The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1844-12-19
InrR 70 pluE.

under his pastoral charge 10 absent .hen-
selves from ban dat took place in the
parish. received ne following anonymous
note.
Sir; Obey ihe voice Of Holy Scripture.
Take the following 60 your lexi, and
contradict IL. Show Ia what consists the
evil of thal innocent amusement Of dane
ING. ErrIes. Iii. Z. "A Time Ia wcep, ana
Iime 70 laugh: linie 70 mourn, and 4
ume 10 dance.
..fr9 chns'iuH, baf no lypoerifs.'
The Minister immediately wrote The
following reply. which be inserted in =
periodical Publication:
Mr. DEaR Sra Tor MADAs.)-
request that ! would preach from Eccles.
III. 4. l cahnH comply with Al present.
since there are some Christian duties
mole important than dancing. which a
pArt Of my people seem disposed 70 neg
lect.
Whenever ! perceive. however. thai
the duty 0f dancing i too much neglected,
I shall not fail % raise warning voice
AGAINST so dangerous an omission.
In lhe meantime there are cerlain die
fcullics in the text which YOU recommend
% nv notice, the solution Of which
sho1ld receive with gral.tule fsom a
.Tm. chrisi;an.'
Nv irst hlIiruliy respects The fime for
dancing; Con although the text declares,
lha, there is, a time 10 dance, Yet when
that time is, il does not determine. Now
this point ! wish 10 ascertain exactly, be-
fore I preach upon the subject for il
would be as criminal, | conclude. 10
dance al the wrong lime. IS 10 neglect 10
dance n the right time. ! have been
able 10 satisfy myself in some particulars.
when il is R9f "a time 20 dance We
shall agree, ! presume, that on the Sab
balh-day. Or At q funeral. or during the
prevalence at pesnlence, Or the rocking
vi an earthquake, or the roaring Of lhnn-
der.storm. il would be no time 10 dance.
A. we were condemned TO die and were
waiting in prison the day Of execution,
this would be no time for dancing; and ii
our feet stood on slippery place, beside
precipics, we should not dare 70 dance.
But suppose the very day 10 be aseer-
iaine.l is the Whale day or only part 20
he devoted IN this amusement! Aud II a
par. of il only, then which part Is the
time to dance From the VIGOROUSLY
pernicious effects OF night mseiiag,,' in
al ages. both upon morals and health, no
one will pretend that evening is the tilne
10 dancc;' and perhaps il may be inmate
rial which proportion Of the daylight. is
devoted TO thai innocent amusement.
But allowing the iihne 10 be asceftained,
there il still an obscRiiy in the text.
Is il commali 10 dance or only per-
nsissian? Dc is il merely declaration OF
t!le Fact, that As men are constituted, thee
is a time when nil the events alluded to
il the text do in the providence of God
come to pass! Ii the text be a command,
is il oil universal obligation, and must .old
men aud mlidens. yoang men and chill
dren.' dance obedience! liza permission.
does il imply permission also 10 refrain
from dancing, il any are disposed! Os.
il the text he merely declaration tha,
there is a time when men do dance, as
there is time when they die, then |
might as well he requested 10 take the first
eight verses of the chapter. and show in
what consists the evil Of those .innoeent
practices OF hating, AMI making war. aud
killing men, for which il seems, there is a
'time.' as well rs for dancing.
There is still another difficulty in the
text which just now occurs 10 me. What
kind of dancing does the text intend; ioT
1t is certainly matter Of no small conse,
qaenca 10 a strua Christian, TO dance in a
scriplural manner as well as at the scrip
iural time.
Now, TO avoid mistakes on a paint oI
such importance. | have consulted every
passage in the Bible which speaks oI
dancing; the most important OF which
permit me to submit TO yonr inspection.
Exod. XIV. 30. And Miriam the Pro-
P"VVsNs tttC SlsteI u fdtpt, WYNN 3" 'aa
brcl in her hani. and all the nomen went
cut after her with ,imbrels and with dan
ces.' This was on account of the over
throw Of The Egyptiansin the Red Sea.
Judges xi.3l. The daughter oil Jep'
tIIah, came out 10 meet him with timbrels
ani with Dances This also was on ac'
count oil ia victory over the enemies Of Is
rael.
Judges xxi. 81. The yearly feast u
Shiloh, was a feast unto the Lord ~
which. the daughters ofShiloh went iorti
IN Dances This was done as an act o.
r'llgious-worship. ~rz
9Sam. vi. Ia, 30. sAnd David danced
before the Lord with all his might. bu'
The irreliyious Michel, 'cama out to NEE lf,
David, and said, how glorious was .tht
king of Israel to-day, who uncovered nm
self to-day in the eyes Of the hand,nialos
Of his servants as one ofthe vain followers
shamelcssly uncovereth him5 )!
Dancinu II seams. wass acred rue