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*« 
 
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 M< 
 
A PRACTICAL DISCUSSION 
 
 / 
 
 OF 
 
 Z bc pMov Bance 
 ^be XTbeatrc ^be Carbs 
 
 By THE REV. 
 
 cx? 
 
 Author of " Practical Talks," etc 
 
 "Consider what I say. and the Lord give thee understanding in 
 all things."— 2 Tim. ii. 7. 
 
 TORONTO : 
 
 WILLIAM BRIGOS 
 
 MONTREAL : C. W. COATES. HALIFAX : S. F. HUESTIS. 
 
T 
 
 ' (•' 
 
 Entered, according to the Act of the Parliament of Canada, in the year one 
 thousand eight hundred and ninety-five, hy William Briogs, Toronto, in the 
 Offloe of the Minister of Agriculture, at Ottawa. 
 
a IRcqueai. 
 
 T WANT to kindly request every reader of this 
 book to reinem})er, that thoug-lits, read in cold 
 type, may make a vastly different impression to 
 that which would be made by hearing the same 
 thoughts expressed in kind tones from a loving 
 heart 
 
 There is more hi the way a thing is said or read,, 
 than there is in what is uttered or wi^'itten. For 
 example : 
 
 A father had sent his son to college, and a few 
 weeks later received a letter from him. Beino- nn- 
 able to read, he took the letter to a gruff butcher, 
 who, with harsh voice, read: " Dear father, I am very 
 sick, send me some money. Your son John." 
 
 The letter, as read, angered the father, and in a 
 rage he said : " I'll not send him a cent, when he 
 writes me such a letter as that." 
 
 Later on in the day, his wife persuaded him to 
 
B 1Rcc[\xC0t, 
 
 liave the baker read the letter; as, perhaps, the 
 butcher had not read it correctly. 
 
 The baker, who was a kind-hearted and loving 
 man, read it in tender, sympathetic tones : " Dear 
 father, I am very sick, send me some money. 
 Your son John." 
 
 Tears now came into the father's eyes, and with 
 deep emotion he said, " The dear boy, he shall 
 have every dollar he wants, when he writes to his 
 father in that way." 
 
 Beloved, read these addresses, not with harsh 
 tones and censorious thoughts; but, with kind 
 voice and loving spirit; being assured that my 
 motto in these addresses, as in all others, is: 
 
 "Speaking the truth in love." 
 
 H. T. C. 
 
 I 
 

 '■\' 
 
A HUNDRED YEARS TO COME. 
 
 Words by W. C. Brown. 
 
 Melody by II. T. Crobhi.kt. 
 
 
 Where, where will be the birds that slut; A liun-drcd years to come? 
 Wiio'll press for gold jon crowd - ed street A huii-drcd jears to come? 
 We all with - in our jrraves shall sleep A hun - drcd years to come? 
 
 ■(=- 
 
 iil^iglllilpi-^llis^piplElii 
 
 ilii!=3^i^ifei=il 
 
 The flow'rs that now in beau • ty spring, 
 Who'll In ad this church with will • iiig feet 
 No liv - ing soul for us will weep 
 
 A 
 A 
 A 
 
 hun-dred years to come? 
 hun-dred years to come? 
 hun-dred years to come; 
 
 rq=^=:«=q=: 
 
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 lirtip 
 
 -\zz^=^zr^t 
 
 SH^E^i 
 
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 The ros • y lips, the lof • ty brow, The heart that beats so gai - ly now, 
 Pale, trembling age, and fler- y youth, And childhood with its heart of truth, 
 But oth - er men our lands will till, And oth - era then our streets will All, 
 
 -(!S>- -m- -m- (S- ■»■ ■^- •-_ -ts- ■^- 
 
 ^^^mm^^^^m 
 
 O where will be love's beaming eye, Joy's pleasant smile and sor - row's sigh. 
 The rich, the poor, on land and sea, Where will the migh-ty mil - lions be 
 While oth- er birds will sing as gav, And bright the sun shine as to-day. 
 
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 hun-dred years to come? A h' n-dred years 
 
 I 
 
 to come? 
 
 
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 I 
 
 
 Zbc iparlor Dance* 
 
 i:- 
 
 Precept : Isa. xlvii. 7. Proverb : Prov. xxviii. 13. 
 
 Promise : Psa. xcvii. 11. Prayer : Col. i. 9, 10. 
 
 T N speaking about the parlor dance, I will, at the 
 -■- start, confess that I danced for years ; hence I 
 claim that I know what I am talking about. I began 
 when I was so small that the ladies, in swinoino- used 
 to lift me off my feet. They enjoyed it, and I thought 
 it was fun. I gave up dancing years later, at the same 
 time that I gave up those sickish kissing plays. 
 
 Let me say that I shall not speak a word about 
 public hops, charity balls, and assemblies, as no person 
 should hesitate for a moment to score these out ; but 
 I shall refer only to the parlor dance, that many fine 
 people, and even certain church members, in this late 
 day, still defend, or say they see no objection to. 
 
 I need hardly say that I shall indulge in no extrava- 
 gant utterances, neither shall I say a word that would 
 cause the most modest and refined to blush. As a 
 gentleman, I speak to ladies and gentlemen. 
 
 7 
 
8 
 
 tTbe iparloi- ©afice. 
 
 I believe that most people, who read this chapter, 
 will admit that I treat the question logically, kindly 
 and fairly; and so, in their better judgment, will 
 agree with me, whether they intend to dance or not. 
 
 The Scripture text that expresses my desire and 
 prayer is, <• Consider what I say ; and the Lord give 
 thee understanding in all things." (2 Tim. ii. 7.) 
 
 There are several excuses—l will not say reasons- 
 assigned for the parlor dance. 
 
 First excuse: "People must have amusement a d 
 recreation." Certainly, but look at the dancers next 
 morning, and you will conclude dancing is not re- 
 creation, but dissipation. Dancing is a physical, men- 
 tal, moral and spiritual dissipation. There are many 
 unobjectionable amusements that give true recreation. 
 Second excuse: "People might better dance than 
 do worse. They might better dance than slander 
 others, or have kissing plays." Yes, but if you stop 
 dancing, you do not have to do worse. Can you not 
 keep from slandering your neighbor in some other 
 way ? Kissing plays among adults are things of the 
 past, or are only found among the most illiterate and 
 uncultured. Let us also taboo the dance. 
 
 Third excuse: "Dancing is an accomplishment." 
 Indeed! Webster says, "An accomplishment is an 
 elegance of mind or manners." Does dancing develop 
 
dbc Ipai'lov 2)ancc. 
 
 9 
 
 mind? Nay, it prevents many from seeing how little 
 mind th^y have, and the necessity of acquiring true 
 accomplishments. Stop ycur ears so that you cannot 
 hear the music, and people dancing look like lunatics. 
 By the way, lunatics in asylums, and out of them too, 
 are especially fond of dancing. Cicero declared, " No 
 man in his senses will dance." Dancinjr is a sort of 
 subterfuge for those who lack mind. 
 
 Fourth excuse: "If I don't dance, I cannot pass in 
 society." What society ? There is society, and there 
 is society. The best society does not dance. Instead 
 of demeaning yourself by running after a certain 
 worldly " upper ten " society, that is at the top for a 
 similar reason that froth is, show yourself to be of 
 such intellectual, social and moral worth, that even 
 the so-called " upper ten " will rise in their ideal of 
 life, and aspire to pass in your society. 
 
 The best society consists of the earnest, active 
 Christian men and women in our several churches. 
 
 I know a mother who said, " If I do not have my 
 daughters dance and go out in society that dances, 
 they will not get married." Let me say, she had se\'en 
 daughters, and at my last information she had five of 
 them on her hands yet. When a man wants a wife, 
 though a dancer himself, he does not prefer the part- 
 ners with whom he has danced ; but he is apt to have 
 
10 
 
 tTbc parlor Dance. 
 
 «e„8e enough to seek to got a partner for life at the 
 chm-ch prayer-meeting, or young people's society. 
 
 Frfth excuse: "All n,y associates, and the people I 
 v.s,t. dance." Then let me assure you that you have 
 » grand oppori mity. instead of being led by others 
 to show your independence of mind o-id strength of 
 character ; and, by so doing you will rise even in their 
 esteem, and certainly will have the favor of God 
 
 Sixth excuse: " When I ;.ear music my feet begin 
 to n,ove." That is all right, so do mine. Let your 
 feet move, keeping time, that is natural; but that has 
 nothing to do with encircling a lady's waist with 
 your arm, or having a gentleman's arm encircling 
 your waist. ^ 
 
 Seventh excuse: "I dance, and my conscience does 
 not condemn me." So much the worse for you when 
 the spirit of Christ and His Word show that you are 
 wrong. Your perverted conscience is not your guide 
 Paul says, " If any man have not the spirit of Christ 
 he IS none of His." (Rom. viii. 9.) 
 
 Eighth excuse : " If we do not dance or play cards 
 what shall we do when spending an evening?" That 
 IS a serious question with some persons, for they do 
 not appear to know enough to do much else. I would 
 answer them seriously and most respectfuUy-get 
 more brains. A vacant mind leads to the ruin of 
 
 [I 
 
tTbc I>arloc S)ancc. 
 
 11 
 
 many. Those who have the fewest brains are most 
 enamored with the " light fantastic." 
 
 Let me say, tliat in social gatherings, one of the 
 important things is to disperse not later than ten or 
 eleven o'clock. Not to do so is unreasonable, absurd 
 and dissipating. Let the host or hostep^ invite the 
 guests from eight to ten or eleven, as desired ; and, in 
 any case, you, as a guest, sliould have sense enough to 
 start for home not later than eleven o'clock. 
 
 What with instrumental and vocal music, animated 
 conversation, games of skill, if desired, and suitable 
 readings, if convenient, the evening may be intelli- 
 gently and profitably spent, if people have even ordi- 
 nary accomplishments. I have often seen this done. 
 
 Ninth excuse : " Our church and clergymen are not 
 opposed to dancing." You are certainly mistaken. 
 Your church is not a congregation, but a great body 
 or association. The particular congregation where 
 you attend church, and your misinformed, worldly or 
 patronizing clergyman may disgrace your Church and 
 its ministry by sanctioning the dance ; but let me ask 
 you to follo\v the teaching and example of the many 
 great and good, who are worthy representatives of 
 your Church, who are most pronounced against the 
 dance. 
 
 Tenth excuse : Some say, " The modern dance has 
 
12 
 
 ^bc iparlor 5>ance. 
 
 the sanction of Scripture/' Let us see. We will first 
 read of the religious dances of the Bible : 
 
 1. Exodus XV. 20, 21 : "And Miriam^ the prophet- 
 ess, and all the women, went out with timbrels and 
 dances." 
 
 2. Judges xi. 34: "And Jenhthah came to Mizpeh 
 and his daughter came out to meet him with timbrels' 
 and with dances." 
 
 3. 1 Samuel xviii. 6: "The women came out sing- 
 ing and dancing, to meet King Saul." 
 
