afterwards with presents from the East, being led to Bethlehem by the
appearance of the miraculous star, may also be regarded as taking part
in the first celebration of the Nativity, for the name Epiphany (now
used to commemorate the manifestation of the Saviour) did not come
into use till long afterwards, and when it was first adopted among the
Oriental Churches it was designed to commemorate both the birth and
baptism of Jesus, which two events the Eastern Churches believed to
have occurred on January 6th. Whether the shepherds commemorated the
Feast of the Nativity annually does not appear from the records of the
Evangelists; but it is by no means improbable that to the end of their
lives they would annually celebrate the most wonderful event which
they had witnessed.

[Illustration: ADORATION OF THE MAGI (Relievo.)
From Pulpit of Pisa Nicola: Pisano]

Within thirty years after the death of our Lord, there were churches
in Jerusalem, Caesarea, Rome, and the Syrian Antioch. In reference to
the latter, Bishop Ken beautifully says:--

"Fair Antioch the rich, the great,
Of learning the imperial seat,
You readily inclined,
To light which on you shined;
It soon shot up to a meridian flame,
You first baptized it with a Christian name."

Clement, one of the Apostolic Fathers and third Bishop of Rome, who
flourished in the first century, says: "Brethren, keep diligently
feast-days, and truly in the first place the day of Christ's birth."
And according to another of the early Bishops of Rome, it was ordained
early in the second century, "that in the holy night of the Nativity
of our Lord and Saviour, they do celebrate public church services and
in them solemnly sing the Angels' Hymn, because also the same night He
was declared unto the shepherds by an angel, as the truth itself doth
witness."

But, before proceeding further with the historical narrative, it will
be well now to make more particular reference to the fixing of the
date of the festival.

FIXING THE DATE OF CHRISTMAS.

Whether the 25th of December, which is now observed as Christmas Day,
correctly fixes the period of the year when Christ was born is still
doubtful, although it is a question upon which there has been much
controversy. From Clement of Alexandria it appears, that when the
first efforts were made to fix the season of the Advent, there were
advocates for the 20th of May, and for the 20th or 21st of April. It
is also fou