Morning journal and courier., 1883-03-06

Christ-like men, who deeply sympathize
 with their fellows in lawful festivities an rebuked all unwarranted Pharisaic restrit
 tions upon personal liberty.
 But it is said that some weak conscience
 are offended by our indulgence in thes
 amusements, and therefore, according t
 Paul's rule, we should refrain from such in dulgence. Now 1t is one thing to offend an
 others conscience; it is quite another thin
 to offend his prejudices I am convince that large share of what has been terme'
 conscience in regard to certain amusement
 has been simply prejudice and caprice. Ant
 the only way any advancement has bee1
 made toward Christian liberty in tho use o | things whose ri9htfulness is to-day R1mos
 undisputed has been by going counter t'
 the prejudices, and continually going, unti the prejudice has given way. Our Lord con stantly gave offense to the Pharisees by breaking over their restrictions, but be wen
 straight along with the whole pack of then ! barking and snapping at his heels. Pauft
 noble principle of self-denial is not that we | should give things up because some persons l object to them or feel grieved by them Ii | it is, the example of Christ is in direct con trayention. It is simply this, that we are to l possess that loving, tender spirit which is willing to make any sacrifice which is for the
 real good of others. It is full of the very essence of the Gospel-''good will toward men, The false interpretation which has often been given to 1t would embarrass all life, hinder all progress. It would have kept society in perpetual barbarism.
 'M," in your issue of February 17th, ex.
 presses wish to hear further from me and
 says, ssgranting, other things equal, that
 dancing is no more sinful than jumping,
 what shall we do about it in relation to the
 church First step, of course, repentance. 9
 By all means. There is room for repen-
 tance The Church has erred in it's indis-
 criminate attacks on the amusements under
 consideration. Positively to forbid thing
 not clearly recognized as wrong cultivates a
 reckIessnees of spirit and prepares the way
 for disobedience." Many ministers and
 members of churches have done this and are doing it. They are responsible for keeping
 thousands away from the Church and bur dening many in the Church, detracting from
 the brightness and sweetness of 8 healthy
 Christian life. I have had sad revelations given me on this subject by excellent Chris tian people. They have told me of the
 blight upon their own lives and of their dread to have their children receive the inn pressions they did in their youth. One of the most eminent Presbyterian pastors in
 New York, the Rev. Dr. Vincent, is reported by the Tribune to have uttered these words not long since in his pulpit 'sThe Church's determination to regard amusements with suspicion, if not with positive dislike, and her failure or refusal to see thst religion is the only power which can safely be trusted to regulate amusement, have cost her dear Iy." An eminent Presbyterian pastor in Brooklyn recently said from his pulpit: q believe the Church of God has made tre- mendous mistake in trying to suppress the sportfulness of youth and drive out from men their love of amusements. If God ever implanted anything in us he implanted this desire. But instead of providing for this demand of our nature the Church of God has for the most part ignored it.. There can be no doubt that the Church in it's atti- tude toward amusements has often misrepre- scented the religion of Christ and done harm Let the Church now adopt a working theory of amusements. Prof Austin Phelps, D. D.. of Andover Theological seminary, we'll says: IA working theory must be theory
 which can be made to seem reasonable to youthful inquiry. We have not carried the conscience of our sons and daughters with us because we have not carried their com mon sense. The Christian theory of amuse- ments is undergoing revision The Puritans' theory of amusements was interwoven with their struggle for religious liberty. Under such irritation it was inevitable that the Pur- itan conscience should grow fanatical. Con science is elastic in more ways than one. It may be we'll enough to revise their theory of amusements for later times and new genera tions The constitutions of States rarely last g century without change Still less should @ popular theory of recreations. We may wisely let up somewhat of the Puritan pressure upon tke nfodAsn oS1SeieAce A These words are pertinent and suggestive. While we honor our excellent Christian fath. CTS, it is not wise to accept and follow all their teachings. We all to day indulge in forms of amusement without scruple at which they would have been shocked, and it is also true they were addictet to practices which would be equally shocking to us. I
 T1.I.- no I quotations from letter of Dr. James ". Alexander He bemoans the worldliness of his day and makes it consist in forms of dress and amusements. He lays, unscriptur- ally I sthink the emphasis of unworld- Illness, on external separateness instead of on the inner spirit Among the amuse- ments then universally den nounced as t'of the world" were billiards. But now they are no longer thus chased at Princeton. Would Dr. Alexander, if living on earth now, bemoan the profigacy of the trustees of | Princeton college and seminary in introduc | ing as they have the billiard table? I think not. He would see that, after all, he had are not essentially worldly just thu same as many other good ministers to day see that dancing and card playing, which they form erly thought sinful are not necessarily so, and just in a few years many who now op- pose them will feel and acknowledge that they COmm1IGSd an errOr III 1Qu1SCE1InlIaB61y condemning them. The sooner, in my opin- ion, the Church places these amusements among the indifferent things which are right or wrong according to the manner they are practiced, will she occupy her true position and increase her influence with the thought fal and intelligent. As to receiving into the Church persons who dance and allowing them, without censure, to indulge in this amusement under 8 sense of personal &C., to God, affirm that their danc- ing should no more be considered than their skating The question and the only question concerning candidates for Church member ship should be, Do they love Christ and give evidence of belonging to him by bring ing forth the fruit of the spirit and con scientiously seeking to regulate all their life to his rule p No others, whether they dance or do not, should be admitted. To insist as a condition of Church member ship on abstinence from any amusements which are not necessarily wrong and which as the persons practice them d 0. not make their characters less Christ-like, is violation of the law of Christian liberty. Every disci- pie of Christ has a right to be in Christs Church, and when we receive such to our ''we do something to benefit and re novate the world.
 ssM" speaks of regenerating dancing before it. I answer, by all means let us reform any wrong practice of this pop
 
 effective way to prevent an abuse is for re- Iigious teachers to mingle to certain extent with the people in all lawful amusements am happy to be able to illustrate this prinei- pie from life. Paul Du Chaillu in his Gland of the Midnight Sum- gives the following pleasing and Instructive picture of life among the Swades, who are very religious people and between whom and their pastors there is 3 special bond of sympathy: 'In the even- ing the pastor of Nora joined us and his presence was welcome to all for it is one of the characteristics of the Swedish clergy that they mingle in the pleasures of the people among whom their lot is cast, witnessing heir simple dance and enjoying their social The clergyman is often seen looking on with 8 smiling face, happy at the tight of his merry and contented flock, and he is often considered an integral part of the family. I was always delighted 1t such scenes, for it was evident that good moral influence was thus exerted over both clergyman and people, producing on the lat ;er pleasant restraining effect and giving to he former an insight into the heart which 10 man can have unless he mixes with hu- nanity." As dwell upon such scene as his one of frequent occurrence in Sweden, | md recall the Christian households where I