The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-03-31

INC leSllSult OIL Easter III one OIL tIOSC
known and spoken OF asa movable
feast, While there has never been
any question as to the perfect pro-
priety OF It's celebration and but slight
difference as to the character OF Its
observance. as carly az the second cen
fury OF the Christian era great diver
nity of opinion rose ms to the proper
time when It's celebration should tako
& place
Easter was instituted in the Chris
tian church about GS "A. D.. There is
an opinion even now widely held by
many Christians OF divers crecds that
the Apostles ordained the anniversaries
of the Passion, Resurrection and AS
tension Of our Lord, and the descent
cost, and, therefore, 1t may not be I'M,
probable that they also ordained the
celebration OF Easter
On one point all churchmon agree
that the observance of the day OF the
taking away OF the Bridegroom was
kept from the earliest times with OK
traordinaryg humiliation ard sanctity,
4 with the strictest fasting and feryent
prayer 1t, therefore, was but natural
that the fulfilmcnt Of their ardent
& hope, that eliminated in Christ's Won
derful resurrection from the dead,
when hope became certainty, would be
observed With reverent but Joyous
ceremonies. What form those glad
ceremonies took on none now knows;
We can only imagine them. In later
times they became very elaborate.
Why Disputes Arose.
Early disputes as to the date for obs
4 serving Easter arose because the celc-l
+ bration4not only commemorated the
resurrection, but was memorial OF!
the Christian passover. the atonement
made by Christ upon the cross. In tic
East, the Christians kept their paschal
feast upon the same day when the
Jews kept their Passover, that being
IS on the fourteenth day OF Nissan, the
month corresponding with March and
3 April. Western churches knowing that.
9 the Lords Resurrection took p.ncn on
Z Sunday, and to make more effcctualI
distinction between their paschal Yeast
and the Jewish Passover, observed it
on the Sunday following the four
tenth OF Nissan. Then followed tnunt-i
Ing between Eastern and Western
church, the former maintaining tina.
tho latter was departing from the GUS
tom Of the Apostles, and the latter de-
d caring that the former was jewish
and not Christian. Polycnrp, Bishop
Of Smyrna, pleaded for the fourteenth
Of Nissan because le had celebrated the
Feast with Saint John on that day.
Anlcetas, Bishop Of Rome. cited the-ex-
ample of Saint Peter and Saint Paul
& as observing 1t on the Sunday after tho
fourteenth OF Nissan,
The Nicean Rule.
Early in the fourth century the
matter assumed such Importance that
great Ecumenicnl Council was called
at Nice, A. d. 1926, and the rules to
f5 govern the fixing OF Easter werc laid
down by directing that the 21st day
Of March should BIO accounted tho ver-
nal equinox. That the full moon hap,
8 pening upon or next after the 2lst of
March should be taken for tho full
y moan Of Nissan. @ K
"Thnt tho Lords Day next following
first full moon should DO Easter day.
"But IL the full moon happened on
Sunday, Easter day should be tho Sun
a day aftcr."sil
+ This Is tho rulo now observed, but
Il was long after the canon OF the
Council Of Nice was decrced before
1t was entirely effective. for the his
tory Of tho Irish church, and conse-
quently offthe Church of Scotland
showing that as late ms the sixth cen-
fury they We're still in opposition to
the canon, prove how deep and strong
the feeling Of churchmcn must have
been,
It was in the year ss4. at great
assembly held bofore the King Of
Northumbrin, that contention be.
tween Bishop Colman, representing
tho irish church. and Wilfred, no,
man monk, sent to Britain by, Pops
Gregory OF Rome, as to the dato 81
Faster, was decided by tho King IL
fayorsof Rome.
Name of Festival.
but In a certain way the Islanders
were avenged for their defeat. Befor,
this time the feast III the Latin an,
Greek, and IN all languages derived
from them, had been called. Pascha
pasch. Pasqua, Iasclla, Paques, from Til
Chaldee word Pascha, the equivalent o
the Hebrew PesaGh. Since then, In al
F,nglI Speaking countries the holidn.
has been known as Easter, from TIL
sg Teutonic goddess OF tsprin gil astre.
N Her feast was kept in the sprine
and she was q sort al re v To n!c Pgoseg