As relations between Great Britain and the American colonies declined in the years leading up to the Revolutionary War, we have several concrete examples of days appointed by American governments for prayer, fasting, and thanksgiving.
Thomas Jefferson records that he, along with Patrick Henry and Richard Henry Lee, "were under conviction of the necessity of arousing our people from the lethargy into which they had fallen as to passing events; and thought that the appointment of a day of general fasting and prayer would be most likely to call up and alarm their attention." (The Writings of Thomas Jefferson, ed. P.L. Ford [New York: G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 1892-1899], 1:9). Other states followed this similar example. The provisional congress of South Carolina set aside Feb. 17, 1775 for fasting and prayer, Maryland appointed May 11, and Georgia followed this trend in July 1775 (Derek H. Davis, Religion and the Continental Congress, pg. 84).
November 1, 1777 - The Continental Congress appoints a committee with Samuel Adams, Richard Henry Lee, and Daniel Roberdeau to write a resolution to the states which called for a day of thanksgiving. It directly references the Lord Jesus: “It is therefore recommended to the legislative or executive powers of these United States, to set apart Thursday, the eighteenth day of December next, for solemn thanksgiving and praise; that with one heart and one voice the good people may express the grateful feelings of their hearts, and consecrate themselves to the service of their divine benefactor; and that together with their sincere acknowledgements and offerings, they may join the penitent confession of their manifold sins, whereby they had forfeited every favor, and their humble and earnest supplication that it may please God, through the merits of Jesus Christ, mercifully to forgive and blot them out of remembrance; that it may please him graciously to afford his blessing on the government of these states respectively, and prosper the public council of the whole;” (Journals of the Continental Congress, 9:854-855)
September 25, 1789 - Elias Boudinot proposes to establish a day of thanksgiving and prayer to God for His grace in establishing the American government and the Constitution. Though met with some opposition from Thomas Tucker, his motion was carried in the affirmative by the House (Annals of Congress, 1:914-915) and agreed to by the Senate (Documentary History of the First Federal Congress, 1:192).
October 3, 1789 - President George Washington issues a Thanksgiving Proclamation (The Writings of George Washington, from the Original Manuscript Sources, 1745-1799, ed. John C. Fitzpatrick [Washington, D.C.: GPO, 1939], 30:427-428). As relations between Great Britain and the American colonies declined in the years leading up to the Revolutionary War, we have several concrete examples of days appointed by American governments for prayer, fasting, and thanksgiving.
Thomas Jefferson records that he, along with Patrick Henry and Richard Henry Lee, "were under conviction of the necessity of arousing our people from the lethargy into which they had fallen as to passing events; and thought that the appointment of a day of general fasting and prayer would be most likely to call up and alarm their attention." (The Writings of Thomas Jefferson, ed. P.L. Ford [New York: G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 1892-1899], 1:9). Other states followed this similar example. The provisional congress of South Carolina set aside Feb. 17, 1775 for fasting and prayer, Maryland appointed May 11, and Georgia followed this trend in July 1775 (Derek H. Davis, Religion and the Continental Congress, pg. 84).
November 1, 1777 - The Continental Congress appoints a committee with Samuel Adams, Richard Henry Lee, and Daniel Roberdeau to write a resolution to the states which called for a day of thanksgiving. It directly references the Lord Jesus: “It is therefore recommended to the legislative or executive powers of these United States, to set apart Thursday, the eighteenth day of December next, for solemn thanksgiving and praise; that with one heart and one voice the good people may express the grateful feelings of their hearts, and consecrate themselves to the service of their divine benefactor; and that together with their sincere acknowledgements and offerings, they may join the penitent confession of their manifold sins, whereby they had forfeited every favor, and their humble and earnest supplication that it may please God, through the merits of Jesus Christ, mercifully to forgive and blot them out of remembrance; that it may please him graciously to afford his blessing on the government of these states respectively, and prosper the public council of the whole;” (Journals of the Continental Congress, 9:854-855)
September 25, 1789 - Elias Boudinot proposes to establish a day of thanksgiving and prayer to God for His grace in establishing the American government and the Constitution. Though met with some opposition from Thomas Tucker, his motion was carried in the affirmative by the House (Annals of Congress, 1:914-915) and agreed to by the Senate (Documentary History of the First Federal Congress, 1:192).
October 3, 1789 - President George Washington issues a Thanksgiving Proclamation (The Writings of George Washington, from the Original Manuscript Sources, 1745-1799, ed. John C. Fitzpatrick [Washington, D.C.: GPO, 1939], 30:427-428).
