The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-12-25
DAY UNWoRTHILY OBSERVED.
REV. BAsCOM ANTHONY CRITICIsE
CELEBRATION OF CHRISTMAS.

MS lnNeStiHhtlOn OF the OfiBih oA
the Days Celebration Has Led Him
TO the Conclusion That II Is Pagan
and Not Christian-TIme of observ-
ance Has Varied Through the Cen
turtles From Fall to spring-The
Manner of the Days Observance
the Thing TO which Mr.. Anthony
Observation-Disclosures Are Com
mitted on Christmas That Would
Not BE Countenanced at Any other
Time.
Rev. Bascom Anthony preached yester-
day morning a sermon relative to the or
igin and observance of the Christmas day.
In the opinion of Mr. Anthony, as evil
denced in his sermon, there seems to be
no Biblical authority for the day and its
observance. Even conceding its divine
origin the manner of its observance
among Christian people came in for its
share of Mr.. Anthony's censure.
The text of the discourse was taken from
Luke PA: Glory to God in the highest
and on earth peace, good will toward
men" The sermon was devoted In the
main to a critical inquiry into the origin
of the observance of the day, the result,
in Mr. Anthony's MIND being the conclu-
sion that it was a pagan festival, that had
been crystalized into q Christian holiday
through the force of custom and habit
The worst feature Of the occasion, In Mi
Anthony's mind, is the fact that its os-
tensible purpose is lost sight of and the
day given over to debaucheries that would
No I,n tnl o. =
the day is to be observed at all, said Mr.
Anthony, let 1t be in accordance with the
spirit Of Him whose birth 1t Is designed
TO commemorate and not in a way that
makes the days observance a dissertation
instead of a celebration.
THE observance of days." said Mr. An
thony, "is a response to a worthy sent-
ment of the soul The high days in any
peoples history ought to Re perpetuated.
No people are without such days. The
Indians OF this country had their green
corn dance annually observed as a mark
of thanksgiving to the god of harvest The
method of Observance was in keeping with
their conception of their god. Among the
ancient Jews was the feast of Tabernac-
les ordained of God, at which time the
people left their homes however luxu-
rious and went forth to dwell that day in
booths made from the limbs OF trees, so
that when their children asked why they
might be told, There was a time when
we had no homes, but wandered in the
wilderness led and kept Of God" They
also had the feast Of the passover, which
is kept by the orthodox Jews until this
day, as near as possible after the manner
of the original observance, when they
ale with staff in hand and loins grid about
as if ready to begin a journey Among
all Jews the custom of observance of the
day is TO eat no leavened bread so that
rI,af Al
say God led our forefathers from a land
of bondage under such peremptory orders
that they ate with staff in hand, and be-
cause their bread-trays were packed for
moving they ate unleavened Bread
I'VE have our national birthday, the
Fourth of July, which is observed by the
reading of the Declaration of Irdepend-
ence and the mimicry of war by which
that independence was obtained In all this
we see conformity in the method of OBJ
servance to the spirit of the event COM
rnenorated To do otherwise is TO per-
vert the occasion and to lose it in the OBJ
servance."
HAS the Christian church any such an
niversaries onioined upcn her by the Ii.
bile? Absolutely none. The great Apostle
Paul, judging from his epistles, had no
regard whatever for days. To him one
season was as holy as another, and the
law of his Lord was as binding at one
time as announcer. w HdteNeT Oh liG keep
ing of days and seasons men may engage
in is purely Of human and not of Divine
origin. However, if men prefer to keep
days | have no objection, provided my
Lord is not dishonored and HIS cnurch
hurt thereby"
AS to- this day which the world now
keeps as tie anniversary of the birth of
the Son of God, its origin is developed in
much doubt and obscurity. The date of it's
observance has varied from the autumn
nal season to the month of May. Perhaps
the reas on it comes at the time now OBJ
served IS due to the fact that the North
ern Germanic tribes were worship
Iers and held high carnival at this season
of the year, because the sun had reached
the most southerly point in his travels
and had turned again in his march and
was tr nging with h m warmth and the
life of a new year and a new harvest.
This occasion was tilled with a Christian
idea and given new meaning, and, thus
transformed, has come on down to US. The
fact of observance, however, dates back
to the second century.
Whether the day be kept or not is OF
small consequence, 50 that the God of
heaven and earth makes His advent into
your life and mine. But If the day he Oh
served it ought to be kept 50 as to COM
menorate The coming of he Sen of Cod.
It should g.orify Cod who is in the high
est heavens, and teach peace and good
W II Gov n here among n en-. To fail in this
is TO make a travesty Of the day and to
tie the name of the worlds redeemer TO
that which dishonors Him greatly So far
are our people as a whole from keeping
this day so as TO honor God that of all
the days in the year 1t is His worst enc
my Men who at other times are sober and
upright seem to think that this day gives
license for drunkenness and Carousal Our
streets were filed last night with half
drunken men and boys, blowing horns and
swearing in the excess of their good cheer
and drinks, and for what? To celebrate
the coming of the Son of God. These and
numerous debaucheries that mar the day
are a shame and a disgrace. If we will
debauch let it not be done in the name
of the Lord If we will forget God and His
commandments, let us not do 1T under the
guise of honoring Him. One Judas has
kissed Him and that is enough"
IF we observe Christmas. let us do it
as a day of gladness and joy. Let us in
humble imitation of Him who gave Him.
self for llss give gifts INTO them tha4 need