The Republican journal., 1886-04-29
Easter, or Resurrection Sunday.

occurred in Jerusalem nearly nineteen
turtles ago, the first day Of the week, the
day after the Jewish Sabbath; and has since
been called the Lords day, or Christian Sab
bath. On the previous Friday Jesus was cru
CITED. His body was taken from the cross and
! placed in Josephs tomb BY the order of PLATE,
the Roman Governor, stone was rolled against
the door, string stretched across, and sealed at
both ends with wax, upon which was stamped the
image of the Emperor of Rome. military force
guarded the tomb ready to strike down with
sword any one who should attempt to break the
| seal, remove the stone, and steal the body.
| But, Notwithstanding these precautions, Jesus
arose from the tomb on the third day, as he had
previously predicted 1t was joyous day to the
early disciples of Christ and the Christian church
has ever since observed this annual sabbath, this
Easter or Resurrection day.
| The Jews celebrated their passover the four
teenth day of the month Nsan-that is, II days
| from the new moon of March. Hence it might
occur any day in the week, Monday, Tuesday, etc.
! AS Jesus, the true Paschal Lamb, had been slain
| on the very day that the jews We're making ready
| for their Passover, the Jewish Christians Chose
converted from Judaism), very naturally celebrated
the Resurrection Of Chrst--or Easter festval-on
the same day, that is, on the lith of Nissan, what
ever day of the week it might happen. But pres
entity the Gentle Christians began to object to this
date They argued that since Christs resurrec
ton occurred the first day of the week. it could
not properly be observed on any other day; and it
should be commcmorated on the first Sunday after
the lith day of the moon-month of Spring Thus
| the church was split into two sections and for
more than two centuries many councils We're called
to heal the differences, end the discussions and liN
the date. No agreement was reached till the I'm
peror Constantine took the matter i'll hand and at
the Council of Nice, in 325, had the question fully
discussed and settled. After long debates, it was
agreed that the whole church should observe the
Resurrection Of Christ on the sunday following
the first full moon after the vcrna equinox. While
THIS was compromise, it was really a victory for
the Gentle Christians. BY this arrangement Easter
may come early as March y, a. late as APR.
%. In ISIS it took place March y, but will not
occur 50 early again for about 200 years In A. y.
1900, the French began their year With Easter: Int
in lj6t King Charles MI changed it to Jan. /.
| The custom of some pagan peoples of tlcNotng
a day to the honor of the goddess Ostera-or god
| dess of the spring-has connection whatever
with this Christian observance here described
EASTER AT THE CHURCHES.
| The subject presented by the pastor at the Uni
| stated that the word Easter was from the Saxon
"oster," meaning rising, that the ancient Teutons
named their Goddess of Spring "Ostcra," and the
modern Germans have the word "Ostcln," mean
ing the east hence the appropriateness of the word
| Easter COMMUNICATING the resurrection of Christ.
He claimed that the Easter festival was not purely
Christian but had its origin far back in the Pagan
age and in Greek Mytholog! when they celebrated
the ti1t it, MAS II crip r1tyU
by the lslTelites in honor Of the rising out Of the
bondage of the Egyptians, and was taken up by the
Christians with the added significance of comment
Grating Christs resurrection. The lessons If East
er are: lst that truth will triumph over error: md
| that virtue will triumph over vice. 3rd that life
| will triumph over death The church was decor
ated in the usual tasttul and artistic manner and
added much to the impres@ivene,S of the occasion.
The musical part of the programme was well slIs
tanned and great credit is due to the header, ana
members of the choir, and the organi~t, Mrs. f. f..
! Crowley
The altar at the Unitarian church was handsome
ly draped in white, which hung in folds over the
front and We're carried away on either Side gil ing
it Il beautiful and artistic c1lect. In front of the
altar were pottcd plants in full bloom. among them
two very noticeable ones, sword cactus, be
longing to Mrs. L. Il. Thompson, ON which were
over one hundred scarlet blossoms, and i'm AZalia
| owned by Mrs Geo. T. Osborn, tho whole plant be
ing solid mass of rich pink blossoms to the
number of one hundred and thirty. The music hy
the choir was finely rendered, especially the open
ing Easter anthem and the solo by Mr.. Chas. Craig
tenor. The pastor, Mr.. Savage, dcliN cred Il most
interesting and appropriate discourse. lie traced
| the present Easter obScrNancrS from die ceebrl-
tons Of the Spring festivals which num time
| imnemolial have been held by different races and
nations, =. wing that when winter had passed and
everything had put Il new life that throy
celebrations occurred Us National festivals until
the Christian era, when it became religious ana
| Christian observance, and has since continued 50.
That while some held thc resurrection to hr literal,
that the more rational idea to he that it was
an idea of faith in immortality, and that all that
are good and pure and true, w"uld rise ana live
again, ia the presence of the one who created and
gave life 10 everything in nature.
Easter sermon in Baptist Church by Rev. Geo.
4. Tufts, Test, Cor Il "IIc ro~r again me
third day The speaker, after mentioning some
objections urged by skcpdcs against the rc-urrec
ton, and briefly replying thereto, next referred to
| the subject as historical fact and lastly showed
its import in the plan of salvation.
The enemies of Jesus took every prccautiou to
| prevent his rising. The tomb was sealed and then
guarded by Roman soldiers night and cay The
military guard made the scpulchre secure. The
utmost taken Ly the foes of tie Christian
cause, to prevent fraud imposturc. But not
with-tanling these efforts, Christ rose the third
day, as he had predicted. On that same tav-thc
first Easter Sunday''-he appeared five different
times to seventeen persons in an During the
next 40 day, he was visible to human eyes on five
other occasions. His eighth appearance was in
Galee where he met the eleven apostles, and 800
other brethren, over 80 of whom were alive 20
years after.
AS each successive July come round are we
not reminded of the birth of nation in l776? AZ
| Nov. arrives, and the boys of England hang GUY
Fawkee, docs not the circumstance point to the 1T
tempt to murder the members of Parliament in
1905? And not less clearly do such DAYS point to
| certain historical events than doe this annual
memorial of our Lords resurrection give the vi
dence that the rolled away from Joseph's
tomb, and the body therein arose to life just as
clearly the monument on Bunker Hill tells of a;
battle fought June H. l175; just as clearly us the
needles of Cleopatra and the obelisks along the
Nile tell of the glory Of ancient Egypt justa7 clear
| ly as the Trafalgar pillar in London points to the
victory Of Nelson, or the Arch of Trumphin Paris
with its record of @ Victories tells of the conuucsts
of Napoleon, just clearly does this sacred day
this annual Sabbath this Easter morn ~ attest the
reality of Christ resurrection and his victory yer
death and the grave.
In the second place the speaker showc, wherein
the Resurrection of Christ fulfilled prophecy, thus
linking the old Testament to the New and proving
their divine authority. And thirdly he showed
| from the teachings Of the New Testament-more
particularly from the writings of Paul-that in the
resurrection of Christ, lies the foundation of the
| Christians hope.
In the evening there wu~ Il SUNDAY school
concert. Subject Christ il risen from tile dead.
The church was decorated with ported plant. and
cut flowers.
At the Methodist church the pastors subject WAS
JOY at Easter. He dwelt upon the gloom consc-
quent upon the death the Saviour, and the JOY of
the resurrection. The church was handsomely
decorated, the altar being trimmed in white sur
mounted with flowers and ported plants. In the
evening there was a crcditable Easter concert by
the children.
The North church was handsomely decorated
with flowers and potted plants Mr., Ross gave an
able sermon appropriate to the day.
How to Mend our WAYS.