Historic Perspective We have seen that Presbyterian opposition to Christmas is consistent, historical, and based upon solid scriptural considerations. Yet, Presbyterians were not the only persons who maintained a strong stand against Christmas and kindred corruptions of worship; there were other Christians who held a similar convictions. For example, the famous Baptist preacher Charles H. Spurgeon opened a sermon on 24 December 1871 with the following words: We have no superstitious regard for times and seasons. Certainly we do not believe in the present ecclesiastical arrangement called Christmas: first, because we do not believe in the mass at all, but abhor it, whether it be said or sung in Latin or in English; and, secondly, because we find no scriptural warrant whatever for observing any day as the birthday of the Savior; and, consequently, its observance is a superstition, because not of divine authority.[61] Continued Resistance and Decline Opposition to ecclesiastical holidays remained in American Presbyterianism through the latter half of the nineteenth century. Speaking of the South after the Civil War, one historian notes: There was, however, no recognition of either Christmas or Easter in any of the Protestant churches, except the Episcopal and Lutheran. For a full generation after the Civil War the religious journals of the South mentioned Christmas only to observe that there was no reason to believe that Jesus was actually born on December 25; it was not recognized as a day of any religious significance in the Presbyterian Church. If the exact date were known, or if some day (as December 25) had been agreed upon by common consent in the absence of any certain knowledge, we would still object to the observance of Christmas as a holy day. We object for many reasons, but at present mention only this one  that experience has shown that the institution of holy days by human authority, however pure the intention, has invariably led to the disregard of the Holy day  the Sabbath  instituted by God. In the following decade [the 1880s] this same journal sorrowed to see a growing tendency [to introduce church festivals into Protestant denominations], even in our own branch of the church. True, it is by no means general, and has not been carried very far, but it is enough to awaken our concern and to call for that least a word of warning that the observance of Easter and Christmas is increasing amongst us....[62] In 1899, the General Assembly of the pcus was overtured to give a pronounced and explicit deliverance against the recognition of Christmas and Easter as religious days. Even at this late date, the answer came back in a solid manner: There is no warrant in Scripture for the observance of Christmas and Easter as holydays, rather the contrary (see Gal. 4:9-11; Col. 2:16-21), and such observance is contrary to the principles of the Reformed faith, conducive to will-worship, and not in harmony with the simplicity of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.[63] About the turn of the century, however, various Christmas customs began appearing in Presbyterian churches. These came through the introduction of frivolities like St. Nicholas in childrens Sunday school, the use of Christmas trees, and other festive elements. The observance appears to have come from the lower levels of the church  that is, from sentiments of people in the congregations  and worked its way into sermons and more general acceptance.[64] This process took time. Morton Smith notes that the appearance of Easter and Christmas into the official calendar of the Southern Presbyterian church did not actually occur until the late 1940s and 1950s. Smith cites the acceptance of the liturgical calendar as a mark of the growing apostasy in the church. The change in attitude came with the growth of theological liberalism. Liberalism undermines the scriptural foundations of worship; and liberals will not feel threatened by holidays, because they have already abandoned the regulative authority of scripture in matters of worship.[65] It is also easy to see how conservatives have allowed unscriptural religious observances to slip into their practice in an unchallenged manner. When liberalism began to gain strength about the turn of the century, general apologetics took priority over specific expositions on the means of worship. Evangelicals had a tendency to cross denominational barriers in order to fight the common enemy; and this tendency helped to blur important denominational distinctives concerning worship. Since the break with liberalism, most conservative Presbyterians have given scant attention to a fruitful discussion of worship. It is no wonder there is confusion. The observance of Christmas is only part of a much larger problem. Even with the avalanche of liberalism and evangelical ecumenicity, Christmas has not gone unchallenged in twentieth century Presbyterianism. In 1962, the Synod of the Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland issued a Statement of Differences Between the Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland and the Other Presbyterian Churches. One point of difference concerns the observance of holidays, which are tolerated in the theologically liberal Church of Scotland. The Free Presbyterian Church rejects the modern custom becoming so prevalent in the Church of Scotland, of observing Christmas and Easter. It regards the observance of these days as symptomatic of the trend in the Church of Scotland towards closer relations with Episcopacy. At the time of the Reformation in Scotland all these festivals were cast out of the Church as things that were not only unnecessary but unscriptural.[66]
Posted on: Wed, 29 Oct 2014 09:00:23 +0000
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