Untitled

New Zealand Tablet, Volume I, Issue 38, 17 January 1874, Page 13

(1) Lac, ii, 6, 20. (2) Isaias, cap. i, 3. (3) Isa. ix, 2. (4) Vie de Jesus, pag. 19. The author cites, iv support if his assertion " Matth. xiii, 54, &c , Marc, vi, &c , John, i, 45, 46," according to his usual moiie of proceeding, the numbers alone of the evangelical texta appeal in his note ; he does not produce the text. Consequently, uo one would think of doubting that " Matth. xii, 54. M nrk, vi, i, John, i, 45, 46," affirmed positively that Jesus was born at Nazareth Now, these three Evangelists, in the p.issvges above mentioned, do not say a word abiut it. This is surprising ; it is incredib'e ; but so it is ! The parents of Jesus Christ dwelt at Nazareth, in Galilee. The childhood and youth of the Saviour were passed in this village. The native country of Jesus Christ then, for the Jews, his contemporaries, as for us, was the place where hia family resided, the place where they had seeu him growing up, and dwelling without interruption till the a^e of thirty. Thus, the inscription which, later on, the Cross of Calvary shall bej.' , will be this: Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews. Now, St. Matthew, xiii 54; St. Mark, vi, 1 ; St John, i, 45, 46 ;.do not speak at all of tho birth-place of Jesus Christ. Hore is the exact text : " And con>iug into his own country, he taught them . their synagogues." Veniens in patriam suam, docebat eos in spuaoogis eorMii (Matth. xiii, 54.) " And going out from theuce, lie went into'his own country, a->d his disciples followed him " El egressus inde abnt in patncua suam, et seqnebantar cum disciiiutis sxii. (Marc, vi 1.) The place of residence, and the place of birth, are, even in our own day, two things,- very distinct. When St Matthew and St. Mar < speak of the place of residence of Jesus Christ, rationalism would have us to believe that they have spokeu of his place of birth. Ordinary readers will not take notice of this equivocation, you say? It is true, but serious readers will stigmitze ouch pitiful tatics as these. By what nanis shall we designate an author who writes thai "John i, 45, 4<V pl«J3s the birth place of Jeans at Nazareth? Here is tha lext of St. John : Philip flndeth Nathan ael, and saith to him : We have found him of" whom Moses in the law and the prorhets did wiita, Jeaus, the son of Joseph of Nazareth." Invenit Plulippas Wathanabi, et dicitei: Qvem scnpiit Moyies in ley*, et prophetce,invenim.u.s Jesum Jihum Joseph d Nazireth (Joan.,i, 40.) Here, the miserable equivocation, on the place of resideusd .md the pl.ic3 of birth of Jesus Christ, was not even passible, for it is clearly to Joseph that the locality of Nazareth has referent.