Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1858-10-16
WAROg J1W.
Bv REQUEST.
Br REQUEST.
Circus Dancing School Ballroom Mem
bers of the Church.

q.
The living picture has been recently yisi-
bic. May not one bo allowed to dclinentc
From the origin of Mcthodism until now,
it has been regarded Especially so by the
best authorities and general usagcs Of the
Methodist Church, not only a violation
of the rules of the Church, but violation
Of the spirit of the Gospel of Chrint, for the
members of said Church to patronizo the
circus tho dancing-school, or the ballroom
And even those not of the Church have
entertained tho somc view Of this subject.
TO give an instance: | once knew the
agent going IN advance of the show to set
mp hand bills, and secure entertainment,
on reaching the village whore then lived,
to call at one of the hotels to make the nee
cssary arrangements. On hearing the
terms, objections were raised The landlord
told him to so to the other hotel-he replied
with an oath, thoy are all Methodists there"
This man with all his sin upon him =
whose only business was to create an excite,
mcnt among the people by his advertisements
aud then flch from them their money (for of.
ton not moro than half that is advertised is
really exhibited knew that the Methodist
Church was opposed TO his calling.
When the day came, was glad to sec
NIethodists sustain their character, by stand
ing nloof from suoh sink of damnine sine.
Would that | could say the samo for those
who but recently forfot their VOWS to God and
were found thronging the circus
True, some say they 10 to sec the animals
The whole case considered, NE think this no
valid cxcuso-for every one possessed of per-
ccption must long since have discovered that
the animal department is very imperfect
thlng--and is Cotton up mainly to gull church
members! While they are pondering over
their disappointment, ON comes the circus and
then they must see out tho full value of their
money
Will Mcthodsts continue to support set
of men famed for their wickodness 4 crowd
who leave stencil behind them wherever
they so Withdraw from and lot them bo
driven to seek some honorable avocation for
livelihood or literally fall amid their own
corruptions Have no fellowship with such
foul offenders
at two places not moro than fourteen miles
apart the recent show collected some thou
sandor twelve hundred dollars at least-what
think you will be done for missions at the
Famc points2
When, in all our history, did tho rules and
workings of Mcthodism sanction dancing?
Never for once. We are not going to discuss
the doubtful propriety of suffering the chill
drcn and young visitors to dance to the note
of the violin or piano in the parorl We arc
not going to discuss the liability of forming
there taste for more exciting scenes Do
you as parents doubt? Then avoid the evil !!
1Iark! IIark tho sound ofmusic and dan
cling is heard But where? O! have YOU not
heard? Heard what? We have n dancing
school and some ftho Mcthodists are sending
their children! Now, can this be SOP
1t is surely violation of the rules of their
church for Methodiste to send their children
tn t,o "A 90, - II
of tho spirit of the Gospel also. And few
young Mcthodists have beon influenced to go !
They have certainly gono at very great sac
riiice OF their christian character
Incse things are and come endcnvnr
to maintain that it ia useful and necessary,
as it prepares young people to appear in So
cicty. Are VIC dependent upon some Fronch
dancing master, or any other, to prepare onr
ehildron to appear to advantage? Ko Let
them be instructed in tho rules of propriety
of fcOurse--but not by a dancing master.
But, above all, let them be instructed in
the knowledge and love ofGod" This will
prepare them to appear to tho very beat advan-
tage-" None can be truly great who are not
truly good" Who would be willing to go
from the merry dahce TO the Judgment seat of
Christ? With the love of God in the soul,
the tinid female can meet death with smile
In the village of ---, some short time
SINCE w we are rightly informed, Mt least
five or six hundred dollars were paid to tho
dancing master for service rendered--Que-
ry-what will they give this year for the sup
port of missions among the destitute, in or
der that souls may be prepared to appear
"clad in white" with the redeemed?
Having learned to dance at the school, tho
ballroom must be frequented to display the
talent for dancing. The tendency of such
exercises is to c"il--both nainral or physical
and moral. Natural evil is whatever may be
opposed to the perfection of q natural being
as blindness, disease, death, etc. Moral evil
is the act of moral agent, in violation ofthe
rule that determines che quality of his action
that rule is the claw of the Lord" None
can deny that the sudden transition from the
heat and excitement of the ballroom into
cool, damp night air, has brought en- disease
and deathin many instances.
How many wrecked constitutions are liv-
Ingpietures of this factt And .eyond this !;
defect fltysicGt and mental is cntailed upon
an unofiending offspring. The immoral ten
dency OF tho ballroom cannot be questioned.
When did such an assemblage, ere they COM
menccd the dance, ask God 10 bless them in
the act. The whole drift of influence is to
hngodlincss, and sometimes to an excitement
that lends to gross immoyraitics.
For Methodists to attend the dance is to
subject themselves to remark for having yio-
lated their vow to God--and the church. Is
there not risk Of reputation here, even from
the Judgment of the world? AS Methodists