Obrazy na stronie
PDF
ePub

periods might occupy. To obtain any satisfaction upon this subject we must apply, as in the question of the nativity, to tradition and the Fathers, an application which will here be attended with little difficulty.

In considering the various traditions relative to our Saviour's birth, we observed, that those existing amongst the Egyptians were from several causes entitled to more credit than those amongst any other body of Christians. It fortunately happens that their opinion upon the period of our Saviour's baptism has been preserved by Epiphanius, and fixes it to the month of November. Βαπτισθέντος αὐτοῦ κατ ̓ Αιγυπτίους, ὡς ἔφημεν, Αθύρ δωδεκάτῃ πρὸ ἓξ Ειδῶν Νοεμβρίων. Now this date is not only uncontradicted by any other tradition of equal authority and importance," but has also a positive recommendation in its favor, which cannot be more clearly stated than in the words of Lamy, by whom the remark, which is equally solid and ingenious, was originally made. After urging with considerable force the improbability of John's baptizing in the middle of winter, as a powerful

' Hær. 51, 16.

m

It would be difficult to point out the origin of the vulgar opinion which fixes the baptism of our Saviour to the 6th of January. That day was celebrated by some in commemoration of the nativity, as well as baptism of our Lord.

objection to the baptism of our Saviour in the month of January, and shewing that there is no objection whatever to the Egyptian tradition and the month of November, he proceeds to give additional strength to his conclusion in the following terms:-"Dum hæc scribo mentem subit argumentum non contemnendum, quo probari potest, Jesum baptizatum ante mensem Januarium. Eo tempore, quo quadraginta dierum jejunium Dominus complevit, quod inchoaverat statim post baptismum, tunc hibernum tempus, quo scilicet terra nullum cibum ministrat his qui in deserto vivunt, fuisse ex eo conjicio, quòd tunc esurierit Dominus; et hâc occasione usus Dæmon non illi obtulerit cibos, sed lapides in panem mutandos ; et ubi discessit Dæmon, accesserint Angeli ministraturi cibum, qui nempe non parabilis erat eo tempore et eo in loco. Si Christus baptizatus fuisset sextâ die Januarii, post expletos quadraginta dies jejunii, jam proximum fuisset vernum tempus, in quo præsertim in Judæâ tellus sese aperit; ut Diabolus non suasisset Domino, quem videbat omni alimento egentem, vertere in panem lapides. Olera occurrent in fine Februarii, quibus solis primi homines ferè vescebantur. Verùm si baptizatus est Dominus in mense Novembri, expleti sunt quadraginta dies jejunii mense Decembri jam multùm promoto, quo tempore sævior est

hiems, et omni re quæ manducari possit tellus exuitur."n

I would therefore strongly incline to the month of November, J. P. 4739, as the most probable date of our Saviour's baptism, because in the first place it accurately corresponds with St. Luke's designation of his age at the time, because in the second place it is favoured by an ancient and approved tradition of the Church, and lastly because it gives an easy solution to a circumstance which all the Evangelists have noticed in their accounts of the forty days' temptation in the wilderness.

n

Appar. Chron. Part II. cap. vii. sect. 1. p. 204,

CHAP. VI.

DIFFICULTIES ATTENDING THE PROBABLE DATE OF

OUR SAVIOUR'S BAPTISM.

St. Luke computed the 15th Year of the Government of Tiberius from the Date of his Proconsular Empire.

Ir Jesus was baptized by John in the month of November J. P. 4739, the word of the Lord, 7794 which directed John to take upon himself the

office of baptizing, must have come to him before the month of November J. P. 4739.

If Tiberius succeeded to the empire on the death of Augustus, that is, on the 19th of August J. P. 4727, the fifteenth year of his reign did not commence until the 19th of August J. P. 4741.

Therefore, according to this computation, the word of the Lord, which came to John before

779

767 a

7819

November J. P. 4739, came to him nearly two years before the commencement of the 15th year of the reign of Tiberius on the 19th of August J. P. 4741.

But St. Luke expressly and unequivocally declares that the word of the Lord came to John in the fifteenth year of Tiberius: "Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Cæsar.... the word of God came unto John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness." a Consequently either the Evangelist or our calculation with regard to the baptism of Jesus is incorrect.

The only possible way of obviating this difficulty and reconciling our opinion to the statement of St. Luke is, by supposing him to have computed the years of Tiberius from some other and earlier period than the death of Augustus. To establish the propriety of this supposition, and become entitled to avail ourselves of the means it affords of meeting the objection, we must endeavour to prove the three following propositions :

1. The existence of some other and earlier commencement of the reign of Tiberius.

2.

The date of that earlier commencement of

his reign.

a

Chap. ii. ver. 1, 2.

« PoprzedniaDalej »