The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1879-05-07
The Dancing Question.
TO DANCE OR NOT TO DANCE
THAT Is THE QUESTION.

THAT Is The QUESTlUN.
Is Dancing a Sinf--Is it Discip
Unable?
DOCTORS DIFFER:
Rev. II. L. Dabncy, ID. d., says, Yes
Rev. JOnn Il. Adstr, ID. y. says, No
Able Argument by DR.. Adger on the
Negative Side.
From the Aprl No. Of Hr Southern Presbyteri
an Rerisp.l
This is and ever has been n free Journal
From its beginning, some thirty years since,
there has never been amongst even Its editors
Il complete agreement OF opinion on all sub
iccfs. And So It's correspondents ana con
tributors have frequently differed IN the sen
timents expressed by them. Indeed, .oul
Church is by no means at one upo q variety
Of questions which, though not fundamental
are yet frequently of great practical tlnpor.
! lance. Hence the necessity and the value O!
free discussion. This journal clnlms that
during It's whole course 1t has furnished op'
portnnity to thoughtful men for setting lortn
without reserve their varying opinions.
In this very number we arc furnishing nm
Illustration OF the catholic spirit of the Re
riem. One Of our most learned thcologlans.
who Is at the same. time OF our euilorita
corps, uttcrs freely and forcibly his Opinions
on an important practical question which Is
dividing our Church 1T tho present moment
Hc may we'll be rcckoned 70 have made me
strongest, fullest and most Impressive cXhipi,
ton possible OF that side of the qucstloh
which he has espoused. If he has not estanI.
lishcd the doctrine which he advocates, IT
may be taken for granted that 1t cannot nc
established. Having no such claims ns ms "
the attention or respect oil the Cnurch ioi
what we nave to offer, nevertheless we shall
essay to dispute some OF his positions, being
much impressed with the opinion that there
Is danger both to the purity. the liberty, ana
the peace of our ecclesiastical houSchoid from
some Of the views which he has advanced.
TIE POSITION MAINTAINED BY DABSEY.
There are two positions maintained: tho
one that dancing is sinful, the other that 1t Is
an offence to he formally disciplined. on
the first point, rs well as on the second, the
argument Is full, positive, and claborate; ana
the ground taken makes every l'fln Oh tliS
amusement to he morally wrong. There Is q
distinction draw between some forms ana
other forms OF it. so that the SinlulncSs Is
greater in some eases than IN oticrs; Dut II
will not be denied that tho first position
maintained Is condenlnatory III general Oh
all dancing as sinful.
Now we are not and never la been pa
irons OF you "dancing disciples we arc
not and never have been irienhs. adtiiletS,
or apol0gistS of the amusement or dancing In
any of its forms. But this Is not because VIC
are able to accept the first position taken,
which makes all dancing sinful. we nre ON
record as expressing very strong ~dts;tpproDa
ton OF all forms OF dancing between the
sexes, and we still hold the same opinions on
thai subject. But the proposition, That
dancing. considered generally, Is sinful, iol-
lowed rs it is and must be by the other
,r,,,nritinN viz that IT, 1nnSt he FORMALLY
disciplined, presents the subject in q very
different light. Our ground Is, that TINS Is
just one Of those many things which are TO De
condemned and dissuadcd from. but not
made matters Of technical disciple. But. IL Is
attempted to Shew that one has no right to
diSapprove unless one Is so clearly convinced
that Gods word Is against that which, Is dis
approved, rs to be prepared to demand It's dis
| ciplinc by the Church. Now, we admit that
the word is our rule in morals rs in faith. But
the distinction Is clear and warrantablc nc,
tween disapprobntion ana condemnation. anu
formal church discipline based on, judicial
proceedings. IAN individual Christian may
speak or wrile against what Is In his opinion
dangerous. and II pastor may from the pulpit
reason and exhort. and q Session mny war;
or demonstrate. respecting whatever In the
general aspects OF the word seems 10 DC I'M.
proper or injurious. But when that court
comes to acts of technical discipline, the war
rant of the word Is reasonably and rightfully
| required to be much more explicit. This dis
! ~tinction Is made in chapter first Of our pres
ent Book Of Discipline, and Is expressly nd
! mitted on page 3l Of the argument we critl-
else, And 1t has been ack newlcdyed neccsSa-
ry and just by all authorities OH ccclcSiastic-
al discipline.
DISTINCTION SINFUL AND CUES
TIoNABLE ACTIONS.
