The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1871-04-09

Ou INC mOruAuX VI uaPPyp noy maseot, ic'As
the HERALD salutes it's readers This morning
the Christian world commentaries the resur-
rection of the Saviour of mankind. While
thousands upon thousands Of eloquent tongues
are telling the story Of the Dress, and while
millions upon millions Of worshippers are
bowling before the symbol which recalls to
memory the suiferings Of the Goldman, and
amid humiliation and sorrow, rejoicing in tho
fruits of His victory, we wish our readers all
the joys, present and prospective, which the
Christian religion offers. Holy, happy Easter
after Christmas, the most joyous festival Of
tho Christian year-in the estimation OF many
moro joyous than Christmas itself-why
should we not rejoice in thee ? II
history be all a fable, let not history
include the birth, work, death and
resurrection of the Man of Nazareth.
These, after all, constitute the life and hope of
the Christian world We cling to that life.
We cannot afford to dispense with that hope.
''Good news and glad tidings to all man
kind"-the burden Of ancient prophecy, the
burden of the song of the angels The burden
of gospel teaching-is to all ofus VANITY and
vexation of spirit" if the Christ did not rise
Father and our Father, according to the
Scriptures"
1t is proud thing for Christianity the
New YORK HERALD, as the great religious
organ of the New World, is proud to record
the fact-that in the year of our Lord 1871
on the Continent of America the Christian
faith rules, and that in all its departments the
United States-the great, growing, controlling
Power of the future-does homage to Easter
Sunday and despises not the time-honored
Easter holidays. Among our many charac-
teristics as great people not the least sig
nifcant is that which marks us out before
the world as religious and Christian
in the broad and truly catholic sense.
Our religious reports of tomorrow will
be convincing proof to the Christian nations
Of the world that the American people are,
though not narrow. not sectarian, not do2matic,
yet faithfully and lovingly attached to historic
Christianity Romanists, Episcopalians, Lu-
therans, Methodists, Prssbyterians, Baptists,
Congregationalists will be found to have paid
a common attention to, as well as revealed
common sympathy for, the grand Christian
memory of the time-the resurrection of our
Lord. 1t is pride to us to think that our re-
publican institutions have so nobly conserved
the Christian element. 1t is a lesson to all
men everywhere that Christianity possesses
within itself sufficient vitality to enable it to
get along, even to thrive and prosper, without
State aid, State patronage, State protection,
State control.
In the olden times Easter Sunday was IN
questionably a day Of greater ceremony than
now. Just as the Lenten season, with Its rig
orous exactions, was more faithfully observed
than the Lenten season is now, so the Easter
festival with its little liberties and licenses,
was more intensely enjoyed. ''No fasting, no
feasting," is an ancient but truthful proverb.
The hard, mercantile, moneyloving, money
seeking spirit of the times has told here as
elsewhere. Now we have no time for fasting.
We have as little time for feasting. In these
matters, however, it is satisfactory to know
that we are not worse than our neighbors.
The history Of Easter goes back to very
early period. The first record we have Of 1t
is in connection with difference which
arose between the Churches of the East and
the West The Eastern Churches kept their
feast on the same day on which the Jews kept
their Passover, which was on the 14th
of Nissan. The Western Churches, remem-
bering that our Lords resurrection took place
on Sunday, kept their festival on the Sunday
following the l4th Of Nissan. The one party
was DESTROYS to make the Easter festival take
the place of the Jewish Passover. The other
the Western-was DESTROYS to draw dis
tinction between themselves and the Jews.
The Eastern Church claimed the practice of
ST. Philip and st. John. The Western Church
claimed the practice Of St. Peter and st. Paul.
In the year of our Lord 325 the Council of
Nice, the first great Council of the Church or
dained that everywhere the great feast of
Easter should be observed upon one and the
same day, and that not the day of the Jewish
Passover but, as had been generally observed,
the Sunday afterwards" The British people
were the last to yield to this authority of the
Council; but by and by the central authority
PiCNoiACOs 0uu VIC PIoClICo uSCdmc uullOTIn.
In the year 664 Council was held at Whitby.
England, and from that date we hear of no
further trouble regarding the day. Easter
may be regarded as the pivot of all the nova
BILE feasts and fasts throughout the ysar. The
nine Sundays before and the eight Sundays
following are all dependent upon it.
In different countries and in different times
the customs have differed. In all countries.
however, and in all times, Easter has been
regarded as at once the most solemn ard the
most joyous Of the Christian festivals. The
rising OF the sun on Easter morning was
hailed with demonstrations Of Joy. At
an CARLY bour tho oL,,sono. -.