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THE UNKNOWN LIFE OF JESUS CHRIST. 109 tell us nothing of his infancy, his youth or his training, They commence the history of Jesus with his first sermon, that is to say, at the time when at the agc of thirty he returns to his country.
All that the Evangelists say concerning the childhood of Jesus totally lacks precision. “And tlic child grew and waxed strong, filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was upon him," says one of the sacred authors, St. Luke; and again: "The child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, and was in the desert until the day of his showing unto Israel."
As the records of the livangelists were compilcıl long afrer the death of Jesus, it is probable that they only consigned to writing the accounts of the principal cvents of his life.
On the contrary, the Buddhists, who recorded their chronicles soon after tlic crucifixion, and who had the advantage of collecting the most correct references to all points which interested them, give us a complete and detailed descriptioil of the life of Jesus.
In thosc unfortunate days, when the struggle for cxistence seems to have destroyed all notion of God, the people of Israel endured the double oppression of the ambitious llerod and the despotic and avaricious Romans. Then, as now, the llebrews placed all their hope in Providence, wlio. they believeil, would send them an inspired man, who would deliver them from their physical and moral sufferings. Bul time passed and no one took the initiative in a revolt against the tyranny of their rulers.
In these times of trouble and hope, the people of Israck forgot completely tinal there cxisted in thcir midst a poor Israclite who was directly descenied from thicir King Dail. This proof man married in muiden who gave birth to a marvelous child.
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