The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-04-21
FASTING AND FISH.
Logic and Learning of Lenten Fare
History of the Church's Rules.

III
From the London Pail Mall Gazette.
''Faisons jeuner nos gems" The first
Christians, and more especially the early
he1etics, with whom so many of our
Christian institutions originated, had
their weekly fast days and regular sea-
sons of abstinence. Epiphanius tells us
that in the fourth century the general
practice in the church was to fast on
Wednesdays and Fridays and during the
forty days before Easter. In holy week
the only diet allowed was bread, water
and salt. 1t was a voluntary act on the
part of the faithful, who thereby thought
to propitiate the deity. Even in later days
when fasting had become obligatory ana
a means of salvation, Augustine informs
US that st. Ambrose, questioned on the
subject by Monica, replied: When am
at Rome l fast on Saturday; when | am
In Milan do not" So likewise you, what
ever church you come to observe the Gus
tom of the place. Even more sensible
was the answer given by that ideal Broad
churchman type of sanctifed common
sense Erasmus, when asked why he old
not fast My mind is Catholic, but my
stomach is Lutheran"
1t was not till the end of the third CEN
fury that fasting became obligatory on
the members of the church. (The institu-
tion of the forty days dates only from
the eighth century, The Council of Or
leans (54D decreed that a Christian was
bound to fast during the seasons ordered
by the church on pain of severe ecclesias-
teal penalties. The Council of Toledo de-
clared that any one eating meat during
the fl rty DAYS of Lent would have no part
in the resurrection, and enacted that the
offender should not be allowed to partake
of animal food during the remainder of
h In he n Or
any one detected in the act of taking
meat during Lent had his teeth knocked
out. Charlemagne had still more dras-
tic remedy for flesh eaters-namely, the
penalty OF death. Meat was strictly for
bidden unless on a medical certihcate,
oountersigned by the curate of the par
sh a license had been obtained writ
er in Notes and Queries gives two in
stances: Md that the 14th of October 1l61
a license to eat flesh on fish days was
granted to a parishouer, being weak ana
visited with a quartan ague.' An entry IN
the parish register of ''Allballows," Bark
ing, states: February 18th, 1885. Reed. OF
Sir VIM. Russell, Knit, for lycense TO
eat flesh during Lent, 1875 Id In Eng
land in the reign of Queen Elizabeth, the
mum Der of fish days included the forty
days of Lent, the Ember days, the three
Rogation days all the Fridays. etc.-in all,
145 Strict observers of the fast abstain
ed even from eggs, mix, dt1u puiISi- pNN
| some on the plea that the fowls OF the cir
| and the fish of the sea had been created
| on the sef-same day, INDUCED themselves
by ca ting poultry and occasionally BRA
| conduct which drew upon them severe
! episcopal censure. A Bishop Ct orleans
| in the eighth century, inNeghs against
| Christian who would not on any account
eat butcher met, but who had no scruple
! 10 take peacock, pheasant, or any eXpen-
| sive bird or deicacy in the shape OF hsn-
! 1T seems to me-" says the august pre-
| late that they simply abstain nom GER
| tain meats because they want chahg q
or because their stomach, tired OF the ordl-
| nary food. requires something out OF the
| way, to be coaxed TO perform Its usu al
! functions" A writeE mentions that me
| only bird allowed to be eaten by Irish
| Catholics during Lent was the harnacle
goose. The prerogative. of which the bird
is said to be immensely proud Is expalhe
! as follows: There is a small Island, called
| the pile of founders, where are found the
! broken pieces of old ships. 'Vlnese trag-
| me- is contain a certain spume' that ~
| time breedeth into certain shelkS wherein
is found thing in form like BIT OF silk
| one end whereof Is fastened into the IN
| side of the shell, even as the fish OF DIST
| ers and muskles are. The other end i
made fast into the belly OF rude nlasse
or lump which in time cometh to the
| shape and form of a bird. When il is per-
fectIy formed the shell gapeth open y
In short space after it cometh to IA VI
! maturition and falleth into the sea
where it gathereth feathers and growegl
to a fowl bigger than mallard and less "
! than a goose"
| Fish is permitted in Lent because there
| is a tradition that fish were not under
| the curse at the Fail and are therefore
exempted from the list of prohibited food
In connection with this tradition, there
! is a popular idea in Cornwall that FISH
never die a natural death, and, if not
caught or accidentally injured would ex-
list perpetually In Christs life, apart
from the miracle of the loaves end
! fishes" and the extraction of the tribute
money from the mouth of a haddock, the
fact that He ate Ash after the resurrec-
ton was regarded as a special consecra-
ton of the creature. The clever Jeu Dies