The New York herald., 1876-02-27
REGULATIONS FOR THE rAsr-ExEMPT1oNs AN
DIsPENsATI0Ns

DISPEkSATIONS.
The Cardinal Archbishop has Issued the following
regulations for Lent, which commences next (Ash)
Wednesday and ends Saturday, April l5 1t will be
observed that His Eninence grants the fullest conces-
Eons to the young the nnrm and other classes whose
vocatonsor condition ronders 1t nadvisabe that they
should fast abstain In other not covered by
the regulations the pastors have in their discretion
authority to grant permission to such food and in
such quantities thoy their medical advisers may
think necessary. The regulations read
All the week days OF Lent from Ash Wednesday till
Easter Sunday, FAST days Of prccept meal,
with the allowance OF moderate collation. in the
ing.
The precept of fasting implies also that OF ab-
stnsnce from the use OF flesh meat; but,
by dispensation the OF flesh meat is
allowed in the archdiocese Of Now York at the
principal meal on Mondays Tuesdays aud Thursdays
o. Lent with the exception Of Holy Thursday There
is neither fast nor abstnence 10 be observed on
Thursdays In Lent II Is not allowed TO
FISH with flesh meat at the same meal in Lent There
is no prohibition TO eggs butter cheese, pro-
vided the rules Of quantity prescribed by the fast be
complied with Lard may be used In preparing fish,
The Church excuses from the obligation Of fasting
(bu not of abstinence from flesh meat except In spe
cal of sickness the lke the following classes
Of persons;-Frst, nhrm second, those whose duties
of exhausting or laborious character; third
persons who attaining their growth; fourth,
in pregnancy or nursing infants; afth, those who
enfeebled by old age
Tho public religious exercises during Lent in the
churches ofthe city commence each evening at half
past seven, will be-
On Monday in the Church of the Nativity, of tho
Assumption (Gernanl ST. Michae's, ST Anthony's
(Italian) and ST. Mary Magdaon Germany
on Tuesday, ST. James, st. Joseph's, St. Vincent de
Paul's Frenchl ST. John The Evangest's, Holy Cross
St Gabriel's, Immaculate Conception Our Lady OF
Sorrow and ST. Ceca'a
On Wednesday, in ST. Peters, Most Holy Redeemer
GERMANY St. Francis Assists Germany, St. Francis
Xaver's 81 AIMS, Annunciaton, Manhattanv illc ST.
Paul's, Ninth avenue and Fftyninth street; st. rc-
On Thursday in the Cathedral St. Andrews st. Ste
phen's, St. Columba's, St. Brdget's ST. Alphonsus'
ST. Rose OF Llma's ST. Nicholas st. Joseph's Ger
man., Manhattanvlle, and St. Eiizabcth's, Fort Wash
On Friday in St Mary's, TRANSPORTATION ST. Paurs,
Hariem ST. Bonifaces GERMANY ST. Vincent Ferrer's
ST. Bernard's, Church OF the Epiphany, Holy Name of
Jesus, and St Josephs (German) Eighty -sevsnin
street.
These instructions viii be read in all the Catholic
churches of the archdiocese to-day for the guidance of
the faithful
Similar regulations have been issued in tho docosos
of ofNcwark, Philadelphia Boston and Baltimore.
SAUL AND THE WITCH OF ENDOR
To EDITOR HsRALD:-
In /. Samuel xviii, circumstancial interview
between the dead prophet Samuel and the living
King Saul is recorded. II has puzzled commentators
and gwen modern Spiritualsts and nccro-
mancers their strongest biblical authority for their
tricks and devices There Affirmative pausibility
about the which leads and led many per-
to overlook the direct and forcibe that
may be adduced against the seeming truthfulness of
the supposed interview between the prophet and the
King. will indicate a few OF those which
think will clearly demonstrate the utter mprobablty
that any such interview really took place. DR.
