Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1852-07-21
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FOR THE SPIRIT OF THE AGE.
The use md sole Of Ardent Spirits by mem
bers of the Church.-No. |.

hell Is yawning for her prey. Nor does a
she yawn in vain ! Of the hundreds of mil
lions that inhabit this earth, we have reason
to believe that a very great proportion are T
Fastening to the abyss. and thousands upon :
thousands are constantly plunging into it.
And the church, to whom is committed by 5
God himself the awfully responsible work of I
conquering and subjecting the world to him
SELF is comparatively asleep, yes dSleepA
For Notwithstanding many instances of christi
tan zeal and heroism, notwithstanding the
various r~evivals through our land, notwith-
standing the various missionary stations that
have been planted in pagan lands and shine
like bright specks in the territories of dark
ness, and though there, as we'll as in the
church at home, a few choice spirits are
throwing themselves upon the christian en-
terprise with the self devotion of martyrs,
yet, alas how few and far between they are
How few protesting christians feel an inter-
est in this work. How little does the church
understand the right use Of property. How
deficient in personal piety how backward to
enter into the thousand great and e~fectual
doors of usefulness which Providence is
opening around them |! Nay, it must be
owned that many who are members of the
church. protesting to have an experimental
knowledge of the Lord, are actually stand
lngin the way of sinners, and are hinGrances
to the work of God. This we know is a Sc
rious charge, but it is the more so-because
1t Is true. | tremble when | think how
many Of US will stand on the day of eternity
having the blood oflos! sinners on our skirts:
and this not only because We have failed to
accomplish the good we might, but because
we have actually put stumbling blocks in
the way of others by which they have been
lost in hell.
But | will not dwell longer in general
statements ; public evils in church or state
are not often if ever, removed in the gross,
nor are duties successfully enforced by gen
eral injunctions. Since, then, so great a
responsibility rests upon the church,and since
her d~eIinquencies are so great. what is to be
done In the first place, the church should
remove her stumbling blocks and to do this
she must either reclaim or remove her often.
ding members. 1t is not enough that a ma.
jority of the church keep themselves from
evils ; if they hold the sacred and protecting
banner of the church over those who cause
others to sin, they are verify guilty them
s. selves.
This might be illustrated in numerous in
stances, but [ will now confine myself to bu
one: THE use and sale of Ardent Spir
its By The members Of the Church of Christ.
The evils a%ccruing to the world and to tn
- church by the use of ardent spirits, need no
now be detailed, for this subject has been s.
repeatedly and so clearly brought before tn
world for the last quarter of a century, tina
it can hardly be supposed that any corne
er of our land has been left uniformed
IN People need not now be told that arden
n spirits cost this nation directly O.. Indirect
n millions Of dollars annually !; that it is tn
Ial cause. of three fourths of all the crimes an
IN three fourths ofthe pauperism in the nation
IS that there are in the United States hundred
of thousands Of d~runkards, and that Of thes
9re above 10000 annually fall into the drunl
ers ards grave and a drunkard's hell. You nee
not now be told that drunkenness, bring
1t with it more misery to the inebriate himse
and those around him, than any other vice
for you have been eye witness of this wretc
10 edness. You have seen tie drunkard-w
hare seen the drunkard's family.
icy 1t is enough THE heart sickens at Il
" picture, and we turn away to weep. B
a. there is one fact connected with this su
Tue ject which it would seem we have not
lor learned. 1t is this The same train
means and causes that has produced the
temperance of the past and of the prese
gu generation, is still in operation to produce
uo equal or greater proportion in the next g
Grafton and what is still worse, the chm
lees isoiding IN this dia6olicaI conspiracy agai
anu the bodies and souls Of men. We had
Is Is 20 deed hoped for better things of christia
, ! though we thus speak, but we are oblis
coP to acknowledge the fact. And here I =;
= peal to the, church herself, and ask her
anu the name of sincerity, if she can clear h
ue- self of the charge /? Do not many Of
. " members manufacture ardent spirits
they not use them and do they not ira
in the accursed thing? Do they not h
I;ob, out on their signs invitations to all that Z
70 by to come and purchase ofthem the dea
! for poison ? Then indeed is the church a p
was nerin this conspiracy, for it cannot be
tbot nlCu tldI al lLG uIuukP0DoSS III our i
at is produced by the temperate use of ard
n Of spirits. In vain may it be said it is not
~ - necessary cause 1t is the certain cause,
Foo will be the certain cause as long as model
drinking, and the sale of strong drink,
Aosb tolerated in our land. | put it not to
90. philosopher merely, but to the man of c
Who mon sense and common observation, VIII
was er he does not believe if existing habits
that tinue, the same or greater proportions of
with children, friends and fellow citizens will
make be raised up to throng the drunkard's ra
milar and fall into the drunkard's grave? E.
adors one knows what must be the answer. /
again, if moderate drinking should be {
away, and if the traffic in the article
work banished from our land, entirely put dc
II as (eUen should at take the iron nerUe of
weet laU to do I'D would not the evil be emit