Hannibal journal. (Hannibal, Mo.) 1853-1853, 1853-05-16
MEMORIALS OF TEMPERANcE.
NJ d. uIooiNs.
CHAr. III.

OrtNtoNS or EARLY WRITERy. Fifty years
before drunkenness became prevalent sin in
England, and white the common beverages were
ale and beer, Sir Walter Raleigh gave 1t US his
deliberate conviction, that call the crimes on
earth, do not destroy so many Of the human race,
nor aienateso much property rs drunkenness"
In tho celebrated drama Of Samson Agenstcs,
dictated by Milton, is shown tho adherence Of
England's greatest poet, to the use OF intoxicat.
ing drinks.
con madness, 10 think The use Of strongest wiuc',
Ard strongest drink, our chief support oGhcnllh.
When God, with these forbidden, male choice 10
rear
His mighty champion, strong beyond compare,
Whose drink was only from the lmprd brook"
Dr., Samuel johnson, though in early life an
excessive wine GriRkCr, bore ample testimony
to the necessity Of total abstinence. Il can be
obamcHr, but not temperate" lie Was wont Ia
say, revealing in one sentence the whole secret
Of tho temperance reformation. A gentleman
on ono occasion maintaining the necessity Of
wine to improve the conversation, Dr. johnson
Immediately replied, No sir; before dinner
men meet with great inequality OF understand.
ing, and those who are conscious Of their inferior.
ity have the modcsty not to talk hut when they
have drunk wine, every man feels himself CON.
Portable, and loses that modCSty, and grows vo.
cirCrOuS."
Addison, Cowpcr, and DR.. Young, all raised
their voice against lhc monster, as they saw hin
gradually gaining ground, and lamp like
sucking The blood OF the English nation.
But Tho man who most boldly and rcrscver.
ingly bot,lcd the enemy in that age, was the
indomi'able Wesley. Early impressed with
religious sentiment, and remarkably obstcmi.
ous, even whll' student in the pruhigatc uni.
vcrsiy %! Os.or', ms benevolent heart was
panied VIXEN he became II public rcrormer. liz
saw that tac greatest obstacle to religious rcCur.
nation WAS found in the vice Of incompetence
When he became the head Of fast increasing
sect Of Christians, his zral was most indclatiQs.
bic IN crodcoung the first appearance of Til,
vice among his members. Let us step into his
chapel moracnt in City Road, London. lie is
preaching sermon or "Tkc Use Of lLarH"--
llc is a strict economist, and knows how e
make calculations. We hear his clear
vOicc:--
Neither may we gain by hurting our neigh,
Dor in his body. Therefore we may not sell
anything which tends TO impair health. Such
is eminenily all the liquid fire commonly called
drains; or SpIrmOus liquor" =
"All who sell in the common way, 10 any
that will buy arc poiscnerS general They muir,
der His MOjestys subjects by wholesale, Meth
err doth their eye pity or spare. They drive
them to hell like sheep; and what is their gain!
Is it not the blood of nen9 A curse is in III,
midst of them; the curse Of God cleaves to thu
stones, tho timbers and the foundation Of them
The curse Of God is in their gardens, thei
walks, their groves, a fire that burns to thei
nethermost hell. Blood, blood is there, III,
floor, the walls, the roof, stained with blood ser
mons"
Nor was he content with preaching sgains
the evil in all its departments. He instituted
rule in the discipline fer tho government Of III,
Methodist societies, making entire abstinenc,
from all alcoholic drinks as beverage a test O
membership. This rule was continued and en-
forced among the Wesloyans during his life
II was incorporated into the discipline of tn
Methodist Episcopal Church in the Unite,
States, and constituted the entire bodies O
Methodists in the old and new world, temper
anee societies, on tho principle of entire a6sti
nence from ardent spirits.
The Original rule of Mr.. Wesley, was incor
porated in the General Rules Of the Eaghs
Methodist in l74S, in these words:
ITO b. Cootihped.)