Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1856-04-30
LIQUOR in the Church.

Liquor in the Church.
The Church, at this day, owes it to
her own character, to lead in all the
moral re3ormations of the age. Never
will it answer to let the philosophy of |
carnal men be in advance of the senti-
ment and practice of the Church. She
must let her light shine with peculiar
brilliancy. There must be contrast
between her moral tone and that Of
society in general.
That there should be associations
composed largely of worldly-minded
and even sceptical men, intoxicating
higher morality than is observed in
the Church, must not, as we love the
cause of Christ, stand out as promi-
nent topic Of remark. Is not the
practice of dram-drinking and liquor
selling in the Church of God calcula-
ted to give ground for the above allie
cation, so derogatory to the character
and influence of the Church ? Only |
let it be remembered, that now all over
the land, there are non Church organ
lzatlons for the purpose of enforcing the
principle of total abstinence, and ar
resting the traffic of ardent spirits
and when we are bound to admit that
their objects are such as accord with
the teachings of Christianity, will it not
appear thing shameful and injurious
to the Church of Christ, that its men,
bers should be found indulging in oc-
casional dram-drinking, and even en-
gagged in the lquor traffic VIII not
Christianity suffer, when portions Of the
Christian Church engage in encoura-
ging that which men of the world are
striving to put down =? Oh what in
consistency! Says the Bible, "Cursed
is he that putteth the bottle to his
neighbor's mouth = says liquor-sell-
ing Christian, | heartily believe the
Bible, but I abhor the Liquor traffic
The Christian q says, 60, and goes
goes the Christian believes the 81. +
bic, and does not obey 1.-THE inf
del disbelieves, and does obey it
But, says one, no one is allowed to
sell drains in the Church. No, indeed;
but many in the Church are allowed
and do sell dozen drams at time,
in one bottle OF several hundred in a
barrel /; and this we should call genu-
inc liquor traffic It will, we think,
!, puzzle and defy the skill Of even a
Jesuit, in casuistry, to define what is
the smallest amount man may sell
and yet keep up character for Chris
; tian consistency If it is decidedly
wrong to sell gill, why not wrong to
) sell gill and quarter And if
} wrong to sell a gill and quarter, why
not wrong to sell gill and half? Or
reverse the process. If it is right to
! sell a quart, why not to sell pint ?
And if pint, why not half pint ?
And if half pint, why not gill ?
Who can draw the line which separates
e righteous from sinful liquor traffic
so far as quantity is concerned W.
admit that line can be drawn in re
}, gard to the object for which it is sold
: But when that line is drawn, it vii
n consign traffic in liquors solely to the
druggist who keeps it for medicinal an,
e chemical purposes. 1t will cease t
y belong to the department of whole
s sale grocer.
y Let the grocer or merchant sell wha
, quantity and in whatever form he ma
: Of ardent spirits, it is an obvious fac
J. that to large extent, it is bought fror
3 him to be used as beverage. II
lg may profess to sell it as medicine, G
1t for family or plantation purposes, BIT
e. no man can be made to believe ths
or the majority of his customers do M
,g buy it for the purpose of dram-drinkint
ln Now what matters it whether | sell m
e. neighbor gill of brandy to swallo
y down at once before my face, or PHI
- - or quart of it to take home and dra
nee 1t out at convenient intervals ]
IN either case | ''put the bottle to II
. ''neighbor's lips" and that too for Il
no sake Of gain.
z But says GOOD brother, how can
i'd carry on my business unless [ accol
nd modate my customers with their su
let plies of liquor ? That, We reply, is
me question for him to answer. All
~ have to say is, that if a business ca
not be conducted without breaking
lng plain command of God, without bel
uI 'ni in practical opposition to the gre
~ ~ moral movements of the age, it shot
IT, IT, be abandoned. No Christian can CT
nil sistently buy and sell that which
not solely calculated to minister to the s
so full propensities of human nature. +
ly aware are we, that in the above
} on sertion we are laying down stringt
hat principle, and fancy we hear the gu
oc- ton which was propounded to Jes
the who then can be saved !? We
been swer, that is not an affair of ours
ozsi- are here to tell truth, to throw it do