Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1858-07-22

3ht vi . AASo ~
for the moderate indulgence of q dance as On
amusement "Comus," in his reply to this Of
July ID, takes the ground, that he ''by no meaps
admits that dancing [ss IN amusement] is sin;
and says of this, ''that is the very point Of contro'
versy'' between ua. He does not admit that 'each
dance becomes an experiment" Of the morality OF
said dance. And his standard for the moderate
indulgence in q dance, is "one to two o'clock" at
night-the perception of right end wrong in the
daucers-the province Of reason [inthe dancers I"
control 1.-THE excess and that a dance like eatingJ
may ''be INDUCED in until the appetite is satisfied"
1 answer: perception of right and wrong" and
''reason," to find excess in dancing implies q rule
for action and the only rule he has given here is
a satisfaction of appetite. so that his position
here is, eDancing as On amusement Is not sin, and
it is lawful to dance in every case until the appe-
tits for dancing is satisfied"
The true point to be issued between us is the
morality Of the underlined dance, as q pleasurable
amusement to man. "Comus" afirms the moral
ity of said dance. I deny. Or I affirm the TN
morality Of said dance, and "Comus'' denies
ITO the law and to the tesmony." The only
stsndard, OF rule of moral action in the sight Of
God, with which I am acquainted, and which
acknowledge, is tho wiN, and word Of God-the
Bible.
.Comus'' pleads for the morality Of dancing as
regulated by the judgment, and good taste Of IN
intelligent, and enlightened community" This is
his standard. I Communities Of men,
however intelligent and enlightened, can neuer
determine by their opinions the morality Of q
dance. This is alone the province of God. Be-
sides, the intelligence, and enlightenment of COM
munities of men are comparative things, and are
v~ariously regarded by different persons in the
same communities, and by different communities
themselves, the one in the relation to another
What is held to be moral in one community, is
held to be immoral by another community, pro.
vided they disagree in one and the same rule for
right action. Thus, "Comus" has no fixed stand
ard, nor can he have one whilst he leaves the mo-
rality of ~"dancing as regulated by the Judgment,
and good taste Of an intelligent and enlightened
community" But I will bear with him a little
while, in order to disposeof the dances which he
adduces, in his own way.
"Comus" recognizes as right dances, those
which he says were danced by the Athenians. and
the people Of England, France, Germany, Italy,
Spain, Switzerland, and the peasautry thereof
He has not shown us that these dances were regu-
lated by 'the judgment, and good taste Of intelli-
gent and enlightened communities" among the
Athenians, and the named countries Of Europe;
nor, has he characterized the dances for which he
here pleads, except that the peasants danced
their dsnces sin the open air." He has not told
US whether these danced their dances on q plank
floor, or on the ground nor, whether these dan
GERS had on shoes, or danced barefooted. Does he
think il in "good judgment, and good taste," to
ho!d dances lin the open dir" Will he defend
such dances here in York;
"Comus' tells us Of the Arcadiaus, whose hos
pitality and piety he says, Polybius ascribes to
their practice of dancing. He speaks favorably
of the dances which these Arcadiaus danced, Of
which I will speak presently also. He tells MS,
that Socrates recommended the dance Of his day
to others, and danced himself when he had be-
come very old. He tells us of "Luciau, Plato,
Aristotle, Ath@ueus, Xeuophon, Plutarch, and
others who wrote in praise Of dances as danced
in their day. .,.
Ianswer: The Arcadians we're not worshippers
of the true God through Jesus Christ but, were
heathens Pagans who never knew the will OF
God as revealed in the Bible, but were ijolators;
their dances, therefore, accorded with their idola-
trous religion, and their '.piety" which was so
helped by their dances was idolatrous piety.-
Shall we initiate them? Again. The whole list
of writer's named by "Comus," who wrote in
praise of the dances of their day, were all heather.
These men though wise in some things, knew
nothing of the Holy Scriptures. Some of them.
thought that this world had never a beginning.
and would never have an end the immortality Of
the soul was not revealed to them some hoped,
some doubted, some disbelieved q future state ;
all to them was dark and dresry, which is now
revealed to US. They had not the will OF God as
their rule of life and manners. Shall we be in
structed in the morality of dances by them who
knew not one syllable Of christian morals? Were
they, and their communities ''intelligent and en-
lightened," 80 as to regulate the dance, and hold
it right, and in good tastef
I think "Comus'' said too much, when be affirm
ed that saH classes" in the European countries
named by him above, s'practiced dancing" ss an
amusement. Since the day when Christianity en-.
tered Europe, thershas been one class there, who
did not and do not new practice dancing; that
class is the experimental, practical Christian the
balance there are as here, were and are the peo-
pie Of the world and seek for and pursue world
" pleasure regardless of the will Of God.
In the Bible history, we find that the dances
were performed among the Israelites, by each sex
separately, and done asa mode Of expression OF
their joy, and gratitude to God, and by his sane.
ton. Thus Jephthsh's daughter ''came out to
meet him, with timbrels and with Dances" after
his conquest of the Ammonites. Judg. IL: "a.
s'The pom,n came out Of all the cities Of Israel,
singing and dancing, to meet king Saul with tab
rets, wit. joy, and with instruments of music"
when David returned from the slaughter Of the
Phili,tines, mot of Goliah as "Comus" has i) 1st
Sam. 1876, mot 20; as "Comus' has it; this
tells about Saul, and the witch at En- .dor). The