 4. 2 Samuel vi. 14: "And DavU danced before 
 the Lord." "Modem dancers dance before the 
 deviL" 
 
 5. Psalms cxlix. 3 : " Praise his name in the 
 dance.'* 
 
 Do you notice that this reHgious dancing is alto- 
 gether unlike our modern dances ? It was (1) out- 
 doors; (2) in the daytime; (3) spontaneous; not pre- 
 scribed; (4) skipping or tripping, as children, expres- 
 sive of religious joy ; (5) women and men separate, and 
 not men and women in each others' arms, as in the 
 modern dance. (6) The religious dance of the Bible 
 was a natural expression of religious joy and praise 
 to God, to celebrate the victories of the Lord and of 
 Israel-the modem dance is but a means of personal 
 carnal amusement and woridly pleasure. (7) The re- 
 
TV.- 
 
 Zbc iparlor H)ancc. 
 
 13 
 
 ligious dance of the Bible ij no more like our modern 
 dance, than the sacrament in church is like a drunken 
 carousal in a bar-room. 
 
 Let us now refer to the Bible accounts of dancing 
 by the irreligious : 
 
 1. Idolatrous Israel: Exodus xxxii. 19: "And it 
 came to pass, as soon as he came nigh unto the camp, 
 that he saw the calf and the dancing." These were 
 church members that either never had been godly, or 
 had backslidden. 
 
 2. Degenerate Amalekites: 1 Sftmuel xxx. 16: ''Be- 
 hold, they were spread abroad upon all the earth, 
 eating and drinking and dancing." These were adults 
 that were wicked and reprobate, and who were opposed 
 to the Church, and enemies of God. 
 
 3. Short-lived worldlings: Job xxi. 11-14: "They 
 send forth their little ones like a flock, and their 
 children dance. . . . They spend their days in wealth. 
 . . . Therefore they say unto God, Depart from us, for 
 we desire not the knowledge of Thy ways." These 
 were careless young people, of worldly parents, who 
 turned away from God, desiring neither to know Him 
 nor His ways. 
 
 4. Herodias, the lewd daughter of an adulterous 
 mother: Matthew xiv. 6-11 : " The daughter of Hero- 
 dias danced before them, and pleased Herod." etc. 
 
u 
 
 Z\K parlor IDancc. 
 
 This is a sample of the ballet dance by low girls, to 
 please base and depraved men. 
 
 lu is evident that the characters referred to in these 
 four passages strikingly represent the several classes 
 of persons who dance in our day. This consideration 
 should certainly turn every Christian moralist and 
 respectable person from even the thought of dancing. 
 
 But I think I hear one ask, " Does not the Bible 
 speak about 'A time to dance ' ? " This phrase simply 
 means a time when people dance ; but gives no 
 sanction to dancing, any more than to hate or to 
 kill, for Solomon adds, " A time to kill, a time to 
 hate." (Eccl. iii. 3-8.) Moreover, the dancing here 
 referred to is not a set promiscuous dance, but it is 
 simply a spontaneous skipping, frisking and leaping, 
 such as joyous children and young people innocently 
 indulge in. Those who quote this passage to try to 
 uphold modern dancing, are related to the hotel-keeper 
 who took Mr. Hunter to task for denouncing the liquor 
 traffic, and sought to vindicate his ruinous business 
 by loudly and confidently asking, " Does not the Bible 
 say that we are to try the spirits ? " 
 
 Does one seriously suggest, " When the prodigal 
 returned there was music and dancing ? " (Luke xv. 
 25.) The prodigal's return and reception illustrate 
 the conversion of a sinner. Can any person, not 
 
Zbc parlor JDancc. 
 
 15 
 
 insane, imagine such folly and wickedness, as for 
 parents to get up a modem parlor dance to celebrate 
 the conversion to Christ of their wayward son, for 
 whom they had long prayed ? The i iea is preposterous. 
 
 Eleventh excuse: If the Church opposes dtnoing, 
 the young people and others will be kept f.or >^ecr» . - 
 ing members. ITot so. If they «re cone.v ., ^his 
 restriction will be no barrier; and if they are not 
 Christians, honorable persons would not be hypocrites 
 and come in though the fence were thrown down. 
 
 Moreover, it is evident that the churches that are 
 most opposed to tlie dance are tlie most aggressive, 
 and have the largest numbers of youth and adults 
 join their membership. Let us, as Churches, minis- 
 ters and Christians, be true to Christ, and success will 
 be ours. God honors those who honor Him. 
 
 We thus see that all the excuses assigned for 
 dancing are pa] try, frivolous, illogical and unchristian. 
 
 I shall now discuss five questions, and leave the 
 responsibility with you of deciding and adopting the 
 wisest and best course. " Consider what I say, and 
 the Lord give thee understanding in all things." 
 
 First question : What effect will it have upon your 
 influence if you dance? This is an important ques- 
 tion to saint and sinner, as each is equally responsible 
 for his or her influence. 
 
16 
 
 Cbe parlor 5)ancc. 
 
 Are you a professing Christian ? Then, if you 
 dance, your influence for evil will be twofold. First, 
 your religious profession will seem ridiculous to 
 many. If you danced with a person this week, and 
 next week spoke to that one about becoming a Chris- 
 tian, you would be laughed at, and ironically asked, 
 " When did you get good .? " Dancing professors, 
 however, do not speak to others about becoming 
 Christians. Will you dance, and so seal your lips ? 
 This one reason should be sufficient to induce every 
 sincere Christian to say, " I will never dance." 
 
 Second, your practice will give an excuse to others 
 to dance. They will try to silence their consciences 
 by saying, '' If it is no harm for So-and-so to dance, 
 it is no harm for me." And the higher you stand in 
 society or the Church, the greater and more wide- 
 spread for evil will be your influence. No dancer can 
 truthfully say, " The dance never injured me," because 
 it at least injured his or her influence for good. Will 
 you, by your example or teaching, encourage others to 
 do that about which they have conscientious scruples ? 
 If so, Paul declares, " You become a stumbling-block," 
 " Ye sin against the brethren," " Ye sin against Christ." 
 (1 Cor. viii. 9-12.) 
 
 Even though you could, with good conscience, 
 dance, yet knowing the thought and conscience of so 
 
Zbc parlor Dance. 
 
 17 
 
 many others about it, you should say concerning the 
 dance as Paul did about meat ofiered to idols : " If to 
 dance make my brother to offend, or stumble, I will 
 not dance while the world standeth, lest I make my 
 brother to scumble.'' (1 Cor. viii. 13.) 
 
 Are you not a Church member, and still uncon- 
 verted ? Let me say, you have no license to dance that 
 a Christian has not. You are personally responsible 
 for your influence for evil or good. If you dance, will 
 you not, by your social influence, hinder others from 
 yielding to Christ, and also induce some weak or 
 half-hearted Christians to dance, and thus violate 
 their consciences, stumble and backslide, as many 
 others have done ? 
 
 The sin of causing one weak believer to stumble is 
 so great that Christ teaches that you might better be 
 " drowned in the depths of the sea," with a millstone 
 about your neck, than be guilty of such a crime. 
 (Mark ix. 42.) In view of your influence, you may 
 well vow not to dance, and pray, " Deliver me from 
 blood-guiltiness, O God." (Psa. li. 14.) 
 
 Second question : Will a true-hearted Christian 
 want to dance ? The best and most spiritually-minded 
 members in the English, Presbyterian, Baptist, Meth- 
 odist and other Churches say that they have no desire 
 whatever to dance. 
 
 Jtk 
 
18 
 
 (Tbc parlor S>ancc. 
 
 The votaries of the dance, when converted to Chrirt, 
 not only abandon dancing, but lose all their love for it. 
 
 Mi ,ny unconverted and worldly professors cannot 
 understand tliip. Have you not heard of " the expul- 
 sive power of a ne\7 affecv/ion ? " This is the secret 
 of the change. Beloved, know by experience this new 
 affection, '' the lovf of Christ shed abroad in the heart," 
 and the desire for dancing will be gone. 
 
 Though you may not be a Christian, you may partly 
 understand how this can be. Suppose that Queen 
 Victoria were to adopt a bootblack as her son, would 
 lie, after wearing r^yal apparel, eating at her table, 
 riding in her carriage, enjoying her company and that 
 of princes, seriously ask, " Would it be any harm for 
 n^ J blacken boots on the street a little ? " Such 
 work would be beneath his dignity. So, when a per- 
 son becomes " a true Christian, a child of the King," 
 there is a much greater change than for a bootblack 
 to be adopted by Queen Victoria, and shall he ask, 
 " Would it be any harm for me to dance ? " or " Will 
 I have to give up dancing ? " 
 
 Think what it is to be a Christian: knowing the 
 pardon of God, His adoption, fellowship, love and 
 grace, and will you ask, " Would it be wrong for me 
 to dance ? " Nay, rather you will feel it beneath your 
 dignity to dance, as you sing, 
 
 f 
 
^bc l>arlor Dance. 
 
 19 
 
 
 " I'm a child of the King, 
 New songs do now my lips employ, 
 And dances my glad heart for joy." 
 
 The Lord takes the dance out of our heeU and puts it 
 in our hearts. 
 
 Do you say, * I know Church members that dance " ? 
 Yes, but let me ask, " Would you desire such to pray 
 for and comfurt you when dying, or to point out the 
 way of salvation if you were seeking the Lord ? " 
 
 I think I hear one say, " Well, I profess to be a 
 Christian, and I dance, and, I confess, I like it." Let 
 me ask, " Can you truthfully look up into the face of 
 Christ and like Peter affirm : * Lord, Tkou knowest that 
 I love thee.' " (John xxi. 17.) 
 
 Worldly professors may, like backslidden Israel, 
 have a perverted taste, and so turn from the heavenly 
 manna and ask for "the leeks, the onions and c^arlick" 
 of Egypt (Num. xi. 4-6), while some may even try to 
 mix the leeks and onions with the heavenly manna. 
 
 Do you think such worldly professors would feel at 
 home and content in heaven with no dancing, cards, 
 or theatre ? The out-and-out Christian has a purer 
 appetite, which loathes leeks and delights in manna. 
 
 The question is not, " Will a church member or 
 professing Christian want to dance ? " but, " Will 
 a true Christian want to dance ? " Know that you 
 
20 
 
 Zbc pallor S)ance. 
 
 are a consecrated Christian, for then only can you 
 answer the proposed question from t.vperience. 
 
 If your heart is filled with love to Christ, I would 
 be willing to give you a written license to dance all 
 you want to, and stand responsible for you at the 
 judgment bar of God. 
 
 The meaning of "Christian" is, one like Christ. 
 Your feelings would recoil from even imagining 
 Christ to have taken part in a parlor dance in 
 the home of Martha and Mary. If you, then, are 
 like Christ, and so deserving the name of Christian, 
 should you not recoil from the practice of dancing ? 
 
 Let us know the superior joys of a Christian experi- 
 ence and life, so shall we " for joy " give up the dance 
 as good riddance, and not think it to be a sacrifice ; 
 and we will also feel pity for those who still seek in 
 vain for satisfaction at this broken cistern. 
 
