Meeting of Clergymen

Pacific Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Oakland, Cal. · Aug 22, 1878

Meeting of Clergymen.

August 19, there was a meeting of the clergymen of Oakland and San Francisco at the Calvary church, S. F., to consider the propriety of requesting the coming State convention to formally recognize the Christian Sabbath, Sunday, in the constitution. After the object of the meeting was stated a paper was read stating more broadly the action deemed desirable in the premises, at the conclusion of which the following resolution was moved as a basis of discussion and a suggestion for a constitutional amendment:—

The Law.—Every citizen of this State shall have the right to one day of rest in seven.

It was thought that the people of the State would be willing to have added, "and to worship God according to the dictates of their own hearts." The opinion was then expressed that the resolution was not sufficiently comprehensive to cover the ground; it needed to go farther and to amend that section of Declaration of Rights that allowed any degree of religious freedom not incompatible with public morality. As an amendment to the motion it was moved that this be added to the section of the Declaration of Rights in question:—

The Amendment.—And to secure the objects above stated, general and secular public business and public amusements shall be suspended on the first day of the week, called the Sabbath day or Sunday, and the Legislatures of the State shall enforce the above provision by appropriate legislation.

The former provision was withdrawn in favor of the amendment.