The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1847-02-25

NIACJ are AL JuClE nlCuSulGS lO llultSA VIM
they abuse and insu,t-pointing the finger of
scorn at their christian temperate brethren,
who cannot subscribe total abstinence
pledge, and the temperance man, to avoid
odium, has been noticed to wait until dark,
with his bottle under his cloak and the alb
stinence man will protect this thief in tue
night, who steals along to the store where the
"eritter" is sold; gives the store-keeper
sly wink asks for oil deprecates the traffic
in alcohol, returns home in distress for his in
temperate fellow mortas,and is only relieved
by double portion of that oil, which was
purchased under the cloak of hypocrisy.
1t would seem that some of our good men
had obtained IL patent right to disseminate u
kind of wisdom beyond what is written III
scripture, rs being the inventors. Solomon
stands eclipsod Of his title to wisdom, when
compared with the wise men of the 18th CEN
fury. Simple men have been made to believe
that temperance is total abstinence, and he
that drinks but spoonful of wine or strong
drink, can not be called temperate, Are
you Il temperate man." says a friend to his
neighbor. eyes, l do not drink wine or
spirits" "Ibelieve, says the first, " that the
bible enjoins temperance in all things. But
you say temperance is total abstinence. Now
reduce your theory to practice in eating as
we'll as in drinking, and how long would you
remain temperate Just as long as the In
dams horse did, in trying the experiment;
he died in the process" 1t would be bene-
fetal to society, if men would be consistent
and call things by their right names. Tenn
perance is not what abstinence men are build
ing up as the bible teaches. Gospel temper
ance and total abstinence are two distinct
propositions, as before defined. Men can be
temperate in all things with propriety; but
total abstinence in but few cases. But we
will try the bible standard, and compare
scripture testimony with our temperate socie-
ties and see how abstinence doctrines will
compare with the teachings of early chris
tians who probably saw as much drunkenness
as at the present day, and they received their
revelation direct from heaven.
That wine and strong drink were given to
Gods chosen people as blessing, is evident
Moses, the great lawgiver, said "and thou
shalt bestow thy money for whatsoever thy
soul luSteth after, for oxen, for sheep, or for
,cias, or for strong drimk;" Deut. IA 26. Sol
ONION says, give strong drink to The thirsty,
and wine unto them that be heavy of heart;
let him drink to forget his poverty, and re-
meRlber his miseries no more" SEQ thy
way, eat thy bread with joy, aud drink thy
wine with merry heart" " David dealt to
every one of Israel, both man and woman, to
every one loaf Of bread, good piece Of
flesh, and Il fdggon Of aoine." Says the good
old Nehemiah, " Now that which was prepar-
ed for me daily, was one OK, and six sheep;
and once in ten days, stores of all sorts Of
wine" Said Solomon, /" give to the hew-
ers, who cut timber, twenty thousand meas
ures Of barley, twenty thousand measures Of
beaten wheat, and twenty thousand baths Of
acine." Thus you may see, that wine and
strong drink were not given to the Israelites
for medical purposes only, but for men in
health, laboying men, therefore we plainly
see, that total abstinence societies are in con-
hict with scripture. Why is it that man can
rule Of the gospel? Why do ministers of the
sanctuary enoin the study of the scriptures,
and then teach men to disregard great share
OF them? Does not such a course tend to
skcpticsm ?-and who can wonder?
Abstinence lectures, in open disregard Of
scriptures have waged an eternal war against
wine and strong drink to accomplish which
a society is formed in every town, and papers
are circulated in every quarter OF the land
Men, women and children are called upon to
engage in the blessed work Of driving from
us what God gave us as blessing to his chill
dreu. In some instances sweetened water is
used as substitute for the rich emblem Of
Christ's blood the sacred communion is turn
ed into ridicule by the proieSsed servants Of
the Lord, and the last request Of the dear Sa-
vior to his followers is mocked and perverted.
II this is not commencing hostilitics against
the institutions of heaven, l know not what
is.
The great teacher of the christian system
declares, drink pc wtne." Modern teach
ers say, no it il u poison. God calls it
blessing-they call it a curse. So it appears
that the servant has become greater than his
lord, or pretends to be more wise as to what
isl proper for man. The Lord said by Amos,
the prophet, 81 will bring again the captivi-
ty Of my people Israel; they shall build the
waste cities, and inhabt them; they shall
plant vineyards, and they shall drink the
pine thereof" Did God wish 10 bring curse
upon his chosen people, and give them poi
son?
"Suppose," says temperance man to the
abstinence brother, g that You were assembled
for prayer meeting, and that Christ was up
on earth personally, and should enter the
foom, and that you were informed he had just
left a wedding where the company had been
jndulgng freely with the good old wine which
he had himself procured, and commanded to
be borne to the governor Of the feast; would
you, at such time, have asked him to pray 2"
No, says the man, bringing down his fist upon
the table. Atho' this man was censurcd by his
brethren for thus replying, it is nevertheless
in strict accordance with the principles of the
Temperance associations of the present day,
and needs no comment. But, says one, our
cause is u good one, and all ought to promote
it. II you mean Bible temperance, we ac-
knowledge it is not only good cause, but a
glorious one, and we would go with you heart
and hand, to propagate it among all men.-
But ii you mean total abstinence, we deny it
to be good cause, because it is not founded
on gospel principles. Irccollect it were once
said, 'the temperate drinkers are worse than