The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1886-07-17
SAINT CHILDREN's DAY"

Easter and Christmas, this festival is
now one of our regular church days,
and is growing in favor with our people
year by year. 1t is wisely made an oc-
casion, not merely for floral display, but
for distinct religious purpose, the
baptism and confirmation of our chill
dren, with the enforcement of the les
son of parental duty, as regards those
children in their birthright relation to
the Christian church. 1.-THE children
of Christian parents" observes Rev. T.
II. Tabor, who has written valuable
tract ON the baptism of children, "are
born into the church Of Christ. They
are the Lords; and If they fail to recog-
nize that they are really the Lords, it
will be because their parents have failed
to do their duty. Baptism does not
make them the Lords; it only declares
fact that was already true, and pledges
the parent to earnestness and fidelity in
his efforts to make it a lasting and COM
plete union by the most devoted and
patient Christian nurture" 1t is to en-
force this duty, and to recognize the ex-
listing relation of children to the church,
that the beautiful festival of Children's
Sunday is instituted and observed among
Universalists. 1t is the parents day,
as well as that of the children, and no
more suggestive and appropriate OBJ
servance takes place during the year
than this, when at our midsummer
affairs, made beautiful by flowers, and
surrounded with the symbols of inno-
cence and purity, the little ones are
dedicated to Him, who, when on the
earth, said, "Suffer little children to
come unto me, for of such is the king
dom of heaven"
Children's day is now observed in
several of the denominations, and is
made prominent in the Methodist cal
endar. There is a well-defned dispo-
sition on the part Of the latter demon
nation to claim the credit of the origin
of the observance. Thus the AdUocdte
of this city, in its last issue, speaking
of the celebration of the day by the
Unitarian church in this city, remarks:
whether the service was prompted for
its own sweet sake, or whether to cure
the 'hankering' of their children for
Methodist clover, we do not know but
a service they had. Some Congrega-
tionalists did the same thing a week
earlier, and thus the custom is going
into other churches. Well,-w are all
very much alike, after all, and our
babies may yet bring us much nearer
together"
The AdUdnce, also, in answer to a cor
respondent, kindly passes over the credit
of the origin of the day to the Metho-
dists, and remarks
"The movement had its origin in the
Methodist Episcopal church, which has
instituted so many laudable enterprises
in Christian work. The first man to
mention it was Rev. E. o. Haven, d. D.,
in 1872. At that time he was secretary of
the educational work in his denomina-
ton. His plan was to institute Chill
dren's Day, and have collections taken
for the children's educational fund. His
idea seemed to be the creation of an an
nual jubilee, six months removed from
Christmas, at the season OF the year when
the interest in Sunday-Hchools is apt to
flag on account of the heat. 1t has be-
come permanent feature in Methodist
economy. They give notice in ample time
to secure large collection. Other de-
nominations, especially Presbyterians
and Congregationalists, have seen the ad-
vantage of the plan and fallen into line"
We are impelled, in the interest of
exact facts, as well as to preserve the
credit of an original Universalist idea, F"
to renewedly assert that the Methodist
church is follower instead of leader
in this enterprise. On several occa-
sions during the last few years THE
UNIvERsALIsT has given the facts in
regard to the origin of the celebration,
and clearly shown that the Universal
list observance of Children's day ante
dates the claim of the Methodists by at
least a dozen years. 1t is now well
established that Rev. Charles II. Leon
ard, of Chelsea, Mass, when pastor of
the Universalist church in that city,
began the observance of the day as
early as 1858, and after 1862, the day
was regularly observed in that parish,
and became one of the regular services
of our Chelsea church. From 1862 on
ward, the observance was frequent i'll
our churches East and West. In 1867,
the Universalist General Convention,
held at Baltimore, recommended the
observance of the second Sunday in
June as Children's day, and from that
time forward the celebration has been
one of the regular church days in our
calendar.
From the above it will be seen that
the Methodist claim to the origin of the
day is clearly unfounded. 1t is Uni
versalist institution that has now be-
come so popular in Methodist, Congre-