Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1869-02-16


on the evening of the 4th. Hon. E
ID. Holton presided, and after some
preliminary remarks, introduced
Hon. Matt. II. Carpenter, who spoke
as follows:
1 win eat no flesh while the world stapdsth, lest
make my brother to Ofend-l Cor, 7, Is
1t has always been the practice
with the Christian priesthood to Sc.
lect some text from the Holy Scrip
lures as embodying the leading idea
of every discourse, and to explain,
elaborate and apply its philosophy
to the theme under consideration.
For many centuries the clergy en-
joyed the monopoly of inspired wis>
dom. They assumed to expcund, to
limit and construe the language of
the sacred writings; and denied to
the laity all right to study or to att
tempt to understand their teaching.
But the enfianchised intellect Of man
has long since exploded this pretonce
OF the clergy and advanced to study
the word and learn the will Of God
from the original and inspired sources
of such knowledge.
The words | have selected. wheth>
er regarded as inspired by God ia the
technical sense Of the term, that is
dictated directly from the dirine mind,
or as an emanati on from the heart
Of great and good man, aglow with
purity and power Of primitive Chris
tianity, are entitled to our consider
alton in connection with the subject
| desire to spresent to you this
evening. Every individual owes a
duty, not only to God but the great
family Of man. The strong owe pro-
lection to the weak the wise are
bound to look after the wants of the
foolish and every man holds what>
ever of talent, learning or influence
God has impaired to him in trust for
the benefit of those to whom such
gifts have been denied. Paul, the
great pillar OF the Christian Church,
strong in wisdom, firm in faith, and
illuminated from the fountain Of
light could look beg nd the form to
the essence of things could discrim-
mate safely between what was es.,
sential to the philosophy of Christi.
anity, and therefore always to be
observed, and those mere lrig and
observanees which constituted only
the outward fashion of the new re-
Iigion. Whether he:ate or abstained
from meats, and whether Timothy
practiced teetotalism, or drinking no
longer water, used little wine for
his stomach's sake, and his often in
firmities were matters which did
not touch the vital life of purity in
the giant apostle, or endanger the
welfare of the young and beloved
disciple. Nevertheless, if any broth
err was weak if any feeble intellect
might be led astray by example even
in immaterial matters, Paul would
eat no meat while the world should
stand, lest he might make such weak
brother to offend.
The moral history Of man is COM
posed of the struggles which from
first to last have been going on be-
tween his reason and his passions,
contending for the mastery. This
contest is waged, with varying sues
cess, in the mind and heart Of man,
from the cradle to the grave. When
reason predominates, man approach
es to the image Of his Maker as the
passion prevails, that man is degrad>
ed towards the level of the brute.
Reason, though supreme, is one the
passions are numerous and tumuitu-
Gus. Reason, under favorable con-
ditions, win always prevail but the
indispensable condition of its sue
cess is IT'S unclouded serenity. The
mind erect, posed on it's own center,
will shame the passions and appe-
titles Of the body into silence and sub
mission but, obscured by the fumes
of drunkenness, the mind is led cap
tive--like the shorn Sampson is led
captive-and made to do the work
of passions stronger than the Philis-
tians. All the great achievements of
man, in learning, ambition. and pie
ty, are accomplished by the subjec-
ton of the appetites of the body to
the precepts of right reason ; and
thus temperance becomes one of tie
corner stones in the structure Of .
perfect character 1t has the prom
Use of the world that now is, and
that which is to come; it is nec-
essary condition to temporary pros
perity, and is step up towards
those moral heights from which the
enfranchised soul Of man-repeat-
ing the words of the Great Master
can say, "Ihare overcome the ,oorld.'
All this is so obvious that no teach,
or, divine or human, inspired by
wisdom Of God or merely prudent
from the experience of life, has ever
omitted it, in laying down the pre-
cepts which may promote mans adj
vancemont. Temperance was the
exhortation of Socrates to his pupils
in philosophy; of Cicero to the ora
tors of Rome Of Caesar to his cap
tains painting for military fame
| anu tuO SkCasCSu Va aiA VIC N pOotLCc
of Christ commanded as to build UP
q Christian character by adding to
faith, virtue :" and to virtue, knowl
edge and to knowledge, temperance
and to temperance, patience and to
patience, Goodness, brotherly kind
ness and to brotherly kindness
to brotherly kindness, charity"
In view, then, of mans obligation
to his fellow man, and the indispen-
sable necessity of temperance to hui
man welfare, here and hereafter, the
duty of every man, great or small
high or low, rich or poor, to dc
whatever he may to promote the
cause of temperance among men. ii
too apparent to need q moments ar.
gument. And this brings us to con.
slider the best means of accomplish
ing so desirable an end.
The end in view, temperance, as
applied to drink, means reasonable
and proper use of drink, and is an
entirely different thing from total
L