The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1909-06-16
Auent That 'Seholatlv Reply"
Editor The Manning Times:
CONCLUDED FROM LAST WEEK.

Editor The Manning Times:
CONCLUDED FROM LAST WEEK
1t does not originate from the author
ity of the New Testament, nor the .prac
tice OF the Apostles For the sake o:
brivity l call your attention to the ref
erence above given from the Encyclo
paodia Britannica, without quoting II
full, Tread it. My first witness to the
fact that it was not q New Testamenl
rite nor a practice of the apostles OF
early fathers, was Chrysostom. Chry
sostom lived in the early part OF the 4tE
century and it is not likely that the tes
timony which has been SO fragmentarl-
ly given from Polycarp. Ignatlus, lren'
aeus, and others. who were earlier wit
nesses, should have been entirely over
looked by him: recognized scholar, the
ologian and historian that he was IN his
day. Chrysostom as above quoted SAID;
'sThere is no trace Of the celebration Of
Easter as Christian festival in the New
Testament or in the writings of the
apostolic fathers.
The sanctity of special times or plac-
es was an idea quite alien from the ear
ly Christians mind, too profoundly 40.
sorbed in events themselves to think OF
their external accidents The whole OF
time is a festival unto Christians because
of the excellency OF the good tnlngs
which have been given" The Editor
of the Encyclopaedia states positively
that Chrysostom made the above com
ment in connection with II Cor. v. l.:
which has been erroneouslv supposed TO
refer to an apostolic observance OF Eas-
ter.' In the face of this authentlc state
ment of Chrysostom, on its lack OF Chris
tian origin, will the reader notice the
enoenius use of his language in another
place to prove himself false in the tlrst
statement" It is arJful strategy OF no
mean kind to make a reader oelleVe
what one wants him to believe, without
believing it himself or saying SO IN dl-
rect terms. Here is the tactful use OF a
witness to prove q thing against which
he has already spoken: "Speaklng OF
Festivals :. -. (Chrysostom) tells
his people that they might at the con-
clusion of the church service on testl-
val days, recreate themselves under a
vine or fg-tree," that he could give IN
stance after instance of such witnesses,
prof. New.) Is there one word IN the
quotation that proves The existence OF a
festival of any kind in apostolic precept
or example? This was well into the 4tn
century after Christ. that festive rites
were mentioned in the present tense.
Neither does he designate the name or
the nature OF the feast kept. He does
however refer later to an Easter oc-
casion given in his honor at which me
poured forth a paean of thanksgiving, "
touoting from Farrar's 'Llves OF the
Fathers. Does this signify that he be-
lieved that the Feast was divineiy com
missioned and appointed by the Apos-
ties?
Paul and other disciples attended the
Jewish Passovers in their early minis
try, (which they ceased to do IN later
wears. but it would be Incompatible
with truth and reason to say that they
went there to join with the non-Chrls-
tian Jews in their feasts: the example
to be perpetuated in the Christian eco
nomv5 Paul went there to preach the
gospel to the people; they were there.
And it is most likely if we shall accred-
it Chrvsostom with being consistent.
that is what carried him to the place
where he poured forth paeans OF
thanksgiving" There is not an expires
sion that would make an unbiased read
err see more iu it than that. He was TOO
wise and too great in all respects TO oe
palpabIy inconsistent, but II ne olo
practice the unchristian rite (eXcuslng
his conscience) he evidently did not
stultify himself by pleading scriptural
authority for it. Nor does the homlsn
church, of which he was member tnen,
try to Justify it upon such non-senslcal
grounds today.
Socrates, the most accredited eccles-
siastical historian of this day, has al
ready been quoted as saying: Inc
apostles mad no thought of appointing:
festival days. but Of promoting NE OF
bla,melessness and piety," and attrl ou.
ted the introduction of the festival OF
Easter into the church to the perpetua-
ton of an old usage -(referring to the
Jewish Passover "lust as many osner
customs have been established. F" Add
inc emphasis to this testimony the edl-
tor of the Encyclopaedia says. this IS
doubtless the true statement OF tne
case" (see reference above
Now follow Prof. New IN ms q1ooa-
ton from Socrates 10 try to annul MS
straight testimony just given; VICTOR
with inmoderate zeal, sent sentence
of accommodation to those IN ASA,
who observed the Pascha on the l4th OF
Nisan." Can the reader find where 1t
contradicts the same authors a1rma-
ton of it's non-Biblical origin? He only
is showing some of the curses that have
followed the custom, without IN the
least sanctioning 1t.
Victor made the observance CT the
feast on p certain dav test OF cnurcn
fellowship, and proceeded to exclude
from the church all who obeyed not his
mandates. This measure and spirit IS
close akin to the origin and practlce OF
the feast for manv centuries, and if |
could oct that irrepressible lad to be
Quiet long enough I would give a few
more pages of the history OF this great
est Festival of the church," p" that would
amaze many innocently duped Easter
mongers. ~.
Once more. My lrlenu' ~.
has been free in the use OF earlier auth,
ors than Cbrysostom and Socrates and
Origin. to prove his contention. need
not call YOUR attention to the way he
has tried to make you hear them say
what they did not say, as he dld the
above Quoted auth ors, as I have shown
YOU, but this one question | would ask:
if such classic records were eXtant at
the time of these writers why did they
so bunglingly overlook them IN their
deliverances? The quotations used by
Prof, New are from Ecclesiastical Au-
thors who have not found a place for
their utterances in current Encyclopae'
dias, but in the private archives OF an
ecclesiastical circle, which is stamped
with their bias in favor OF the question
in hand. Which authors like my antag'
onist, have searched heaven and earth
for evidence they can twist in their ia,
vor. I ask the candid reader to say il
that is the true source to find the ultl-
natum of testimony on the question?
| appeal to the readers of the "Schol-
arly Reply" to note the effuslon OF Lat
in and Creek terms and clolstered &C.
clesiastical references, with which tc