Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1818-06-02

eS fashionable amusements are proscrib-
| cd: ;lfai the Episcopalians bu, follow
thelr example IN denouncing gaining, the-
| afTeS, pu6Hc b0hs and rSe-Tacins'-It NAV
be sO-and yet'ihiS resolution is new 10
the Episcopal Clturch.--l ask. then, why
has n1t this attempt heen made before =?
! NhN haAenoi OIher Conventions express
! sed Their opIMions OH the subject Is the
| late Convention wiser and mere evangel-
zeal Than others ?-l, wiilnoi brsaid, that
=" differences O, opinion prevail" now for
| Tie first time; since II is wei! known that
| they have prevailed for years past.
II Is ihcn ncw 10 us: aud is more-it
trenches upon that libera:ity OF spirit,
| which since the revol,iiion has so much
distinguished Il, Church. Its ministers
lrave conienied themSclves with watching
that 40 ina.I goes 10 The altar who is no.
ioriouS iOr hls III lie, ana wish euioimiua
| upon ali 20 take care when they appr0ac,
IT. 10 Dc p re aad worthy OF lis ,aniniS-
traiinn. BAL ihey have wisely resp Ct
| Inc freedom 90 Conscience, leaving The
| commitment 10 satisfy las own hsari
L look within AID see whether II Is
| pure ana I'll 20 apprOach the table. II he
! Goes wrong IN this respect, HE Church
has left him 10 tie sim. OF tvs 1wl. con
SCIENCE and Ia The wrath of i!OG--rhey
nave con.ldpred il matter between
induS own conscience and his God.
! For this reason, lurbiy corrective the
| rtsoiali0n tends unnecessarily TO tsaMnici
! The freedom oiconSciencc. 4 man may
| think II no sin 10 go Ia Il ball or thea
| ite-iie nav regard dnc or both of theu
49, an innocent amusement he is MOI
conscious of having the "purily oi his
| christian character stained" by them
and under this persuasion, approach. :
the ALTAR. Is IT competent Tor another
man to step IN between INN aud his God
TO say you shall not taste the Eucharist,
because YOU have been To a pubic bal,
or the playhouse! 10 Judge for INN,
when the man had Judged for himself, and
Is satisfied; though i, is "A point on Which
others may differ from him
But 1t may be said, eve do no; drive
| The COMMUNICATE FROM the altar; we on
~ tell him what we NiMk about his Az
preaching II. To this, | reply, il is moi
yet clear that iliiSresOlution Will be- mere
expression ct opinion tor may not soiue
OF the ministers act upon il Will They
not think themselves bound by il !-Bul
aamit mai 1t Is mere OpimioR-how
then stands the case WHY mere is AN
opinion without an argument, without amy
effort 10 produce COnpictiOn, which is ~
dnct, aud unanimliy OF opinion among
| all the members of our communion." Say
:hat II does so, and what is the inference?
| why, II IS expected should he, others
| Judge Tor NE, and not Judge for my self
'hdt should refrain from doing certain
acts, not because think them sins, bun
| that others think so in fact, thai
should become slave TO The opinions OF
| oilers; Of my feliOw-mer, who with all
their learning and goodness, are still no
more Than men, weak, ialible and i'm
perfect men like myself.
We must consider. too, iiai these
musemcntS are not Expressly forbidden II,
Tie laws ofChrst; and that il is ony by
reasoning that amy opini@u can he form
ed on the matter: Shall we ,heh. re-
par, THINK for ours Ives, or implicitly
follow the opinions Of others We aust
choose one or the either. II we go by ite
! last, we WELD up that UNDERSTANDING
which 4 gracious God hath civ MO gif
our strps.-And if il be in this WAY that
| an " nnanimity Of opinion is 10 be pro-
dnccd, what are we but mere poficrs ca Il,
| IN the hands of our feiiow-maria!s
Where staii We stop in this duciillv of
! oplnion how lar may not the bigotry Of
homes, zeal OF our fellow men hurry us a.
| way9
TASK where are weio stop? 1.-THE Conven
| ton dcuOuncc one thing, why NAV ,hev
moi another! If public balls, why not nj
vale dancing? If theatres, wi,y NAV ii,cy
not proceed TO settle the conflicting opin
ions about different forms of expence {?
| Why not pass sumpiuary canons And
furnish Ills standard for regulating our
| dIeFs, furniture and Viands
But this resolution iiself-iS il not de-
Zoe ftrFn lF.N.
| and vet you inay have as many private
luxurious dancing parties as Won please
Thus you drive the amusement from pub
lie houses TO our own thresholds an.
| tire-sides-
Alternating on MeafreS-Is il intended to
prohbit The circus; the puppei show :;
The East Indian juggier musical con
ceris, DC. &C.. II has become fashiona-
BILE, know, 10 denounce the theatre;
but why should we he strictcr in this re-
spect, than they are TO the North and in
Great Britain? Did moi some of the Mi
ns,eFs ofIhe gospel even in Scotland aud
England, as Messr, Robertson and Blair.
themselves attend the theatre? Have moi
Addison and Johnson, two Of The mosi
zealeus Christians that ever lived, written
for lie stage?
But have done-I have dropt these
haSty hinis ana conscientious doubts, not
10 provoke controversial spirit, bui 20
express my objections TO a RESOLUTION.
which sincerely regret.-l hope ihcne&t
Convention wlllrescndit.
MARCUS.
- The Editor will be ready TO publish 70
ply Ia The above, o( reasonable bounds-afipr
which, ne should wish the discussion 10 ,erni.
nate in this paper.
a stuffed peiican has been deposited in The