Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1890-04-06

Communion will be celebrated. 1t Is
eanecially required by that Church thhx us
members communicate az this season. no
one is counted in its list of commitments
in good standing who does not at least ohce
year take the Lords Supper. N
The Scriptures read in the services all
bear on the Resurrection, and the Church
arrayed in her beautiful garments seems
Ike tho ougel Of old once more to s'anu Az
the empty tomb and say, seek Jesus
OF Nazareth which was crucihed: ne -
risen He Is not here" To the enicteu,
10 those who mourn for the departed. anu
20 those who look with anxiety INTO ene
o,oef and m Mysterious future. the deep. me-
lodious undertOne of these renslous SET
vices is voiced in these words; u we DO
leve that Jesus died and rose again, even
40 them also which sleep IN Jesus VIII uou
bring with him."
Rev. W. W. Landruu, ID. d.. SECOND Dap''S'
Church.
Baptist churches know Of no such day
&c P" Faster" The word is foreign 10 their
Vocabulary. They do not believe IN a
"church wear" Processing no taltn OUT
the New Testament Baptists adopt no
practice not clearly warranted by That IN
spired. complete. and final authority. Inc
! New Testament. enjons the keeping OF
every Lords day in cOmmemoratlon or our
Lords resurrection. II there De th9 elc-
cation of one particular Lords day above
another II must be In the increased splIltu-
atty of the people and clearer apprenenff
sion OF the power OF the resurrection OF
Jesus Christ.
Baptist BFLTEF.
panfiets claim 10 be the successors OF
the APOSTLES in their treatment OF raster
For unbiased evidence in support Oh
their position they would refer to the n
cvclopedia Brlttanica," Volume via nilltn
{ edition, page GA. Let me quote: IheIe
is no trace of the celebration 0i Iaseei - :.
! Christian festival in the New Testament OF
/ in the writings Of the apostolic fathers.
I Tho eanctitv of special times or places was
~ idea unite alien from the carly CHRISTIAN
mind-too profoundly absorbed IN the
4 events themselves 10 think Of thelr eAteI-
nal accidents. The eccleslaStlcal historian
/ Socrates (Hist. Feel 81. ', ~ states WIN ,
perfect truth that neither Christ nor MS
APOSTLES enioincd the keeping OF this or
| INV other festival The Apostles, he writes,
| had no thought of appointing festival
! DAYS. hut of promoting lie OF Diahle1ess-
ness and picty."
Ray, =. &. Lambeth, II. d., Broad-Street
Methodist Episcopal Church.
Az 70 the origin of Easter, all that we
l-now or can know may be learned from
env of the standard Encyclopedias.
We find no warrant for its observance IN
the Scriptures nor in any of the writings OF
the apostolic fathers.
Even in the second century there were
sharp disputes as to the proper day Tor the
Observance of Easter. the Eastern Church
observing the same day that was kept by
the Jews for tins Christian feast was. con-
eidered continuation Of the Jewish fe.tl-
val Of the Passover. il no doubt originating
m the fact that Christ was typitied 10y the
Peschal lamb. the " estern Church cele-
br9tinc ii on SUNDAY as the day OF ChrlSts
resurrection. The dispute was sCttleu a.
ID. 32j by the Council of Nice. when or
dained that Sunday should be the gay 90
served. But as this was movable IeaSo
great difficulty was long experienced III set
Ting on the particular Sunday TO be Cd
served.
THE KEYSTONE OF THE ARCH.
Tho Methodist Church observes no
saints' DAYS. nor does it recognize as OF
scrjptural authority any holy day except
the first OF the week. That Is perpetual
memorial Of our Lords resurrection.
Yet. while denying any scrptural au-
tboritv for observing the day. think there
is peculiar proprety IN selecting some day
annually 10 commemorate the grand event
witch forms the keystone IN the arch OF
our holy Christianity. Therefore, it IS my
habit on Easter SUNDAY t. preach on the
resurrection of our Lord or on the general
resurrection.
Paul l.. WenzeI, Pastor st. Johns German
Evangelical Church.
The Lutheran Church. mother of Pro-
testantlsm. reluctantly separating from
the Catholic Church, almost OF necessity
carried with her the appropriate ancient
observance Of the festivalsof the Church
YEAR, She still deems IL wise and expe-
/ dent 10 keep green in the memories OF her
children the salient facts in the life OF her
! Lord. But while she asl Tres 10 fellowship
with the Apostolic Church, as well as with
the ancient Jewish Church in the OBJ
servance of days, fasts; and ,teasts as
profitable and praseworthv IN her men,
bers, she does not bind the pubic con-
science TO such Observance nor censuIe
those who feel free to think and do differ
emily.
THE CHEF FESTIVAL.
Among the festivals of the Church year
| she regards Easter as the chei. com
! mcmorating as il does the resurrection OF
I her Lord from the dead, at once the seal OF
! The Fathers acceptance Of the wnole work
} Of the Son and pledge Of the resurrection
! of all her faithful children.
! On Easter Sunday when oil nature, IN
/ the opening flowers. bursting BUDS, tho
fpringing grass. and singing birds joins IN
/ the grand chorus. she asks her children to
! sing THE Lord is risen to-day"
srRMoN AND song.
nv service Of sermon and song. with ap-
propriate floral decoration, the Lutheran
! Church strives to aid the humble wor-
ehiDner in realizing the death of the old
/ man Of sin and the rlsiuc again with
Christ to newness of life and the seeking
of those things which are above. That
there must be an Easter rs well as GOOD
| Friday in the life OF ali the finally faithful
| is has impressed upon all who worship at
| he's affairs.
Rev. II. y. Kerr. d. d.. First Presbyterian
Church.
The term Easteris derived from the name
of the imaginary Goddess of Spring. which
is 10 Saxon Ostara, or Eastre. and in Ger
man Osteru. The French name, Pdgnes, Is
| moro consistent, referring as II does to
( the Passover feast, near which IT occurs.
| and which was type OF our saviour :
| death. The Latin word used III the earliest
I centuries was Pascha. TO which our eX-
preston "paschal lamb" bears a close re-
lauOn.
EARLY DAYS.
In the earliest Church there was no spe-
cial dav of the year observed IN memory OF
our Lords resurrection other than the
Christian Sabbath, which II weekly
Faster. After there came to be an Easter
"a the term is now understood there was
for a long time no uniformity as to the
time OF its observance. The Council OF
Nic,ea in 325 A. ID. fixed itand ordered uni-
fOTmity.
CONTINENTAL PEEsBYTEIIANs.
Easter has been observed and IS still by
the Presbvterians of the continent of Eu-
rope. In these, and IN all except English
speaking countries, Presbyterians are call.
ed tho Reformed Church. The branches OF
continental Presbyterianism which have
been established in America also generally
observe Easter. Englsh-speakiDg Presby-
ter.ans have never paid much attention &c
this festival until the last quarter OF cen
tury. IL is now coming to be observed IL
many congregations in the northern States
but not to any extent in the South; 1t has
not been recognized by any church courts
of the Presbyterian Church in any portion
of our country.
Rev. j. =. Moser, of the English Lutheran
Church.
Our German Evangelical Church cele
brates Easter with all true Christians OF al
denominations in Remembrance OF the re-
surrection of Christ our Redeemer We
praise the glorious victory gwen TO the
great sufferer of Golgatha. We thank Goo
for this manifestation of His power, oN