Cheraw gazette and Pee Dee farmer. [volume] (Cheraw S.C.) 1838-1839, 1838-11-21

which by Gods authority has been written
down in our commission, and which there
fore we are bound to enforce but then we
are always to remember, that the Gospel
recognizes but two parties in the universe,
and those ale made up of the friends and
the enemies of God. The Gospel makes
no provision for the pecuiarlies of This or
that age--time and eternity are the great
portions ofexistence which it recognizes.
Vice, in its various forms, will exist, so
long as mans heart remains unrenewed
sometimes one form of evil will have ascen.
dapcy, and sometimes another--sometimes
the greater readiness OF access to one set
Of ins,rumen,alities will give a greater pre-
valence 10 a particular vice-solnetlmes
sin will stalk through the and in all its max
ed deforn:ity. and ag1n it will robe itself
in fair outside, pu, on decent and Sob
er mcin, AM wcara lc'pt've and pleas.
ic gmask.
tn, Eoly Gao~i, We may believe, s the
wiscst and most tloc.ive reiormcr. and tie,
in all ages, and with all characters of men,
aims at the publication Of the heart. It's
something 10 save The body, bnta argreat.
er thing it is to save the soul and in saving
the Soul, we rescue the body from the pols
son of sin. Human laws and voluntary
societies have good work 10 do-shey
must adapt their plans 10 meet the eXigen~
cies of the age--and where wisdom pre-.
sides over their deliberations, when sound
moral principle is at their basis, and where
they seem likely to accomplish the work
pr posed, the good and wise should give
them their hearty support. Still itshould
be remembered, that the good and wise are
no, bound to joinin every association which
aims a, useful end. We all have the right
to the wisdom Of day human scheme, and
exercise our private opinion in regard to
the wisdom of any human scheme, and
while we love the principle, and would sac
riice t, bring about the good result, still our
Judgment may not be satisfied as 70 the
proprie'y or the practicabIeness Of the
mode Of operation. The world is suffer.
. ing terrible evll-and the evil Increases
f ON the hlb;t which men have acquired OF
ranging themselves into parties, differing
not ia radical principles, but simply in re-
gard to modes Of operation: The final res
| ult Of this, man cannot lorsee--the pheno.
mcnon is somewhat new-and the end is not
yet. Party feeling is one ofthe strongest
ties by which depraved men are kint to.
gether and when we make parties in
morals, we find one fact on grow up into
the full stature of unchari;able zeal, and
the other Division becoming indifferent, if
not averse to a good end, because Of
real or fancied defect in the operation Of
its prolessedly warmcs, friends. The Ii.
berty Of private judgment upon all matters
Of opinion and practice but such as are
fixed by the inmutable Jehovah,--and IN
respect to uniting with, or not uni ing with
all societies for eflecting moral results. ex-
cept tina, one society Of which Jesus is the
Heads libcrt which this fec land Of
ours has strangely misabused, or has for
COTTON oui ofmird.
The work which the Temperance So
cie;y or any other similar association can
effec, is simply preventive. lis aim is to
remove opportunities for indulgence in vice,
and take away occasion of temptation,-and
this though, partial, is a good work. For
all that has been done in bringing about
this conservative end-and there has been
a srca, thing eF:ctcd--cvery Christian vii!
give thanks but wnen we are enlisted
warmly in great and good enterprise,
j, is more than ever necessary for US to
guard against clogg'ng our onward move.
men. with the encumbrance OF any false
principle. The danger to which we alude,
an illustration wiliserye to explain. The re-
lquirementsfor membership and commua;
ion in a Christian Church are fixed by
God, they are baptism and repentance. The
renewal Of the heart follows hard upon re.
penlance, and ali the graces of the Chris
! tian character are the necessary results Of
this renewal. The scr!p'ural requirements
for admission to Chris;'s communion are
simply that We truly and earnes ly repent
US of our sins, are in love and charity with
our neighbors, and intend to lead new life,
/ following the commandments Of God ; and
no Christian minister or Christian Church
has a righ, 10 diminish augh., or add any
thing to these requirements. The matter
is no, left to our discreiion-it is as fixed
and absolute as the holy supper itself. But
there is growing tendency in certain de-
nominations 10 make membership in Ger.
tain societies, which whether good or evil,
matters not, test Of hurch~memsership,
and this is one false principle which is ike
ly to impede The progress Of the temper
ance reformation. Experience may prove
that entire abstinence is the only remedy
to save the world from the bligh of intem..
pcrance--but this would not prove that a
| nledne 10 fhis efTect NAV be uemanded as a