Mexico weekly ledger. (Mexico, Mo.) 1855-1956, 1889-01-10
ED. Magee on Christmas.

i9 iic odtsIt W ~fths t'A@tfhiS"E 1Ild
myself entering into 81 controversy
from which no good can come. |
simply present my convictions and
if Bro. Matthews can present any,
thing TO alter said convictions
shall be exceedingly thankful.
! No, / do not Imagine that be-
cause the word Christmas is not
what we call an English word"
, etc, l object to Christmas in its
religious aspect, because it is a
Popish invention and savors of
Popistical will-worship. 1t is
almost certain that the 25th of
December cannot be the day on
which Christ was born, for it is
then the height of the rainy season
in Judea, and /. is not likely the
shepherds weaId be watching
their fiocks by night OIL the plains
, As for the word mas, the
etymelogy of the word is somewhat
obscure, but it is commonly refer
red to as the proclamation made by
the deacon at the close OF the SER
vice-"Ite; Missa est" Go; the as
sembly is dismissed.) But what
does it mean now in the mouth of
the Papist? Low Mass" "Chant-
ed Mass, - - High Mass "Mass of
the Pre-sanctifed," "Missa Sicca"
( Dry Mass }, I" Christ Mass .
(Christmas). These are the ear
marks to which reference has been
made. Bro. Matthews knows as
well if not better than l, the i'm
port of the word mass.
Since Christ was born, the
church has parceled out among all
the days of the year single one,
that is memorable enough butts it
the day on which He was born?
Spurious Decretals attribute the
celebration of the nativity OF our
Saviour to Telesphorus, who -four
ished in the reign Of Antonius
Plus (l3S-16l A. d., but the first
certain traces of it are found about
the time of Diocletian (2S4- -305 A.
D. ODioc!etian learning that a null
titude of people We're assembled in
a church at Nicomedia to celebrate
the birthday of Jesus, he ordered
the church doors to be closed, and
set fire to the building, and all the
worshipers perished in the flames.
However, there was no uniformity
as TO the day among the early
Christians ofobserving the nativity
Some held the festival in April
some Ill May; others in different
months.
Almost all the heather nations re.
garded the winter solstice as g
most important point of the year,
as the beginning of the renewed
life and activity of the powers OF
nature, and of the gods, who were
originally merely the symbolical
personifcations of these the
Celts, the Germans, the Romans
ct al. Many of the beliefs and
usages of the old heathens passed
over from heathenism to the
Roman form of Christianity, anc
have survived to the present day
That Christmas SO come into the
church calendar is certain. At the
winter solstice, the Germans hale
their great yule-feast in com
memoration of the return of the
fer sun wheel; and believed that
during the twelve nights reaching
from the 25th of December to the
9th OF January, they could trace
the personal movements and inter
ferences on erath of their gods
Adm, Berchta, etc.
After the church had fixed dates
etc, to compromise with hea
theLism, a great effort was made tt
combat and Danish the deep-root
| ed heathen feeling, by adding--fo
the publication of the heather
custom and feasts which it retain
, ed--~many so-called Christian
, songs, feasts, etc. Christina
t corals, manger songs, Christina:
, dramas, the Christ-tree or Christ
mas tree, Fools feast, etc, etc.
, To conclliate, or to cause tn
more rapid spread of Christianity(?
q the Roman Church adopted no
only the many festival days, bu
p many of the rights and ceremonie
9 of the heather world. This wa
y clearly seen at the time. "Io
r have" says Faustus to Augustine
substituted your Agapa tor tn
sacrifices of the Pagans, for thei
idols, your martyrs, whom 20
serve with the same honor. 1o
:, appease the shades of the dea
with wine and feasts; you celebrat
-, the solemn festivities Of the Ger
tiles, their calends, and their 50
stices: and, as to their manner:
those you have retained wlthou
any alienation. Nothing distir
! guishes you from the Pasans, e,
n cept that you hold your assemble
apart from them"
-, Disguise it as you will, tn
worship of the relies of saints an
martyrs is but fetichisln, ,as the ee
ebration OF Christmas Gn it's RI
ligious aspects) is but new appl
cation of heathenism. Popery
the originator of both in so far /