 Third question: Is it in accordance with true pro- 
 friety for a lady and gentleman to dance together ? 
 Do you tritely say, " To the pure all things are pure " ? 
 Let me say, this passage is often quoted by Satan, and 
 also by the impure and ignorant to seek to defend 
 sinful practices ; but, I assure you, it is not applicable 
 to the question of dancing. Moreover, I shall not 
 speak or even think of purity or impurity, but only 
 of propriety and impropriety. 
 
 
 i 
 
Zhc parlor ©atice. 21 
 
 Considor what I say : Suppose T am n,fc a parlor 
 dance with the most dite, and, while others are 
 waltzing — allow the supposition — I in a promenade 
 or standing at the ivindoiv, put my arm around a fair 
 * lady's waist, /ist as other gentlemen in the dance have 
 their arms encircling other ladies; you know that any 
 lady would indignantly resent such an ungentlemanly 
 liberty as an insult, and her big brother, husband or 
 father, if - resent, would feel like tiring me out of the 
 window. How is this ? If it is in accordance with 
 propriety to take such a liberty in the dance, it is 
 equally so in a promenade or standing at the window, 
 under the same gaslight, and before the same company ; 
 but, if it is an impropriety in a promenade or standing 
 at the window, it is much more so in the dance, when 
 you consider the fascination of the music, the motion 
 of the body, the clasp of hands, and the more intimate 
 and prolonged embrace. Is not that putting the 
 matter fairly ? 
 
 Every lady will say, " You would not as a gentle- 
 man take such a liberty in a promenade, and I would 
 not be considered a lady if I permitted it." Then can 
 any gentleman or lady consistently take or permit 
 similar liberties in the dance ? Persons try to excuse 
 this impropriety in the dance by saying the liberty is 
 necessary in the dance but not in the promenade. 
 
22 
 
 Cbc parlor Bancc. 
 
 That confession should cause us to consider the dancR 
 itself to be unnecessary and wrong. 
 
 Ladies of fine maidenly modesty and sensitive 
 womanly delicacy, that have never danced, instinc- 
 tively recoil from the intimate attitude assumed in 
 the "waltz" or "ripple." 
 
 A gentleman, seeing the round dance for the first 
 time, said; " If I should see a man otterin to dance 
 with my wife in that way, I would horsevi^iH' him." 
 
 Consider the attitude of tlie "ripple." The man 
 places his hand upon the lady's waist, her left hand 
 rests upon his right shoulder or arm, the man's left 
 hand holds the woman's right hand as both their arms 
 are extended, and in tJiis position tliey dart and 
 circle through the room. A few years ago, I looked 
 for some moments at a so-called fashionable dance. 
 There were nineteen couples on the floor dancing 
 the "ripple," and seventeen couples out of the nine- 
 teen had their breasts literally throbbing against 
 each other. What lady but would be asliamed to have 
 her picture taken with a gentleman in the attitude of 
 the ripple or waltz ? Why then not be ashamed of 
 the attitude ? 
 
 There is no impropriety for a gentleman to put his 
 arm around a lady's waist, providing he has the right 
 to do so ; but the right should only be allowed to a 
 
 ?) 
 
Zbe |>arloi S>ancc. 
 
 2S 
 
 1 
 
 I 
 
 huRband with bis wife, a brotbor witli bis sister, a son 
 with his mother, a father with his daughter, a gentle- 
 man with his affianced, and other near and intimate 
 relatione; but, beyond this, no matter if ladies and 
 gentlemen are as pure as angels, they cannot with- 
 out impropriety allow or take such a liberty in the 
 dance any more than they can out of it. Remember, 
 I am not speaking about impurity, but only about 
 impropriety. 
 
 Do you ask, " Have you any objections to the 
 square dances, or ladies dancing together, or husband 
 dancing v. ith his wife, or a brother with his sister ? " 
 Such a question is unnecessary, as people care little 
 for that kind of dancing. 
 
 One has said : "As alcohol is the spirit of beverages, 
 so SOX is the spirit of the dance ; take it away, and 
 let the sexes dance separately, and dancing would go 
 out of fashion very soon and become nil." 
 
 There is no impropriety or objection in the peculiar 
 step, or keeping time to music, or in the dance itself, 
 any more than in walking ; but the impropriety is in 
 the liberty allowed and taken in the dance. 
 
 The pleasure, attraction and fascination are not in 
 the dance itself, or men would enjoy dancing together, 
 women ^vould enjoy a dance with women, and the 
 square dance would be as popular as the round dance. 
 
H 
 
 ^bc parlor Dance. 
 
 We all know such is not the case. Why ? There is 
 but one reason you can assign. 
 
 Most men wodd as soon eat an egg without salt as 
 dance with a man. Few ladies find pleasure in danc- 
 ing with ladies. The square dance is seldom danced 
 and little enjoyed. There are really no square dances 
 now; they all have the corners rounded off. The 
 round dance is all the rage. Why all this ? 
 
 If the pleasure were in the dance, a man would as 
 soon waltz with one lady as another, providing she 
 were a good dancer. But we know that this is not 
 the case. Why ? Some men say, " I would as soon 
 dance with a broom-stick as with Miss So-and-so ; 
 there is no magnetism in her." 
 
 If the fascination were in the dance itself, sisters, 
 as a rule, would enjoy dancing with their brothers, 
 and wives with their husbands, as with other gentle- 
 men. Such, we know, is not the case. Why ? A 
 refined and fashionable lady, with all innocence, said 
 to me in presence of her husband : " Sisters and wives 
 do not enjoy dancing with their brothers and hus- 
 bands as with other gentlemen, because there is not 
 the same affinity between them." I asked, " Should 
 that affinity be enjoyed ? " The next day this excel- 
 lent lady apologized to me, and said, " I am ashamed 
 of the admission I made yesterday, as to why wives 
 
 
JLbc fbarlor 2)ance. 
 
 25 
 
 and histers, as a rule, prefer to dance with otlier men 
 rather than with their own husbands and brothers." 
 
 I do not imagine that the many refined, virtuous 
 and artless wives and young ladies that dance, are 
 aware of the real secret of the fascination and pleasure 
 of the promiscuous dance. If they would carefully 
 analyze and think over this question, they too would 
 be ashamed that they had been dancers, and would not 
 permit suci\ an impropriety again. 
 
 If ladies knew the coarse remarks sometimes made 
 about them by young men with whom they had 
 danced, they would blush. A prominent gentleman 
 in London, after attending a dance in one of the best 
 homes, with the select of so-called fashionable society, 
 said to his sister, " No more dancing for us." She, 
 in surprise, asked, "Why?" He answered, "When 
 so-oalled gentlemen make such low remarks about 
 other pure ladies, they will speak similarly about my 
 sister." That was their last dance. 
 
 No wonder that so many husbands and brothers 
 object to their wives and sisters dancing with otlier 
 gentlemen ; though others, being yet blinded by a 
 slavish custom, allow liberties in the dance that they 
 would be enraged at if allowed by their wives or 
 sisters sitting on the sofa or standing in the parlor. 
 When you consider the subject, do you not wonder 
 
26 
 
 Zbe l^arlor Dance. 
 
 that the dance, as it exists, is tolerated by respectable 
 people ? Will you not discountenance it ? 
 
 Score out all the round dances for men and women 
 where liberties are prescribed, that, out of the dance, 
 no woman dare allow, or man take, without forfeiting 
 the title lady or gentleman, and dancing will soon be 
 abandoned by all classes. 
 
 The only excuse assigned for allowing such liberties 
 in the dance, is that " it is customary." That is an 
 excuse, but it is no reason. Some are glad that it is 
 customary, while many ladies simply permit the 
 liberty because it is customary, lest they would be 
 considered prudes. I appeal to you not to be bHnded 
 or influenced by the trite and ignorant excuse, "it is 
 customary." That chestnut is t( Id for use.' 
 
 Where and how did the custom originate ? Who 
 first dared to prescribe such liberties in the dance ? 
 The popular round dances of the present day have 
 been invented by lewd dancing-masters in Germany, 
 Paris, Vienna and Toronto. 
 
 What right has any man or set of men to introduce 
 into decent society a custom in the dance that would 
 outrage our sense of propriety out of the dance ? 
 
 Let me give a quotation from Rev. Dr. Pierson's 
 book: "The waltz was born December 20th, 1787— 
 first seen in a Vienna theatre, the progeny of a licen- 
 
 I , 
 
 
, 
 
 XLbc par! or 2>ance. 
 
 27 
 
 tions stagje and its consort, the ballet. This amoroii"^., 
 gyratory hugging was, for a time, thought to be too 
 shockingly indecent to be tolerated anywhere else. 
 It found its way into houses of doubtful repute, 
 and more slowly into German society. Even Paris, for 
 a time, resisted its licentious libertinism, and not till 
 the present century did it get sanction in Paris ; then, 
 of coarse, it became the fashion everywhere, for Paris 
 sets fashion's clock in all knds." Will you be a blind 
 slave to such a gross fashion or custom ? 
 
 As I have thus presented the subject, many dancers 
 have said to me, " I had not considered the subject 
 that way, but you are right, and I will never dance 
 
 again. 
 
 I appeal to every true lady and gentleman, Christian 
 and unconverted, that would not allow or take similar 
 liberties out of the dance, to forever turn away from 
 the amusement that prescribes such improprieties. I 
 think I hear you say, "I will." Adopt President 
 Edwards' rule : " I am fully resolved, with God's help, 
 never again to do that of whicii I doubt the propriety, 
 unless I equally doubt the propriety or expediency of 
 not doing it." 
 
 Fourth question : Is there any harm or sin in 
 dancing ? Consider what I say. 
 
 1. Suppose that Mr. Hunter and myself, with the 
 
^ 
 
 28 
 
 ^be f^arloc Ba^ice* 
 
 Presbyterian, Anglican, Baptist and Methodist min- 
 isters, and the leading members of the various 
 Churches, were to have a very select parlor dance, 
 at the manse, rectory or parsonage, what would 
 you think and say ? I know you would condemn 
 us as ministers, and we might as well give up our 
 work as pastors and evangelists, unless we confessed 
 and repented of the wrong. Do you answer, " But 
 you are ministers"? Yes, but God has one law of 
 right for ministers and laymen. Christians and un- 
 converted; hence, in condemning us as ministers 
 for dancing, you condemn the dance as wrong for 
 everybody, saved and unsaved, yourself included. 
 
 2. The most devoted and intelligent Christians in all 
 the Churches consider the dance to be wrong. Are 
 they mistaken ? Who are the professing Christians 
 that favor the dance ? They are the namby-pamby, 
 goody-goody Christians; the lukewarm and back- 
 slidden ; those who desire to be thought broad and 
 liberal-minded ; those who act on worldly policy, 
 hoping to get a certain class into the Church ; those 
 who lack moral backbone, and those who are ignorant 
 about even the attitude permitted in the dance, but 
 think it must be proper because their children and 
 certain respectable people dance. 
 
 3. The unconverted do not respect as Christians 
 
(Cbc parlor Dance. 
 
 20 
 
 tlie Church members that dance. At a dance one 
 asked another, "Are you a Christian ? " He answered, 
 "No, are you?" "Yes." With sarcasm he said, 
 "What then are you doing here?" If you, as a 
 Church member, were at a dancing party, and one 
 asked another about you, " Does not So-and-so pro- 
 fess to be a Christian ? " the sarcastic reply would 
 be given, " yes." Do you want to be an " yes " 
 Christian ? 
 
