Morning journal and courier., 1883-02-16
COMMUNICATIONS.

some questions 10F ssA OOn2F0&at4Onal Pastor.''
 To the Editor of the JOURNAL AND COURIER:
 The point insisted on by 'tA Congrsga ton Pastor," in your issue of the 18th, thai true religion consists not in the doing of cer tain things and the not doing of certai1 others, but in new life, the inspiration oi which IS love to God and love to man, is O. prime consequence, and hence demands re iteration and constant emphasis. But it Ii not quite easy to see how this most valuable principle bears upon the specific question ot the propriety or non-propriety of certain amusements. Your correspondent of course does not wish us to conclude that since per sonal Christianity is an inward life all out ward action are ''things indifferent" but if not so, then all such actions, including amuse- ments, are to be judged of and approved or condemned on their merits. Being takes precedence of doing with Him who sslooketh on the heart'' and ''desireth truth in the in ward parts" yet, doing is by no means 8 matter of indifference. Being is the tree, and doing the fruit; and ''the tree is known by it's fruit" because the fruit is the out growth of the nature of the tree.
 The discussion of the amusement question is often confused by failure to discriminate between that which is sin in itself, and that which is morally harmful in tendency. It is claimed that the fathers preached against dancing, card playing, theatre going, etc., etc., as essentially wicked. Perhaps some of them did. Others doubtless fathomed the philosophy of the question as fully as we do; but as practical men, they did not stop to philosophize, but fought the things that op. posed the Gospel, and God was with them, and thousands won by their ministry lived and died rejoicing over their deliverance from these ''snares of the devil" as they called them, but which are now set forth in certain quarters as Christian privileges. If we are wiser as philosophers than the fathers were, heaven help us to be as brave and faithful as ministers of Christ.
 The real question is, what is the general effect and tendency of indulgence in that class of amusements which is under chal- lenge? There is however, another more clements of the nature are exercised, grati- fled and stimulated by the amusement itself and it's accessories, and by the associations to which it invites The last I do not pro- pose to touch now, and the first is too large for full and satisfactory investigation here but as contribution toward so desirable an end will be glad to attend to the questions proposed by your correspondent, after which beg leave to suggest a few for his consider ation. He asks ia candid answer" q. } "Whether in those families where these amusements are induiged in by parents and children together they have proved vicious in their tendency ?" <tThese amusements" is little vague, but as he mentions card-play- ing and dancing in another place he probably refers to these here, and we have to reply that so long as theY'are indulged in by parents and children together" exclusively, I personally know of no case where the result has proved disastrous, but then I never knew of case where the conditions named limited the prac- tice.
 70 srDo oanbIers and dissir,atad ,s,a,, come most frequently from those familiar in the domestic circle with these amusements, and to whom game of cards or an hours dance iss no more than checkers or blind mans buff" Again it is difficult to answer from observation, but probably the question will yield to the efforts of what Kant calls "The.. Pure Reason" On this ground, since we cannot conclude that the very simple pastimes alluded to give any threat of devel- oping evil characters,s so an irresistible logic compels the conviction that gamblers and dissipated men are not likely to grow up in those circles where cards and dancing are tho more" than checkers or blind mans bud.
 FsAre they not rather''- '-i. e., tsgamblers, c.,''-s recruited from those who have nev- CT had legitimate provision made for inno- cent indulgence in these anausenents at home ?" Once more let us hasten to ackno wledge the probability that those who have never had s'leg1timater provision made AOE 4uAOCC4t uAuu4ks5k4CG sU1 HAAOAAS@ kAAHJs O0 in quite equal danger of becoming gamblers, etc., with those to whom .tcards and dancing are TO more than checkers or blind mans buffn p 2
 These are all of the direct questions sub mitted for sscandid answers" i" and it is cer tainly not little curious that .'A ConGrega- tiona1 Pastorn should hedge every one of them with such an enormous and palpable PetiSo Priacipsii Blessed is the man who can ask questions in his own way. Every thing but the verities of mathematics must give way before him, and logic stands no chance at all. But there is a question of value aimed at though not asked in the series noted. An observation of thirty years bears testimony that the ranks of the immoral of both sexes are recruited mainly from families where there has been but little restraint and no instruction in the matter of amusements somewhat from those where there has been some restraint and a little instruction, and least of all (indeed, personally cannot re- call easel from families where the alnuse- ments under discussion have been interdicted; and the reason has been kindly and repeated ly urged that it was not because they were in and of themselves sinful, but because they cultivated, by exercise, stimulation and asso-