The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-02-15
L e N r
The Penitential Season as Observed BY
Primitive and Modern Christians.
Disputes az to the Term Of the Fast in the Early
Csnturies-Learned 0pinions-How the
Forty Dayy Came To Be Accepted
Controversies About Easter-Arch-
bishop kcCloskey's Circular.

full, and their purple and fine linen be cast aside.
Prayer and good works shall take the place OF rev.
eiry and merrymaking, and all occasions partaxing
Of pomp and magniacence are ordered TO be dis
pensed with. The season OF Lent has always oeen
observed by the Christian Church as most solemn
fast. On many accounts the great ecclesiastical law
which orders the observance Of the Lenten season
Is most venerable.
ANTIQUITY AND UNIvBRsALITY.
It's antiquity, IN the arst place. and the univer-
salty with which at the present day II is observed
In every Christian community, render 1t especially
venerable In tracing the fact OF its antiquity this
fast Is mentioned in the councils through every
age. Ecclesiastical writer's IN every century have
spoken Of the observance OF Lent in man
ner which indicates the fact that in former ages
the strict observance OF the season OF Lent was
regarded by the Christian people in the light OF a
most sacred duty and the monuments and records
OF the Christian Church evidently tend to carry 1t
as high as any such monuments are extan:-that
Is, to the time when the disciples OF the apostles
were living and governing the chief sees.
DESTINATIONS ABOUT THE FAST
Daille, one OF the most famous Of French Calvin
ists attacked the observance Of Lent in his writ
ings in a manner which, at the time, tended
greatly to detract from its very strict observance.
In the end, however. he was compelled to admit
even as far back the fourth century, and that it
had always been observed since that time The
frequent manner in which 1t was enforced by the
great lights OF the Church in their sermons to
their necks evidences the fact that there remains
no possible chance whatever Of dtsputtng the
liabilityOf the records Of its observance in every
age since the advent of the Christian
era. In the second century q dispute
in regard to the time when the observance
Of the solemn yearly fast was to be closed and the
feast Of Easter kept, which at that time was cee-
brated by both Jews and Asatics on the fourteenth
day OF the first lunar month, although most OF the
other nations celebrated this feast in unison with
the Church Of Rome on the Sunday following. ST.
POlycarp Is recorded as having made visit to
Rome. to confer with Pope Anicetus, in the year
1853, in order to obtain decree in favor OF tolera-
ton Of the difference in the observance OF this
by the Asiatlcs and about the year 200 1t is
recorded that all the churches determined upon the
solemn observance OF the Antepascal Lenten fast
ARGUMENTS OF THR EARLY CHRISTIANS.
Owing to the fact that st. Iren@us in his writ
ings makes mention Of certain Christian COM
munites having followed different rules OF disci-
pine and practice in so far as regards the number
OF days to be spent in fasting and prayer, ques
ton arose, which bore considerable agitation, as
to the validity OF the claim enforced by the Chris
tan Church that the faithful should observe a
period OF fully forty days in fasting. Not over
jealous in the performance OF their obligations
ordered by the Church. the dissenters endeavored
dissuade their brethren from the strict observ-
ance OF the dictates OF the Church by advanc-
ing the theory that period OF forty days was
rather too much or penttental infection,
and that forty hours, instead Of forty days. were
a sufficient length OF time, being commemorative
OF the period during which the Saviour remained
entomoed previous to his resurrection. At first
doctrine clAmDlOng
at length the opponents OF the true doctrine were
dlssuaded from advocating the error of this pre-
tended Interpretation OF the original edict OF the
Church. which had ordered the observance OF a
Lenten season during continuance of forty days.
others rejected this transportation, advocated by
those who had endeavored to array the followers
OF the Christian Church IN arms against the 90.
reason that no one ever counted day OF forty
hours.
LEARNED OPINIONS.
DR.. Beveridge says:-"For in forty hours who
could doubt the fact that the day must be joined
with the night For some thought they ought 70
fast one day, others two, others more and some
extended this fast 10 forty days. They measured
their day by comprising the hours both OF the night
the fast did not begin in our age but long before us
among our ancestors, many of whom, probably NOT
down to posterlty the custom as it had been,
through simplicity or private fancy, introduced
ST. Dlonysius, of Alexandria, in his writings
about the middle OF the third century, says that,
Notwithstanding the tact that the same agitators
had at length acaulesced in the decision OF the
Church as to the time and discipline to be OBJ
served during the Lenten season, there neverthe.
less existed a variety OF discipline in tasting during
the six days which preceded the Easter feast. He
states "that some passed these six days withour
taking nourisnment others TOUR, Others only two."
HOLY WEEK.
In the fourth century. st. Epiphanius, who was
one OF the best writer's In the Church. distinguishes
Moy the wa OF
precept. The second comprised the six days Of
Holy Week, on which all were obliged to keep Zer-
0phage-tnat Is, TO- take nothing at their meal
alter sunset except bread, salt and water third
part OF the last was not OF obligation like the two
iormer but one OF devotion or counsel only. THIS
consisted in fast of superposition in Holy Week,
which some kept for two days, others three others
tour and Others soo for q whole week: The
however, was only one OF precept, except IN few
churches ana except during the Holy Week, when lt
was UNIVERSAL The name OF the "Forty Days Fast"
by which the season OF Lent was first known,
demonstrates the fact that Lent was OF about that
number OF days, or thai the beginning was about
Forty bays Fast" was used by Origen. and 1t
clearly establishes the fact that this name could
never have been given to the great anti-Paschal
feast had 1t not been OF forty days. duration, which
clearly establishes the fact OF the correctness OF
Bishop Beveridge's answer to those loose Christians
who endeayored to curtal the period OF fasting
and prayer.
The matter OF days having been settled there then
arose disputatlon IN regard to the proper time
Tor celebrating the Paschal least This dispute
began WHlle Tie immaculate disciples Oh tue apostles
were yet living Socrates plainly implies that
"Lent was Of forty Gays when 1t first obtained the
name OF the Quadragesimal fast. The Ilyrlans and
the western churches and all Lydia, Egypt and
Palestine observed six weeks OF q fast. Others
made 1t seven weeks as the people OF CONSTANT
nople and the nations as far as Ph9nicia. Others
tasted only three OF these six or seven weeks, by
tervals; others, the three weeks Immediately
before Easter, and others only two weeks, as the
Montanist." Accepting the opinions expressed by
socrates as an impartial authority It Is plain TO he
seen that as late as the fourth century the day
and date OF holding the Paschal feast
could not have been settled matter, and that In
stead OF nodng the least on certain sunday at
the end OF the Forty Days Fast" 1t was celebrated
by several races on divers Sundays In accordance
with their ideas OF the number OF days proper that
should constitute the season OF Lent. Quite O
number oil them appear to have subtracted the
four sundays occurring during the Lenten season
as not being days OF regular FAST and did not
enumerate them with the regular forty days.
1t was only In the following century, however,
that the Sunday ending the forty days counting
the sundays during that PERIOD was decreed by
the Christian Church as the proper day on wnich
to observe the Easter feast, and from that time
until that decree has ALWAYS ueeu