 4. The rules of every evangelical Church, in their 
 spirit, forbid dancing. This is true of the Methodist, 
 Baptist, Presbyterian and other Churches, but espe- 
 cially so of the English or Protestant Episcopal Church. 
 When confirmed each one is required to promise : " 'Jo 
 renounce the devil and all his works, the vain pomp 
 and glory of this wicked world, and all the deceitful 
 lusts of the flesh." Therefore, any person that has 
 been confirmed and dances, breaks his or her solemn 
 confirmation vow? Will you do this ? 
 
 5. I consider dancing to be wrong, as it prevents so 
 very many from becoming Christians. Very often 
 people ask us, " Will I have to give up dancing ? " 
 Thus they trifle with their salvation, and barter 
 Christ as certainly as did Judas. 
 
 6. Dancing must be wrong, as it has destroyed the 
 religious fervor of Christians formerly devoted, and 
 
30 
 
 TLbc parlor Da.icfe. 
 
 has led many to a backslidden life. Dancing and 
 devotion no more mix than water and oil. 
 
 7. Dancing is evidently wrong, as it tends to drown 
 and destroy serious and religious convictions. How 
 often have I seen this true with the unconverted. Do 
 not dance away your Christ-implanted impressions. 
 
 8. Those most enamored with the dance, when truly 
 converted to Christ, abandon the dance as evil. 
 
 9. The dance is contrary to the spirit of Christ and 
 Christianity. Could you imagine Christ dancing, or 
 sanctioning the dance, if He were in your place ? 
 Should you then, as His representative, do so ? Will 
 we want to dance if we can truthfully say, " We have 
 the mind of Christ" ? (1 Cor. ii. 16.) 
 
 10. The Gospel and Bible precepts, in spi/rit, are 
 opposed to the modern dance. " Abstain from all 
 appearance of evil." (1 Thess. v. 22.) * 
 
 11. The most devoted, intelligent and successful 
 ministers, in all the Churches, have been and are very 
 pronounced against dancing : 
 
 Rev. C. H. Spurgeon said : " When I hear of a mod- 
 ern dance, I have an uncomfortable feeling about the 
 throat, as I recall that a dance cost the head of the 
 preacher, John tlie Baptist." 
 
 Rev. Dr. Albert Barnes forcibly said : " No child 
 dances into heaven, but many a one dances into hell" 
 
Cbc parlor S)ancc. 31 
 
 Rev. Dr. A. T. Pierson aflSrms : "The modern round 
 dance is fco me specially abhorrent. It is an iniquity 
 and a snare." 
 
 Rev. Dr. Talmage says : " The round dance is ad- 
 ministrative of evil, and ought to be driven out of all 
 respectable circles." 
 
 Rev. Dr. Howard Crosby declared : " Three-fourths 
 of the abandoned girls of New York were ruined by 
 dancing." 
 
 12. The most noted evangelists in the churches 
 speak out against the social dance. 
 
 Rev. D. L. Moody, in the city of London, declared 
 in my hearing : " I would as leave go out into the 
 street and eat mud as to dance." 
 
 Rev. E. P. Hammond said, in St. Catharines : " As 
 Christians, we must draw the line somewhere; we 
 should certainly draw it so as to exclude dancing." 
 
 Rev. S. P. Jones, with more truth than poetry, says : 
 " Dancing is hugging set to music." 
 
 Rev. J. E. Hunter, my companion, says : " God have 
 mercy on the mother that has no more sense than to 
 send her pure daughter to a dancing school." 
 
 Rev. Dr. Geo. F. Pentecost affirms : " I do not hesi- 
 tate to say that the modern society dance is essen- 
 tially immodest. No woman, married or single, can 
 participate i^ the dance and retain the firm, keen, 
 
32 
 
 (Tbc parlor S)ance. 
 
 m 
 
 clear, pure edgje of her modesty — I do not say chastity, 
 but modesty. That you dance, shows that tlie keen, 
 sensitive edge of maidenly modesty and womanly 
 delicacy has already gone. That you blush when I 
 speak of it, only shows that there is a resurrection of 
 the blushes that the modern dance has killed, and sent 
 long ago to their graves." 
 
 Rev. B. Fay Mills, the noted Presbyterian evange- 
 list, thus clearly puts it : " You would not allow any 
 minister to sit by the side of your wife or daughter 
 in the attitude men assume in the round dance. If a 
 minister would do such a thing you would stop him 
 in a rage." 
 
 13. The social dance is evidently wrong, as the vari- 
 ous representative Churches unite in condemning it. 
 
 The Roman C.) liolic archbishops and bishops, in 
 council assembled, wrote : " We consider it our duty 
 to warn our people against those amusements which 
 may easily become to them an occasion to sin, and 
 especially against the fashionable dances at present 
 carried on, which are so revolting to every feeling 
 of delicacy and propriety, and are fraught with the 
 greatest danger to morals." 
 
 The Presbyterian Church gives no uncertain sound. 
 Some of her members and a few of her ministers may 
 be found, who ignorantly or presumptuously disgrace 
 
XLbc parlor Dance. 
 
 33 
 
 this conservative Church, by speaking favorably of 
 the parlor dance ; but hear the unanimous decision of 
 a Presbyterian Synod, which is given as a sample of 
 the action of many other Synods of this honored 
 Church : « There is a line of distinction between harm- 
 less and sinful amusements, and it is sometimes diffi- 
 cult to draw that line ; but, in regard to dancing, 
 there is no such difficulty. It is the most giddy and 
 thoughtless practice the world has to offer her votaries. 
 Therefore, resolved, that the practice of dancing, and 
 of giving or attending private or public parties, or of 
 educating children in the art of dancing by Christians, 
 is clearly forbidden in the spirit of the Gospel, con- 
 demned by our confession of faith, and by the deci- 
 sions of our highest church councils, and in violation 
 of the covenant relations entered into by everyone 
 who connects himself with the Church of Christ." 
 
 The great and historic Protestant Episcopal, or Eng- 
 lish Church, is very pronounced against the dance. 
 Bishop Hopkins, of Vermont, wrote : " Dancing is 
 chargeable with indulgence of personal vanity and 
 display, and the premature incitement of the passions, 
 and endangers health, while its incongruity with 
 Christian principles is so manifest that no ingenuity 
 can make it consistent with the covenant of baptism." 
 Bishop Coxe, of Western New York, in a pastoral 
 
34 
 
 Cbc |>arIor Dance. 
 
 letter, said : " The dances, too commonly tolerated in 
 our times, are so disgraceful and so irreconcilable 
 with the Gospel of Christ, that I feel it my duty to 
 warn my flock that those who run with the world in 
 these things presume not to come to the holy table. 
 Classes preparing for confirmation are informed that 
 I will not lay hands knowingly on anyone who is 
 not prepared to renounce such things, with other 
 abominations of the world, the flesh and the devil." 
 
 Bishop Cobb, of Alabama : " The idea that the Epis- 
 copal Church favors dancing has floated much trash 
 down upon her." 
 
 The Methodist Church, which is the largest and 
 most rapidly increasing Protestant Church on this 
 continent, by her General and Anntttl Conferences, 
 pastoral addresses and pulpit utterances, is outspoken 
 against the promiscuous dance. If a Methodist minis- 
 ter could be found who favored the dance, even the 
 most worldly would think he needed to be converted. 
 
 The Baptist Church is also so well known to be 
 pronounced against the dance, that we do not need to 
 cite utterances from that large and spiritually minded 
 Church. No wonder that all true Baptists renounce 
 the dance, when John the Baptist, after whom their 
 denomination is named, was beheaded through a dance. 
 
 Let us, as Roman Catholics, Presbyterians, Congre- 
 
Cbe parlor Dance. 
 
 35 
 
 gationali.sta. Episcopal lans, Methodists and Baptists 
 be true to Christ and His Word, so sliall we be loyal 
 to our respective Chui-ches. 
 
 14. It is wron^ to dance, as it lessens a person's in- 
 fluence for good. A young lady, standing high in 
 society, was invited and urged to attend a dance. She 
 replied, '' Senator, I cannot do it, I am a Christian ; I 
 never do anything that will lessen my influence over 
 my Sunday School class." The senator answered, 
 "I honor you ; if there were more Christians like you,' 
 more men like myself would become Christians." 
 
 Though dancing, with all its adjuncts, were no 
 more harm to you than for Paul to eat meat offered 
 to idols, yet if you, by your practice or precept, 
 encourage dancing, and so embolden one to sin by 
 doing that about whicl. he or she has a doubt, accord- 
 mg to Paul's logic, "you sin against Christ." (I Cor 
 viii. 12.) ^ 
 
 15. Many have regretted, while living and dying, 
 that they had encouraged the dance by their example.' 
 No Christians ever expressed a regret that they had 
 not danced. View the dance in the light of eternity. 
 
 16. The modern dance licenses liberties that, out of 
 the dance, are considered insulting and immoral. 
 
 17. The social dance is evidently wrong, as it is the 
 secret of much home infelicity, and many divorces. 
 
36 
 
 Cbc parlor Dance. 
 
 18. I believe the dance to be wrong, because it was 
 bom in shame, and though it seeks hard to be intro- 
 duced into our p.irlora, and tries to pass in society 
 that is intelligent, pure and good, it is evidently most 
 at home in ball rooms, beer gardens and dance houses, 
 among the ignorant, degraded and impious. We 
 should certainly seek things whose origin, character, 
 history and associations are more respectable and 
 reputable. • 
 
 19. The dance is undoubtedly wrong, as it has led 
 to the ir.oral and eternal ruin of so many. 
 
 The chief of police of New York testifies that 
 "three -fourths of the abandoned girls of that city 
 say that they were led to ruin by dancing." 
 
 Let me give you the appalling statement that T 
 have often seen quoted, made by the leading Roman 
 Catholic Biahor> of New York : " It is ascertained in 
 the confessional that nineteen out of twenty who 
 confess to have fallen from virtue, ascribe their first 
 and subsequent downward steps to the dance." He 
 is not speaking of lewd women, as these do not go to 
 the confessional, but he refers to the wives, mothers 
 and sisters from respectable homes, whose fall, in the 
 majority of cases, no one knew about except the 
 guilty parties, God and their father confessors. 
 
 No one can doubt the truth of the Bishop's start- 
 
ttbe parlor Dance. 
 
 37 
 
 Vinfr Rtfttoinnnt, for priosts rlo not lio about the con- 
 fessional, and people do not dare to tell what is false 
 in the confessional Any person that reads this noted 
 Bishop's utterance, and therefore must believe it, 
 wliether he wants to or not, and yet says there is no 
 harm in the modern dance, must either be a fool or a 
 villain ; a fool, that he kno^^'8 not the value of virtue, 
 or a villain that he cares not that it be outraged. 
 
 Fifth question: ''Lord, what wilt Thou have me to 
 do?" I want each one to ask this question for him- 
 self or herself, with reference to the dance. 
 
 Paul asked this question on the way to Damascus. 
 He had been conscientious before, yet in great error, 
 but now his eyes were opened. 
 
 ^ Have you, as a professing Christian, been hitherto 
 sincere, and yet favored the parlor dance ? Have you 
 asked the Lord about it ? Will you do so now ? Those 
 who dance seldom if ever pray about it. 
 
 Can you participate in a dance and then, when you 
 think of your Saviour, yourself and your influence, 
 say, like Peter, " Lord, it is good for us to be here." If 
 you cannot, then keep away from such places. Do not 
 think that you have been a hypocrite, or give up your 
 hope in Christ; but thank God for the additional 
 hght you have received, give up the dance, and, like 
 Paul, get the scales off your eye. obtain forgiveness 
 
38 
 
 Zbc parlor Dance. 
 
 for tho past, consecrate yourself to Christ and become 
 a useful Clirifctian. 
 
