Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843, 1836-04-21
For the Telegraph
TEETOTALISM.

FOT me Ic(eSTdPh.
TEETOTALISM,
Mr. Editor,-I perceive by your paper
of A pril l4th, that another society has re-
Gently been formed at Wallingford, called
The Rutland County Temperance So
clety." A more appropriate name Think
would have been, The Rutland County
Teetotal Society; for then we should not
have to seek in the constitution for the OBJ
5ect of the society. (D | have borne my
uniform testimony in favor Of temperance,
and am a member Of temperance socie-
ty, | have watched with deep interest
the progress of the cause from it's incipient
stages, until "a little one has become a
thousand and a small one 4 strong na-
ton" But, sir, the Subject has at length
arrived at stage at which, ultra as am,
find it necessary to stop and solemnlv to
pause. (2) So numerous, so frequent and
urgent are the calls now made upon US BY
the various societies Of the dav protesting
bcneVo!cnCe, (and new ones are cOntinu-
ally Springing np) that it has become i'm
portant to inquire first Of ALL BY what au-
thorIty they act, and who gave them their
authOrity2 And ifthcjr principles appear
to be founded in the plain word Of Gcd. we
may not oppose, although We may not
choose to connect ourselves with them, or
comply with their Demands (3) Otthcsc
various associations, one is that now max
ing requIsition upon all members Of tenn
perance societies to rcnounce, as indispen-
llo tho continued o,,I l.;
mae.triumph Of the cause, the use Of the
apple and the grape. (N I shall not in
quirc at this time, as TO the crpoUieucr OF
the relinquIshmCnt Of the use Of either OF
these gifts Of heaven to men II al the
joys and suf1triHgs of this world, and all
the feIicltios and VICES Of another, have
been set in bold relief before the intempcr-
ate, to dissuade them from their disgust
ing and beaStl V practices, in vain, feeble
indeed might the arguments be expected to
prove, which might b. drawn from the
influence of an example in the surrender
of the smallest conceivable quantity attend
ed as 1t would be with little, or at most
with but proportionatc degree, Of self
denial in those by whom the surrender is
made. Who would raise a feather to o.
pose tornado ? (5)
Taught, as have been, sir, by the al
tralsts oftemperance, that the use of wine
is an immortality, and never having heard
the doctrine before, although my head has
been whitened with the SHOWS of more
than three score winters, | have been
driven to my feet, have inquired of the
former age, and prepared myself to the
search Of the fathers, and the result has
been a conviction that holy writ does not
condemn, but approve, and even command
the use Of wine. (6) 1t is in the excess ~
only IN the use Of any of the bountics Of
heaven, that the sin and evil are TO be
found and avoided--that changed the
truIt of the vine into the poison of dra-
CONS and the cruel venom Of as7S" But
Who sir, shall stand up and alone to affirm
that the temperate, thankful use of inc.
or OF any OF the good and and perfect gifts
OF GOD, IS Sun, violation Of his law?
10 ENJOY is to obey" SAYS DIR
oung," and a greater than he la,h said,
" Eoery creature Of God is good. and not4-
ing to lie refused, if it be received with
thanksgiving, Of them that believe and
Know the truth. In the lroh:buion
therefore of the temperate use Divine. we
cannot fail to discover a departure both
from the letter and spirit of the Bible;
work otsupererrogatlon, false, tanatical,
poplsh spirit, commanding us to abstain
from meats which God hath created 10 he
received with thanksgiving" ~
| have ever deeply regretted that the
use Of wine in the sacrament of the holy
supper should have been admitted for dis
cuSSlon IN our temperance periodicals.
IN some portions Of our country, if an
correctly Informed, the discussion has been
carried so far that individuals in many
churches have suffered the cup to pass
them, believing the use of wine even on
that occasion to be sinful so far from the
path OF safety and peace arc men liable TO
be driven when once they leave the kings
high way to follow the ipSc diru of weak
errlng, uninspired men. (9) But the dis
cusslon Of this question by mutual con-
sent, | understand, has been discontinued
IN all our printed publications, and we are
now told that wine mnv be used in the :
communion service. This, sir, in NV ,
humble opinion, is Inconsistency render !
ed more Inconsistent On what ground, :
| ask, have these human dlctatOrs so gra-
ciously permitted the church Of God to use
wine on that sacred occasion, while they
condemn its use in all other cases as "n-
furious to the health, TO the social, civil
and religious interests Of men, Con-
vince me, sir, that in the termentcd juice
Of the grape lies connected the deadly foe
that we arc told there does and "pledge
myselfthat Inever will take that foe with
me to the house and table Of the Lord, nor
taste wine again on any occasion while
L