Section 238
The text on this page is estimated to be only 28.02% accurate
ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY. 207 CHAPTER XXIII. The question then agitated respecting the passover.* THERE was a considerable discussion raised about this time, in consequence of a difference of opinion respecting the observ ance of the paschal season. The churches of all Asia, guided by a remoter tradition, supposed that they ought to keep the four teenth day of the moon for the festival of the Saviour's passover, in which day the Jews were commanded to kill the paschal lamb ; and it was incumbent on them, at all times, to make an end of the fast on this day, on whatever day of the week it should hap pen to fall. But as it was not the custom to celebrate it in this manner in the churches throughout the rest of the world, who observe the practice that has prevailed from apostolic tradition until the present time, so that it would not be proper to terminate our fast on any other but the day of the resurrection of our Sa viour. Hence there were synods and convocations of the bishops on this question ; and all unanimously drew up an ecclesiastical decree, which they communicated to all the churches in all places, that the mystery of our Lord's resurrection should be celebrated on no other day than the Lord's-day ; and that on this day alone we should observe the close of the paschal fasts. There is an epistle extant even now, of those who were assembled at the time ; among whom presided Theophilus, bishop of the church in Cesarea, and Narcissus, bishop of Jerusalem. There is also another epistle extant on the same question, bearing the name of Victor. Our English word passover, happily, in sound and sense, almost corresponds to the Hebrew r.DD, of which it is a translation. Exod. xii. 27. The Greek pascha, formed from the Hebrew, is the name of the Jewish festival, applied invariably in the primitive church to designate the festival of the Lord's resurrection, which took place at the time of the passover. Our word, Easter, is of Saxon origin, and ot precisely the same import with its German cognate Ostern. The latter is derived from the old Teutonic form of auferstehn, aufevstehung, i. e. resurrection, Th«s name Easter, as expressive of meaning, is undoubtedly preferable to pascha or pasu over, but the latter was the primitive name. 20