 Are you still unconverted ? Reniombor that the 
 Lord has not only your highest good, but also your 
 greatest pleasure at heart. Do you ask, " Can't we 
 liave any fun ? " Yes, lots of it. " He giveth us all 
 things richly to enjoy." Christianity endorses every 
 pure, intelligent amusement. The true Christian has 
 superior pleasures to the worldling. 
 
 Some persons try to stipulate with the Lord, and 
 so make certain reservations. Do not thus trifle with 
 your salvation, but say, " Lord, I want to become a 
 Christian on Thine own conditions, and then live as 
 Thou shalt direct. Thy will be done." 
 
 I have often urged those who have tried to defend 
 and cling to the dance, to lay the question of the 
 dance aside for the time being, yield to Christ, and 
 afterwards ask, " Lord, what wilt Thou have me to 
 do ? " This has been done, and the dance has then 
 been gladly given up without a sacrifice, as their 
 desires v/ere changed. Give yourself to Christ first, 
 and then settle the dance. 
 
 Many refuse Christ and His salvation for the 
 expected pleasures of the dance. I pity them. li 
 will not give the dancer much consolation in the lost 
 world to reflect, "I'm in hell, but I enjoyed tlie 
 
tTbe l^arloc Dance. 
 
 39 
 
 dance for twonty years." Do not think it a sacrifice 
 to give up the dance or anything that Christ reqnires. 
 
 One, just converted, asked : " Should I give up tlie 
 dance ? " I replied : " Ask the Lord Jesus about it ; 
 and if He direct you to give it up, He will give you, 
 according to His promise, one hundred-fold more 
 pleasure in its abandonment than you have ever had 
 in its participation." The Lord's counsel was obeyed, 
 the dance was given up as good riddance, the hundred- 
 fold was received and a bright hope of "life ever- 
 lasting." Christ only asks us to give up that which 
 will detract from our real good and highest pleasure. 
 
 Who would not be a whole-hearted Christian ? The 
 Lord Jesus needs you. Hark, He calls you. Cheer- 
 fully accept Him to be your Saviour, Exemplar, 
 Teacher and Lord for all the future. Let your 
 chief ambition be " To glorify God and enjoy Him 
 
 forever." 
 
 / appeal to Christians in every Church not to dance 
 or do anytiiing else that may injure your own spiritual 
 life, and will certainly be a stumbling-block to some, 
 or lessen your influence over others for good. 
 
 / appeal to every lady and gentleman, notwith- 
 standing that many who should know better are 
 blinded and carried away by the custom, to discounten- 
 ance the dance, because it prescribes and permits 
 
40 
 
 ^be parlor Dance. 
 
 liberties and improprieties that, out of the dance, 
 would not be tolerated by respectable people. 
 
 / aj)'peal to the unconverted, that you do not allow 
 the dance or anything else to keep you for another 
 day from Christ, lest you be like the lady who, in the 
 dance, swooned in her partner's arms, and, being 
 carried to the window, regained consciousness only 
 long enough to wail out the words, '' / have danced 
 my body into the grave and my soul into hdl," when 
 with a gasp she expired. One hour in perdition will 
 make the dance look very small. 
 
 / appeal to yow who are wealthy, and tc you who 
 are leaders in so-called fashionable society, to stop 
 and think that there is something much better and 
 moD satisfying for you than dancing and other 
 worldly pleasures. Will you not aspire to give your 
 influence to create a higher and nobler ideal of life 
 in fashionable circles ? 
 
 / appeal to all young Christians, and especially to 
 those converted in our meetings, and those who are 
 members of the Epworth League, King's Sons and 
 Daughters, and Christian Endeavor Societies, to firmly 
 and cheerfully renounce the dance, as also kindly de- 
 nounce it, and show that you have a source of joy 
 that is more satisfying, and an ideal in life that is 
 worthy of your high calling as the children of God. 
 
 isi 
 
^be iparlor 2)ance. 
 
 41 
 
 An English Church young lady was dressing to go to 
 a dance. As she held the emblem of the King's 
 Daughters in her hand, thinking which would be 
 the most suitable place to fasten it, new and unex- 
 pected thoughts began to course through her mind, 
 and she said to herself, " Is it suitable for me to wear 
 this at a dance; can I dance in His name ? I certainly 
 should not attend a dance. I will not go." Beloved, 
 wear your emblems, and put aside the dance. 
 
 / appeal to every minister of the glorious gospel of 
 Christ, for the honor of your Church, for the good of 
 the young people and parents committed to your 
 charge, and for the glory of our Saviour and King, 
 that you utter no uncertain sound as to this social 
 and fashionable vice Inat is so persistently endeav- 
 oring to find sanction among the members of our 
 Churches. 
 
 / appeal to you as parents and adults generally 
 not to allow dancing in your homes, or countenance it 
 in your children or friends : and so avoid regrets. In 
 a revival meeting conducted by my brother, a young 
 lady became anxious, and returning home, told her 
 mother she desired to become a Christian and join the 
 Church. Her mother said : " You are young yet, 
 and have just begun to pass in society. If you became 
 a Christian and joined the Church, you could not 
 
 I 
 
42 
 
 Cbc parlor 2)ancc. 
 
 u 
 
 1 1 
 
 attonfi the dancing and card parties this winter. 
 There is time enough for yon to think of these 
 things. You had better not go to the meetings any 
 more." 
 
 The fatal advice was taken. Only a few weeks 
 passed away,wlien typhoid fever arrested the daughter. 
 My brother was sent for, but found her delirious, and 
 thus unconscious of her state, she lingered in delirium 
 for weeks, and then died, leaving her mother in inex- 
 pressible anguish. 
 
 At the funeral the mother wrung her hands and 
 tore her hair, as she cried out again and again : " Is 
 there any hope for my darling .? // she is lost, it is 
 my fault. my sin, my sin." 
 
 Years have passed, yet that mother has never since 
 known a happy day, but lives in inexpressible sadness 
 and remorse. , 
 
 Beloved, learn from her sad and bitter experience 
 not to countenance the dance or that which may keep 
 your own children, friends and others from becoming 
 Christians, lest, if not in this world, yet in the world 
 to come, you may see yourself responsible for the 
 eternal loss of others, and find eternity too short to 
 breathe out your anguish of spirit and remorse of soul. 
 
 / appeal to every luorldling by the shortness of 
 time, the importance of life, the certainty of death. 
 
Zbe parlor S)ance* 43 
 
 and tlic mornentousness of eternity, to forever turn 
 away from tlie dance. 
 
 Wlien Napoleon witli his troops invaded Moscow in 
 1812, the inliabitants deserted the city. The French 
 officers and soldiers decided to have a grand festive 
 evening and dances in the upper-room of a magnificent 
 palace that had been deserted. The elite of France 
 were there, both men and women. The dance began. 
 That night the city was set on fire. As the flames 
 swept from street to street, the excited dancers viewed 
 the grand sight with great delight. By-and-by the 
 building next to the palace was on fire, and they, 
 thinking it time to escape, were preparing to do so, 
 when Carnot, a young officer, in his foolhardiness, 
 cried, as he waved his jewelled hand above his head, 
 " One dance more, and defiance to the flames ! " His 
 words seemed to electrify the company, and many 
 gleefully reiterated, " One dance more, and defiance to 
 the flames ! " With a fresh inspiration another dance 
 began ; and, as the music and the dance proceeded, the 
 enthusiasm increased. But hark ! What is that voice 
 they hear ? " Fly, fly, for your life. The fire has 
 reached the magazine." For a moment they all stood 
 transfixed with horror, and wildly stared at one 
 another, but the next moment, before one of the 
 company had time to escape, the powder magazine 
 
 M 
 
u 
 
 XLbc iparloi- Dance, 
 
 exploded, tho palace fell in ruins, and all of those 
 dancing men and women were suddenly ushered into 
 eternity. We are surprised at their criminal folly 
 and neglect, but remember that they knew not of 
 the existence of the magazine which caused their 
 death. 
 
 Beloved, you know that life is sliort, that eternity 
 
 will soon dawn upon you : that heaven and hell are 
 
 realities, and that voices divine and human warn and 
 
 invite you. Will you be more foolhardy than were 
 
 the victims of the Moscow disaster, and bid defiance 
 
 to God and eternal disaster, as you go on with the 
 
 dance and other carnal pleasures, while you neglect 
 
 to seek the salvation of yourself and others, till 
 
 death unexpectedly overtakes you, and you are lost 
 
 eternally ? 
 
 / appeal to one and all by the lord Jesus Christ, 
 Who died for you, and now lives to love you with His 
 great heart of infinite love, to so yield yourself to 
 Him without reserve, that you can truly say with 
 Paul, "For me to live is Christ" 
 
■ 
 
 ZTbe Zbcntvc 
 
 II 
 
 Precept : 1 Cor. xv. 33, 34. Praise : Ps. xvi. 11. 
 Promise : 2 Cor. vi. 17, 18. Prayer : Ps. li. 12, 13. 
 
 M 
 
 ANY excuses are made to justify attending the 
 theatre. Thus we hear people say : 
 
 (1) " I only go for a treat occasionally." One said 
 this to Rowland Hill, and he replied, " What would 
 
 I you think of the taste of a person who excused him- 
 
 self for eating carrion on the ground that he did it 
 only occasionally for a treat ? " 
 
 (2) " I discriminate, and go to none but the best." 
 Yes, but remember, as most people do not discriminate 
 between a low play and a " high opera," if you go to 
 any you will be called a theatre-goer, and considered 
 as favoring the theatre in general. Total abstinence 
 is the only safe rule for each of us. 
 
 (3) " I am not a Church member, and do not pro- 
 fess to be a Christian." Our obligations are divine, 
 and do no grow out of our professions or Church 
 membership. It is wrong for any one to do that 
 
 45 
 
 
r. 
 
 46 
 
 Cbc CTbcatrc. 
 
 which is not rin^ht. What is not right is wrong. It 
 is never right for anybody to do wrong. 
 
 (4) " My conscience does not condemn mc." I am 
 sorry for you. Your conscience, like a clock or watch, 
 is not your guide unless properly set and regulated.' 
 Ask yourself : - Does the spirit of the Bible condemn 
 me ? " The Bible is our rule. 
 
 The greatest men in all ages denounced the theatre : 
 
 TertuUian says, " Stage plays are pomps of the 
 devil, which we renounced at baptism." 
 
 Augustine called theatres "cages of uncleanness 
 and public schools of debauchery." 
 
 Solon prohibited plays as pernicious to morals. 
 
 Plato said, " Plays raise the passions and are dan- 
 gerous to morality." 
 
 Macaulay said, " The theatre is the seminary of 
 vice." Shall we sanction or patronize such an 
 academy ? 
 
 Wilberforce declared, " Decorum and modesty retire, 
 and riot and lewdness are invited." 
 ^ A committee of the British Parliament, after inves- 
 tigating the theatre question, reported, "The only 
 way to reform the theatre is to burn it down." 
 