The distinction is also clear and warrant
able between those actions themselves that
arc to be ~disapprovcd on general grounds OF
Scripture us many persons believe. ana othcr
, t; ,,,c ,,I,ns. r,Nfl,fl mutton fS nYthnr pSnrnSS
In Scripture or else necessarily deduciDlc
therefroni. We call these latter sinful, The
former arc only quest enable, and different
minds will view the IL differently. There
Is card-playing, and .,,catre-gOing, and novel;
reading. and tobacc0-chewing or smoking
and ali use. even the most moderate, Of any
kind Of stimulating drink, and Inner par
tics, and big Suppers, and fashionable dress
and cquipage, and tho wearingOf 4 gold watch,
diamond ring. or other icwelry-ycs, and we
may 70 further and say life insurance. and the
marriage of first cousins and proceeding an
other step. the Use of instrumental music IN
fairs with their many bad accomplishments ;
and going II little further, the use Of stated
supplies for n long period instead of settled
pastors and still further, the establishment
of theological scminaricS; and still one step
more, the Pan-Preshytcrian Alliance Itself
all these, and Il score or two moro OF other
like things, are questionable with many, and
they have been and arc occasions OF earnest
differences OF opinion amongst honest, con
scientious, intelligent Christians, who have
nevertheless all alike adopted the word rs
their only rule. And some OF these thiaGS
have seemed to many to be lully as ooJcction-
able as any form Of dancing. Woodworking
for example, rs practiscd amongst us, Is prob
ably in every aspect quite rs great an evil as
dancing. 1t has lately been said on high au-
thority that"no one SySlcnlatlcaliy rcads thc
average novelette, OF the day and keeps either
integrity or virtue; and thot there arc a mill
ion of men and women In the United State;
to-day reading themselves into hell" And
then the use Of tobacco: who can calculate
the evils Of that practice to health and morals
both 2 These evils are SO manifest, and they
press so heavily IN the conscicnces of many,
that some Churches in these States have been
ready to make either chewing or smoking q
disciplinublc offence. For ourselves, have a
thousand time wished that We had Il Scourgc
Of small cords put into our hands with au-
thority TO go and cleanse our ministry, ana
our membership too, from all this abominable
filth. Blu where arc we to find Scripture lor
making the use OF either tobacco or novels Il
diSciplinnblc offence?
THE ARGUMENT TO PROVE DANCING SINFUL
a SIGNAL FAILURE.
Now, the whole argument to prove that
dancing Is sinful appears To us to nc u signal
failure. while, nevertheless, 1t Is q very sue
ccssful demonstration that dancing, like the
othermatters just named, Is questionable, and
may fairly be held in disapprobatlon BY a con-
Scicntious Bible believer.
What is the line Of argument to prove dan
cling 10 be sinful The first point made Is,
the heather Greeks and Romans are hardly
to be held up rs authority with us Christians
as to what our church courts shall condemn
as sinful. Surely all things were not wicked
which they held to be such. The second PROOF
Is drawn from the condemnation af Christian
antiquity where again it Is justine opinions
of mcn that are quoted. Then. Lhtrdiy, we are
told of modern Christian Judgement and leg
I . ,rl,,.A ,l,i ,tI fl,n N'neItlSnStpr
Assembly, and the Scotch Kirk, and the
American Assemblies including Our OWN
and John Wesley, and Adam Clarke. anu the
General Conference Of the Methodist Church,
and n number OF Episcopal bishops On the
highest character, and various Diocesan Con-
| vcntions of the Episc0pn! Church, and Ger
tain Papal bodice and bishop In America arc
quoted.
SINFUL AMUSEMES.S.
Now let it be observed. that In Calrin's day
Mt Geneva, there were enOrm cNccsScs
prnctiscd under the guise of popular amt'sc,
IncntS. Bungcncr, in his Lille Oh lhiFlh,
says:
Rod, certain things were, when the renhC'
ihcnt of manners has more or less modlica'
Every custom, and therefore, much more, cf,
cry kind of disorder, retained the impress OF
preceding centuries; hence the passions caSl-
~ degeneratcd into british and ulic0uth Gym
icisin. Drunkenness and rcvellilG are now
among the very lowest of the Inferior classes
just what they were then to many OF TIC
higher ranks. There were scarcely any limo
cent pleasures. The dances, for inSlancc-un
those who rcproach Calvin fUr having SO
strictly forbidden them, Know what they
were? They may learn it from these same
registers, which shew us that the said dances
were forbidden long before CitiylnS tine
they may learn 1t also from the registers ol
our courts of Justice fol- they not seldom de
generated into OntrascS on dcecncy which no
respectable government will ever tolerate.
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