The Columbian fountain., 1846-10-28
co M M u NICA.TIONS.
SPEAKING OUT.

Mr. EDITOR: You invite those who have concern
TOR the welfare Of the churches, to !" speak outo-
truly, plainly. Permit one, then, to inquire, il our
holy religion does not demand that all those whose
avocatons inherently evil and OF necessity only
tend TO all kinds Of evilsthose persons who EN-
poyed in the manufacture and sale Of ardent spirits
Tor the common Market should be dealt with in all
christian kindness, and ii they will not cease their
ruinous business that they shall be excommunicated?
Let nobody be offended; for, every body knows, or
ought to know, that the of the cause is cause
Of the effect. The effects OF drunkenness! What are
they The cause OF drinkenness--sohere The first
cause OF drunkenness-schere We find all in human
agency and instrumentality. Not Apolypn. He. is
not distiller He fills casks bottles. Apoyon
neither makes, sells, drinks ardent spirits Will
any who does make sell them say that Satan in
cites them to do SO? Well II they not free agents
truly he is free agent let him bear all the blame
Is he in these runous businesses the only Of the
effects Z How is he proftedf What are the profits
which he seekse Satan is not alone to blame! The
grain nor the fruits made for him. He never
did, can, distil them, nor vend them alter
wards. Nor can he compel any to do either. He
incites. Here is his sin. The incitedwhat is their
sin? . ..
\ This is all assumption-a mere begging of the
questonit is, to be sure, speaking out, but proving
nothing . What is to be proved? Who made that
whiskey, and who sold that whiskey, which caused
the monster-maniac, Haserty, to murder man and
his wife and child in the city Of Lancaster on Satur-
day morning, 18th inst' Never were three more
fcndish murders committed in Christendom. Is there
one member Of a church in Pennsylvania or in the
country, who is dister Of whiskey from the pre-
cous gifts Of heaven' he may be the very man whose
product caused the murders. Is there man in Lam
easter--a member Of church there, who sells whs-
key to any who will buy il he may be implicated
cause Of the murders Now, for any one to say, il
had known that such were to be the effects OF my
business, / would not have sold to Hagerty-to say
this will not bring one of the innocent murdered ones
to life the murderer from the gallows. Nor
will any thing be gained by accusing the devil the
author OF these murders and as the Of the drunk
ards doom. We say again, the devil did not make or
sell the whiskey. Human beings did both Now no
member Of church should be allowed to do such
things.
Murders caused by drunkenness occur almost daily
Thousands OF suicides from the same cause, annually
The cause OF the is the cause Of the effect That
is to say (and say truly otherwisc) human
istrumenalty is at the beginning and ending Of these
causes. Nor are there neuters. A cause, or not
cause Of drunkenness and its effects Is every man in
the land They that are not with Christ here, are
against Him here No matter where else they are for
him They may be for him in the singing OF pslams
and hymns; in the public congregation; in the pec-
MARY contributions at the LORDS Supper; in the
prayer-mecting; in the classmeetng; in the love
feast; at the Protraced meeting; in visiting the wi
dows and atherless OF their deceased drunken custo
ers (hey are easily found) they cannot gather with
Christ as long they scatter from him by making and
selling ardent spirits for common use.
&C In all this (somc brother, so called may say
There is the same begging OF the question, by
ing ALL"
Twenty-six years agone, we used this argument:
oThe primitive Christians looked upon the very
making OF idols (though with intention to worship
theni) as an unlawful trade, and inconsistent with
Christianity - How have we renounced the devil
and his angels (says Tertullan meaning their solemn
remuneration In baptism) il we make dols' Nor is il
enough to say though make them, do not tooyslp
them there being the same cause not to make them,
that there is not to worship tbem vz the offence that
in both is done to God yea, thou dos far worship
them, as thou masest them that others may worship
them land il others did not worship them thou wouds
not make them) and therefore he roundly prononces
that no art no profession, service whatsoever that