 The leading ministers in all denominations are 
 opposed to the theatre : 
 

 ttbe Cbcatre. 47 
 
 Dr. Cuyler, that grand Presbyterian divine, says, 
 "If you patronize the theatre you become morally 
 responsible for it. The first peril of the stage is to 
 purity of character. Your eyes and ears are windows 
 and doors to the heart. What enters once never goes 
 out. A converted actor once pointed me to a play- 
 house in which he used to perform, and said, ' Behind 
 those curtains lies Sodom.* Another peril of the 
 theatre arises from the fascination it too often engen- 
 ders, I know that the theatre has sent thousands to 
 perdition. Do you feel like taking the risk ? " 
 
 Spurgeon said, " Pass by the theatre with averted 
 gaze ; the house of the strange woman is there." 
 
 Beecher, whom men have ever regarded as liberal, 
 forcibly said : " If you would pervert the taste, go to 
 the theatre. If you would imbibe false views, go to 
 the theatre. If you would efface as speedily as pos- 
 sible all qualms of conscience, go to the theatre. If 
 you would put yourself irreconcilably against the 
 spirit of virtue and religion, go to the theatre." 
 
 Joseph Cook says, " When it is converted, I will go 
 to the theatre, and not till then." 
 
 Bishop Vincent, in speaking about going to the 
 theatre, says, " Better not." 
 
 Let us endorse all thf e views, and act upon them, 
 though some may set their own ideas or the opinions 
 
48 
 
 ^bc (Tbcatrc. 
 
 of some preacher that is inferior in intellect and piety 
 against them. 
 
 1 
 
 Actors and theatre managers speak against the 
 stage : 
 
 Macready said, " None of my children will ever, 
 with my consent, enter a theatre, or have visiting 
 connections with actors or actresses." 
 
 Booth declared, " I never permit my wife or daugh- 
 ter to attend the theatre without first ascertaining 
 the character of the play." 
 
 Mr. Palmer, the Madison Square manager, says, 
 " The bulk of the performances on the stage are de- 
 grading and pernicious." 
 
 Let me assign a few reasons why you, even if 
 unconverted, should renounce the theatre. 
 
 1. You should live v^p to the same standard that you 
 prescribe for ministers and other consistent Christians, 
 though you yourself are not a Christian, for God 
 enjoins you to be a Christian and act as one. 
 
 2. If you handle dead coals, though they may not 
 burn, they will smut your hands. If you attend the 
 theatre, it will at least smut you. 
 
 3. The theatre is a dissipation. There is in it a 
 fascination and intoxication to the carrr 1 mind and 
 
Cbc (Tbcatrc. 
 
 49 
 
 depraved nature, which fosters a carrion appetite and 
 leads downward. 
 
 4. It is a school that induces carelessness, irreligion, 
 irreverence and immorality. The theatre is respon- 
 sible, by its bills and plays, for leading people to lewd- 
 ness, adultery and murders. 
 
 5. The life behind ;he stage is usually low and im- 
 moral. Gough said, " I, as a young man, became so 
 enamored with the play that T joined a theatre com- 
 pany, but was so disappointed and disgusted by the 
 tinsel and immorality behind the stage that I 
 abandoned the profession." 
 
 6. Hardly one troupe in a year that \isits a town 
 or city of less than ten thousand inhabitants presents 
 anything worth seeing, even to lovers of the theatre. 
 Those who go to such plays clearly show that they 
 never witnessed any first-class acting, or they would 
 be disgusted with such shows. 
 
 7. If a person were applying for a situation, and the 
 testimonials from his former employers contained the 
 statement, "He is a regular attendant upon the theatre, 
 an excellent card-player and an accomplished dancer," 
 such testimony, instead of being a recommendation, 
 would prove an effectual barrier to any position of 
 trust and responsibility. Why is this ? 
 8. The pleasure afforded by the theatre is unhealthy 
 
50 
 
 Zbc dbcatrc. 
 
 and short-lived. A lady said : " The theatre affords 
 me a threefold pleasure — anticipating the play, wit- 
 nessing it, and then recalling it." A Quaker replied, 
 " What pleasure will it afford thee when thee comes 
 to die ? " 
 
 9. It may keep you from becoming a Christian. Many 
 think more of the theatre than they do of Christ. 
 How is it with you ? Instead of asking, ** Will I 
 have to give up the theatre ? " ask and know by 
 experience the answer to the question, " What must I 
 do to be saved ? " 
 
 10. Your Heavenly Father has superior pleasures 
 and something better for you. Leave the husks that 
 satisfy not, and act on the resolve : " I will arise 
 and go to my Father ; " so shall you find a gracious 
 welcome, pardon, satisfaction and joy. 
 
 hi 
 
 Consider a few additional reasons why Christians 
 especially should not attend or favor the theatre. 
 
 11. Because its spirit and tendency are directly 
 opposed to Christianity, and because it greatly retards 
 the spread and power of the Gospel. The theatre is 
 Satan's church, and so is no place for a member of the 
 Church of Christ. 
 
 1 2. Because of the general character of the plays. The 
 show-bills should disgust any decent or high-minded 
 
Cbc ttbcatre. 
 
 5'L 
 
 person. As the bills are so su;2^jrcRtive of blood and 
 thunder, immomlity, crime, rubbish, twaddle and 
 nudity, what inuHt tin' plays be ? Du not go to see. 
 
 13. Because of the cliaracter reipiired in the actors 
 and actresses oenerally. 11* a lawyer, doctor, teacher oi- 
 minister is immoral, or if a woman, in other walks of 
 life, is known to be other than chaste, that one is less 
 po])ular, if not disqualified. This rule fails in its 
 application to the stage. Immorality in an actor or 
 actress is no disqualification. 
 
 You cannot imagine actors and actresses as devoted 
 Christians, though some of them are pure men and 
 women. 
 
 14. Bec^^useof the character of the reyular attendants. 
 While many who are highly moral, and a /ety prof eas- 
 ing Christians, go to certain theati'es occasionally, the 
 frequent, re<:clar attendants are the rift-ratf, inuuoral, 
 profane, gamblers, till-tappers, sporting characters, 
 spendthrifts, careless, sceptics, " cod-tish aristocracy," 
 and " lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God." 
 Where morals are the lowest, theatres thrive best; as, 
 for instance, in Paris and Chicago. 
 
 15. Because when actors and theatre-goers are con- 
 verted they receive a new and spiritual appetite, and 
 so lose relish for, and turn away from, the stage. How 
 often have we seen this the case. A lady, just con- 
 
52 
 
 Zbc Cbeatre. 
 
 verted, said to Mr. Moody : " The Lord has saved me ; 
 but, though you disapprove of the theatre, I do not 
 see any harm in it, and I purpose going to certain 
 plays." Weeks after, slie said : " Mr. Moody, I went 
 to tlie theatre with my husband, but everything 
 seemed so changed I did not enjoy it, but felt out of 
 place and uncomfortable, and so left after the first act." 
 
 16. It looks v^ery inconsistent. I can partly under- 
 stand how those, who are not Christians, and so know 
 nothing of spiritual life and joy, may become inter- 
 ested, fascinated and enamored with the glitter and 
 glare of the theatre, and so many things that appeal 
 to the eye and fleshly nature ; but u, devoted Christian 
 turns away from such husks, and feeds upon bread 
 others know not of. (Rom. viii. 5.) 
 
 17. Because many people are so anxious to find an 
 excuse by which to silence their consciences, so that 
 they may go to the theatre. This is evident from 
 the weight and importance they attach to the utter- 
 ances or practice of one minister or church member 
 who favors the theatre, though a hundred others, 
 equally good and intelligent, to say the least, re- 
 nounce and denounce it. 
 
 Are you a professed Christian ? Allow me, as your 
 friend, to kindly ask you a number of questions, and 
 
V^bc (Tbcatie. 
 
 53 
 
 then let mc answer them as I might suppose you as a 
 Christian to do. 
 
 1. Are all plays and operas alike bad ? No, they may 
 be compared as bad, worse, worst. I could imagine a 
 good play, but to find one, not objectionable in itself 
 or its adjuncts, I would not know where to go. 
 
 2. Is there any good in attending the theatre ? The 
 one who thinks to find good at the theatre is a neai 
 relation to him who seeks for a needle in a haystack. 
 
 3. How would you like to see your sister, daughter 
 or wife a theatre performer ? Will you, then, encour- 
 age the stage for other women ? In China or Japan 
 women are not allowed to appear on the stage. 
 
 4. What is the general fruit of the theatre ? If good, 
 let us patronize and preach it; but if evil, let us 
 entirely abandon and denounce it. 
 
 5. Cannot Christians purify the character of the 
 theatre by attending- it ? As well think to purify 
 the effluvium of a sewer or cesspool by pouring rose- 
 water into it. 
 
 6. " Cannot the theatre be elevated or converted ? " 
 It is 2,500 years of age now, and so is too old. Its 
 character is fixed, and is getting worse and worse. 
 It would die if elevated. Certain actors and theatre 
 managers have proven this to be true. The only way 
 to convert the theatre is to kill it. 
 
54 
 
 ^bc ZTbeatve. 
 
 7. Is not the attitude of the various Churches and 
 best Christian people generally against the theatre ? 
 Most assuredly yes. Let us side with them. 
 
 8. If you entirely renounce the theat^'e, will you 
 lose anything in morals, spiritual life, Christian in- 
 fluence or real pleasure ? Most certainly not. Then 
 at once and forever turn away from the theatre, and 
 do not think it a sacrifice to do so, but good riddance. 
 
 9. Do you ask, " Is it right or wrong to go to see 
 this play or hear that opera ? " You should take a 
 broader view, and ask, " What is the influence of the 
 theatre in general, and sliall I lend my example to 
 any degree to perpetuate and extend the power of 
 that which is recognized as one of Satan's churches ? " 
 This one question carefully and prayerfully considered 
 will cause every intelligent and consecrated Christian 
 to forever turn away from the theatre. 
 
 10. Have you any doubt about it being right to 
 attend the theatre ? If so, and you go, you commit 
 sin by yielding to a disposition to disobey God. 
 " Whatsoever is not of faith is sin." (Rom. xiv. 23.) 
 
 11. Can you imagine Christ, your Exemplar, goi ig 
 to the theatre ? Then what business have you there, 
 as His representative ? 
 
 12. Could you imagine a theatre opened with 
 prayer by your pastor, and closed by the benediction f 
 
 rf 
 
Zhc tTbcatre. 
 
 55 
 
 You say, " Such a thing would seem sacrilege." This 
 should settle the question for you. 
 
 13. Would you be ashamed to die at a theatre ? 
 An acquaintance of mine fell dead on the street, and 
 his friends were very anxious to keep it a secret that 
 he was returning from a theatre. If Jesus were to 
 come to claim His own, you would hardly want Him 
 to find you at a theatre. " Watch, therefore : for ye 
 know not what hour your Lord doth come." (Matt, 
 xxiv. 42.) 
 
 14. As we think of eternity, had we not better 
 entirely keep from the theatre ? Apelles, the great 
 Grecian artist, wliile painting an important picture, 
 was asked, " Wliy are you so very careful of every 
 stroke ? " He I'eplied, " I paint for eternity." Beloved, 
 we are artists too. We are not only forming our own 
 characters, but influencing by our actions and words 
 the character, life and eternal destiny of others. 
 
