New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1873-03-23


loving Father revealed in the Cos.
pei. Very few. in fact. do believe it
practically. The custom has come down
to us from pious ancestry, and We feel as
if it were a sort of irreverence to doubt its
efficacy Or to inquire too closely into its
origin. That origin is heather. Be-
fore the human race had any intelligent
ideas Of the Deity they had obscure no.
tons of supernatural powers. mysterious
and hostile, whose wrath was easily pro-
voked and with difficulty placated. These
notions were not confined to the superstl-
tious hordes of polytheism, among whom
the offering Of sacrifices was the chief form
of worship. The notion Of proud and
angry God, thirsting for blood and
tears. pre- pitiable by incense and sacrifice.
is to be traced throughout the Jewish
Scriptures. The Jews accordingly kept
public fasts as a sign CT national humilia-
ton, and to propitiate the divine clemency.
The custom was practiced by the first
Christians, and was seized upon by the
Roman priesthood and made obligatory
voluntary fasting over and above what was
ordained by the church being reckoned
among the works of supererogation by
which Jealous Christians might cancel
some of the future punishment still due
to their sins after the temporal punishment
had been RENTED by the absolution OF the
priest. During the middle ages, when 1t
was customary to decry the body as clog
upon the spirit. voluntary fasting was
carried to excess: and so great hold had
it acquired over mems minds as an
act of spiritual efficacy that It survived
the storm of the Reformation, and be-
came incorporated as an essential part OF
their spiritual system in nearly every
Protestant creed Even to this day. not
outstanding the modern doctrine OF mus
cular Christianity, we see the Governor OF
the enlightened State of Massachusetts APP
point a day of public fasting. Now. II 1t
were known to be the intention OF the
citizens of that goodly commonwealth to
over-eat themselves on April FOOLS day,
and the Governor thought likely that
they would not have sense enough to fast
after their surfeit without a prescription
TO that effect from him. there would be
some reason for his proclamation, other
wise it is an idle form: for We think it
safe to prophesy. and we do 1t
in a charitable spirit. that the
citizens of Massachusetts as general
thing will eat the usual number of meals
on that day: and that while the heads OF
families are in church, their servants will
be busy at home preparing dinner. Those
who never have enough. God bless them
will doubtless fast, and those who have
recently had too much: and just here may
be suggested one advantage which even
now may be derived from voluntary fast
ing: namely. practice it in the interest OF
benevolence. Let every family that de-
signs to fast appropriate the money that
would have been spent on the meals omit
ted to the benefit Of the poor. Let q
committee of upright citizens receive
such contributions and see that they are
judiciousiy expended. In this way the
fast will do some good: but we think it
would be still better if those who can
afford the expense should feed others and
themselves also: for we do not believe
that the Almighty looks with any more
favor on fasting than on a full man.
OF all the relics of heathenism. Judaism,
medieval Christianity and Puritanism. the
most absurd is voluntary fasting. Is it
not time that it were abolished. al least
among Professionals No intelligent Pro-
testant pretends to defend it upon its
original basis of use; the placating Of the
Divine wrath. 1t is simply claimed that
the observance OF fast days brings people
into proper state of mind for the recep-
ton of spiritual influences: is fitting re-
cognition Of our own unworthiness, and
the Divine supremacy, and so forth. II
is q we'll known fact. however, that when
people begin to defend an old custom by
explaining away its original Specification,
the custom is dead. and its use is only con-
tinued in compliance with the prejudices
of the ignorant. Among the more enlight.
ened its observance is simply what Draper.
in treating of the slow decline Of polythe.
ism. calls organized hypocrisy" This
is the actual mental condition Of pious
and intelligent Protestants throughout
this country on the subject Of voluntary
fasting. They fear TO shock the preiu-
dices of their weaker brethren by publicly
proclaiming their disbelief in the practice.
and continue to appoint last days" upon
which they do not fast. The time has
almost come, however, when the Governor
Of Massachusetts,. who shall have the
moral courage to omit the appointment OF
the annual fast day, will earn eommenda-
ton instead Of censure by his indie
peudenee.
POLITICAL STRIFE.
The great aim Of the REPUBLICAN has
been to discourage political strife and ell
courage contest of labor in the agricul-
turoI ,oanufa ct1rinC, ,oacboDicol non,