Christian traditions series - 6 IS EASTER CHRISTIAN OR PAGAN? 17:7” For so it was, that the children of Israel had sinned against the LORD their God, which had brought them up out of the land of Egypt, from under the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and had feared other gods, 17:8 And walked in the statutes of the heathen, whom the LORD cast out from before the children of Israel, and of the kings of Israel, which they had made. 17:9 And the children of Israel did secretly those things that were not right against the LORD their God, and they built them high places in all their cities, from the tower of the watchmen to the fenced city. 17:10 And they set them up images and groves in every high hill, and under every green tree: 17:11 And there they burnt incense in all the high places, as did the heathen whom the LORD carried away before them; and wrought wicked things to provoke the LORD to anger: 17:12 For they served idols, whereof the LORD had said unto them, Ye shall not do this thing. 17:13 Yet the LORD testified against Israel, and against Judah, by all the prophets, and by all the seers, saying, Turn ye from your evil ways, and keep my commandments and my statutes, according to all the law which I commanded your fathers, and which I sent to you by my servants the prophets. 17:14 Notwithstanding they would not hear, but hardened their necks, like to the neck of their fathers, that did not believe in the LORD their God. 17:15 And they rejected his statutes, and his covenant that he made with their fathers, and his testimonies which he testified against them; and they followed vanity, and became vain, and went after the heathen that were round about them, concerning whom the LORD had charged them, that they should not do like them. 17:16 And they left all the commandments of the LORD their God, and made them molten images, even two calves, and made a grove, and worshipped all the host of heaven, and served Baal. 17:17 And they caused their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire, and used divination and enchantments, and sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger. 17:18 Therefore the LORD was very angry with Israel, and removed them out of his sight: there was none left but the tribe of Judah only. 17:19 Also Judah kept not the commandments of the LORD their God, but walked in the statutes of Israel which they made.” 2 Kings 17: 7- 19 There is no questions in regards to the death - crucifixion and the resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is recorded in the Bible and even in several history books. The question is: How do we remember best what took place in Calvary, and why do we, Christians celebrate such a holiday! Is it Biblical? Is it a command? There is no Biblical command nor recorded evidence that the early Christian church did observe such rituals. The 2 monumental pillars in Christ’s Kingdom Baptism: “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. Mark 16:16 Lord’s Supper: “26:26 And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body. 26:27 And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; 26:28 For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. 26:29 But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom. 26:30 And when they had sung an hymn, they went out into the mount of Olives. Matthew 26: 26 – 30. “this do in remembrance of me.” Luke 22:19 “The ordinances of baptism and the Lord’s Supper are two monumental pillars, one without and one within the church. Upon these ordinances Christ has inscribed the name of the true God.” Testimonies Vol.6, 291.1 Jesus Christ did not say we are to “Celebrate Easter” Passover or any other Jewish feast. But if we do, it should be according to the law in the “TORA” and not in favor of any pagan festival! JN Andrews wrote: “Upon the receipt of this letter, Victor, giving the reins to an impotent and ungovernable passion, published bitter invectives against all the churches of Asia, declared them cut off from his communion, sent letters of excommunication to their respective bishops; and, at the same time, in order to have them cut off from the communion of the whole church, wrote to the other bishops, exhorting them to follow his example, and forbear communicating with their refractory brethren of Asia.” 1 History of the Sabbath and First Day of the Week, {HSFD 274.2} “The historian informs us that “not one followed his example or advice; not one paid any sort of regard to his letters, or showed the least inclination to second him in such a rash and uncharitable attempt.” He further says:- {HSFD 275.1} “Victor being thus baffled in his attempt, his successors took care not to revive the controversy; so that the Asiatics peaceably followed their ancient practice till the Council of Nice, which out of complaisance to Constantine the Great, ordered the solemnity of Easter to be kept everywhere on the same day, after the custom of Rome.” 2 {HSFD 275.2} The victory was not obtained for Sunday in this struggle, as Heylyn testifies, {HSFD 275.3} “Till the great Council of Nice [A.D. 325] backed by the authority of as great an emperor [Constantine] settled it better than before; none but some scattered schismatics, now and then appearing, that durst oppose the resolution of that famous synod.” 