THANKSGIVING

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Dec 6, 1877

Services were held in our house of worship, on the day appointed by the State for Thanksgiving, Thursday, Nov. 29.

A large congregation assembled, first, to respect the recommendation of the government, which we should be prompt to do whenever practicable; and, secondly, because we have so much for which to be thankful, that it seemed appropriate to signalize it by a day marked with special exercises for that purpose.

After singing, and prayer by Eld. Haskell, we made a few remarks on the ninety-second psalm, and the remainder of the time was occupied in the presentation of very excellent and cheering thoughts by Eld. Haskell, and Profs. Brownsberger and Bell.

The special reasons why we, as S. D. Adventists, have cause to be grateful to God, as seen in the evident tokens of his hand in our work, and the rapidly growing prosperity of this message, were impressively set forth. The singers enlivened the occasion with some well-rendered hymns and anthems of praise; and altogether it was a cheering and pleasant season, and one, we trust, of profit also.

This festival, instituted by those who no doubt commenced its observance with the purest motives, has been appropriately perpetuated to the present time; and though now perhaps generally perverted from its original design, and celebrated in a spirit far different from that of its founders, there seems to be no reason why it should not be rationally and consistently observed.

For our own part, we should much prefer to see this festival, which finds its beginning in the pious intentions of our Pilgrim Fathers, take the place of Christmas, which, though adopted, like the Sunday, by Protestants generally, has come to us from Roman Catholicism, and is founded in falsehood and superstition.