The Sun.
London, England, 1868-05-14 00:00:00

THE SIN OF DANCING t.

In the parish of North Knapdale, a district far west
in Argyle, washed by the pleasant waters of the Sound of
Jura, dwells Mr. Peter Clark. Mr. Clark is a farmer.
He is also the head of a family. He also is, or was, a com-
municant in the Free Church of North Knapdale, under
the very earnest, though rather unearthly, pastorate of
the Rev. Alexander Ferguson. Mr. Ferguson and the
two elders who are associated with him in the spiritual
oversight of Free North Knapdale are very strict in
their censorship of morals ; and, accordingly, when
told, as we are in certain recent proceedings of the
Free Synod of Argyle, that Mr. Ferguson and his elders
"know nothing against Mr. Peter Clark as a man,"
we are at once filled with a profound respect for that
agriculturist. But it seems that there is a qualification
with which this respect must be entertained. To no
mortal is i'-. given to be perfect ; and so Mr. P. Clark has
a spot on his virtue—a flaw in his character—a hole in his
coat. Nothing known against him "as a man," there is
but too much known against him " as a communicant."
He dances ; he goes to balls. For eight years past
at least be has been a victim to this vice. Of the fact
there cannot be a doubt. When the Rev. Mr. Ferguson,
on bearing the matter averred, made inquiry as to
whether such a thing could be, he was informed by one
actually " saw him engaged on the dancing floor " that it
was so—nay, he discovered that it " was generally known
and commented on in those parts." A crisis came, when
Mr. Peter Clark's sin began to find him out. In the
spring of 1866 he applied to his spiritual superiors for a
certificate of church membership. The Kirk Session met
in solemn conclave. To certify unreservedly a notorious
performer of reels was of course out of the question. Such
practices, according to Mr. Ferguson, are not merely "un-
seemly in a parent and communicant," but they are "a sin
and" (we quote with reference) "a bitter provocation to the
Lord." The certificate, it was plain, could not he granted
" without rebuking such scandal, and seeing proofs of re-
pentance and reformation." This, however, might have been
troublesome, and so a compromise was adopted. Mr. Clark
was certified as a communicant, but he was at the same
time certified as a dancer. Of course, "in those parts"
this was worse than no certificate at all. Accordingly, Mr.
Clark offered to "satisfy" the Session, which he did by
appearing before them " expressing his regret, and pro-
mising amendment," and then he got a new certificate, in
which all mention of his saltatory offendings was sup-
pressed. Armed with this document lie might have pre-
sented himself anywhere, but he was net content. It struck
.him that there must be some allusion to the transgression
in the Session-books ; and, as he was anxious not to
go down to posterity with a brand upon his name, he
wrote to his late pastor to have all trace of the matter
effaced. This seems to have been regarded as rather
an impudent request to be made by a person who had just
been forgiven the heinous sin of dancing, and an evasive
answer was returned. The indefatigable Clark, however,
invoked the Free Presbytery of Inv erary in defence of
his reputation, and that body, as well as the Synod
afterwards, decided in his favour on a point of form,
his success at the same time being rather impaired by
the fact that his attempts to bury his guilt in oblivion
had proved the means of proclaiming it fully to the world.
Meanwhile, the Rev. Mr. Ferguson, who regards the
decision of his Presbytery as a " winking at a practice
which the Free Church once used to cast as a slur upon
other Churches," is resolved to bring up the whole case to
the General Assembly, when we shall learn whether, in the
religious arrangements of the future, dancing, like endow-
ment, is to be " an open question."—Scotsman.