Litchfield enquirer., 1869-02-11
Abstinence from Meats.

: Bishop Mcfarland. the Catholic bishop of this diocese, has issued the following instructions to be observed by all members of that church during
 .ssAIi the week days of Lent are fastings days of obligation on one meal only custom, however, has authorized the use of slight collation. in the evening, and of a cup of tea or coffee, etc in the morning. q Though the fast also implies absti. nence, Yet, by dispensation, the use of flesh meat
 s allowed ab all times on Sundays, and at the prin
 cipal meal on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, except the second and last Saturdays ,. Hard in cooking. eggs, butter and cheese are
 permitted, provided that the laws of quantity are observed flesh and fsh, however are not allowed at
 sessWomei pregnant or nursing the sick. the aged and feeble, those under twenty-o years old, and
 those whOse employment is of laborious and ex-
 hAueting character, are excused from the oblga- ton of fasting, but not from abstinence" &c.
 Whether or not periodical self-denial. in
 matters of common comfort and innocent enjoyment oeondace to form the true chris
 tian. is a proper question for churches te decide. < It is question, however, or which they disagree. It is strenuously
 co wnhsFand temptation to really sinful in.
 dulgenceo that they are to the christian what
 his daily drill and constant target practice gre to the soldier. On the other hand, it
 is urged that our sins so beset us, that there
 is no need of sham fighting and target
 shooting to learn the art of christian war ifare-that this setting up of straw-devils to shoot at, when the real article is so very convenient indicates any thing but true appreciation of the condition of fallen hu- '' While, however, we admit that the matter of sslf-denial comes fairly within the juris- .diction of the divine, we must insist that the matter of diet belongs as exclusively to the physician. It is of course true that doctors of medicine have their differences as we'll as doctors of divinity. The ma chinery of tho human system is so delicate and complex that the best of them tinker at its disorders as clumsily asa blacksmith would tinkera watch. Nevertheless, they do know something of their business; they are constantly learning more; and it is their intelligence, such as it is, that must guide us in the control of the wonderful engine nature has given us.
 In the evil days of the later Roman empire, and of the semi-pagan chris tianity, that satisfied the low intelli- gence of the times, Asceticism borrow ed, ,s among other heathen notions, the idea that the devil in us could be starved end fageilated out of existence, by starving and 1Aagellating the body. They mistook the decline Of vitality for real con. quest over the fiesh;" they tortured the bo- idy God. gave us as cruelty and almost as wickedly as the Indian tortures his enemy at the stake. How soon the disor. der of the body leads t9 the disorder of the mind till the bigot sinks into the madman. is uowhefe more vividly pictured than in Charles Reade's great work, ''The Cloister and the Hearth. .s. b.sgg. 5s esa
 In our day this fallacy is exploded. We tsy many queer experiments on our State Prison convicts, while living, and occa- sionally. dissecs their bodies when dead, but We are pleased to believe that it never occurred to any one to try and starve them into reformation. {. That there are chris tians still extant. however, who believe that wickedness can be starved out of the human body. the quotation at the head of our article would indicate. It is not for us to say whatis appropriate diet for other countries; but when the Ineal successors o'st simeon stylites begin to tamper with sae ne New England stomach. they lay their eiumsy hands on 9 very delicate matter onr digestion is our weakest point We ;n.;.. [ therefore. that they should season ths;, tradition with spice of reason. Pbysi. ,s c,ans aasl tel us that the New Englander in elines too little to solid food, and too mnch s,pastry and confectionery. Why not de. .an nand asb,stinence from them, and not from mea.1 We have no great fear that even 'ne Catholic malewil keep close enough