brations of the now established Church, for the Emperor
Constantine had transferred the seat of government to Constantinople,
and Christianity was formally recognised as the established religion.

EPISCOPAL REFERENCES TO CHRISTMAS AND CAUTIONS AGAINST EXCESSES.

Cyprian, the intrepid Bishop of Carthage, whose stormy episcopate
closed with the crown of martyrdom in the latter half of the third
century, began his treatise on the Nativity thus: "The much wished-for
and long expected Nativity of Christ is come, the famous solemnity is
come"--expressions which indicate the desire with which the Church
looked forward to the festival, and the fame which its celebrations
had acquired in the popular mind. And in later times, after the
fulness of festivity at Christmas had resulted in some excesses,
Bishop Gregory Nazianzen (who died in 389), fearing the spiritual
thanksgiving was in danger of being subordinated to the temporal
rejoicing, cautioned all Christians "against feasting to excess,
dancing, and crowning the doors (practices derived from the heathens);
urging the celebration of the festival after an heavenly and not an
earthly manner."

In the Council, generally called _Concilium Africanum_, held A.D. 408,
"stage-playes and spectacles are forbidden on the Lord's-day,
Christmas-day, and other solemn Christian festivalls." Theodosius the
younger, in his laws _de Spectaculis_, in 425, forbade shows or games
on the Nativity, and some other feasts. And in the Council of Auxerre,
in Burgundy, in 578, disguisings are again forbidden, and at another
Council, in 614, it was found necessary to repeat the prohibitory
canons in stronger terms, declaring it to be unlawful to make any
indecent plays upon the Kalends of January, according to the profane
practices of the pagans. But it is also recorded that the more devout
Christians in these early times celebrated the festival without
indulging in the forbidden excesses.

[1] Notes to "Life of Christ."

[2] "Commentary on the Prophecies of Daniel."

[3] Introduction to "Christmas Carols," 1833.

[4] The Emperor Nero himself is known to have presided at
the _Saturnalia_, having been made by lot the _Rex
bibendi_, or Master of the Revels. Indeed it was at one of
these festivals that he instigated the murder of the young
Prince Britannicus, the last male descendant of the family
of the Claudii, who had been expelled from his rights by
vio