The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1909-07-28

protest against ;ic greatest OF
all Christian Festivals by referring
TO wAa: will then be very ancient copies
OF THE MANNING TINES and support
his arguments by saving, quoting Mr..
Blanchard. 4 Baptist minister located
AZ Manning" affirm that Easter IS OF
pagan origin, L uou-chriStlau ceremony
OF neither Apostolic precept nor cX-
ample: 4 giddy sentiment: and not ap-
proved by the early fathers. " Now
such quotation would be fair, accurate
and reasonable: yet think how deadly
would be its elect on Easter unless our
descep- ANTS demanded The con
text. l. e., the whole letter in
which these emphatic deuuncla-
lions were found. Before your
readers will consider Mr.. blanchard 5
exit honorable or dignitied. such
! duty dcvolvcS on him. viz.
20 purchase these books, study
them. and then cNp.a:n TO your
readers how and why his ninety
chosen words for destroying EaS:er.are
when read u their original se;tingl It's
stronses, oulwarks O! defense. as we
should naturally expect them 70 be, De-
ing Incorporated into an article written
bv life-lonS observer and lover OF EaS
ter, rs was the late Canon Eeuab!es.
Mr. Blanchard's unwil!ingness and
inability 20 continue 70 claim OrISen,
Chrvsostom, and Socrates, read and en-
amined in their original works, proves
conclusively the unstable foundation OF
his frs, article: and moreover. in my
opinion, until and unless he does so and
withdrawS his offensive Api:he;S against
Easter should be sufficient cause for en-
Guiding from Your columns his promised
history OF the moral anu spiritual bear
inSs o: Easter. honestly believe that
il = private vote by postal card known
only 70 the ed!torl were taken amongst
YOUR subscribers as 70 whether or no.
such 40 article shall appear, the result
wo1ld be overwhelmingly against your
Sanction;pg its insertion. For by what
conceivable right can . man who calls
9 pecpetuation OF Gods Passover an un-
christian ceremony, and feSt!va!
known 10 and observed by ST. John, st.
Paul, ST. Philip, and ST. Peter, OF neI-
,her apostolic example Dor precept, and
obs,inatelv refuses 70 withdraw even 3
single one Of his many Objectionable
epiche,>. by what right J repeat, cS.n
such writer still! continue 70 seek 20
CRAFTY his love OF newspaper no,orlety
BY writing on any aspect OF festival ID
which he has already been hopeless de-
fea,ed 90 every point. l do wish Mr..
Editor, you would test" the wishes OF
your subscribers, before inserting such
an article.
Rererting TO the three witnesses ad-
duced by Mc. Blanchard as''destroyers"
OF Easter, Socrates aiore destroys the
April article, and IN one single word.
The quotation from Socrates, which fer
the sake OF strict accuracy | quoted n
Creek, CONVEYS no meaning 70 Mr..
Blanchard's mind, except 10 give him
IN excuse 70 60 of !, q tangent by r!di-
culins my Latin and Greek. Any per-
son pceSuming TO be competent 70 write
"a article on Eastet. az the Editors re-
cues; should know that the whole sist
OF the question is centred il the one
word Skaidekatatias; II Latin
"ouar;o-decinaoi:" and 10 coin con-
else English word ''fourteentherS. By
the time OF Victor and Polycrates, this
long Greek name had become the
'parsy-badge" OF the losing side in The
paschal controversies, just like the
terms "Republican' and Democrat,
used in American politics today. The
title, whether used in Greek or J-a,in
was applied. solely and exclusively. 10
those early Christians who following
the example OF ST. Philip and ST. john
observed the Pascha on lith NlSan,
whatever day OF the week it fell upon.
in contrast 20 the victorious party ln the
controversy who observed the Pascha
always on Sunday To Illustrate it TO
modern readers, let US suppose new
sect of Christians were founded 70 en-
force the observance Of Easter OF Apr!!
18th every year. Irrespective OF the day
o. the week, oasins their practice quite
reasonably on apostolic precepc and
example" ST. John and ST. Philip.
Now. such sect would be known by
that lo2s GreeI: word, or Quarto-decl-
mans, or fourteeathers: and by their
very title. we should know =, once who
they were aud what they preached and
practiced, jus, as readily rs We discrim-
mate between Democrat ard Republi-
can in political beliefs. So far, then,
from nv Greek quotation contradict
inc Socrates affirmation OF Casters
non-biblical origin" that one word
alone, satfces. in itself, to completely
destroy all OF Mr. Blanchard 5 fye points
OF attacks. For tha. one word proves
conclusive!y tha, the Christian PaScaa,
observed by the Quarto-decimans on
lttn Nisau, could net be OF heather or
| icin, being the New Testament perpet-
ua.;ou OF the Old Testament Passover,
thus cancellins objections l and ,. II
had beep observed by the Apostolic
ouarto-decimans, ST. John and St.
Philip, which cuts GU, objections 3 and
1. Tha, this word, applied only 10 OBJ
servers OF the Christian Pascha. was so
extensively used by the most worthy
church Fathers in the immediate apos-
tolic succession Us 20 have become even
party. badge disposes OF objection ,.
Consequently, Socrates, who IS honor
ed bv Mr.. Blanchard in being styled
the most accredited ecciesiaStical his
torian OF his day" negatives his diatrioe
against Easter by one single word.
But let me prove my point from an
American source OF authority. ln the
1905 edition OF Webster's Dictionary
t(Springield Massachusetts, under Pas
chal'' | read:-'The Paschal contro-
'versv. lasted from the End 20 the ith .
century over the proper Cay an0 mode
..of observance OF Easter. The Eastern y
church observed the fGGrtecnth day.
''ot Nisan. on whatever day OF the
week it czme. as the day OF the cru
.'citixion and turned il after p. m,
'.the hour Of Chris;'s death, into 10y
s.ous Festival. Those who held this.
view were called ouarto-declmans
"Citaiics in Wehster.l The Western
"church observed the Sunday after the
fourteenth day OF Nlsan as JOYOUS
Easter and the Friday before this,
Sunday as Good Friday. The West
'.ern view ultimately prevailed. >
OF Or:gen, while awaiting the arriv-
a of Mr.. Blanchard volumes from New
York, we need ouly say, that he names
las generally observed in his time the.
Lords Day, Good Friday. Easter and
''Pep,ecost-
Chrysos,o,n needs no apologist in Mr..
is,,,cb,-ti ohio antiec v0rS 10 DerSuaqe