4. OF CHRISTMAS, THE FESTIVAL OF CHRIST'S NATIVITY.1

This festival begins with the advent on the last of November, and continues until epiphany, January 6th. But both the Latin and Greek church, since the latter end of the fourth century have agreed in observing the 25th of December more particularly. The advent is preliminary and preparatory to this, and the epiphany closes this sacred festival in honor of the incarnate Saviour. Many, misled by the term quis, advent, as it occurs in the earliest of the fathers, have supposed that the advent, as a festival, was of apostolic origin; whereas the first authentic mention is in the council of Mascon, c. 3, A. D. 582.

In regard to the nativity, it appears from an oration of Chrysostom on this occasion, in the year 386, that this festival had been introduced ten years before, for the first time, into Antioch and Syria, and that others claimed for it a high antiquity, asserting that it was known from Thrace even unto Spain.2 Epiphany was observed at an earlier period; his entrance upon his public ministry being an event of greater interest than that of his birth, Clemens Alexandrinus censures those who seek too anxiously the Saviour's birth.3

Epiphanius affirms that the birth of Christ occurred on the 6th of January, which again Jerome denies,5

Augustine recommends a suitable remembrance of the day, but does not honor it as a solemn festival. He expressly asserts that the church, by common consent, held it on the 25th of December.6 Indeed it may be confidently affirmed that in the third century, and the first half of the fourth, the church were not agreed, either in regard to the time, or reasons for observing this festival; and that the Eastern and Western churches differed totally in their manner of celebrating it. About the end of the fourth century, it was finally agreed that Christmas and Epiphany should be observed as two distinct festivals, the one, on the 25th of December; the other, on the 6th of January.7 From that time, this arrangement has been very generally observed.*

* The following passage from Clemens Alexandrinus, Stromat, I. i. p. 340, ab. 249, is almost the only genuine passage of an Ante-Nicene writer which can be supposed to allude to any festival commemorative of the advent of our Lord. After giving a list of the Roman emperors till the death of Com

The reason for celebrating Christmas eve with so much solemnity was, that though neither the day nor the year of our Saviour's birth was known, it was received as an acknowledged truth that he was born in the night.8 Accordingly whilst other vigils had fallen into disuse, or been exchanged for evening vespers, this was extended to continue through the whole night. But these watchings finally were discontinued, and instead of them, three services were read on that day.

When the representatives of Adam and Eve on Christmas eve was first introduced is not known. It had a mysterial relation to the first and second Adam, and was a device of the fourth or fifth century.9

modus, A. D. 192, and stating what years of certain emperors the Saviour was either born, or baptized, or crucified, he says: "There are some who over curiously assign not only the year, but the day also of our Saviour's nativity, which they say was in the 28th year of Augustus, on the 25th of Pachon, (20th of May). And the followers of Basilides observe also the day of his baptism as a festival, spending the whole previous night in reading; and they say it was on the 15th year of Tiberias Caesar, on the 15th of Tybi, (10th of January), but some say it was on the 11th, (6th) of that month. Among those who nicely calculate the time of his passion, some say it was on the 16th year of Tiberias Caesar, the 25th of Phemenoth, (22d of March); others say, the 25th of Pharmuthi, (21st of April); and others, that it was on the 19th of Pharmuthi, (15th of April), that the Saviour suffered. Nay, some of them say that he was born in Pharmuthi, the 24th or 25th day, (April 20th or 21st).”

The reasons for observing the 25th of December in commemoration of our Lord's advent, may have been various. Some may have honestly believed this to be the true day of his nativity, and others may have felt it desirable to have a christian festival at some other season of the year than the fifty or sixty days immediately succeeding the vernal equinox, into which all the older festivals were clustered. The designation of this day was first made about the middle of the fourth century.

From the first institution of this festival many of the western nations seem to have transferred to it many of the follies which prevailed in the pagan festivals at the same season, such as adorning fantastically the churches, mingling puppet-shows and dramas with worship, universal feasting and merry-making, Christmas visits and salutations, Christmas presents and jocularity, and Christmas revelry and drunkenness. Christmas holidays have borne so close a resemblance, whenever they have been observed, to the Roman Saturnalia, Sigillaria, etc., and to the Juel feast of the Goths, as to afford strong presumption of an unhappy alliance between them from the first. See Murdock's Mosheim, second ed. pp. 279, 280, from which the above note is taken.-TR.

The death of the martyr Stephen was commemorated December 26th. The event evidently occurred in August, A. D. 36. But after the pretended discovery of his relics, it was commemorated on the 6th or 7th of January, and then again, was changed to December 26th as above mentioned.

