Correspondence.

Tuapeka Times, Volume XVIII, Issue 1179, 12 September 1885, Page 3

Correspondence.

DANCING F. GAMBLING. {To the Editor.) Sib, — When I read the loiters of your correspondents "Anti-Humbug" and "Credo," I thought, with the Scottish bard, " Common sense has tnen the road and off and up the cow-gate." " Anti-Humbug " admits he has no fixity of principle when ha says he sometimes goes to chtiroh, but attends the quadrille assembly. Alas, for the roligion of the man wben it has only the second place ! No wonder such a man takes exctption to a faithful minister who denounces dancing and gambling, seeing he himself practices both. Yet with a'l his inconsistency "Anti-Humbug" exprasies a great truth when he says : " With their art unions and church bazaars the churches tbemselvts are sowing the seeds of vice among their own members." A truth which no sophistry can cover. If the evil were confined to a particular congregation alone, it would not be so bad, but it spreads to other congregations, the church, and public genorally, just as the privatt dance leads to the ball-room, and from that to the theatre. Where next ? tb» reader may con elude. To my mind they are both great evil?, akin to drunkenness ; and the Christian who practices them is not worthy of hia name, neither is the minister who doss not, publicly condemn them. But "Credo" is eloquently siienfc as to his principles. Perhaps he Ins not got any ; yet his faultfinding with " Anti- Humbug " makes one suspicious that he is implicated in tho " Holyfair." His style of writing is like an auctioneer's hammer— knocking down nothing. Hoping that neither of them will appear again with their musty fusty phosporised oati— l am, &c., A Pbesbxtebia>*.