, 1873-03-02
Something About ttfe faoiy
Season Of EeDt.
Rules, Customs, and LESSONS
Of the Season.
The Writings of Three Chicago
Correspondents.
r,1,n 13ii,le Readings---Sunday
school Teachers Meeting.
Programme of Services To-Day---Cal-
endar for the Week.

prooramme of Services To-Day'--Cal-
endar for the Week.
-rba aHo,y Season" Of Lent, which began Last
,rd,asdav and which is Observed with fehg1ous te-
,v The Rou,an Catholic, Protestant Episcopal,
Tthr,n and Eaetern Churches, Ike most Of the holy
.".-o,s anponted By the Church, originated, no
sht fro7 some instance in tho life Of Jesus Christ
- <rhaf that circumstance was ie not 30 obvious,
s.r II is usually supposed that 1t Ia the Saviors
sanitation and fasting forty days In the wilderness
- IL most probable others remark that the Christian
5sct originated from regard to those words OF the
p.5eemer: "Thc day will come when the bridegroom
,,,M ba taken away from them, and then they SHALL
t In those days T1is passage, It was believed, al-
aa to tho institution Of particular season Of FAST
mo snd prayer in His future Church. Accordingly,
,hs IN The first instance began this solemn period on
n. afternoon Ct the day which they commcmorated
~. c7nr,fxtou and continued It until the morning Of
+.st Of tho resurrection.
TIM interval therefore, length Of time Observed
"a. originally but forty hours. Other dnys wcro
.dded come fasting three days in the week before
r,ster some four, and others thrtyfour. Later the
f extended to three weeks then to e1, and after to
x.yen weeks In succession. Socrates observes thAt the
uRou.us fast tree weeks before Easter the Sabbath
md Lords Day excepted. The Hyrians, and all Greece
md A}e,andraps fast SIX weeks and call Quadrages
nal fast Others begin their fast serea weeks before
Fsster only fasting however fifteen days by inter-
1ss: but they also call this the Quadragesnal fast,
and adds, since can show any written 1ule
about this it is plain that the Apostles left the matter
free each onss Judgment and choice That no on9
Oeen speaks Of forty days before Easter being Tor
fasting and, at tho Council Ct Eicaea th1s peEod Vas
tsken Tor granted. The nddition Of Ash "Wednesday,
following to the bHQUuiuU OF Lent
vas made By nuthozity, probably that of st. Gregory
The Great, IN the sixth century.
Nhtle the origin and duration Of tho fast hns been
thus indefinite careful observance OF the same has
becn maintained buck to very early pe1iod fof even
In the Sixth Apostolic canon occurs these words II
feep the Ho5 Fast of Lent forty days before E.ses
Or the Wednesdays and Fridays, let him be deposed
il be be not hiudcred by some bodily inhrnty but II
be be 1ay1unp let him bo suspended from the CON-
{nunion." =. 81,
The rule Of fasting has garied also. Originally the
TODD taken wns Of the simplest kind, ST. Chzysoston
speaks Of those who, for two days, 9bstainod 17o
food and Of others who refused not only vine and
bus bsd and wner only The customs attending Lent
bsye changed. Theodosius the Great, during the
aeasou would not allow corporal inflicted
Public games and the celebration OF birthdays and
-raar7inges wezc interdicted-
The lessons Hkew1fe have varied. st. Augustine
ytshed to have lesson out Of each Goepel on Good
Fidsy. Maxi1nus Taurinensis mentions that the les
sons On the Feast Of The Epiphany we're out Of 1saah
Matthew aud ST. John. Lessons we're read OUT OF tue
L
The Lent Of the present day, aud now being OBJ
served has down to us Over long aud neanuer-
Ing rathwa Though a ns beqe Is
doubt spirit aud effect Il is more potential Tor gooa
less tamneled by superstition than 1t any pe11oo Oh
its previous history.
