Morning journal and courier., 1883-03-03

1n Iac5 everything that is healthfui ought to
 have 8 sweeter relish to them. They will
 naturally give time to what are called strictly religious duties and which were be-
 fore largely neglected, while all pure
 recreation which is vital factor in life
 will find an appropriate place. I utterly re- pudiate the idea so often presented to young l people that when they become Christians
 natural desire for amusement, which at their period of life glows with special ardor. They
 are to cruelty evil affections and follow Christ in holy obedience and loving heart
 and service to men, thus separating them
 selves from the world, but they are not to be
 should not affect their use, of the amuse-
 ments formerly indulged in, except as that l indulgence was worldly by excess or other l wise. They will naturally play croquet or l checkers or cards or skate or dance or sing 1 for recreation as time from other and more
 serious duties may permit and their health | demand. Perchance they have fictitious and | traditional conscience with reference to some l of these amusements. It is very easy in sea- l sons of special religious interest to create
 such a conscience. The following incident | take from one of our newspapers: 'sSome of the colored children of Washing
 ton having experienced religion have been informed by the mysterious operation of conscience that it was wrong to sing secular songs." They felt, says the delighted spirit
 ual reporter, that aby singing When the Swallows Homeward Fly &Galloping On and Kiss me, Mother, Kiss me Quickly, they
 were not tpraising God from whom all bless ings fow,' and SO they refused to sing them. :" The operation of conscience in this case is less mysterious than may be supposed. These children would never have thought it sinful to sing such harmless melodies as he mentions if their ministers had not so in l structed them. It is pitiful thing to put burdens like these upon the consciences of children white or black. This incident is deeply suggestive and widely illustrative. In reply to the third question of Mir. H.,
 would say that have not consulted statis- tics, but I have the impression that during the last thirty years the number of divorces in Connecticut has increased. I deny, how ever, that this is the result largely of changed views concerning amusements. think facts will show that divorces are as frequent in churches which hold and teach severe views on amusements as in churches in which what are termed broader views prevail concerning them. How many divorces take place among the members of the Roman Catholic Church2 How many more are there in the Episcopal than in the Methodist Church? /?
 The fourth question of MT. H. is evidently asked with the impression and insinuation that the churches which allow the so-called worldly amusements have fewer additions than those which condemn them. am happy to have some figures which prove just the contrary, and trust MT. H. will study them attentively. Looking over the statistics of many of our leading Congregational church es in Connecticut find the recent additions fully up to the standard of former years. The Methodist Church, of which believe MT. H. is minister, holds what may be termed the extreme conservative view of amuse- ments. The Episcopal Church, it is well known, holds the most liberal view. Now
 
 on the prosperity of the churches from the numbers added-and this is the test MT. H. suggests-we find, according to statistics furnished by the Rev: I. J. Lansing at re- cent Methodist State convention held in Hart ford, that the increase of membership from 1870-S0 in the Episcopal churches of Con necticut was nearly double that of the in crease in the Methodist churches of Connec- ticut. Increase of members in the Episcopal church, 4,661 in the Methodist church, g. 548. Rev. Mir. Lansing called special atten- ton to this factof the more rapid growth of the Episcopal Church. The percentage of increase during this time, according to his figures, was greater also in the Congrega- tional body than in the Methodist. From these facts it is evident that the churches lin which the views of Prof. Baldwin and Congregational pastor have obtained'' do not suffer but rather proper"
 Do gamblers and dissipated men come most frequently from those familiar in the domestic circle wik1a these- -azazEesasrt9-<aaa- to whom game of cards or an hours dance is no more than checkers or blind mans buff ?" MT. H., though not prepared to say that they do, still evidently thinks the probi- bition of such amusements in the house the safer plan. Rev. MT. Munger has some very suggestive words on this point. Speaking of cards he says: Their abuse is immense, but they have use that is at least allowable. An abuse ought not to be suffered to destroy a use except in rarest cases. It is not the way to prevent evil. The wiser way is to separate them by some principle of common sense. In this matter the distinction is easily made. As a household amusement what can be more innocent ? In point of fact boys who from the first are accustomed to cards commonly outgrow them or hold them as of slightest moment. But stolen bread is sweet and many boy has been morally broken down through yield ing to well-nigh irresistible temptation to play an innocent game that was prohibited as sinful in his home. There is an amazing lack of practical wisdom in this matter. I cannot persuade my boys to join me in game of whist, said respectable gentleman of his grown-up sons. His neighbor forbade cards q take this twofold note from life) and his four sons grew into gamblers. Gamesters do not come from households in which games are the trivial sports of child hood" My observation accords with this statement. I have known cases, one, since writing my last article, where prohibition of this amusement as sinful has sent forth sons from home into evil associations and result ed in their ruin and the bringing down of loving hearts in. sorrow to the grave. Anoth- CT eminent minister has said ttIt is not play ing cards at home that hurts young man. It is playing cards and representing that he doesn't that hurts It is sneaking out of the back door that hurts young mem I dare ,nf fouu huo fu1 nh aT16 cf11du preach indiscriminately against dancing and card playing. I have, in strongest language, denounced from the pulpit their abuse To take any other course than that of careful discrimination is, believe, unwise and in creases what is harmful in connection with them. I remember too the words of the prophet: 'tWoe unto them that call evil good and good eo1."
 Mr. H. briefly refers to dancing as ''culti- vating by exercise, stimulation and associa- ton parts of our nature which need to be re- strained and kept under watch and guard" He certainly will not make this statement concerning GLI dancing, and if 1t pertains to only certain forms of dancing why not draw the distinction? It is quite customary to say that round dances are open to this objection. I think that with base men in low circles and associations they may be- as indeed ln all amusements among them which bring the sexes together, but in the circle of my par 1Sn1Oner5 WnO practlc6 them l unlC6 WlIn Dr. Hawes in saying, With all my heart endorse the statement of him who says We would defend the purity of many who are known to participate even in the round dance of modern society. regarding ita white as the driven snow.'" In paper read by Prof. R. O. Bowling, of the University of Louisville, at the Church Congress held in New York, find the following words which may throw some light on this debated point: 'tI do not stop to mention what may be said against the German and round dancing, but what may be urged in it's behalf must in honesty transcribe. In regard to it's attitudes have questioned young men skilled in round dances as to whether the assertion that they excited immodest thought was true, and the answer has iaocor5abEy been that they were too busiIy engaged with the measure and the guidance of their partners to have room for such thought" The principle will doubt less apply here, "To the pure all things are pure"
 The point endeavored to make clear in my former article but which Mr. Fl. fails to grasp, is that Christianity consists in the principle of love to God and man, and the test