Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1879-05-15
Religious Questions Dancing.

Religious Questions-Dancing.
In the April number of the Southern Pres5y-
terian Rruiew DR.. Adger publishes On able reply
TO tho Rev. DR.. Dabney on the question whether
dancing is sin, and as such disciplinable by
the church-a practical question, which more or
less divides oil the Protestant churches of tho
country. DR.. Dabney advocated in previous
article the affirmative Of these questions and
DIR. Adger presents the negative side in his
article. Dr.. Adger maintains that on q number
Of questions of practical importance, but not
fundamental, the church differs, and that this
difference and free discussion is tho best guide
to truth and correct conduct. Dr.. Dabney
lays down and endeavors to maintain two pro-
positions: First, that dancing is sinful, and
second, that it is au offence to be formally dis
cplined. DR.. Adger controverts both these
propositions in their general scope In doing
this he states distinctly that he is no patron Of
your "dancng disciples" nor has hc ever been
friend, admirer or apologist of the amusement
Of dancing in any of its forms, but on tho CON
trary asserts that he is on tho record rs ex-
pressing very strong dsapprobaton of all
forms of dancing between tho sexes, but this is
not because hc regards oil forms of dancing
sinful and proper subjects Of discipline. lie
maintains there is no specific warrant of the
word for thesc propositions. He says truly
there is clear distinction between disapproba.
tion and condemnation, and formal church dis
cipline based on judicial proceedings. a
Christian "may speak or write against what is,
In his opinion, dangerous, and pastor may
from tho pulpit reason and exhort, and session
may warn and demonstrate respecting whatever
in the general aspects Of tho word seems to DO
improper and injurious. But when that court
comes to acts of technical discipline the warrant
OF the word is reasonably and rightfully re-
quired to bc much moro explicit" lie then
draws distinction between questionable and
sinful actions, or those which "are disapprovcd
on general grounds of Scripture, as many per-
sons believe, and other actions whose condem
nation is either express in Scripture or olso
necessarily deducabc thercfrom." Tho latter
arc called sinful and the former questionable,
and different minds will Wow them differently.
"There is theatre going, card playing and novel
reading and tobacco chewing or smoking, and
all use, even tho most moderate, of any kind of
stimulating drink, and dinner parties and big
suppers and fashionable dress and couipape.
and tho wearing Of gold watch, diamond ring
and other jewelry-~yes, and wo may 90 further
and say life insurance, and tho marriage of first
cousins. and proceeding another step, the use of
instrumental music in public worship in Gods
house, and Of church fairs with their many bad
accompaniments, and other like things aro
questionable with many and furnish occasions
OF earnest differences Of opinion amongst honest,
Oaoia l;ono ;,jo ~
have adopted tho word as their only ruc.'
Many OF these practices arc hold as Objectionable
as dancing in any of its forms, and the writer
truly says that novel reading as practccd is
fully as great an evil, high authority having
recently said that ''no one systematically rcads
the average novelette, of tho day and keeps
either integrity or virtue, and that there
are million of mon ard women in tho
United States to-day reading themselves into
hoil." Aftor discussing some of tho other
questionable practices, hc concludes that The
whole Of the argument to prove dancing sinful
only demonstrates 1t to bo questionable and a
practice which may fairly bo hold in disappro-
baton by the conscientious Bible believer. Tho
writer scatters the arguments drawn from
classical antiquity and conlroyerts the idea that
Calvin favored discipline for dancing as IL Is
now understood and practiccd in society. Calvin
know how ."to point out the inoonsidcratc zcol
for righteousness Of even good men," and how
TO condemn thoir excessive morosoness and ther
too rigorous severity. IIc could quoto from
Augustine show the pious and placid should
mercifully correct what they can in The church,
but bear patiently what they cannot correct,
in love 'amenting and mourning until God eithor
reform and correct, or at the harvest root IN
the. tates and scatter The ohaff." And in refer
ence TO drunkenness, 80 forcbly condemned in
the Bible, which in Africa was common With
impunity, Calvin approved tho declaration Of
Augustin in council called to provide rcmcdv
"ln my opinion such things are not removed by
rough, harsh and imperious measures but moro
by teaching than commanding, moro by admon-
ishing than threatening" The writer holds that
discipline is not 10 DO oxeroised whom tho publ;o
sentiment does not sustain II as wise and good
and even then only where the offence is tho sin
OF tho few. Preaching is the remedy. Disci-
pline should never be used hastily, as Il js n
dangerous remedy in unskilled hands, sinalo
case Of error often splitting Aourishing church
into factions. Dr.. Adger aftcr citing authorities
against discipline, defining the powers Of tho
session md showing that The church has no
opinions, and discussing certain things which
aro questionable, ms life insurance and the
moderate use Of liquor, but not formally pro-