New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1854-10-30
MAINE LAW SERMON BY THE REV. DR..
CUEEVER.

Last evening" in accordance with the request Of the
City Temperance Alliance, the Rev. DIR. Cheever
preeched Pro. Maine Law Sermon in his Church,
Union4quare. Notwithstanding the inclemency Of
the weather, large congregation assembled. The
text was James iv. II.
Wherefore him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it
not, TO him it is sim" ~
The following is an outline Of the Sermon No
principle can be more apparent than this; and yet
none il So widely condemnatory of man, for who is
not guilty of sins of omission and commission The
word "knoweh" signifies ability in the text.
The text is sufficient to the argument that
Government has no right to forbid the rum traffic.
the only basis of Government is that therein declared
the right to present all that is evil TO the commu-
nty Were the executive and legislative functions
applied 10 the purpose for which alone they are author
lied by God the crime and misery OF this City would
in FIVE years disappear, and happnessta their place
Let us consider, l. The argument against prohol-
tory law; How far selfish interests ought to be re-
gafded; g. Some of the arguments Of religion justice,
expectancy and necessity for such law firstly, the
argument for the traffic Is simply that used Tor the
manufacture of Disnas shrines-sehshness, private
interest ard that alone; and while money 10 aDun-
dance can be raised to support this argument, all tho
claims of Justice and humanity set aside, and gain
alone is godliness. Srs ye know that by TINS craf
81 have my living" and this answer Is repeated
amid the adherence of all good men, until the coz
science becomes scared as with hot iron The men
who carry out this traffic stand at Satan sluce gates
and for the sake of gain keep up his fire His slaves
are not the men only whose hands produce the liquid
fire. equally so j. the merchant who sits in his splen-
did office with Bible in pigeon hole, and III the
next the invoice Of the last shipment OF Satan
LIQUID. In the second place, no reform ever was ef-
fected that did not break down vested interests;
but vested interests which are biased on the
misery of others are not TO be spared. When
fair notice is given, especially, there should be no
complaint some other business should be adopted;
and the men whom the Temperance Reform 4s over
taken are like obsolete squatters warnef oil the
Ground II they will still build their fortunes the
wretchedness temporal and eternal, Of their fellow
beings the Thugs of India have as good right to
Legal projections they must no more be spared fnan
slaughter houses which breed pestilence IN district
Our only hope of Prohibitory Law is in the support
of q cd and the Justice Of the cause-for the immense
pecupary resources Of the trade thrown az tnst
us. Which is more entitled TO the law protection
the morals of the community the interests of the
rum-sellers The answer admits no doubt and yet
here the law Its proper operation and, H.
stead Of being terror TO evil doors, - terror to
those who do WELL and the support of the other
class Our Cly's chief magistrate makes himself
the very knight Grant of rum humanity; il would
seem as here selling were the CHIEF end OF man.
and the shameful spectacle OF a chief magistrate IN
diced for breach Of law might be supposed to pre-
sent a case Of martyrdom in the holy cause. Look at
the cost too twenty millions of dollars paid year
IL by consumers; far better for the community have
these twenty millions thrown into the river, While the
revenue brings is $40 0O0 Add TO all this loss the
sums spent on those reduced to sickness and destu
ton by drunkenness But do not stop here; follow
the eternal consequences and hear God declaring that
% no dIunkard shall ever enter the kingdom OF
" heaven" In the third place, DIR. Cheever argued
the social necessity of Prohbtory Law because Of
the regular yearly progression of crimes sscrbabe to
dIubkenness because the law would protect much
more property than it could sacrifice, and because it
would further morality and religion, especially by
giving the poor Sabba'h for what is now day OF
excess, (which he considered matter touching even
the existence of the Republic, and by stopping the
intemperance of women, which i. found to be the
prime cause of the vagrancy of children.