The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1879-05-07

scriptures on Inc dance. InelC are. many
who agree with him. In many Of the posi-
lions he takos we agree with him ourselves.
But there arc many, very many, perhaps,
not In his circle or sphere Of life or ours, but
with him entirely as to the business OF his ap-
plicution OF the Scriptures quoted. A great
deal. OF course, depends on our training. Ma
ny things seem to the country people extrav-
Persous OF the middle class, educated at home
and brought up with simple tastes, cannot
take the same Views which obtain in the high
est ranks OF life. There must be allowed u
~ferences of taste and habits and fcellng. The
Church must not undertake sumptuary reg
ulatiOns. She cannot construct her rules Of
discipline to suit any one class, whether the
highest or the lowest or the middllng. They
must be such rs will easily and naturally up
| ply to the different situations In which her
members are found. Her rules OF discipline,
1t is true. must not be made of gum-elnstic ;
but, Oh the other hand, they must not be IRON
works which cannot bend without breaking.
THE ARGUMENTUM AID HOMINEM.
The second observation we make Is, that
the acknowledgements quoted from many nd
v0catcs Of the roundd dance are such as we
have ourselves heard denied by honest and
fair witnesses. Here, again, much depends
on training and character. and both those
testimonies we have received and those quo
ted on the other side may be equally true;
But this much is certain there are men OF
such vicious disposition and such immoral
training and character that every clrcum-
Stance Is to them Il temptation and an Induce
ment. For such men, not the dance merely,
but every other form and mode Of social life
excites evil inclinntions. Moreover, If be-
cauSc OF 1t by some very badly disposed per-
SONS, we are to discipline dnncing, IL Will be
fence out Of all the nmusements which young
people can ever have, however nnoccntIy, to-
getler. There Is no possible coming together
OF the sexes In social intercourse which Will
not be liable to tho objection OF tempting bad
incn to evil.
The third remark which occurs to us Is, that
the Scripture injunction to sobrtcty, an here
interpreted and understood, would apply full
that what is said ;nbout the requirements OF
cc0non,y would call for the discipline Of rich
church members who ride In fine carriages
and dwell In brown stone fronts.
TIE SEXES WE CANNOT MAKE SHAKERS.
y forth suggestion Is, that our creator has
nude the sexes to incline towards one anoth-
or, and 1t Is right that they should. And ev-
cry attempt that Is mad TO bur against these
constitutional tendencies must not only fail,
but react and work evil. a gooddeal OF what
to w preposteIouS for example. the Idea
that young men and young women In society
are required by the Apostle Paul to regard
each oLher with oniy such feelings ~ rs belong
make Shakers of our young people, and must
not try to do H..
Once moro: the weakness Of nil this argu'
lnent from Scripture, SO far, IL, that the deduc'
tion isnUt Of good and necessary consequence
The application made iS not such us Will bear
calm and fair examination, or as will com.
mend itself to the impartial Judgement OF In
telIisent Observers OF human NE ana man nan
any attempt OF this sort to make out It's 1ustl-
1lcatlOn. "
But let MS rccur to an expression quoted nj
ready as to the Bibles conforming dancing
ttop nxtrpsclr ne thn nlun nf {tg rpynlQfi0n
made possible for It," With Difference, W Z
suggest that this language Is Objectionable
1t seems to signify lwhnt VIC know was not de.
signed) that the word is not as complete and
nerfect n rule US might be desired. 1t would
seem TO have forgotten for the that
not only what Is expressly written, but what
ITS necessarily dcducible thcrefronl, Is revealed
the latter iull rs completely as the former.
And some viii be in danger OF receiving the
idea from what tx said thot from the very na-
lure Of the case, however sinful dancing may
he, the revelation made long before 1t was vi.
vented could not possibly prohibit 1t In b per.
lectly clear and distinct way by anticipation,
which position, Of course, Is not fcnnble any
more than 1t Is honorable to the word. Nor
does 1t appear to us that there Is as fellcltous
IL statement us ourautllur usually makes when
lie sets forth what Is the plum adopted by the
Author Of the Bible, as follows This plan
was 80 to prohibit sins which were current l.,
those generations, as to furnish all hOnesl
minds parallels and preccdrnts which would
safely guide them in chasing the sins Of Inter
inventions" 1t Is not "mrallclS and prcce'
dents" so much as principles which the hu-
thor OF revelation has given us for tho guild
ancc of our minds and our ways. Accord
ingly, 1t seems 10 us that no Session. called GA
to discipline a man for wantonly Cutting n
telegraph wire or displtcing IL railroad bar IN
front or u passenger train, would any more &c
to the Bible for IL parallel or y precedent than
for an express prohibition Of these particular
forms of SIM. our standards wnuld make tho
former OF these offences, In several different
forms of expression, II clenr and indiSpulnbl(
violation of the Eighth Commandment, hicl
requires Justice between man and man ; and
they would make the second also, clearly anu
lindisputIbly, IL violation Of the Sixth Com
mandment. There were no telegraph wires
or railroads when the Dccaloguc was given
but the sixth and the Eighth Commandments
have Enthusiastically anticipated tho sins
mentioned, ant no session could pretend thai
there Is any lack OF clear scripture condemia-
ton OF these sins. SO Of I'LL sins the Bible
c0ndemns all possible offences against God or
man, and whatever IL does not condemn, eth
cr expressly or dcductivcly by good cOiise'
qucncc, Is no offence, and must not be made
by man to be an offence. And the difficulty
which SESSIONS tipd as TO dancing, and which
the Westminster Assembly also found was
that H. Cannot be made out to be indiSputably
certain that all dancing can be held TO be III
violation Of the seventh Commandment; ~
that the Assembly of Divlncs were obliged tc
insert that qualifying term, "lasciviors.'
But, fifth. 1t * said that Scripture virtually
includes the modern dance In IN express pro-
Inhibition IN three places, viz, Rom. Kill. IL
Gol. v. y, and Peter ir.3. The first passage
condemns rioting, and the other two rcHci-
ines. And 1t Is added that tho Sixth Com
mandmcnt prohibits suicide, but dancing dc.
I slrOyS both mental and bodily health, which
makes IL doubly suicidal. THIS completes the
argument from Scripture TO prove dancing
sinful.
We have only to remark, with Difference,
that this appears to MS TO be n thorough brcdE
dorm in the appeal to the word. That portion
OF the argument which relates to suicide u
Just II mere general inference not to be relied
on for n moment as q basis OF judicial uiscip'
line. But what OF the three texts? Clearly
they forbid rioting and revealing. And these
offences may accompany dancing; but Is II
safe to affirm that they always ito accompany
it? Car We reason rom riOting and revealing
which are clearly forbidden To oil dancing
to even all round dancing? On page 90 VIC
read ave believe that round dancing. at
least IS 4 sin Of Il very grave character and Il
1iagrant breach OF morals - and again. Oh
page "a, that round dances arc always "un.
lawful and dlsciplinablo In ChriSt's Church
for they are never per SC indifferent, but es-
scntiulIy contrary to the permanent preccpts
OF Scripture, as has been shown" Now, II
any texts Of Scripture have been adduCcd to
! show that round dancing Is essentially sinful
l. ban only he these three; and to affirm thai
these dc so teach Is to affirm that 'round dam
cing'' and ~.'rioting ind revolving arc synOny.
| nous terms. Surely this will be acknowledge
ed by all to be going too far.
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