whedon acknowledged to be OF the greatest
living commentators, In commenting on the
narrative discredts the theory OF an inter-
view but 'Berean lesson" commentators tell US
that there was actually such interview, and that
Samuel was permitted by God to hold converse with
SAUL narrated in the chapter named. That no
such interview occurred and the whole story is
but an old-fashioned spirtualistc seance will appear
from the following considerations consider the
character OF the man who sought the interview with
this woman at Endor He had rejected tho Lord aud
the Lord had rejected him. During all his reign of
forty years Saul never sought the ark of God TO
mune with Jehovah through IL e. Chron, Kill, 81 in
any matter relating to himself his kingdom. lie
allowed murdorous spirit to control him, and under
its influence slew all the priests Lord tho city
OF Mob save one, who escaped TO David and David his
onin law the slayer OF the giant OF Cath and the
commander OF The Kings body guard ho chased he
would q wild roc on the mountains for period
of twelve years So pervcrsc and seliwilled
tions on certain occasions and lied 10 Samuel
and TO the Lord IN the matter of Agog and the Amae-
kites. Indeed, hc seems from the very first have
looked upon Samuel superior necromancer or
wizard rather than great iophet OF Israel's God
When he went 10 seek his fathcrs mules he took fee
in his hand to give the seer to tell him where he
could find the missing animals His character very
few redeeming qualities in it, and do wonder that
the Lord refused TO commune with HIM to answer
his inquiries by Gny OF tho ordinary methods-dreams
Trim or prophets a. Samuel xviii 81
Consider. secondly the character of the whom
Saul visited. She Was witch-onc of that class who
''peep and muttcr' and pretend TO hold communion
with the Invisible world Just modern spiritual
mediums do She aud her class and kind had been do
creed TO death by the order Of Jehovah HIMSELF
Saul had lar he able in accordance with the
divine command Exodus xxi, 49, cut of those that
had familiar spirits and the wizards OF the land
Il. Samuel xviii, 81 So that tho king the woman
knew perfectly well that they engaged at This
seoRce unlawful busness. and the pursuit
oil which tho woman rsked her life. And now the
proposition TO ask TO believe that for the satisiac-
ton OF bad man. whom He would not answer by any
Of the ordinary channels OF communication, God did,
nevertheless, stuluiy Himself and permit Hts great
prophet 10 come from the dead to repeat a very COM
monpacc statement made long before and TO predict
result Of the approaching battle which any man OF
ordinary intelligence, who not prophet tho
son OF a prophet. might just readily foretelL Can
we believe that Jenovah did that thingS But, further
more this proposition involves also the Endorsement
by God Of an illegal business against the traickers
which He had dccrced death pron pt and merclcssly.
To admit such proposition Is mako tho character
OF Jehovah as contradictory as that Of mcn and His
laws unstable tEan those OF the Modes and Per-
SLAMS And yet he declares that He is the Lord and
changes not He Is rot man. that He should lie,
ihe son Of man, that He should repent
And now consider again the character OF the man
who called from the dead IN to the request
OF bad man whom God had rejected and iorsaken,
and the incantaiions Of bad woman against whom the
penalty OF instant death stood bold relief con-
tinualIy. During his loug official life no man could
point finger to selfish dsobedIent OF Samuel
lie challenged The people TO do so II they could H. Sam
ue XIII, 25 but they acknowl lodged that his character
and conduct were above reproach That Jehovah held
him IN tho very highest esteem also, is evident from
his naming him favoraby with Moses, tho great law
giver Jeremiah, xv, ~, and from the fact that in
answer TO his prayer, when tho lsraeites demanded
king the Lord sent thunder and rain in such manner
and at such time as greatly to frishtcn the people
a. Samuel, xii, lT-ls) and compel them TO acknowledge
their Sin. samuel is the chief type" says Stan
ley n ecclesiastical history OF holiness, OF growth
OF new creation without conversion and his mission
Is example of the special which such char
called 70 iul " Saul knew as we'll as any one
that Samuel was in favor with God and with the people,
and yet during than twenty years OF his lfc tho
prophet refused to do voluntarily, when It in his
power easily TO do IT, what asked 10 believe no
docs at tho very FIRST mutterngs OF this spiritual
medium at Endor. He would visit Saul when he
alive, but after he has been dead four years.
he up the bidding Of witch and her slamiliar
spirit Is the proposition worthy OF belief for one
momeptY The moral character Of the three persons
lnir 10