Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1874-05-02
StraWBs

Ii is often hard TO declde Wnelner 10 ID
amused or panied, at the pertinacity witt
which many oppose and attempt to blocl
the wheels of needed reform. tits bart
to decide whether to laugh or cry whel
we see people searching among the ruin
and ashes of false beliefs and settled dis
puies, and with an energy worthy OF I
brtter cause, seeking TIL they find th'
ghost of some forgotten question, settlet
ages ago, and finding this, hasten and lay
il as an insurmountable obstacle in thu
pathway of the reform.
Were it not for its utter ludicrousness, i
would, indeed, be painful to watch people
laying in our path these straws of settled
QUESTIONS and overthrown objections, anG
then gravely informing us that we eanno
proceed with them in our way,
We find specimens Of these straws in
many of the papers of the day. There is
lying before me as write, paper which
contains a specimen. The writer hail;
from Saybrook, and signs himself "a 10y
er OF Good Order" He advises his oppo'
nrnt, "Only Girl" to rad the 31st cb
of Proverbs, commencing al The 10th verse
This is well; there Is good advice there
But let our SayhroOk correspondent
whom we will call IS. C."-read the same
chapter, commencing at the beginning, fol
it thrIe says that at is not for kings, G
Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink vim
nor for princes, strong drink, lest they
drink and forget the law and pervert the
judgment of any of the afflicted"
Every man is king and his influence is
the scepTe that he wields; and the Great
King who silteth above the heavens and
the earth, will require of him an account
of his kingship in that great day, and woo
unto him if it be found that he has WELD.
ed his sceplre lOr evil. lN sj
Think of these things, o, IS. c." and
remember that 1T is not for kiugs to
drink wine" .
He further says, -"To the law and the
testimony" Agreed; lrt us go to the
"law and the testimony" The "law and
the testimony" points to this one thing
that whenever and wherever we find evil
we are to attack and overcome il, trusting
in the strength of the Lord. And with
Gods help, we intend to do this More.
over, we are prepared for opposition. The
law, the testimony and our common sense
teach US that Satan will not give up his
own without, at least, struggle But
God is all-powerful He drove Satan from
heaven, and He will drive him from earth
in His own good time, and until then, and
for that end, we are commanded to "labor
watch and pray"
He further says that he "is unable tC
see why this saloon movement is not in
direct opposition to Matt yI-5." thereby
iniimating that he considers these women
to be like the hypuc-ites of whom oul
Lord spoke. Words are hardly sufficient
to express the bAseness-or blindnr ss-
which this implies, in the writer.
Ii is hard to believe that there are any
so base as to attribute the crime of hypoc-
risy to these women, who, trusting in God
and nerved by sense of duty, go forth
and do that duty. amidst trials and dis
comforts that render it one of the creates
crosses in their lille. Is 1t reasonable t,
suppose that, if they were hypocrites, they
would still continue in their work aftrf
the trials they have met with thus far
Such statement would fall to the grounC
Instantly Tor the want of foundation, ant
a man who snould advance such a propo
sition would be justly exposed 10 thr
scorn of all true hearted people But hold
let US not say Exposed to scorn," hu
rather, "held up to pity" for we turn Il
2nd Cor IVA, and there read-"In whom
the God of this world hath blinded tn
mind of them which believe not, lest til
light of the glorious gospel of Christ, VIII
is the image of God, shine unto them.
Perhaps this explains the blindness of "s
c." in regard to Matt. vI-5. This passag
explains the greater part of what follow
in IS. C.'s" letter, including his scripture
quotations. so thoroughly that further ex
PLANTATION by me is unnecessary.
IS. c." remarks that he believes IN TEN
pfrance. There are but few of us who, o
heing asked, would say that we did not be
lieve in temperance. But believing an
living up TO belief are often widely diffrl
cnt
ST. Paul says, "If meat make my brothe
TO offend, meat will l not cal" &c. Now
we all know that liquor snakes many t
offend" and that it is the stumbling bloc
over which thousands have fallen, dowr
down, into outer darkness: for it is wri
ten, No drunkard shall inherit the king
dom of Heaven" 1t is II fearful thing t
he directly or indirectly accountable fo
the loss of human soul. Let Us den
ourselves even that which is lawful, il b
so doing we may save brother, wrake
Than we, from falling; and finally, let u
remember and 6elieUs that at is goo
neither to eai flesh, nor to drink wine, q
anything whereby thy brother stumbled
or is offended, or is made weak. Rom
IIxI-21 jew.