Social dancing inconsistent with a Christian profession and baptismal vows

Taken from a sermon delivered 17 June 1849, Palmerʼs book is typical of midnineteenth-century antidance literature. He declares that the seventeen references to dance in the Bible are all performed by one sex, in open fields, and in broad daylight. This, Palmer (1818-1902) concludes, is not the case with balls, in which the sexes dance together, in closed quarters, and at night. The author declares that human nature is "fallen and depraved, and subject to the domination of wicked passions," therefore, attending balls is promiscuous, demoralizing, and inconsistent with baptismal vows.