluster around it, but, lest we grow
tedious, we refrain, and conclude with wish
ing our readers, one and all, o MERRY
CHRIsTMAs


LEFT WITH HIS BooT7.-One Pike, native
of Bloomfield, Mass, who has been living
with woman not his wife, in San Francisco,
left on the last steamer, carrying with him
some $4,000 of her property. at seems
says the Herald, "that some time ago this
woman lost her son nuita n xoun0 lad 1vbo