Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1874-04-16
A Catholic Bishop on Temper
ance.


The Wheeling Register Civ 8 the fol-
lowing extract from sermon OF tenn
perance preached at the Cathedral in
Wheeling, on Sunday afternoon, by
Bishop Whalen:
What, then. do | advise? First, as
Catholics. call upon you to abaudoa
the use and sale of liquors | do not
speak to you as though the traffic were
unlawful, as the word of God does not
really forbid it when used with mod
Grafton and within reason; but, on the
other hand. these conditions are sell
dom complied with. Judas betrayed
the beloved Son of God for thirty
pieces of silver, for gain; true be was
afterward filled with remorse and
threw away his hire. The same evil
dence suggests thousand excuses.
You think there is money to be made
in the traffic, without once thinking of
the consequences. Would you deliber-
ately lead your own child to destruc.
ti1n? Would you take beloved brother
By the hand and take him to the brink
of certain and fearful death, and
there leave him to perish? How then
are you to make your excuses TO God
for leading another into evil for the
sake of your purse? You say you do
not urge them TO drink to excess; but
YOU ought to know that it will finally
lead to that Remembering how fear
ful is the desolation, and knowing bow
strong is the temptation, and that it
will shortly lead to excess, you feel
prompted TO caution him; avarice steps
in; you think the mere that is sold the
more gain there is. You don't care if
it is the gain of Judas. There is dan
ger, great danger. Therefore advise
you to seek other employment The
Bible says that we must visit the wild
ows and orphans, and do all in our
power to lessen the evil brought into
the world in consequence of sin. What
are these men doing to relieve all this
weight of sorrow? Suppose you saw
your neighbours children in danger,
would you let them go to destruction
with the excuse that you were not their
keeper2 This is what you say about
the traffic; you are not responsible for
the evil But | tell you you are. In
the account of Cain and Abel God
took the opportunity to tell Us sthat in
certain sense we are all brothers, and
are responsible to Him for the loss of
the least of us, if the rest have not
done their duty We hid mutual
relation to each other, and it is our du-
ty to care for all; and if we offer no one
drink we will lead no one into tempts-
ton. And even suppose that you will
not sell or give to excess, yet you are
suspected of having done it. You are
classed with those who go to the great
est extremes, and commit the greatest
excess. Are you willing to rest under
the suspicion2 Are you willing to be
classed among those who have COM
mitted crime which God has forbid
den, although you may not be one of
them? And then another point; the
rain which one receives from this
source seldom remains. A man who
spends his life in dealing in liquor often
inds creeping into his own house the
wills which he sends into others. 1t
s almost impossible in this traffic not
o partake yourself Catholics, turn
lway from this traffic, and leave il to
hose who can look on all its evils and
lorrors without one pang of compune-
ion or feeling of remorse. Leave it
o those who care not for the welfare
# their neighbors, and care net for the
owe of God. Remember the sacred
hirst and agony of Jesus, and let the
teach you that you are
,alled upon to make sacrifices and
practice self-denial.
The Bishop then spoke of a Catho-
ic organization which had been started
ome time since in aid of the temper
nee cause, and read the order of ex-
rcises, which requires all Catholics to
ray on certain days for the suppress
ion OF the evil. He closed with an
to all present, and espe-
tally young men, to come forward az
II the benediction and sign the pledge.