Thomas Jefferson was against the federal government calling for days of fasting, prayer, or anything sort of religious exercise, and wanted it to be left to the states. He was aware that he was acting against the example of his predecessors in office:
“But it is only proposed that I should recommend, not prescribe a day of fasting & prayer. That is, that I should indirectly assume to the U.S. an authority over religious exercises which the Constitution has directly precluded them from. It must be meant too that this recommendation is to carry some authority, and to be sanctioned by some penalty on those who disregard it; not indeed of fine and imprisonment, but of some degree of proscription perhaps in public opinion. And does the change in the nature of the penalty make the recommendation the less a law of conduct for those to whom it is directed? I do not believe it is for the interest of religion to invite the civil magistrate to direct it's exercises, its discipline, or its doctrines; nor of the religious societies that the general government should be invested with the power of effecting any uniformity of time or matter among them. Fasting & prayer are religious exercises. The enjoining them an act of discipline. Every religious society has a right to determine for itself the times for these exercises, & the objects proper for them, according to their own particular tenets; and this right can never be safer than in their own hands, where the constitution has deposited it. I am aware that the practice of my predecessors may be quoted. But I have ever believed that the example of state executives led to the assumption of that authority by the general government, without due examination, which would have discovered that what might be a right in a state government, was a violation of that right when assumed by another. Be this as it may, every one must act according to the dictates of his own reason, & mine tells me that civil powers alone have been given to the President of the US. and no authority to direct the religious exercises of his constituents.” (Thomas Jefferson, “Letter to Rev. Samuel Miller,” January 23, 1808 in The Works of Thomas Jefferson, 11:8-9)
Thomas Jefferson was against the federal government calling for days of fasting, prayer, or anything sort of religious exercise, and wanted it to be left to the states. He was aware that he was acting against the example of his predecessors in office:
“But it is only proposed that I should recommend, not prescribe a day of fasting & prayer. That is, that I should indirectly assume to the U.S. an authority over religious exercises which the Constitution has directly precluded them from. It must be meant too that this recommendation is to carry some authority, and to be sanctioned by some penalty on those who disregard it; not indeed of fine and imprisonment, but of some degree of proscription perhaps in public opinion. And does the change in the nature of the penalty make the recommendation the less a law of conduct for those to whom it is directed? I do not believe it is for the interest of religion to invite the civil magistrate to direct it's exercises, its discipline, or its doctrines; nor of the religious societies that the general government should be invested with the power of effecting any uniformity of time or matter among them. Fasting & prayer are religious exercises. The enjoining them an act of discipline. Every religious society has a right to determine for itself the times for these exercises, & the objects proper for them, according to their own particular tenets; and this right can never be safer than in their own hands, where the constitution has deposited it. I am aware that the practice of my predecessors may be quoted. But I have ever believed that the example of state executives led to the assumption of that authority by the general government, without due examination, which would have discovered that what might be a right in a state government, was a violation of that right when assumed by another. Be this as it may, every one must act according to the dictates of his own reason, & mine tells me that civil powers alone have been given to the President of the US. and no authority to direct the religious exercises of his constituents.” (Thomas Jefferson, “Letter to Rev. Samuel Miller,” January 23, 1808 in The Works of Thomas Jefferson, 11:8-9)
Congressional Chaplains
April 15, 1789: Congress appoints two congressional chaplains to serve in the House and Senate respectively (Annals of Congress, 1:19).
During George Washington’s presidential inauguration in 1789, there was a divine service held at St. Paul’s Chapel, attended by Washington, the Vice-President, and the members of both houses of Congress. Here is the text from the proceedings of the first federal Congress:
“Resolved, That this House doth concur with the Senate in the said resolution, amended to read as followeth, to wit: ‘That, after the oath shall have been administered to the President, the Vice President, and members of the Senate, the Speaker and members of the House of Representatives, will accompany him to St. Paul’s Chapel, to hear divine service, performed by the Chaplain of Congress.” (April 27, 1789, in Journal of the First Session of the Senate of the United States of America [Washington: Gales & Seaton, 1820], 1:24)
March 3, 1791: The first federal Congress enacted a law approved by the Senate and authorized by President Washington which provided for the funding of military chaplains (The Public Statutes at Large of the United States of America, ed. Richard Peters [Boston: Charles C. Little & James Brown, 1845], 1:222).
No comments:
Post a Comment