Time, of this Event fell on the Jewish Month Tifri, which anfwers to part of our Month of September, † and makes fome judicious Obfervations on what St. Luke tells us, (Ch. ii. v. 8.) that there were in the Country of Bethlehem Shepherds abiding in the Field, keeping Watch over their Flocks by Night. ---Now the Jews had two Sorts of Flocks, one which they called domeftic or Flocks of the Houfhold, and the other Flocks of the Defert. Their domeftic Flocks fed at a fmall Distance from their Towns, and returning at Night were housed in the Towns: The other called the Flocks of the Defert left the Towns after the Paffover, and returned at the Time of the firft Rain. The Time of this Rain is thus explained by the very ingenious and learned Sir Thomas Brown, as the received Conftruction of the former and latter Rain. I will give you, faid God by Mofes to the Ifraelites, (Deut. xi. 14.) the Rain of your Land in his due Seafon, the

† Dr. Lightfoot's Chronicle of the Times, &c. An. 3000 Vol. I. P. 74.

Hebrew and Talmudical Exercitations upon St. Luke, Vol. II. P. 390 and 391.

first

firft Rain and the latter Rain. "For the

firft Rain fell in the Seed-time about Oc"tober, and was to make the Seed to root; "the latter was to fill the Ear, and fell in

Abib, or March, the first Month; for so it is "expreffed: (Joel ii. 23.) And he will cause "to come down for you the Rain, the former Rain, "and the latter Rain in the first Month," + that is, the Month of Abib wherein the Paffover was obferved. From thefe Facts compared with the mentioned Paffage in St. Luke it is natural to conclude with Lightfoot, that our bleffed Saviour was born after the Paffover and before the End of October.

Hitherto we have feen neither Proof, nor Conjecture, by which we can probably judge, that the true Time of our Saviour's Birth fell on the twenty fifth Day of December. What therefore remains to be done? Since neither facred Scripture, nor profane History can be of any Service in this Enquiry,

+ Vulgar Errors, Bock 6. P. 237.

what

what indeed can we more reasonably do, than confult Tradition, and, if Tradition be not confiftent, to make Choice of that which appears to be the best founded. Now amidst different and interfering Traditions it will eafily be allowed, that the more antient Traditions are, when other Circumstances are equal, to be preferred to thofe of later Date, especially if they carry with them a greater Degree of Probability. The Tradition which places the Nativity of our Lord on the twenty fifth Day of December goes no higher than the Beginning of the fifth or the latter End of the fourth Century at the fartheft, and contrary to the Text of St. Luke, and Lightfoot's very judicious Explication of it, places it in the very Depth of Winter. But if we go two Centuries higher, that is to the End of the fecond Century after Christ, we

fhall find that Clement of Alexandria, one of the most learned Fathers of the Church, fpeaking profeffedly, and as a Chronologer, of the Nativity of our Saviour, mentions two Opinions, which place it in the Spring;

one

one on the twentieth of the Month of April, the other on the twentieth of the Month of May. Whether the Flocks were in the Defert on the twentieth of April may be dif puted; but most certainly they were on the twentieth of May; And this latter feems to be the Opinion, to which Clement himself is moft inclined. "Thofe," fays he, "who "propose with the greatest Diligence and Ac

66

curacy not only the Year, but also the "Day of the Birth of our Saviour, affirm, "that it happened in the twenty eighth Year "of the Reign of Auguftus on the twenty "fifth of the Month Pachon." Now the twenty eighth of Auguftus begins three Years and four Months before our common Æra, at which Time the twenty fifth of Pachon answered to the twentieth of the Month of May according to the Julian, which was the English Account of Time;.

+ Tepig Tεpor----See Bibliotheque Germanique V. II. Art. 3. by Vignoles, to whom the Author acknowledges himfelf to be greatly obliged for his Collections upon this Subject..

a Time when the Flocks were undoubtedly in the Defert, and a Time too that was much more proper for the Taxing or Enrolment, at which our Lord according to St. Luke was born, than the middle of Winter. This, I believe, is the oldeft Account of the Matter now extant, and yet perhaps it is too uncertain to lay any great Weight upon it.--I proceed to enquire

2.---What are the Reasons of appointing the twenty fifth of December for the Commemoration of our Lord's Nativity.

Now this Establishment was a prudent Condefcenfion and Compliance to the Prejudices of the World in thofe Days, the Church accommodating it's Festivals to the Humours of it's Converts. If the Day of our Saviour's Birth was not certainly known, then it was indifferent on what Day it was celebrated; and here St. Paul's Practice certainly deserved Imitation to become all Things to all Men, and by every innocent Accommodation