, 1881-10-07

stances surrounding It, but X the Sycamore
Conference Is ZIP to tho averaRo VIC are led to
tho conclusion tllat 1t must bu quito common
throughout tho denomination.
TlGru Is n.tulll1r feature uf tic suggestion
which IL somewhat alarming In It's cl,nr.ctcr
llntl tho bishop confined himself 10 the iilcro
Rltttern3 generality tint kissing a'Iuutl not
he inhnige,l IN. II might bo passed over rs
merely curious. but whom he atds that 1t IL
dangerous business, without further expla-
llatF0li, Ito fMparls to ILLS warning nut only
NIL mir oF mystery bul something akin to llOr-
rOr. ur tint feeling OF dread which people
have III tlso presence Ut M indetnnblo 'lat-
per, without nclllg nto to tell why they nre
afrnlsl, or oven In accurately Dcate tho tla,l-
ger 1t will be obscrvc.l that In Ills general
instructions ol, this point tic tlisllop iua,lo
Ito Alluston to lnymen. from which WI ure To
Infer either That kissing is moi prncilced by
layilci,, or that 1t Is not dangerous. a,ld tnt
the element OF ttRtigor nttaces uitly to cler-
iea1 osculation. Why there should be any
distinction Is 4 problem III physical thenlUgy
that can only bo solvet by Mi expert. Tiuro
Is ono thing to DO snid. however, OIL tifs
branch Of the subject. THAT tllo Bishop lis
approves OF It IS cfcar enough, anti lie would
tut nye said It was dangerous Unless e Ind
known tito be stlclI. II he knows 1t to be such,
how does lie k,,owltr Tho 1}tsppis Il n,a,l Ut
many years mid iargc experience, md comcs
from Stnte tint Is up to nl0st everything.
Did lie 8peak from personal knowtctfEo1 If
SO, tl!eM his 0wn experience woltltl have been
stronger warning tl,an tho mere suggus-
t!on, and llo could l,avo moro satisfactorily
explained tho danger.
1t IL II little remarkable, l,owevor, tint
s0sno OF tho victims. versod In Biblical lore,
tlft( not rise and justify themselves, not j,ar-
tlcularly with reference to projected opurn-
tlons in Sycamore, but oil tho general IAct.
per sc. Though most of tile Scriptural testt-
llloily appertains to masculine kissing,
custom more fl0noretl In tic breach thnn III
tho observance, thoro aro not wanting many
precetlellts In tho Scriptures which might
llnae bcen citosl with much force mil direct
hess. and clearly admissible as' evidence In
cxtchuatl0n, II not In absolute Justification
Or even MS hints of positive duty. Solomon,
who was MI adept, though somewhat
carnaily-mlndcd, ndyocatcs tic practice for
tho reason that loya Is better than wine.
Samuel recommends 1t rs mark of
reverence. Paul, who Is tho great cx-
EHaPlhtt uASE5 ~ upuu tHG 1k9tllllSt
Corinthians. and Tlcssalonlans, and Poter is
not slow i'll secondlng tho motion. Tic
former, Indeed, singles out Phebe, nlnt iris
cilln, antl Porsis. md Trypllena, and Ju'ia,
and others to bo snlutcd and thor, ~ II tired
Ut naming individuals, suddenly gives tho
general order t0salute everybody witl,a lsoy
kiss. The brethren, however, lid not avail
themselves Of tl'!s defense, nor did they even
usk the Bishop to discriminate, which tpy
might ],nyo done, for not MI kisses ure
dangerous by any rlcaiis. There Is n,potnt
wllcrea line might tnyo been drawn, for
there aro fervorless kisses TINT are rs l,arl,l-
LESS lis Inst years brtls' nests, and kisses llo
more liAbae to ktntl1o affection than Il pail OF
wafer w0illd be to klntIlp fire. There Is tho
Abbott kiss. also, which Is MI absolute safety
mark, alltl for years las Ind no moro effect
upon Castlu tlan If l,a were fossil trllobfte.
Tlletu are, indeed, plenty OF points To
Which onu can 30 without danger Ut
rastng the storm-stgnal. But ns no ole felt
impellcd to protest against the sweeping In
junction, we are reluctantly led 10 thu con-
clusion that they felt there was danger NIL
along the line. and rerhaps it Is better thut
Sycamore should remain All utkissed conl-
1lu1lity than to be exposed to 1t. There are
some communities, however, where tho de-
rr1yatlon would bo scunly felt and the now
departure made by bishop Wiley would to
regarded rs an u,,Warrantabie innovation
upon a time-hoMorcd custom.