 In view of our individual responsibility, let us be 
 careful that all our opinions, words and acts are 
 right in the sight of God, as eacli one feels and says : 
 " / am painting for eternity." 
 
^be Cavbe. 
 
 III.- 
 
 Promise : 2 Cor. vi. 17 18. 
 Precept ; Matt. v. 29, 30. 
 
 Prayer : Gal. i. 3, 4. 
 Praise : Isa. Ixi. 10. 
 
 JYJ ANY blunders are made with reference to 
 
 Sarn^t ^'^'"^ 'g^O'^aitly eonfound or jumble 
 t gether cards^-diee and other games of chance with 
 chess, checkers, curling, croquet, cricket, carpet bail, 
 baseball football, lawn tennis and simiiar galLI,: 
 skill and dexterity, and condemn them all 
 
 Under proper environment and for a limited tin>e 
 games of skdl and dexterity are innocent recreations 
 and are as pure and healthy to mind and body as 
 «tu y and business, because recreation is a reguW^ 
 estimate department of life. AH games oVchance ■ 
 should, however, be scored out and discarded by saint 
 and smner, young and old, always and everywhere. 
 
 nations. The games are similar, the only differ- 
 
 deceived"^ " ^'^ ''"'"" " "" '^'''- ^° -* ^ 
 
 56 
 
Zbc Car06. 
 
 57 
 
 Consider the excuses made for card-playing : 
 1. One says, " There is no harm in a game of cards, 
 if you stop at that, and especially if played at home." 
 Yes, there is. Why does it not stop there ? Because 
 it is evil. Can you pray, even at home, for God to 
 bless you in the game ? Romaine, being asked by a 
 lady to play cards, proposed to pray for God's blessing 
 upon them while playing. The lady looked surprised, 
 and put fhe cards aside. Remember that is doubtful, 
 and consequently sinful for you, upon which you can- 
 not ask God's blessing. (1 Thess. v. 18.) 
 
 2. ArcOther says, " If you oppose card-playing, you 
 will keep people out of the Church." You will not 
 keep anyone out that is worthy to be a church-mem- 
 ber. Think on the other side. If we fa\'or card- 
 playing we will certainly keep people out of the 
 kingdom of Christ and heaven. 
 
 3. Some think it necessary to have cards or danc- 
 ing, in order to spend the evening when guests are 
 present. It is a reflection upon the intelligence of 
 your guests and yourself to say this. 
 
 Evening parties are often too long. Let me 
 say it is an absurd and stupid custom for guests 
 to stay till twelve, one or two o'clock. Let the 
 host invite guests from eight to ten o'clock, or 
 from nine to eleven, and all will enjoy the evening 
 
58 
 
 Zbc Ca^^3. 
 
 
 
 11 
 
 b(^ttor. If no time is mentioned by the host, let 
 tlie guests have enough sense to say good-night not 
 later than eleven o'clock. You set the example. 
 
 4. Many blunder in simply asking : " What is the 
 harm ? " Have more sense and ask : " What is the 
 good?" and follow only after the good and the excellent. 
 
 5. Do you say : " Oui* church an<l minister do not 
 forbid card-playing." Unless you can say the spirit 
 of the Bible and Christ do not forbid it, do not thus 
 try to soothe or pervert your conscience, but say : " I 
 must obey God rather than man." 
 
 A lady said, " Give me one passage from the Bible 
 that is plainly against card-playing and dancing, and 
 I will turn from them." " Do all to the glory of God " 
 was given, and the practices were forever abandoned. 
 
 6. Many say, " I make no profession, and am not a 
 church member." That is no excuse, for God has but 
 one law of right and wrong for saint and sinner. 
 
 7. Persons sometimes try to defend card-playing 
 as a means of keeping their sons, brothers or husbands 
 at home. I know a prominent church member who 
 did this, and now his son is a confirmed gambler on a 
 river steamer. If you play cards at home, you edu- 
 cate yourself and others to play aw^ay from home, 
 and thus become more liable victims of temptation. 
 
 In a court of law a witness was called, when one 
 
Cbe Ca^^a. 
 
 59 
 
 answered, " There are fourteen reasons why he can- 
 not be present : First, he is dead ; second, he — ." The 
 judge interrupted him, " Nevermind the other reasons, 
 as that one is sufficient." So, I will mention several 
 reasons why we should consider card-playing to be 
 wrong, any one of which is a sufficient reason to induce 
 a person tliat wants to do right, to let cards alone. 
 
 1. Card-playing, being a game of chance, gives a 
 wrong ideal of how to succeed in life, and tends to 
 make persons depend upon so-called " hick^' rather 
 than upon ability and honest work. 
 
 2. Cards have a bad name, harnggainhlevs' tools, and 
 cannot consistently be publicly defended by any 
 pastor, evangelist, Sunday-school teacher or superin- 
 tendent, or by you or myself. 
 
 3. It is, to say the least, a questionable amusement. 
 Very few, if any, ask seriously, " Is there any harm 
 in curling, checkers, bicycling, skating or croquet ; 
 but so many Christians, as also the unconverted, and 
 especially serious inquirers, ask, " Is there any harm 
 in card-playing?" thus showing that it is a doubtful 
 game. Give yourself '^ the benefit of the doubt," and 
 keep from cards and other questionable things ; for 
 Jesus teaches, "He thatdoubteth is condemned;" and 
 Paul declares, " Whatsoever is not of faith is sin." 
 
 4. Card-playing leads many to ruin for time and 
 
60 
 
 Zbc Car&a. 
 
 ni 
 
 jl 
 
 eternity. As Jesus teaches us to judge things " bv 
 their fruit," we must certainly judge carc^ -playing to 
 be wrong Di\ Tabiiage says, " When I coniLider that 
 cards have led to the eternal ruin ot" so many young 
 men and others, I would as soon go out to the grave- 
 yard and say, * Come and let us have a game of 
 skulls,' as to say, ' Let us have a game of cards.'" 
 
 5. The perfect love of God expels not only the pur- 
 pose but also the desire to play cards. Half-hearted 
 Christians, who play cards, are like the Israelites in 
 the wilderness, who wished for the " leeks and the 
 onions of Egypt." 
 
 6. You cannot play cards without gambling. What 
 is gaml)ling ? One says, " Gambling is playing for 
 monev or other stakes." That is too crude a defini- 
 tion. Gambling is seeking to win by chance without 
 earning. The spirit of gamihling is as much in seek- 
 ing to win the game by chance without earning it as 
 if money were at stake. 
 
 Card -playing is a game of chance. Though skill is 
 required in playing certain games of cards, the element 
 of chance comes in to such a large degree that players 
 depend more upon their chances of getting ''good 
 hands " than upon skill. How often card-players say, 
 " I can't do anything this time." Why ? They did 
 not chance to get a good hand. When beaten in play- 
 
Zbc CarC)0. 
 
 61 
 
 bv 
 to 
 at 
 
 '^ 
 
 )f 
 
 ing cards a person does not say, as with games of 
 pure skill, "I played poorly," or "You are a better 
 player than I am;" but. he says " I had bad luck," 
 or, "I did not get half a dozen good hands during the 
 evening." As card-players depend so largely upon 
 chance, the game is properly called a game of chance ; 
 therefore, when a person plays cards, either for the 
 game or for money, he is seeking to win by chance 
 wnthout earning, and so gambles for the game or for 
 the stake. Such is not the case with chess, checkers, 
 curling, quoits, and other games of skill and dexterity. 
 Those who win in those games do so, not by chance, 
 but by skilful playing. Why is it tliat persons, when 
 playing for money and other stakes, usually do so w-ith 
 cards ? It is because the transition, from gamblinn- 
 for the game to gambling for money, is quite easily 
 and naturally made. Persons seldom play chess, 
 checkers, curling and the like for money ; and, when 
 they do so, it is an outrage on these games, as they 
 are games of skill ; but it is no outrage on cards to 
 play for money or other stakes, but only an addi- 
 tional disgrace to the players. 
 
 Let each one, whether a Christian or not, believing 
 that gambling is wrong, reason thus : 
 
 First premise: Persons in playing cards seek to 
 win the game by chance without earning it. 
 
62 
 
 Zbc Card0. 
 
 Second premise : Seeking to win by chance with- 
 out earning has in it the spirit of gambling, though it 
 be only for the game. 
 
 Conclusion : Card-playing, though it be but for the 
 game, has in it the spirit of gambling, and therefore 
 is wrong. I am therefoie I'esolved to discard and 
 discountenance card-playing. 
 
 In adopting this resolution, do not feel that you 
 are making any sacrifice, but that to do otherwise 
 would be to sacrifice principle and personal worth. 
 
 7. Card-])laying stands in the way of so many becom- 
 ing Cliristians. How often do people ask : " Will T 
 have to give up cards to become a Christian ? " At 
 the Cross soldiers gambled for Christ's coat ; but now 
 persons trifle with salvation and barter Christ for the 
 cards. Let each one say : " Cards or no cards, Christ 
 for one." 
 
 8. Card-playing leads many to become backsliders. 
 A backslidden Methodist local preacher from the old 
 land was playing cards with others in New York, 
 when Barbara Heck seized the cards, threw tliem into 
 the fire, and said : " Philip Embury, you must preach 
 to us, or we shall all go to hell together, and God will 
 require our blood at j'our hands." The Holy Spirit 
 used her words to lead him to repentance and renewed 
 consecration. He preached the first Methodist ser- 
 
 t':' 
 
Cbc Car^6. 
 
 63 
 
 
 mon in America. He also built the first Methodist 
 church on this continent in 1776, and became its 
 successful pastor. I have frequently been in old John 
 Street Chui-ch, New York, that now stands on the 
 original site. A suitable tablet to the memory of 
 Philip Embury and Baibara Heck is placed to the 
 right of the pulpit. Fi-oin the events narrated, 
 Methodism took root on this continent, and now 
 thousands of ministei-s and millions of members 
 delight to be called Methodists. 
 
 Let all the card-playing backslidden Methodists, 
 Presbyterians, Baptists, Episcopalians ind Congrega- 
 tionalists, bui-ii their cards, repent of all sin, and like 
 Philip Embury and Barbara Heck become workers 
 together with Christ to sprea<l His Gospel, and millions 
 more as a result will soon know the joyful sound. 
 Winning others to Christ is better than card-playing. 
 Let me kindly ask you a few questions : 
 
 1. Arc you ever bothered about playing or selling 
 cards ? A bookseller in Belleville, a few weeks after 
 his conversion, told us : " I was bothered about the 
 cards I had in stock, and so burned them, about 
 twenty dollars' worth. In less than a week I sold 
 more Bibles than I had done for months before." It 
 pays better to sell Bibles than cards. 
 
 2. Do you ask : " What about billiards ? " I may 
 
64 
 
 Cbfc CarCia. 
 
