The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1881-04-17
EASTER.

the church Of those who specially observe
the day, Is srrsyed like unto bride, and
comes forth in all its gladness, with the most
sunshiny of all its rituals; with the most
impressive of its solemn ceremonies, and
joyous of its songs and chants. Easter comes
in the spring Of the year, when all nature
begins to smile 10 her rich carpeting Of green,
when the buds of respenient fruit are be-
ginning 70 burst, when the birds, amid their
matutinal songs, begin to choose their mates,
and the vernsl breezes sweeping through the
bowling branches, lend q harmonizing music
to the general Joy of grateful chorus.
All, all, embematic Of the glad tiding, that
"He Is indeed rlsen;" all, all, typical of the
springing into life of new order of things
that were as dark and gloomy as were the
penilential forty days of Lent from which
this Easter morn energies; all, all, symbolic
Of the newly come Son ofRighteousness that
triumphed over sin, and enabled us to ex-
change the robes of mourning for the death
that was brought into the world and the
walls of woe, for tho emblems Of everlasting
life, ana the glorious anthems of conquer
or's song. "Mary" and "Rsbboni !"..and the
cross has been exchanged for the crown, and
death has lost its sting, the grave its victory,
for the rigid blockade against banished man
has been raised, and the sweat from Gethse-
name will float him toward coveted harbor,
with the blood of God.sent en-
bassador on his brow as the certificate
for his unimpeded entry. No wonder that
the world loves to annually celebrate this
day as embodying the central fact of our
religion, the resurrection of Him who died
cruciaed for us, for such result. And yet, for
q long whileits due observance was hindered
because of the unfortunate disputes in the
early times, existing between the eastern and
western churches, aud because of chronology.
ical difficulty which our ancestors experi-
enced befor, philosophy, with her moulded
grains Of sand, had swept the radiant heav-
ems, assigned each planetary sphere its true
position, computed the exact velocity of
light. and calculating to nicely the occur
rences of eclipses century in advance.
made the computation of time the work of a
child. The rule that now obtains, we be-.
lieve, is as follows: Easter day is the first
Sunday after the fourteenth day of (not the
full noon the paschal or calendar moon,
which happens on or after the 2lst of March.
The paschal moon is that Of which the
fourteenth day falls on or next follows the
day of the verna equinox of this last date.
Prior to the 18th century the festival lasted
for eight days, the time being subsequently
reduced TO three days, then to two, and finally
TO one day. The particular day on which it
should be celebrated had been also an AMI
mated subject for discussion, but the council
of Nice, summoned by Constantine, fixed on
this Sunday as the day of days For the
reasons just above assigned, even the date Of
the birth Of Christ WAS of question. That
now generally fixed IS a! least four years
before the commencement of tho Christian
ora. In corresponding doubt was the date
Of his death. According as we adopt tho
ono or the other of the chronologies, we have
10 place his age at the time of his cruciaxion
at S3 or 81 years; rs the reckoning of dates
from the birth Of Christ, viz: the A. ID. STYLE
until the sixth century after that event. But
when all was determined on, then came the
beautiful Accomplishments which were warp
and wool of its teachings. For on that day
the lavish hand of liberality poured out pres
ents to the poor and needy, slaves were given
full freedom, and all manner of enjoyment
was INDUCED in. Presents of all kinds
of Easter eggs, colored and orna-
meuted, in large quantities, was likewise n
prevailing CUSTOM these being symbolic of
the reviviacation of nature in all its varied
glories. These were the harmless concomitant
diversions. Lot us glance for moment nj
some of the brosder consequences Of Christi
ani,y.
AS we observed on previous occasion,
Christianity began its career at a time
marvelously propitious, politically, socially
and religiously for its success. Tho univer-
salty of Rome's dominion with the cosmopol-
itsn character of all her conquered nations,
had brought about m infinite variety Of
creeds and practices, and her emperor, eager
rather for political power than careful about
moral development, assented to this multi
plicity Of religions. So long as he ruled
absolute, what to him wero ndulgencies in
the tesuteous, seusuous mythology of Greece
as it revealed in tho psn,henou, or aired
itself ia tho intoxicating influence of the
subtler theo sophy of his Asiatic peoples, or
conform itself to tho soverer, sterner relig.
ion Of Judaismy Religious federation was
his policy. But underneath all
this there was tumtling, unsafe,
neutrality-suspicious.. There was political
and social tyranny and corruption.
There were absurdilies, solfshness and gen.
eral ::dsconteut Whom therefore a religion
offered itself which by It's very essence,
struck at tho root Of all those evils, and
promised freedom.to mankind In this world
and eternal Happiness In the next, whose
judgement day.was 90 near At hand, II was
but natural that the.doctrine should operate
A n ANAL and weave itself around Tho