Spirit of the age., 1861-04-17
The Traffic in Strong Drink.

membership in a Virginia Baptist church,
writes that, by far the greater proportion of
the difficulties calling for the exercise of
discipline, during that time, have been caus-
ed by the sale and use of Intoxicating liquors.
lie makes withal most startling statement
of fact of which we present the substance.
When he Joined the church, there were in
the village near it three houses for the traf
fc IN strong drink, kept by men of the world
Several revivals of religion compelled the
closing of these houses Tor want of support.
The community was sober; the church -four
ished and for six years. not a single ease of
drunkenness occurred within its communion.
froTned down 5" popnIar senfFment hFd,5
length, however, the deacon of neighbor-
ing Baptist church, man of high standing
both among his brethren and those without
commenced the sale of the devils water in
sight OF the house of worship with the aid
of wicked partner who took great delight
IN getting members of the church and Sons
ofsTemperance to drink The weaker men,
bers of the church persuaded themselves that
to use ardent spirits as a beverage was not
wrong, since the deacon not only used them
III his store, and treated (say rather mai
treated) all who visited it. Il tell YOU. )
writes correspondent, that they are sappine
the foundation Of the church and commune
ty, and doing more harm to the cause of re-
lglon than could have been effected by half
dozen low 'doggeries.' At nearly every
meeting for business and discipline, we have
some one before the church for drunkenness !:
and we hear that many others drink to ex-
cess, against whom We have not been able to
secure adequate testimony. Two negro men
belonging to members of the church, have
iost their lives by drink one white man has
| killed another In drunken frolic: and a
member OF the church has been found frozen
TO death, with half emptied bottle of ar
dent spirits by his corpse
LII chllls our blood to write these things
The sale OF ardent spirits as a beverage,
when tried by the standard of divine law, is
an anm0rdt1ty, which ought to be discounte-
nanced and repressed. In the absence of
| hight, or for want of investigation, worthy
| land even Christian) men may embark in it.
But those who have the means Of understand
ing its nature and effects, and who refuse
to abandon 1t when the subject has been urged
4 upon their attention according to the apos-
tollc rule speaking the truth in love-
should not be retained as members of Chris.
tian churches
Such, at least, are our mature convictions
and, with the preceding statement of facts
before US, we dare not smother them. The
/ together, in the following extract from the
Fifth Annual Report of the American Tenn
perance Socity. We ask for them the
|, a 4; not sssSaJsts. -
. It is the selling of that, which was not
| generally used by the people OF this country
for more than hundred yearsatter the coun,
trv was settled and which, by hunoreos %
thousands. and some in all KINDS OF la"lu
business. is not used now. once 'ney p ol'
nse and thought it, needtul, or ase1ai. Du
bv experiment, the best evidence III w
world. they have found that they weie Ll,s
taken. and that they are IN all respec'S oee
ter without it. And the cases are SO nu'hei
ous as to make it certain, that Shou,u Iho =
neriment be fairly made, tins Woulo oe III
case with all. Of course, 1t Is not "seJue
8. 1t is the selling OF that, whicn Is 'ea
a subtitle, and very destructive poison +
son. which by men in health canhos oe tan
1D;thont deranging healthy action, and IND
o;n1r more or less disease, both OF body a
tha mind which is, when taken in al
o,,,ntitv. positively hurGul and which
&c course forbidden by the word OF God.
Itis the selling that, which tends
GOWN an unnatural and very dangerous
destructive appetite which by gratlflcati
lie the desire of SHINING in the man
s;ns tends continually to increase /;
r wh;ch thus exposes all who form 1t, to &C
: to premature grace.
n It is the selling of that, which cause
> oroat norton of all the pauperlsm IN
It Isnd. and thus for the benefit OF 1e" vi
o. Who selD brings an enormous tax On
whole community. Is that fair! Is II j
Is # not exposing our children and yont
become drnnkards? And is it not lnfilc
~ great evils on society?
, 6. It is the selling of that, which ex
ss in great proportion alt all the the6Fal 'go7ernr
u Or God, and to the social, civil and rellg
s. interest of men; at war with their hig
q. good, both for this life and the life to c.
y 7. 1t is the selling of that, the sale
ed use of which if continued, will form in
% perate appetites, which if formed vii
he cratifed and thus will perpetuate ;nteu
ance, and all its abominations to the el
ad the world.
ID. 8. 1t is the selling of that which m
,is wives widows and children orphans; "
ID. leads husbands often to murder their W
ror and wives to murder their husbands
Ter rents to murder their children, and chi
IS to murder their parents and which pre-
ac- mutitudes for the prison, for the galows
,ut for hell.
x 0. 1t is the selling of that which 81
nd increases the amount and severity OF
US ness; which in many cases destroys re-
;ed which causes great portion of all the
ely den deaths: and brings down multi
by who were never intoxicated, and never
ice demned to suffer penalty of the civil la
an untimely grave.
the 10. 1t is the selling of that which
md to lessen the health, the reason, and us
ely ness, to diminish the comfort and sh
of the lives of all who habitually use it.
m Il. 1t is the selling of that which da
ng- the understanding, sears the conscience
and lutes the affections, and debases all the
oke ers of man.
ais- II. Ii is the selling of that which
is eas the power of motives to do righ
increases the power of motives to do "
ling and is thus shown to be in its effects
bali to the moral government of God, as ,
left to the temporal and eternal interest of
nte- which excites men to rebel against hir
er of to injure and destroy ore another. A
add man can sell it without exerting an ini
yard which tends to hinder the reign of the
NAV Jesus Christ over the minds and be
$ an men and to lead them to persevere in in
,selv till. Notwithstanding all the kindness
enc, bovah, their case shall become hopeless
Religious (Baptis) He1