The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1894-07-15

view H
Ought Not to Play.
To large number of clergymen the
question has been propounded, Ought a
Christian to indulge in social card-play-
ing?' Several of the answers will be
found below.
BISHOP HURST.
Bishop Hurst, of the Methodist Episco-
pal church, and one of the leading lights
of that denomination. writes as follows:
In reply to your highly-esteemed favor,
1 would say that after my conversion
felt that could not conscientiously play
cares any more. 1 felt no desire, in fact
for the game. I think that Christians
s,ould look at the question of card-play-
ing with regard to its associations as well
as directly. No one can deny that those
associations are on the wrong side Gam
bling and other bad practices are indis-
solub.y connected with card-piaying
Then again, even some protesting
Christians feel that they can play cards
without any injury to themselves, they
should remember that others may be in
1ured by doing so, and that those others
may be led to play by the force of ex-
ample. and lose their hold on the higher
AACL5 bOOs lQ6Te Is QOuDC
about caEd-playing In the minds Of any
Christian would it not be safer and better
Tor ali Christians to refrain from it and
seek. instead, other amusements which
no one could possibly take any exception?
IN my. Judgment such would be the wise,
Christian course. Yours very truly,
JOHN +. HURST.
REV. HENRY M. FIELD.
Rev. Henry NJ. Field, the well-lnown
CiErERfI1HT. lecturer and V1yritaTs
pear from his appended letter to be con
The fence" as the politicians say on this
question:
think It is better to leave such cues
tons as you propose to the conscience of
es.ch individual and the counsel of some
good pastor. The whole subject OF amuse-
Christian TO deal with, and always has
been. There is q great deal more freedom
with regard to them now than there was
generation ago. The statutes of the
colonies of Plymouth and Massachusetts
Bay forbade all games of chance "except
s;sckIg 9a and bowls" and all mu-
PET and 1ewsharp" The inhabitants of
those colonies-colonies no louger-at the
present. time indulge in quite a number
OF games ana play upon quite a. number of
musical instruments besides those named.
Some excellent men now permit in their
1 IL what they would once have
Inougn( wholly inconsistent with their
christian profession. But there is always
danger Of going too far and of wo1lndinp
the conscience of others. Therefore to
che who Is perpleXed about the matter 7
Moulo say; 1T is better to lean to the
Caflst does not wrench the amusements
OF tnis world away from the Christian
DuI gives him something better in 11Iace
OF them, and that the reason he himself
does not 90 to a theater is because he
mas sometime better to do. Very sincere
ly your friend,
HENRY NJ. FIELD.
REV. w HOWARD FURNESS.
Rev. W. Howard Furness, the eloquent
Unitarian divine and Shakespeare
lows: iOi-
Innocen' amusement is as necessary to
ne heaith OF both body and soul as work
backgammon used TO be called the min
listers game Cards are as innocent as
backgammon.
Are you not able to tell whether or not
You are injured by a social game of cards
row and then? That is the text. There
IS not any amusement which ii is NOT nos
sible TO abuse and to render very hurtfui
by DlGulg1ng IN 1t TO such an extent that
STe neglect for it our duties and devote to
IL time that we might better employ in
some oUher way Let every one be per-
shaded in mis- or her own mind where
wise, healthful use begins and ends. and
where abuse. The comfort and happiness
OF many life is greatly impaired by
false and SCperstitiouS scr1rplec a No11+ IN
Docent, harmless amusements. For NV
OWE part, / believe that the good Cod
loves to see his children-nay, all his
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES themselves and taking
delight IN the means he has provided for
their pleasure and recreation. If there is
any Christian or other person who feels
that he or she is any the Worse-nhvsic-
ally, mentally, spiritually or anv p-1 ot her
way-after having played a game of
cards, then that person, whether Chris
nan or othefWlse. should never play again
II We ind that certain kinds of food dis
sgree with us we give them up and eat of
them no more. We should co the same
with amusements that disagree with rs
n col f1c- h.
are associated often with gambling. II
is hardly necessary for me to saw that
am most strongly opposed TO playing cards
LOT money or any other stake, and that
think such a practice cannot be too Sc
verely condemned. Verytruly.
W. H. FURNEss.
BISHOP VINCENT.
Bishop JohnH. Vincent. one Of the best
known ecciesiaSticS of the Methodist Epfs-
copal church, jumps on the card table
with both feet-metapho -icany speaking
in the following letter:
In considering the question Won nro
pose, Ought a. Christian to indulge in
social card playing2" / shall not discuss
that other question which might arise in
connection with it, rs the mere act of
playing a game of cards sinful?" The
act and the question lose their simplicity
in the relations Of the game to what may
be called a very ancient, worldwide in
ternauonal and exceedingly fascinating
Institution. 1t has votaries and victims
and defenders everywhere.
when they go out in TO the world and
first begin &c mingle with society Some
OF those young people can play and some
to learn. They are laughed at if thew
don't So in most cases they learn foI.
they don't ike to be laughed at; and it is
much With the three csrdplayers who are
tryiDg TO make up the requisite four for
9 given game. There is no thus saith the
Lord" or the sub5ect Perhaps thai Womb
not weigh much either in this particular
case. But as they see the case IT is a
very simple thing-this playing with a
few painted cards. It is not, it cannot be
per Sc, wicked Ii is a custom as old as
the hills Most Of the best families
play" a few ministers justify it. Most
os them fisee no special harm in il"
large number wink at it and .Jet If eo :.
They don't want to be dis
liked BY the the young folks or pro
young folks win be young folks" And
so It happens that the young people
whose parents feel keenly on the sub
Ject from the memory of a ruined bro
Their, q tempted father, a wretched wife,
are exposed 70 the temptation.
II people 80 into society, how can they
help meeting the temptation? Society
everywhere plays cardS-and that we con-
eede with the acquiescence of some re-
spectacle people IN the church. the APP
proval of many nice people out of the
church ard the emphatic endorsement of
weak people and wicked people every
where to whom the church is only a
body of hypocrites, Pharisees or fanatics
Tic young fellow with the dews of a
mothers love upon him is swept in by
society. possibly passes through unharm-
ed. OF possibly as IN thousands of cases,
is caught in the rapids. hurled over the
falls and dashed into the awful gulf be-
low But then society laughs at the
fool ard says that -gTeenborns and
rionsiy reared fellows are always IN
danger" The institution remains. In
rsriyata parlor, hotel drawing room, IN
xhoD. in bedroom, in gilded saloon, in
cIut room. in palace car. on ocean steam-
er. in gorgeous gambling hell, in mill