The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1909-05-12
Professor News Scholarly Reply.
Editor The Manning Times:

Editor The Manning Times:
Dear Sir:-NLr. Blanchard assures us
cit is truth he is afser;;" therefore this
correspondence on Easter, (inylted by
you, Mr.. Editor, need not be prolonged,
for an appeal to early church history
will irrevocably destroy his original
claim, that Easter is of pagan origin,
non-scriptlral, unknown to the apostles,
and not approved by the most worthy
church fathers in the immediate apos-
tolic succession The historical ground
of inquiry is the only feature OF the con
troversv, that Interests me as student.
Conhning ourselves to that aspect OF the
case, l too, with Mr.. Blanchard gladly
and willingly ''invite your readers to
look up classic references from every
possible source, and shall not fear the
popular verdict"
So far, however, from adherlng to this
desirable method OF discussion, Mr..
Blanchard lowers the dignity OF hlstor-
ical research in calling Easter "the idol
OF my creed" and asserting that | am
defending, not only historical fact, but
mere sentiment. Nowhere ln my
article, either ''in the first sentence" OF
it las Mr.. Blanchard alleges, or in any
part OF it, did I regard Easter as sen
timent;;' but most assuredly as an auth
orized mandate of christianity. l pro-
tested then-and protest now-agalnst
the greatest of all Christian Festivals
being designated by Mr.. Blanchard a
sentiment, and ''giddy sentiment"
forsooth
The Risen Savior, whom we worship
and honor al the Easter Festival IS the
idol of my creed. But even if the insln-
uation was true, would that fact justify
christian minister applying such cpl
thets to Easter as Mr.. Blanchard has
used. We may not agree wltA the Bap-
fists somewhat unusual method OF pap
Using; we may not see the necessity nor
advisability of Mothers Day Ia senti-
ment, pure and simple; without the
slightest historical warrant, we may
not recognize the need, nor the advan-
tage to christianity, OF two rival cnurn-
es of the same denomination IN small
town; but we should be lacking IN chris
tian charity, to say the least. to CHAR
acterize any, or all of these as silly ana
hurtful inuroductions:' : glddy sentl.
ments OF unsanctitied human society,""
"a freak OF religious superstition:,n. IAN
unchristian ceremony" compliance
with popular sentiment" and as ''being
at variance with truth in its pristine
purity - If in this free country Mr..
Blanchard and his co-religionists are al
lowed the fullest libertysin processing
and practicing such beliefs and ordl-
nances, why should he so ruthlessly as
sail christian observance, known and
practlced from apostolic times without
! intermission in all civilized countries,
| in all the great historic churches.
Excluding unnecessary and offensive
epithets. and relying solely on Blole
doctrine as interpreted and illustrated
by the teaching of the early Fathers IN
the immediate apostolic succession l
will discuss any tenet for which Mr.
Blanchard ''itches." I possess no poetl-
cal (??l effusions relative to snakes,
either black or white, but borrowing a
phrase from Dickens. may say ''Barkis
is willing. sThe forgivings OF truth
will never break the enslaving chain"
of Festivals and doctrines. based on the
teaching and custom of the earliest dis
ciples of the immediate followers OF the
apostles of Him who was Truth lncar-
nate"
Let US now leave Mr.. Blancaard's by
paths, and concentrate our attention TO
the pursuit of truth as regards Easter:
Mr.. Blanchard's original indictment or
Easter may conveniently be arranged IN
FIVE sections u its pagan origin ~ ITS
similarity to the Jewish Passover Isl un-
scriptural ~ unknown to the apostles
81 not approved by the most worthy
Fathers in the immediate apostolic sue
cession. In my reply TO that article, L
proved Mr.. Blanchard's contentious to
be unwarrantable in all FIVE respects.
Again using the same Ave depart
ments for discussion. III The word
Easter but not the Festival itself, Is
admittedly OF pagan origin. Mr.. Blan-
chard's quotation from the Venerable
Bede gives ''Mensis Paschalis'' as the
original name. We admit frankly that
the word easter" is of pagan origin;
but the 'Pascha," to which it was then
applied, is of christian berth. That dis
tinction, surely is clear to all. The old,
and perhaps better, name Pasch" SILL
fingers in the North of England, where
childrens' dyed eggs are called paste"
eggs, even today. Mr.. Blanchard's hrst
objection is simply an interesting polDt
in etymology, and has no bearing what
ever upon the question under dlscusslon,
viz. that the Festival mot the name) IS,
as he incorrectly asserts, OF pagan orig.
in. The quotations from Chambers and
the Encvclopaed Britannica, furnished
by Mr.. Blanchard, are perfectly clear,
and give no ground OF authority for his
deduction and synopsis Of the extracts,
i. E., that the Festival is of heather or
lgin. Many of the accompanying pleas
urable enjoyments of the holidays
which we owe to the original 'holyday'
of the church (such as bonfres IN Ger
many and egg hunts in South Carollna)
are interpretations from pagan sources.
But these harmless amusements IN no
wise impare the christian origin OF the
Festival itself.
And what wrong is there IN such
pleasures? Let Origen and Chrysostom
MIR. Blanchard's own selections OF the
fathers} speak. So far from these Faith
ers being of assistance to Mr.. Blanchard
in argument. l shall call them as wit
nesses. not only to the fact that chris
tian festivals were universally held IN
their day, but that pagan customs OF
eating and drinking are approved by
Mr.. Blanchard's own chosen Fathers.
Speaking Of Festivals, Origen says "they
met together, both clergy and people,
inviting the poor and needy, and re-
freshing the widows and orphans" ;" Mr..
Blanchard's second advocate (Chrysos-
tony tells his people that they might,.
at the conclusion of the church service
on Festival Days, recreate themselves
under a vine or fg-tree. I could give
instance after instance of the same kind,
but these two are chosen, as it is to Or
ieen and Chrysostom we are invited oy
Mr. Blanchard.
But let us hear little more Of Chry-