 IM' 
 
 say, the p^ame is purely one of skill, and, in itself, is 
 as innocont as croquet or cricket ; but as a billiard 
 table is too expensive for private homes, it is usually 
 found in connection with hotels or public billiard 
 rooms ; hence, while it might be lawful to play bil- 
 liards if the environment were always healthy ; yet, 
 knowing that the associations are nsxially not so, I 
 M'ould strongly advise all to consider billiards as " not 
 expedient'' and let them entirely alone even in pri- 
 vate houses. jMoreover, when persons play in billiard 
 rooms, they pay a certain amount for the use of the 
 table, and then, usually, play as to which one will pay 
 this amount ; hence they gamble for this small stake 
 at the first, if not for the drinks or a larger sum. A 
 billi.crd room is a curse in any community. Sad 
 stories have been told us, by converted billiard players 
 or sorrowful fathers of wayward sons, of the loss of 
 money, character and reputation, and the spirit of 
 idleness, gambling and dissipation resulting from 
 playing billiards. 
 
 In view of what I have said, though billiards come 
 under the head of games of skill, yet certainly, 
 whether we are Christians or not, we should keep 
 from the game because it is injurious, if not to our- 
 selves, undoubtedly to our influence over others. 
 
 3. Are those who play cards noted for their spiritu- 
 
 l J It 
 
 ! i 
 
tibe ditr&e. 
 
 66 
 
 ality and active Christian work ? Assuredly not I 
 wo-W recommend, instead of whist and progressive 
 euchre, a game whicli is ea.sily kamnd a>.d is most 
 fascinating It may be popularly called Progressive 
 Christian Wark You can play it at home or at 
 church, on the street or in the shop, on Sunday or 
 week-da/. Pray, plan and practise to be faithful. 
 
 4. Will you be the loser in any way if you do not 
 play cards? Will you if you do ? You are perfectly 
 aware that games of chance have a peculiar and dan- 
 gerous fascination for those who indulge in them ■ 
 hence, let me urge you not to trifle with cards lest' 
 like so many others, the habit may absorb you, and 
 injure you physically, mentally and spiritually 
 
 One said to me, " When I was converted I put up 
 eveiy bar, and put a peg in, and so have been kept 
 but my brother fell away, as he left one of the bare 
 down." Fasten up every bar and be faithful. 
 
 5. Is card-playing a suitable game for men and 
 women of culture, refinement and morality. Did you 
 know that in three States of the American Union it 
 has been decided in the courts of law that all persons 
 known to play progressive euchre, under any circum- 
 stances, are liable to be arraigned before the courts 
 and punished for gambling ? Such is the case. Can 
 persons, therefore, who wish to be considered respect- 
 
66 
 
 ^be Car&0. 
 
 able ladies and gentlemen play progressive euchre in 
 their parlors and other places ? If you do so you are, 
 even according to law, a gambler. Such is not a very 
 comforting or edifying thought. 
 
 6. If you play cards, what effect will it have upon 
 your influence for good ? If Mr. Hunter and myself 
 played cards, and it were known, we might close our 
 evangelistic work. So, if it is known that you play 
 cards, you may keep your lips closed from witnessing 
 for Christ and doing direct personal work. 
 
 Ask, " What may be the effect of my example upon 
 the unconverted, the Christians, the Church, and those 
 of my own liousehold — my husband, brother or chil- 
 dren?" and in view of your responsibility say, "I 
 will in no way favor card-playing." 
 
 7. Can you, in playing cards, carry out the follow ing 
 precept, " Whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in 
 the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and 
 the Father by Him ? " (Col. iii. 17.) Do not evade 
 this question, but be honest with God and yourself. 
 
 A pronounced sceptic, being for a few days in a 
 town where we were, attended our meetings, was 
 genuinely converted, and subsequently became a mem- 
 ber of " The King's Sons." Some months later, while 
 at a friend's house with others, spending an evening, 
 cards were introduced. Having been a card-player, he 
 
Zbc Car^6, 
 
 67 
 
 sat down and took a liand with the rest. Bnring the 
 game, while waiting his turn to play, his eyes fell 
 upon the small silver cross attached to his watch- 
 chain bearing the initials " I.H.N.," and tlie thought 
 came, "Can I play cards in His Name?" Laying down 
 his cards, he said, '• Excuse me, friends, I cannot plp.y 
 any more." They answered, " What is the matter ? " 
 He replied, " I have not played before since my con- 
 version, and had not thought anything about it being 
 right or wrong till the sight of this emblem of * The 
 King's Sons ' su ;-gested the question, ' Can I play 
 cards in His Name?' I do not wish to give you 
 any lecture, but must ask you to excuse me from 
 playing." 
 
 While one smiled, the others said, " We honor you 
 as a Christian for your decision." The game ceased, 
 and a delightful evening was spent intelligently. 
 
 Have similar courage, in every place and society, to 
 decline to play cards, and kindly and firmly stick to 
 your resolution, so will you be commended and hon- 
 ored by the best Christians in all the Churches, by the 
 men and women of highest moral principle, by your 
 own heart, and by Him of Whom you can say, " Whose 
 I am and Whom I serve" 
 
 8. As cards have injured or wrecked so many, is it 
 not wise and safe to renounce them ? Dr. Holland 
 
68 
 
 Zbc CarDs. 
 
 said, "I ha^e tliis moment ringing in my ears the 
 dying injunction of my father's early friend, ' Keep 
 your son from cards. Over tiiem I have murdered 
 time and lost heaven.' " 
 
 A young man, whose name I need not mention, just 
 through college, was invited to a social evening gather- 
 ing. Here for the first time he learned to handle 
 cards. This was in 1884. He played in private 
 parlors for a few weeks, and then began to visit public 
 gambling houses. Here he won. His parents felt 
 disgraced. The intoxication of gaiabling was so upon 
 him that he sailed for Europe, and there operated as 
 a professional gambler in the various large cities. 
 For nine years he heard no word from home. 
 
 One day in 1893 a young fellow challenged him to 
 ])lay till one was " broke." From morning till evening 
 the game went on. The young man lost $14,000. It 
 was all he had. Rising from the table, without a 
 word, he walked out. A moment later the report of 
 a revolver startled them. In telling the sad story, the 
 professional gambler said, "I with an attendant rushed 
 out. There lay my young opponent, a pistol beside 
 him. As I bent over him to loosen his collar, some 
 letters and a photograph fell from his pocket. As I 
 picked up the picture, I saw looking into my face the 
 eyes of my own mother. Then I recognized in the 
 
Cbc Cnvbe, 
 
 60 
 
 I 
 
 features of the dead my younger brother, whom I had 
 not seen since I left home. The letters bore his 
 name. I was my brother's murderer." 
 
 The awful sorrow dethroned tlie mothers reason, 
 and she is to-day in an insane asylum. No wonder 
 that the reihorseful son and brother renounced his 
 sinful life, and is now seeking- to make restitution by 
 acting as a Christian missionary among victims of 
 card-playing and the gaming habit. 
 
 Are you a card-player ? Burn your " deck " to-day, 
 and forever give up the game. Have you never played 
 cards ? Thank God, and continue to live in blissful 
 ignorance of gamblers' tools. 
 
 I appeal to every Christian and unconverted per- 
 son to say, " I will forever renounce cards, lest I be 
 injured by them, or lest I start or encourage some one 
 else, perhaps my own brother or loved one, on the 
 way that leads to ruin." 
 
 I would also strongly suogest that, among your 
 circle of friends, you form what is called a Round- 
 robin, scoring out dancing, theatre-going, card-playing 
 and liquor-drinking. To make the form, take a large 
 sheet of unruled paper, and upon it draw two concen- 
 tric circles, with diameters of about three inches and 
 seven and a half inches respectively. Then draw lines 
 from one circle to the other, making thirty-two or 
 
70 
 
 Zbc (lar&0. 
 
 I a ><ii 
 
 sixty-four equal spaces for the autographs. In the 
 inner circle write the following : 
 
 " Believing it to be conducive to personal piety, 
 Christian influence, and the glory of (jod, to abstain 
 from the dance, the tneatre, the cards, and intoxicating 
 drinks, we, by signing this circle, promise, by God's 
 grace, to renounce these things ourselves, and to en- 
 courao;e others to do likewise." You mig-ht also write 
 around the outer circle suitable Scripture passages. 
 
 The form being thus made, talk the question over 
 with your acquaintances, and sign the circle with them. 
 
 Let the members of each Christian Endeavor So- 
 ciety, Epworth League, and Society of King's Sons 
 and Daughters, form a circle. 
 
 The consecrated Christian ladies, married and sin- 
 gle, of the various churches in a village, town or com- 
 munity, may unite to form one great and influential 
 circle. 
 
 It would be well also for the intelligent young men 
 and women to form a separate circle. 
 
 In closing, let me ask everyone who reads these 
 pages to say, " In the name of Christ, and trusting in 
 His grace, I shall henceforth renounce the dance, the 
 theatre, the cards, and intoxicating drink." 
 
Ipractical Time on important Ubemee 
 
 TO YOUNG CONVERTS, 
 OLDER CHRISTIANS and the UNCONVERTED. 
 
 By the rev. H. T. CROSSLEY. 
 
 TITLES OF CIIArTERS: 
 
 Is Life Worth Liviuf?? 
 How to Study tlie Bible. 
 Look on the JJrig^ht Side. 
 Blunders about Easting. 
 The Lord's Supper. 
 
 Blundering Self-Exaniination. 
 
 Blundering Comparisons. 
 
 Blunders about Providences. 
 
 Pointers on Music. 
 
 Pointers against Evil-Speaking. 
 
 Pointers about Dress. 
 
 Pointers about Health, 
 
 The Question of Women Speaking. 
 
 Questions about Reading. 
 
 Death and Dying Grace. 
 
 The Importance of Sympathy. 
 
 Questions about Temptation. 
 
 The Unpardonable Sin. 
 
 Doubt and Scepticism. 
 
 The Pcirlor Dance. 
 
 The Theatre. 
 
 The Cards. 
 
 The Weed. 
 
 The Licensed Liquor Traffic. 
 
 Prohibition. 
 
 Talk to Church Members. 
 
 Talk about Joining the Church. 
 
 How the World May be Converted. 
 
 Blunders about Faith. 
 
 How to Live a Christian. 
 
 Be an Assured Christian. 
 Be a Bible Christian. 
 Be a Covenanted Christian. 
 Be a Confessed Christian. 
 Be a Consistent Christian. 
 Be a Church Christian. 
 Be a Charitable Cliristian. 
 Be a Courageous Christian. 
 Be a Consecrated Christian. 
 Be an Exemplary Christian. 
 Be a l^'aithful Christian. 
 Be a Forgiving Christian. 
 Be a Home Christian. 
 Be a Hopeful Christian. 
 Be an Intelligent Christian. 
 Be a Joyous Christian. 
 Be a Loving Christian. 
 Be a Lil>eral Christian. 
 Be a Peaceful Christian. 
 Be a Prayerful Christian. 
 Be a Persevering Christian. 
 Be a Reverent Christian. 
 Be a Sociable Christian. 
 Be a Steadfast Christian, 
 Be a Trustful Christian. 
 Be a Thankful Christian. 
 Be a Uniform Christian. 
 Be a Watchful Christian. 
 Be a Wide- Awake Christian. 
 Be a Working Christian. 
 Be a Life-Long Christian. 
 
 This Volume should be in every home. Ask your Bookseller for 
 It or send $|.00 by Post-office Order to 
 
 Or to 
 
 O. W. COATES. MoNTREAi,, Que. 
 S. F. HUESTIS, HAI..1.-AX, N.H. 
 
 WILLIAM BRIGGS, 
 
 Wesley Mullding:8, 
 
 TORONTO.