The daily press. (Cincinnati [Ohio) 1859-1859, 1859-04-07
AmuSements.

| jesuit father "do l commit sin if 20
! to the opera Of Les-?' "MoN ENFANT," "
answered the good father, "that is q oues-
ton which you yourself should answer" 1"
ICatholic Review.
1t must be confessed that whether sat
isfactory or not to his interlocutor, the
response of the ''good father" was emf
nently within the line of safe prece-
dents-not very likely to give unneces-
sary ofense but as the reply to serious
question, standing alone, it can hardly be
looked upon as possessing the clearness
desirable in the teachings of spiritual
director In short, it is slightly Jesuit
ical-a thing which, taking its author into
consideration, is not perhaps to be won
dered at The old gentleman was friend
Of the family, and knew that the young
lady had set her heart upon the opera;
and what could he do? ,...
The notions of the venerable ecclesi-
astic-if we are to judge by the context
when they are found-are evidently in
tended to mean, that what is good for
one may be bad for another-an indul-
gence which, with this man or woman,
would be sin, might, with another, be
blameless or even praiseworthy; that it is
not the nature of the act, but the charac-
ter of the person that makes the differ
ence between right and wrong, guilt and
holiness. There is reason to fear that
this is not very safe doctrine to carry
into general practice. In its application
it has been productive of results some
times funny, sometimes perplexing, and
sometimes melancholy. When men or
women arrive at that condition of sane
tity that they are no longer able to com
NIT sin-that whatever they do is, in con-
sideration of their holiness, right-expe-
rience has shown that they are very apt
to do things that are, to say the least, un-
seemly in appearance, and not little
likely to create disturbance in families
and society
In religious point of view, to 20 to
the opera is wrong Or it is not, and that
without respect of persons If it is right
for one to go, it is equally so for another;
and if true sense of duty to COP re-
qunes of me to stay away, the same rule
is Of obligation upon all. The world
even the religious world-has, at least in
theabstract, given its assent to the doctrine
that amusements are lawful: leaving the
question what, or how far they are so, to
be settled by individual practice or opin-
ion The rigidly righteous admits the
principle, but taboos, in detail, every ex-
listing mode of recreation; while the ir-
religious and perverse, caring little about
the principle, consult their tastes in re-
spect to the kind, or 60 indiscriminately
to all. There are none that are admitted
on all sides to be holy. Modes of amuse-
ment rise to suit prevailing demands,
moving out of the spirit and tastes of the
people, and--unless they are employed
Is lures to the indulgence of some spe-
,ial vice'-are all nearly alike in point of
There is practice which originated in
the Eastern cities, that has been pretty
employed to give a sort of
divine character to places of public
amusement, and smooth the way to their
portals for people whose consciences are
inclined to be unnecessarily skittisb. In
several instances the halls of theaters and
opera-houses are opened on Sunday even
ngs to popular clergymen, who discourse
of righteousness, temperance and judg-
nent to come, to congregations of the
oious, and thus exercise and drive away
sending them, perhaps, to- the old limbo,
he Red Sea--all those spirits of wicked
ness which have been hitherto wont to
larbor in such retreats, and imparting a
,avor of devotion that, doubtless, extends
o the secular performances. 1t is not
necessary to speak in commentator Of
his custom or otherwise. Whatever be-
ZONES fashionable at the East usually
ravels in this direction; and it is not i'm
possible that, before long, we may find it
laturalized among us