The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1875-02-10
THE LENTEN SEASON,

FOr SIX weeks tHt "HbIc NHTlstldH "OIiu
will put on more or less sackcloth and
ashes, and then the glorious festival OF
Easter brings the world in againto every
unrestrained enjoyment consistent with
the teachings Of the pastors. But the
coming season does not bring pleasant
anticipations to everybody. Even by
otherwise well disposed Christians 1t Is
received "a necessary self-lntiIctlOn, anu
not rejected, rather out Of respect for the
ordinances Of the church than out OF indl-
vidual love orit, The genuine church g"er
however, looks upon it n peculiar and
choice rruce of God sent for their pertec-
ton and sanctificatiou A brief glance
At the history of Lent must restore peo-
pie to sober feelings about custom
which has prevailed from the time OF
the Fisherman.
Lent is of very ancient Observance. 1t
is mentioned in the earliest councils OF
the church and written about by the
writer, of even the first century. 1t was
universally established III the fourth cen
turv. In the second century when the
dispute arose about the time for cele-
bratIng Easter, the antc-paschal last was
an acknowledged fact both by Eastern
and Western churches. Discussion was
had by the earliest writers rs to whether
the fast at first was for the full forty days
or ONLY for the week before Easter,
called the antc-pa,chal fast; but II would
seem from the authorities that while
there was some fast for forty days IN hon
or OF the Sayiors fast the ante-PaSchal
fast was of the very Severcst sort, and
that this was the difference in the allusion
among the writers. The disputatisn
which arose about the time
of the Easter celebration
in the middle of the second century,
when some of the disciples of the apostles
we're still living, shows that the fast of
forty days had been in practice earlier
than that time. for it was then called the
..Fortv Davs' Fast Muntanus, of
Phrygia. started in Isl, hcrcsy which
included three fasts IN each year. This
man called himself the Paracletc sent by
Christ. and announced that he was
greater than the apostles. He was con-
dcmncd by the church, and at this time
il was maintained that the Forty Days
Fast should be the universal custom.
Learned authorities IN the early cen
,uric, had many discussions on these
pnIut.. which were then leading queS-
tons. In the East, from the earliest
centuries up to the present time, strict
fast has been always observed not
the fact that the
orthodox religion has been sep
lratrd from Rome since the fifth CEN
.ury. I'm the fourth century one tenet of
the Arian heresy was that every one
might fast when he thought proper, this
moving that the custom was then gen
.ral. Among the Jews, in the earliest
lines, the synagogue commanded extra.
days and iustS to appeaSc the
Almighty. The ancient Jews observed
annual fasts, the principle of which was
hat Of eXpiation for their sins, on the
.O.h day of the seventh month. There
we're other fasts in the fourth, fifth and
rnth month. The early Christians
a,trd every Wednesday and Friday.
rhc.c facts are submitted by the religious
writer's It, showing the ancient origin OF
asting, an argument from which they
lrducc that the Christian Church has had
md ha, still, the power I,
order Il certain rcnitential season, such
A. Lent. and certain days of fasting for
special purposes. Tcrtullian claims that
il was agreed upon by Catholics and
heretics that the Christian should fast an
nuallv on the days of the Savlours suffer
ines and death The f;tsts of the Jews
we're very severe, and the early Chris
tians subsistcd on the very poorest fare.
\ relaxation Of the early discipline of
the ChLrch was introduced by the Monks.
Drinking at first, Us we'll a eating, was
strictly prohibited; but collation. OF
wine was the beginning of leniency at the
General Chapter Of Bru"dictinc AbbotS,
in 81. which was ordered by the Empcr-
or Louis tn" Debonnairc. twas dccr"ed
that iii necessity shall require it, on ac-
count of hard labor, after the meal taken
i'm the evening. even in Lent, bcfor.
cumpliuc, ON days when the office of the
dead /, celebrated, they are allowed 10
drink. The laity soon began To take
the same indulgence. Not until the
fifteenth century was II mUrsal of bread
allowed with the wine. BY degrees the
collation. WI, permitted to take somewhat
larger dimensions, but the food was nee
cSSarily OF the poorest quality. At the
present time in Catholic countries only
the meal and collation. are allowed, and
the collation. does not differ at all from
the coarse fare of centuries ago. The
rule also applies to Catholics in Protest
ant countries Bishops, however have
the privilege, when serious reasons de-
mand it, of mitigating the quality Of
the collation. and of determining the par
ticutar days when abstinence is required.
WErsEL MUSICAL INsTITUTE.-The
Wci,rl Musical Institute gave another
one Of their pleasant Soirees last evening
ut their hall, and the extreme cold
weather did not prevent IL from Delng
well attended. Duties elsewhere pre-
vented Us from being present, consequent
~ We cannot give an extended notice OF
the performance. The following was
the programme:
CHORUS.
Bend BEFORE High Heaven-from Enchan-
trcSS ..................
OrchcStra-pOet and Peasant ............. Suppe
Under Direction of Prof. Ebeling.
Trio duo FoScnrri ......... CdTrdcci
Mrs. Whitaker, Misses Hubbard
and SawteIl.
Flute Solo Fantastic. LdSzlO
Mr.. Fred. ii. GOttlied.
Embarrassment. A6t
Mr.. :. c. Ferris.
Solo-Niolin Oblisato-uc WaSSerrose, lhy
request ..................... NdgOdS
Prof. y. J. Roe.
Chorus The GipSicS, lby request -SchItndnHI
With Orchestra Accompaniment.
Songs of ......... MdeCie,
Mrs Whitaker.
Piano Solo GrandcS NariationeS de Con
cert Sur az Theme RuSSe