Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1852-09-08

for the Legislature to permit or authorize it
we have laid down the principle, that any thing
IS mofaiiy wrong, and therefore a moral evil:
WheE tuat thing is brought about, either IN op
position 70 the law of Goo, or in contravention
OF the orderof his Providence. The law of God
as reVealed In the Bible. and the laws of his
providence, are consistent with each other; they
cannot conflict with each other in any sense
HARMONY Uniform and universal harmony, pre-
walls, So hat, what may be clearly learned to
ne q faN q Is Providence, must for that reason
be be in accordance with the moral
prbscTfHesH hss revealed law, although no spe-
cifc enaneiation to that effect should be found
in the Bible
III The Bible however, lays dow some gen.
eral principles, which, when fully understood,
justify thetview expressed above. While it may
be true Therefore, that the Bible has no where
said that the manufacture of strong drink is q
sin, and Ehis it may be admitted that it no
where forbi9 its manufacture yet. it has de-
veloped principles which fully involve that
conclusion. And the more especially is this the
case, if the win of God is seen in the dispense.
tions of his Providence, corroborating such a
conclusion. Thf it may be observed, is evident
" the case withaegard to his will as expressed
in the Bible. BE general prin :iple there is,
that men should love their %nelghbors as them
selves and of tbs principle it is affirmed that
Love worketh nj i'll to its neighbour Here,
then, is a plain lay requiring of every man to
love his neighbor b. himself; and the operation
of this law, divine authority has said, works
no i'll to the neiglbor. 1t evidently follows
therefore, that whichever pursuit of life a man
may be engaged in if its natural and moral
tendency is to wofk i'll to his 'neighbor,' that
such pursuit is in itself a violation Of the divine
law. God has also plainly shown, in the laws
II -, DrA-,1.-ao 4lu4 IL. E II
c0hoL1 - an evil, and that it ~inflicts grea.
ter eVNssdfJhmankind than any other physical
agent known. He has shown this in two ways
!. By the fkt, that all the substances from
which alcolel is extracted, are in their natural
state, the g1Atest blessings which mankind EN-.
joy. The aws Of his Providence therefore
show that in their natural state only can they
be innocentlg and proftably used. 2. By the
fact, that when these substances are brought IN
der the operation Of these processes necessary K
produce Alcohol, their nature is entirely chang
ed, their vitality utterly destroyed and their pro
duct, as the result of mans interference, th,
most deadly poison, having not one useful pro
petty involved in its composition.
Here, then, the laws Of divine Providenc,
stand up in defence of the law revealed in tn
Bible. Clearly showing in this instance, tina
the interference of man, in changing the yer,
constitutional character of the substances iron
which he extracts alcohol, and converting then
into a poisonous substance, is a contraventiol
of the laws Of Providence, and a ~palpable per
version Of his munificence, into a deadly curse
There is no law of Providence operating in it
regular, usual and natural way, that ever We
has produced one particle of Alcohol. Nativ
Alcohol has never been found to exist, by all til
scientific researches ever made by the most in
te144+=d hborious Investigations Of nature
/ Tl,o ,vE~-orcfopa IF Aiuipo prOui1aoo o. DC
system, are in their uniform, universal opert
ton. opposed to the production of Alcohol. i
production therefore, must be in violation
those laws consequently, morally wrong
More in mynext. Yours respectfully,
I KNOW.