3 {HSFD 275.4} Constantine, by whose powerful influence the Council of Nice was induced to decide this question in favor of the Roman bishop that is, to fix the passover upon Sunday, urged the following strong reason for the measure:- {HSFD 275.5} Let us then have nothing in common with the most hostile rabble of the Jews.” 4 {HSFD 275.6} This sentence is worthy of notice. A determination to have nothing in common with the Jews had very much to do with the suppression of the Sabbath in the Christian church. Those who rejected the Sabbath of the Lord and chose in its stead the more popular and more convenient Sunday festival of the heathen, were so infatuated with the idea of having nothing in common with the Jews, that they never even questioned the propriety of a festival in common with the heathen. {HSFD 275.7} This festival was not weekly, but annual; but the removal of it from the fourteenth of the first month to the Sunday following Good Friday was the first legislation attempted in honor of Sunday as a Christian festival; and as Heylyn quaintly expresses it, “The Lord’s day found it no small matter to obtain the victory. 1 In a brief period after the Council of Nice, by the laws of Theodosius, capital punishment was inflicted upon those who should celebrate the feast of the passover upon any other day than Sunday. 2 The Britons of Wales were long able to maintain their ground against this favorite project of the Roman church, and as late as the sixth century “obstinately resisted the imperious mandates of the Roman pontiffs.” 3 {HSFD 276.1} Joseph Bates wrote: “Again, he says; “Redemption is a greater work than creation, hence the change.” Fifthly, God early consecrated the Christian Sabbath by a most remarkable outpouring of his spirit at the day of Pentecost. And that Jesus has left us his own example by not saying a syllable after his resurrection about keeping the Jewish Sabbath. He also quotes the four passages about Jesus and his disciples keeping the first day of the week. Here, he says, the inference to our minds is irresistible - for keeping the first day of the week instead of the seventh. And further says, it might be proved by innumerable quotations from the writings of the Apostolic Fathers,” etc. All this may be very true in itself, but it all falls to the ground for the want of one single precept from the Bible. If Redemption, because it was greater than Creation, and the remarkable display of God’s power at the Pentecost, and Christ never saying any thing about the Jewish Sabbath after his resurrection are such strong proofs that the perpetual seventh day Sabbath was changed to the first day at that time, and must be believed because learned men say so, what shall we do with the sixth day, on which our blessed Saviour expired on the cross; darkness for three hours had covered the earth, and the vail of the Temple was rent from top to bottom, and there was such an earthquake throughout vast creation that we have only to open our eyes and look at the rent rocks for a clear and perfect demonstration that this whole globe was shaken from centre to circumference and the graves of the dead were opened. Matthew 27:50, 53 You may answer me that Popery has honored that day by calling it Good Friday, and the next first day following Easter Sunday, etc., but after all, nothing short of bible argument will satisfy the earnest inquirer after truth. The President had already shown that theJewish Sabbath was abolished at Christ’s death. What reason then had he to believe that the Saviour would speak of it afterwards. So also the Pentecost had been a type from the giving the law at Sinai to be kept annually for about 1500 years, consequently it would be solemnized on every day of the week, at each revolving year, as is the case with the 4th of July: three years ago it was on the fourth day and now it comes on the seventh day of the week. Further, see Peter standing amidst the amazed multitude, giving the Scripture reason for this miraculous display of God’s power. He does not give the most distant hint that this was, or was to be, the day of the week for worship, or true Sabbath, neither do any of the Apostles then, or afterwards, for when they kept this day the next year, it must have been the second day of the week. We must have better evidence than what has been adduced, to believe this was the Sabbath, for according to the type, seven Sabbaths were to be complete, (and there was no other way given them to come to the right day,) from the day they kept the first, or from the resurrection. Here then is proof positive that the Sabbath in this year was the day before the Pentecost. See Luke 23:55, 56 If President H. is right, then were there two Sabbaths to be kept in succession in one week. Where is the precept? No where! Well, says the inquirer, I want to see the Bible proof for this ‘Christian Sabbath observed by the disciples, and owned by our Lord.’ SC1, 30.2 [Sabbath Controversy #1] The Seventh Day Sabbath, A Perpetual Sign. “In the Augsburg Confession, which was drawn up by Melanchthon [and approved by Luther], to the question, ‘What ought we to think of the Lord’s day?’ it is answered that the Lord’s day. Easter, Whitsuntide, and other such holy days ought to be kept, because they are appointed by the church, that all things may be done in order; but that the observance of them is not to be thought necessary to salvation, nor the violation of them, if it be done without offense to others, to be regarded as a sin!”-Cox’s Sabbath Laws, p. 287. The Change of the Sabbath, {ChSa 134.1} The Confession of the Swiss churches says on this point: {ChSa 134.2} “The observance of the Lord’s day is founded not on any commandment of God, but on the authority of the church; and the church may alter the day at pleasure.”-Idem. {ChSa 134.3} Tyndale, the great English Reformer, said: {ChSa 134.4} “As for the Sabbath, we be lords over the Sabbath, and may yet change it into Monday, or into any other day as we see need, or may make every tenth day holy only if we see cause why!”-Tyndale’s Answer to More, book 1, chapter 25. IBID, {ChSa 134.5} Zwingle, the great Swiss Reformer, regarded it thus: “For we are no way bound to time, but time ought so to serve us, that it is lawful, and permitted to each church, when necessity urges (as is usual to be done in harvest time), to transfer the solemnity and rest of the Lord’s day, or Sabbath, to some other day.”-Hessey, p. 352. IBID, {ChSa 134.6} John Calvin said respecting the Sunday festival:{ChSa 134.7} “However, the ancients have not without sufficient reason substituted what we call the Lord’s day in the room of the Sabbath.... Yet I do not lay so much stress on the septenary number that I, would oblige the church to an invariable adherence to it; nor will I condemn those churches which have other solemn days for their assemblies, provided they keep at a distance from superstition.”- IBID, {ChSa 134.8} Calvin’s Institutes of the Christian Religion, translated by John Alien, book 2, chap. 8, sec. 34. IBID, {ChSa 135.1} “They keep Saturday holy, nor esteem Saturday fast lawful but on Easter even. They have solemn service on Saturdays, eat flesh, and feast it bravely like the Jews.”-Purchas, His Pilgrimage, part 2, book 8, chap. 6, sec. 5. IBID, {ChSa 148.4} This writer, like many first day authors, Catholic and Protestant, even at the present time, speaks disrespectfully of those Christians who observed the Sabbath. But this testimony, with the others, seems to leave no possible doubt that the Armenians observed the Sabbath. IBID, {ChSa 148.5} Andrews, in his History of the Sabbath, page 463, says concerning other Sabbath keepers: {ChSa 148.6} “When the Reformation had lifted the vale of darkness that covered the nations of Europe, Sabbath-keepers were found in Transylvania, Bohemia, Russia, Germany, Holland, France, and England. It was not the Reformation which gave existence to these Sabbatarians; for the leaders of the Reformation, as a body, were not friendly to such views. On the contrary, these observers of the Sabbath appear to be remnants of the ancient Sabbath-keeping churches that had witnessed for the truth during the Dark Ages!” IBID, {ChSa 148.7} He proceeds to cite various classes of these in the countries mentioned, and gives the authorities to prove it, which the inquiring reader can investigate in that valuable work. IBID, {ChSa 149.1} Uriah Smith wrote: “The church of God is to-day courting the world. Its members are trying to bring it down to the level of the ungodly. The ball, the theater, nude and lewd art, social luxuries, with all their loose moralities, are making inroads into the sacred inclosure of the church; and as a satisfaction for all this worldliness, Christians are making a great deal of Lent and Easter and church ornamentation. It is the old trick of Satan. The Jewish Church struck on that rock; the Romish Church was wrecked on the same; and the Protestant Church is fast reaching the same doom.” Replys to Elder Canright’s Attach on Seventh Day Adventism, {RCASDA 69.2} Bishop Pierce, in the “New Book of Sermons,” by twenty leading Southern Methodist ministers, four of them bishops. says:- IBID, {RCASDA 69.3} “The Bible makes a broad distinction between the church and the world.... Yet the vain, wicked, corrupting experiment of harmonizing the two goes on, perhaps in no age of the church more broadly and with less disguise than now.... The process of amalgamation goes on almost without let of hindrance.” IBID, {RCASDA 69.4} “King Charles 1, in a query propounded by him to the Parliament’s Commissioners at Holmby, 1647, says, ‘I conceive the celebration of the feast of Easter was instituted by the same authority which changed the Sabbath into the Lord’s day on Sunday; for it will not be found in Scripture where Saturday is discharged to be kept, or turned into the Sunday. Wherefore it must be the Church’s authority that changed the one, and instituted the other. Therefore my opinion is, that those who will not keep this feast, may as well return to the observation of Saturday, and refuse