On the third of the Christmas festivals, was St. John's day; and the fourth was celebrated in memory of the slaughter of the children of Bethlehem by Herod, styled Innocent's day. Authori ties are given in the index to show that the entire interval between Christmas and Epiphany was observed as a continued festival.10

To show in what consideration this festival, commemorative of our Lord's nativity was held by the ancient church, a brief extract from Chrysostom is here inserted. After asserting that this is more venerable than any other relating to Christ, inasmuch as all others depended upon his incarnation, he adds: "But we do not give this festival the preference merely on this account; but because the transaction on this day was, of all others, the most stupendous. For that Christ when once man should die, was a thing of course. But that when he was God he should be willing to become a man, is beyond measure wonderful, and astonishing. Transported with this thought St. Paul in rapture exclaims, Without controversy great is the mystery of godliness, God was manifest in the flesh.' For this reason chiefly I love and venerate this day, and commend it to your consideration that I may make you partakers of the same sentiments. I therefore pray and beseech you, Come with all diligence and alacrity, every man first purifying his own house, to see our Lord wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger! Tremendous thought! Oh sight of wonder!" "I am not now astonished," exclaims another, "at the creation of the world, at the heavens, at the earth, at the succession of days and seasons; but I wonder to see God enclosed in the womb of a virgin, the Omnipotent lain in a manger, the eternal Word clothed with flesh !"12

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5. EASTER, OR THE FESTIVAL WHICH COMMEMORATES THE DEATH AND RESURRECTION OF OUR LORD.

This great event is a cardinal point in the christian system on which depend our faith and hope. So important was the doctrine of Christ's resurrection in the view of the primitive church that, not

only was an annual festival set apart to commemorate it; but the Lord's day was made a weekly memorial of the same event. This festival was therefore celebrated with great solemnity. It was styled by Gregory Nazianzen, the king of days, the festival of festivals; excelling all others as far as the sun outshines the stars.

Unlike the Christmas festival, this was a moveable feast. However the ancients might differ respecting the time for celebrating Christmas whether in December, April, May, August, or September, all agreed that it should be held uniformly on some given day. But this festival was restricted to no prescribed day; a circumstance which gave rise to great contentions, by which the church was sorely agitated and divided for several centuries.

This festival, like that of Christmas, was preceded by a season of fasting. This fast at first continued forty hours, corresponding to Friday and Saturday before Easter, and comprising the period during which our Saviour lay in the grave. It was moreover in the beginning a voluntary fast. But it became in process of time a prescribed and necessary duty, not only for penitents and catechumens, but for all believers to observe this fast for their own spiritual improvement. In the fifth and sixth centuries, the fast was extended to thirty-six days. The four additional days which complete the season of Lent were added either in the sixth century by Gregory the Great, or in the eighth by Gregory II. This fast, styled the carnival, from caro vale, began with Ash Wednesday and ended with the Saturday before Easter. That day was observed with great solemnity, and was denominated the Great Sabbath.

The entire week before Easter, beginning with Palm Sunday, was kept as holy time; but the fifth, sixth, and seventh, were regarded as peculiarly sacred above the other days of this week. The week was denominated the great week and passion week.

The fifth day, called Maundy Thursday, dies mandati, was a communion day, dies mysteriorum, eucharistiae, panis, indulgentiae, etc. And, for a long time after the ancient love-feasts were discontinued, this day was observed as a feast of love. With these ceremonies was also joined that of washing the feet by catechumens and candidates for baptism. The creed was also publicly rehearsed by them on this day, and pardon was extended to the penitent, hence called dies indulgentiae.

The sixth day of passion week is Good Friday, from the good

derived from the death of Christ. The day was observed as a strict fast. The customary acclamations and doxologies were omitted, and nothing but the most plaintive strains of music, such as zui ¿λɛŋσov, etc. was allowed. No bell was rung on this occasion. None bowed the knee in prayer, because thus the Jews reviled Jesus, Matt. 27: 29. Neither did any present the kiss of charity, for Judas betrayed his Lord with a kiss. The sacramental elements were not consecrated, the altars were divested of their ornaments and the gospel of John was read, because he was a faithful and true witness of our Lord's passion.

The seventh day of this week, the Great Sabbath, as it was called, was observed with rigorous precision as a day of fasting. Religious worship was celebrated by night, and the vigils of the night were continued until cock-crowing, the hour when the Lord was supposed to have arisen. At this instant the stillness of these midnight vigils was suddenly interrupted by the joyful acclamation, The Lord is risen, the Lord is risen! the Lord is risen indeed!

This day was particularly set apart for administering the ordinance of baptism, with a reference to the baptism wherewith Christ was at this time baptized, and for the consecration of the holy water. The Scripture lessons for this day were various selections from the prophets.

The day of Easter was celebrated with every demonstration of joy as a second jubilee. In connection with appropriate devotional exercises, it was customary to celebrate the day by deeds of charity and mercy-by granting liberty to the captive, freedom to the slave, and pardon to the criminals. Charities were dispensed to the needy. Courts of justice were suspended. Each participated in the general joy and felt his bosom swell with the "wide wish of benevolence."

The week following Easter was observed as a continuation of the festival. The time was spent in reading the Scriptures, celebrating the mysteries and other appropriate exercises. During this time they who had been baptized at Easter appeared arrayed in white, in token of that purity of life to which they were bound by their baptismal vows. On the sabbath following, they laid aside their garments of white, and after this became integral members of the church. The day was called White Sunday from their appearing in white for the last time. It was also denominated the Octave of Easter, New Lord's day, etc.