§ V.The Census of The Empire.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume I, Issue 27, 1 November 1873, Page 13

§ V. The Census of The Empire.

20.— Genebal Objections baked by the Rationalists. " And it came to pass, says St. Luke, that in those days there went out a decree from Ctesar Augustus, that the whole world should be enrolled. This enrolling was first made by Cyrinus the governor of Syria. ' — "And all went to be enrolled, everyone into his own city. And Joseph also went up trom Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth into Judea to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David, to be enrolled with Mary his espoused wifo, who was with child." 3. Each word of this evangelical text has reference to questions of leading import. Universal history, particular details of the administration of provinces; Roman law viewed in connection with Jewish law ; problems the most complicated and various in their kind, are solved in these few lines, without the slightest perceptible hesitation. Unless the Evangelist wa* addressing himself to the still liviug memories of a contemporary generation, and speaking of notorious realities, that each one had seen, heard, and felt, he could npt have touched thus lightly on facts of so much importance. This intrinsic character of authenticity does no* strike our modern rationalists. St. Luke, they say, mentions an universal enrolling directed by Augustus, at the ep och of the birth of Jesus Christ. Now, no known historian has recorded it. Then the Gospel lias not spoken the truth. Such is the syllogism of Strauss, adopted by M. M. d'Eichtal, Salvador, &c. Their words deserve tD be quoted in full, because they have obtained, in these latter times, a more noted publicity. " The texts, they say, from which it has been attempted to prove that some of the regulations in reference io the census, ordained by Augustus, nrust have extended!^ the dominions of the HeroJs, either do not mean what their words convey, or are the production of Christian writers, who have borrowed this idea from' the Gospel of Luke." 4. This is the objection ; no one can say that the thesia ia obscure, or the positions badly defined.