the weekly Sunday. When any body can show me that herein I am in error, I shall not be ashamed to confess and amend it; till when, you know my mind. C. R.” Bampfield on the Sabbath, p. 24. Facts for the Times, {FT 89.8} “SABBATARIAN. One who regards the seventh day of the week as holy, agreeably to the letter of the fourth commandment in the dialogue. There were christians in the early church who held this opinion.” IBID, {FT 90.1} “SABBATH. This was the originally the seventh day of the week, the day on which God rested from the work of creation; and this day is still observed by the Jews and some christians as the Sabbath.” Webster’s Dictionary. IBID, {FT 90.2} “In Augsburg Confession, which was drawn up by Melancthon (and approved by Luther), to thequestion, “What ought we to think of the Lord’s day?” it is answered that the Lord’s day, Easter, Whitsuntide, and other such holy days, ought to be kept, because they are appointed by the church.” Bible Hand Book, {BHB 83.6} • Daniel 7:25. There is no account in the Bible of any Sabbath of the Lord, except the seventh-day Sabbath; but Daniel prophesied of a power that would think to change the law of God. Prophets and Kings, 179. IBID, {BHB 84.1} • Ezekiel 22:26-28; 13:10-12. Ezekiel saw the law violated, Sabbath profaned, and those who should have led in right lines, using “untempered mortar,” or giving falsehood instead of God’s words. Patriarchs and Prophets, 477. IBID, {BHB 84.2} The following is taken from the “Catholic Christian Instructed,” 17 th edition, revised and corrected, pp. 272, 273:- IBID, {BHB 84.3} “Question: What warrant have you for keeping Sunday preferably to the ancient Sabbath which was Saturday? IBID, {BHB 84.4} “Answer: We have for it the authority of the Catholic church, and apostolic tradition. IBID, {BHB 84.5} “Question: Does the Scripture anywhere command the Sunday to be kept for the Sabbath? IBID, {BHB 84.6} “Answer: The Scripture commands us to hear the church (St. Matthew 18:17; St. Luke 10:16), and to hold fast the traditions of the apostles, 2 Thessalonians 2:15. But the Scripture does not in particular mention this change of the Sabbath. IBID, {BHB 84.7} “St. John speaks of the Lord’s day (Revelation 1:10); but he does not tell us what day of the week this was, much less does he tell us what day was to take the place of the Sabbath ordained in the commandments. St. Luke speaks of the disciples meeting together to break bread on the first day of the week. Acts 20:7. And St. Paul (1 Corinthians 16:2) orders that on the first day of the week the Corinthians should law by in store what they designated to bestow in charity on the faithful in Judea; but neither the one nor the other tells us that this first day of the week was to be henceforth a day of worship, and the Christian Sabbath; so that truly the best authority we have for this ancient custom is the testimony of the church. And therefore, those who pretend to such religious observers of Sunday, whilst they take no notice of other festivals ordained by the same church authority, show that they act more by humor, than by reason and religion; since Sundays and holidays all stand upon the same foundation namely, the ordinance of the church.” IBID, {BHB 84.8} “The “Doctrinal Catechism,” pp. 174, 352, offers proof that Protestants are not guided by the Scriptures. We present two of the questions and answers:- {BHB 85.1} “Question: Have you any other way of proving that the church has power to institute festivals of precept? IBID, { BHB 85.2} “Answer: Had she not such power, she could not have done that in which all modern religionists agree with her,-she could not have substituted the observance of Sunday, the first day of the week, for the observance of Saturday, the seventh day, a change for which there is no scriptural authority. IBID, {BHB 85.3} “Question: When Protestants do profane work on Saturday, or the seventh day of the week, do they follow the Scriptures as their only rule of faith-do they find this permission clearly laid down in the Sacred Volume? IBID, {BHB 85.4} “Answer: On the contrary, they have only the authority of tradition for this practice. In profaning Saturday, they violate one of God’s commandments, which He has never clearly abrogated,-’Remember that thou keep holy the Sabbath day.’” The Great Controversy, 447. IBID, {BHB 85.5} The Passover commemoration myth “Another step in promoting the honor of the sun was taken, especially under the leadership of the church at Rome. The early Christians celebrated the Passover, in remembrance of the death of Christ, the true Passover. Accordingly, they celebrated it on the fourteenth day of the first month. Rome, however, and from her all the west, adopted Sunday as the day of this celebration. According to the original and the Eastern custom this celebration, being on the fourteenth day of the month, would, of course, fall upon different days of the week, as the years revolved. But the rule of Rome was that the celebration must always be on a Sunday—the Sunday nearest to the fourteenth day of the first month of the Jewish year. And if that fourteenth day of the