Tbel list Herald and PresbyteT, religious WeeRly
Published At Cincinnati contains On 1ts trst rogc taree
letters in consecutive ordcr from Chicago from az o.
which 1t is inferred that our city news 1B ghly valued
BY hecditor, which i very proper but ne
Furnished by theae n -
example the writer Of the first, signed r. fa:s
s'An infidcl population will speedily occupy the cata-
d. With 5nae asee and We're s
nd he inmates compelled by reyolyers held to their
teads to deliver up their money We are iast COT.
tos @g 70 lie maf.t Ind 'AI PROPERTY Tho second
letter signed, "Yours, ETC., John Woods" opens With
s1 sbe to learn ID a,nost al the churches here but
for two weeks Of fashionable life has been G.
high tide" ]: then refers to the so spent n'a On m 1ne
rroved Iud;ans spending cur money for glass oeads
-tronn up ,abes pl.ased with 4 noisy rattle 1nen
comes the third epsle the character and SUCCESS oi
me Of our prominent religions Journals sgnsda.
JH T. stating that "this paper has done but Little
Thus far bcyoud entering upon new eras,' etc mus
lp, ecclesiastical and Journalistic realms, With
oee who give credcnee to the contents Of the Halo
sd s< Is anTing NJ but &C eaao 4ey sae
ii Gospel ministers. Two Of them are in charge o.
churches Gun they not ind something elee obou'
which to write ucrein line with facts aud more con.
duc:ve to the general good7 they cannot then 70,
The interests Of heaven and humanity let taein no
xe at all, The truth Of the matter Is, tnat o1rne
las been already published than in any three oatol
for the LIST many years. and that our churches Wcft
] Ssn no spa s ss's
leading Christian worker recently, twas the re,
eas interest n nrs eh1fsge nd S5' presa ppa:easo,
n ftheoorr mt late meeting Of the students Of ou1
four Theological Summaries " could it be sa1o that
Professor as now DOING had adaeesGd eatisn as ode de
nominations" Our wealthiest OF citizens are anln
,nd making successful our religious journals, GU GU
aadina business men are to be seen directing OIL
lii noon meetings, prominent city officials are co
ng with tue men Rassn IN on craad ay
s midst q business h0ura by persons ATTENDING sna
h.aons Of the Church bare he hero ae,u,ot +
s9 thsE eaceta aa sbe ntr fine
nces Iarre congregations, and rolls of membership
IL which, for young city as ths, afe among -
ls themes for such correspondents In Place oi AL LII
Agina1y lAwlessness. Indian parpatasm, &C.
instead of waning are increasing in interest Ser
1ucoesstul series was concluded during tue week
he Plymouth Congregational Church, South SIDE, m
W sre authorized to stats that similar meeting n
BE- oondrcted in the same church ut n. during II
p1eeent week It is also proposed to hold series
Bhs readings for the children several evenings
Another course Of readings will be announced IN tn
churches to-day fer the West Side, to be neld IN u
Third Presbyterian Church. corner Of Washington az
Carpenter etreete, every day, at $50 P. M Inc 10
owing parties will lead the rneettngs:. On Monda.
D.L Moody; Tuesday, the Rev +. Williams; wsdqsa q,
1ay, B. F. jacobs; Thursday, the Rev. a. Z: ~
hedse Frfday. The Rev, Dr.. Goodwin. Elsewhere
he Interest in these Bible-meetings is unabated Dt
Goodwin led 1arge and unusually interesting meeqn
IF this character il Evanston Friday evening. IN 1t
Page County, Maj. White and Prof. sankey have Dee
stwos55. where CREST revival is IN progress,
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL TEACHERS MEEIISo.
held Yesterday IN tho Methodist Church Block, an
which was to have been led by the Rev. A. E Nttreog
Eho however faied to put in an appearance was !e M
pained the lesson for to-day, the subject Of which
sThs Destruction. Of .sodon." 1t was generally agree
thss Lot was in very dangerous position Wnile Ne
Sodom and that he acted wisely In fleeing tnete1ron
The question Of Lots relaves In Chicago was discuss
e he opinion prevailing tst there , T1ss rf 10" sn Ii
nesting which is said to have been the best attenoe
q the rd ever bed in the city. The singing OF Il