Smyrna times., 1871-04-12
from the New York Tribune OF the 9th inst.I
Sinful AmuSementS and Methodism.


We are especially pleased to notice the pro-
gress made by our Methodist friends in their
views of the amusements hitherto prescribed
by that church. The expression Of opinion
in the Association of Clergy held in Newark
last week was, tor the most part, more liberal
and soundly grounded on philosophic princi-
Piles than we would have hoped from a body
of men usually noted for strict adherence to
their hereditary and narrow code. The lead
ing members Of the Conference have evidently
mad their eyes couched, and enough Of the
daylight in the nineteenth century has crept
in to show them wholesome and pure elements
in the theater, in novel reading, in modest
dancing, and in healthful outdoor games.
They frankly acknowledged their conversion
while they continued to protest against the
abuses to be found in each. There were, of
course, equally sincere and honest men to op
pose them, who detected Satans hOOf and
tail in every human employment outside of
! legitimate work and church going. " Nine
| tentl;s Of our amusements being sinful, " said |
one Of these, " it is best to forcgo the other
tenth"
We attach more importance to this discus
sion than perhaps at first sight, it seems to |
warrant The Methodist fraternity, as we OBJ |
served the other day, includes vast and pow
eriul body Of our people being an accretion,
for the most part, of the working, intelligent
HlIuuit claSS IL Is Especially OeSlTaOle lhdI
its leading ideas on social morality should be
free from bigotry and prejudice and no sub
ject trenches at the present time, more deeply
on the moral or mental health of the people
than their lack Of wholesome, liberalizing
amusements. Now, Church bodies are proven
biay slow to apply the divine yet practical
truths of Christianity of which they are the
keepers to varying everyday popular Qxigen-
cies They are led by political and social re-
| rtf tboV, HOY laa ba
of which Isl we suppose, that each sect, al
though the bearer of a banner which should
r place her i'll the van OF every reform In
a thought or practice, still wears and is ham
G rered by whatever peculiar doctrine or opinion
t formed once her swaddling- clothes. lfa Church
e had Its BIRTH in protesting with bloody testl-
e mony against any tenet or practice, she
8 naturally exaggerates it still, after centuries
have passed, as the chief evil on earth. To
IS Christians outside of the churches the ques-
,, tons of apostolic succession, dipping OF
l. sprinkling, elders and bishops, plain language
e and shad -belllcd coats, are feather-weghts
d mere tithes of mint, anise, and cumin, com
lie pared with the eternal tragedy Of debaseC
N human nature striving to rise to an almighty
a ALLOWING God and every year we hope brings
rs this profound conviction home to the churche
TO also This very matter of amuSementS is the
e. peculiar Jefe noir Of the Methodist Church
c. Dissipation and wantonncsS of English society
n, terrified the Church into existence in the frs
1g place 1t is hardly to be expected therefore
he that it should be able to regard the subjec
he even now with a cool unprejudlced eye. Bu
he our Methodist brethren should be able to pei
of ceive the difference between the cancerou
to luxury of an enervated court aud the abSolut
", necessity of relaxation, both physical an
&C. mental, for a people nervous, bilious, an
ID, over-wOrked as are the Americans. Cl
70 matte influences are more eXhaustlng in th
le- United States th1n in Europe. There is
ry- every class the feverish struggle for money {
success unknown in any other country. III
he whole nation, male and female, is posseSSc
10 by demon OF unrest and anxiety. The high'
It's, we ascend in the social scale the more inten
ad- is the strain upon body and brain The amt
ich tiouS professional and business man rare
md takes breath to enjoy the wide life God h
hat opened one day is but burden scarce
,Ir. lifted before another falls upon him. VIII
lily this is true it Is also true that there IS
tbs other people among whom amusement Is
led little understood or practiced. The luevlt
lch Bile consequence follows. You might as W
cial try to choke burning geyser as to shut dov
We man or wOman's whole nature into none
ood making or church going. There is an exec
eet- of animal spirits, a heat in the blood viii
for- will find vent. The Italian sings; the Frenc
her man dances; the Nun and Methodist, who C
her neither sing nor dance, fall into frances a
own see heaven Opeueu ny tue ald VI HySIelid d
of cataicpsy The American far has fou
ugh hisescape-valve in whisky He drinks 81
1t keen-sighted foreigner lately, " not for soc
Of enjoyment, but as physical necessity, tOrei'
OF apparently some actual cerebral overstrair
that One of the clcrgymen in Newark stated tn
and I'm consequence of the love of dancing, ev
nor third child borned in France is ilegitmat
ircle Our friend should be sure of his facts. Pa
more it is true has the vices peculiar to all the gr
Q re- rendezvous for strangers in the world. ]
not French and Irish rural population, who am
very themselves heartily more than any other p
dom plc are :he chastest in Europe; the least
we'd, are the Swedes, whose sole relaxation is
the own-whisky.
ople We trust the time will soon come when
cep. Methodist brethren will be led to follow
Ders. common sense of mankind in believing t
in a whatever tends to keep the animal in n
lung in checEgand develope his higher nature, wi
and ever makes him better appreciate his brot
have man, and more thankful for the bcauti
ext joyful world he lives in, is for the glory
very Cod whether it be hymn or sermon, nc
exis- dance, or drama.