month were itself a Sunday, then the celebration was not to be held on that day; but upon the next Sunday. And this is why it is that, to this day,Easter, even though celebrated always on Sunday, is so very variable in its recurrence,—sometimes in March, sometimes early in April, sometimes late in April,—but always the first Sunday after the first full moon after the twentieth of March, or the spring equinox.” The Advent Review and Sabbath herald, {ARSH April 17, 1900, p. 248.12} Indeed, this very item of Easter itself illustrated this gathering of a host to the man of sin, by reason of transgression. The word “Easter” is peculiar to the English language, and to the British Isles. “It is derived from Eostre, or Ostára, the Anglo-Saxon goddess of spring, to whom the fourth month, answering to our April—thence called Eostur-monath—was dedicated.” The heathen in Britain were celebrating in early spring this festival of their goddess Eostre, when the agents of Rome first entered Britain; and by them this name of the heathen goddess was adopted, with the festival in her honor; and the whole ceremony thus adopted was carried on as the celebration of the so-called Christian Passover. And, says the Venerable Bede: “The old festival was observed with the gladness of a new solemnity.” The word “Easter” in Acts 12:4 is not a translation, but a sheer insertion by the translators; as the Greek is pascha, meaning “passover.” {ARSH April 17, 1900, p. 248.13} Another item worth noticing, in this connection, is that this Eostre, or Ostára, of the ancient Britons, is identical with the Ishtar, or Astarte, of Babylon and Nineveh, and the Ashtaroth of the Phœnicians. She was the female of Bel in Babylon and Nineveh, and of Baal in Phœnicia; and represented the female element in sun worship. {ARSH April 17, 1900, p. 248.14} “Nations and peoples to-day, unconscious of their origin, are perpetuating Babylonian religious customs when they celebrate Christmas with feasting, lighted candles, holly, and mistletoe. It is in commemoration of Babylonian heathen gods that they eat eggs on Easter, and even the wild capers of Hallowe’en repeat the mysteries of Babylon. The root was not destroyed; her religious principles have sprung up afresh in every generation and borne fruit in every country.” The Story of Daniel the Prophet, {SDP 55.1} “IT is reported in a leading religious journal that there is a rector of an Episcopal church in the United States, who is known as “Father” Ritchie. At his church the “sacrifice of the mass” takes the place of the communion service.” The Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, {ARSH October 18, 1898, p. 669.1} This clergyman has so nearly reached Rome as to prescribe the following program for the observance of Lent by his members:— {ARSH October 18, 1898, p. 669.2} 1. Attend at least one church service every day.{ARSH October 18, 1898, p. 669.3} 2. Take communion at least once a week. {ARSH October 18, 1898, p. 669.4} 3. Say a short prayer daily at noontime. {ARSH October 18, 1898, p. 669.5} 4. Go to confession before Easter. {ARSH October 18, 1898, p. 669.6} 5. Abstain from food on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday until afternoon. {ARSH October 18, 1898, p. 669.7} 6. Eat no meat on Wednesday and Fridays. {ARSH October 18, 1898, p. 669.8} 7. Deny yourself something you like every day.{ARSH October 18, 1898, p. 669.9} 8. Abstain from all parties and places of public amusement. {ARSH October 18, 1898, p. 669.10} 9. Try to save money each day, by self-denial, for your Easter offering. {ARSH October 18, 1898, p. 669.11} 10. Do something every day (if only to say a prayer) for some poor, sick, or troubled person. {ARSH October 18, 1898, p. 669.12} What could be more encouraging to the Roman Catholic Church than this weakening of the churches that have in the past protested against Romanism? While the church mentioned may be an exception in this respect, there are too many that have departed from the faith of their fathers, and are on the downward road. IBID, {ARSH October 18, 1898, p. 669.13} Apostasy is the origin of the papacy. Whenever God’s people lose their hold upon him, and begin to trust in the inventions of men, the result is always the same. In Paul’s day some departed from the faith; then the mystery of iniquity began to work, and kept on working, until “that man of sin” was fully revealed, and exalted himself “above all that is called God, or that is worshiped.” History gave to this stage of the church the name “papacy.” But the name does not signify, as it was the result of apostasy. IBID, {ARSH October 18, 1898, p. 669.14} If the churches of to-day leave the word of God, and put their trust in man-made institutions, it matters not by what name they are known, the results will be exactly as before, and will produce the living image of the papacy. Let there be an awakening, and a seeking the Lord for the heavenly anointing, that in these times of apostasy we may be true to him. IBID, {ARSH October 18, 1898, p. 669.15} Are you still in doubt as to Easter being pagan? 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