Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1895-04-12
GOOD FRIDAY.


Good Friday is observed throughout
great part Of ChrislouI0m n' the
auniv.n,ry ot the passion and death
OF the Founder OF the Christian TO-
Hglin. In macy c1auiric8 % be cone
sldcrei the mos. sacred ln tho entire
cycle OF festivals ami Is consequently
m,rked with particularly solemn core-
monies. The origin OF tuu custom 'i
o5nmomofat ng tine cfur.dN1n De-
probably % ue found in tuo Juwial
habit Of celebrating the rnH1var o.
the fourteenth oil IS ssn iu memory oi
the exodus Of EgypLon which occasion
thopss,,l lamb was shin aIl is blood
tprinklcd ON the door plsls. Among
the Chriauau churches 10 s1ou be-
came a common practice % prepare
for the celebration Of Easter Sunday
by preceding vigorous ist, AND IA
this way Good Friday grsIually tecsme
an Institution OF the church although
without foundation IN a Divine CONF
mand.
In the Roman church on that day
the altar aud officiating clergy ato
drnped in black, this being the only
day on which that color Il permitted.
Passages Of Hosea, HauakkuE, TX.
odus aud tho Psalms and the history
Of the passion are read IA tue churches.
Then follow prayers Ter the peace anu
unity Of the church, Tor tho pore, tho
clergy, all ranks and conditions OF
mon, tho sovereign, for tho cate
Chumuns, tho sick and afflicted, here
tics and srhisma,ica, Jews and Gonlilcs,
after which comes tho ceremony
known ~ tho alteration Of the cross.
In s0me Catholic countries il 10 usual
on that day for the faithful 10 spsuI
much time 10 the churches, where
they are supposed to mediate chic q 2
On the sayings Of tho Savior ON tue
cross. Traffic Is suspended a. TAT %
possible; bclls aud organs are silont,
all to give an impression Of grief ana
sorrow. 10 the Greek church towards
evening Of tho day n dramatic repre-
ssntatlon Of the cutomumeut takes
place, on which occasion much con.
tempt IL shown 10 tho persons
whose duty q, is TO represent Judas
and theJ Jews. Lutheran churches on
this day are also generally dr,poi In
mourning, wilhelm tho Anglican church
the special feature Of the services D.
the reading Of the story Of tue passion
NJ related by Jonn aui "olllcc.s"
based on tho prayers prescribed Tor the
Roman church.
Looking At tho records Of tho past
II appears TO be beyond dlsputc that
ecclesiastical fcslivais with peculiar
ceremonies based only on tho authori-
" oi mHn have proven tuoit iuauill
cheney b promote the oni Tor which
thcy we're instituted. Tuo faith AM
n lilo In righteousness arc not brought
into existence by an occasional hight
into regions above tho daily lie, any
more THAI the nature Of Dish can be
changed by an occasional leap out Of
~ natural element. In order 10 benefit
mankind, religion must not be- q mat. |
ter Of exceptional festivals anu impos- |
ing ceremonies hut force influencing |
everyday actions, Spectacular re-
llgiOn IL ~ useless a. was Sau's amor
TO the shepherd boy In his combat with |
the giant.
In matters relating 10 wouhip the |
only aaio rule 20 follow Il that which |
rests on Divine authority. The tnt |
Christians with apostolic sanction
gathered once every week, on the nmt
day, To commemorate the death Of |
their crucihod Lord. They did ~
by partaking Of the emblems Of His
death and renewing their covenants to
serve Him, This, under the perceptl-
bic presence Of the Divine Spirit, re.
suited ina continued dow OF spiritual
life into the souls Of the believers,
manifesting itself ia a more or less
ChrlSt.like conduct. IL was when the
original Institutions VI tho Church
became thing OF the past that various
substitutes became necessary. Relig.
iouA festivals may DO olassed among
such. by their general inrtiiclency to
promote the true welfare Of man thoy
prove their origin.
special feature Of Good Friday
thisysar II IL stated by an EpIsc5ps
clergyman Of South Carolina, that tho
various bodies Of our planetary sy5lrm
today occupy ,XsclIy thosAme relative
position TO the sun anu to one another
that they had on the lay OF the cruel.
nixon. Il Is claimed that this has not
occurred since that day,
HE SELLCIMEN'S RESOLUTIONS. |
The salt Lake county court. In its