A SPECIMEN OF PROFANITY AND IGNORANCE.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume I, Issue 60, 3 May 1873, Page 14

A SPECIMEN OF PROFANITY AND IGNORANCE.

(From " Stray Notes," in the « Otago Daily Times,' of 29th April.) " Here is a nice question for Ritualists. The Church declares that Easter Sunday is the first Sunday after the full moon, which happens upon or next after the 21st day of March. Now, though Sunday, April the 13th, met all the conditions in London and Rome, inasmuch as it was full moon at 9.51, or thereabouts, of the 12th April, yet here, in our antipodal parts, it was not full moon until 2.30 on Sunday morning, and consequently the true Easter fell on Sunday, the 20th. Much blood and more ink has been spilfc about settling the true Easter, so we do not like to see so important a matter passed by without notice. As we are treating of " worka and days," wo would suggest that Jews should always come out vid California or round the Horn if they are wicked Jews. This would make their Sabbath fall on the same day as that on which the Chsistiana hold it and save much time now lost to business. We consider this aa valuable a hint a 6 has ever been given by a non-professional to those who wish, like the commercial Christiana of Great Britain, to make " the best of both worlds." We greatly sympathise with the unfortunates whom a culpable ignorance of astronomy on the part of their spiritual pastors has let in to feast upon a most solemn fast day, mistaking it for a feast of remarkable joviality, and still worse to fast at a time when abstinence from food can have had no especial soul-saving merit. The Church of old, which waged the Paschal controversy, did well to declare, on infallible authority, that there could be no antipodes, and that the man who said there were deserved the greater excommunication. It is horribly puzzling this about Easter, and we shall not easily forgive -ourselves for eating our cross-buns on Palm Friday, if that is the name. Let Bishops Moran and Nevill acoount for this." How does it appear that the true Easter fell on the 20th April ? Again, when and where did the Church of old declare, on infallible authority, that there could be no antipodes, and that a man who said th^re were deserved the greater .excommunication ?

Mr Buckland, M.H.R., has purchased 14,000 acres at Taupo and leased 33,000 acres adjoining. A Napier firm is also negociating for the purchase of 14,000 acres in the same district.