What sins are Christians most likely to commit; those called little sins, or those called great ones? When a Christian falls away from the church, with what sins does he generally begin his downward course? Against what class of sins, then, should we be most on our guard?

      What sins are regarded as comparatively harmless, those which afford amusement, or those which spring from passion? Why is this?

      How do Christians frequently regard sins which are common among respectable people of the world? Is any wrong practice really [90] less sinful because it is practiced by respectable persons? But is it more dangerous from being thus practiced?

      Is it proper for the church to condemn anything which the Scriptures do not condemn? If a practice is condemned by name in the Scriptures, can it be innocent in us? But are all the sinful practices of the present day named in the Scriptures? How can we know that these are sinful? Ans.--We can know it by the fact that they belong to classes of things condemned in the Scriptures, or that they violate some principle of action enjoined in the Scriptures.

      Quote the first passage in the New Testament which mentions dancing? Matt. xi: 17. What dancing was this? Ans.--It was that of children at their play, mimicking the professional dancers, as they mimicked the mourners at a funeral.

      Quote the next passage in which it is mentioned. Matt. xiv: 6. What kind of dancing was this? Ans.--It was an imitation of the professional dancers who danced for the amusement of others. Was the family of Herod religious, or very wicked? Did this dance result in good or evil? Is it an example to be imitated, or one to be avoided?

      Quote the next mention of dancing. Luke xv: 25. What kind of dancing was this? Ans.--It was that of hired dancers, who danced to music made by themselves, or an imitation of these; for the Jews never danced for their own amusement, but sometimes employed others to dance before them. Was the prodigal's father, in whose house this dancing was done a Christian? What was he? Ans.--Most likely a Jew who did [91] not believe in the Savior. Does the fact that Jesus mentions dancing in this parable without condemning it, prove that it is innocent? Ans.--No; for he thus mentions various things which we know to be wrong (Luke xvi: 3-8; xviii: 5), and Paul draws illustrations from such practices as fighting and racing. I Cor. ix: 23-26.

      Is dancing mentioned anywhere else in the New Testament? Ans.--It is not. Is it spoken of, then, in a way to commend it as an innocent practice? What means had the disciples, to whom Jesus thus mentioned it, of knowing whether it was right or wrong? Ans.--Only the teaching of the Old Testament, and the other two sources of knowledge mentioned in this lesson.

      Was our modern mode of dancing known to the ancients? Ans.--No; among the Jews and Greeks there was no dancing of men and women together.

[FBL 90-92]