The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1875-04-17

| w III SHY tDelT merry love songs
And build their homes again.
l trace the tints of deathless IIn:,a.
Sweet flowers, in all your beauty:
You come as meek interpreters
Of mans exalted duty.
You whisper of a dawning heaven
| Beneath us as above,
| When earth shall melt with poetry
And man be full of love.
A Scriptural View of Total Abstinence.
1t is much the fashion to quote Scripture
| in defence of the doctrine of Total Absti-
nence, and in SO doing by misapplcation of
texts, to weaken in place of Strengthening
the argument. The fashionable grog shop
and dram-drinking habits of the present
day do not need any citations from Holy
Writ to condemn them. They have few
defenders among any class of people. The
| following correspondence between GA Tee
totaler" and Rev. H. A Skinner, published
in the Prince Georgian in 1872, illustrates
this misapplication, as well as needless
| quotation of Bible texts
BRYANTowN, Charles county, Md,
February 2sth, 1872.
| To tho Editor of the Prince Georgian:
DEAR SIR:-Having read in your excel
lent paper an address on Temperance, sup
posed to be the views of the Rector of
Queen Anne Parish, was much gratified
that Temperance was having an able advo-
cate in the right persona Minister of the
Gospel. Reading the following paper, Jan
nary Goth, 1872, l was sadly disappointed
in the Wears answer that you had unwit
tingly exposed him as being an advocate
of Total abstinence, which he was not, and
that Total Abstinence was not Biblical,
and there was only one passage that he
knew of could be made to advocate it,
("touch not, taste not, handle not Col
lossians, 2; 81 w. and that only by being
tortured out of the right meaning. The
Vicar is right on that as that passage has
reference TO too much observance Of out
ward ordinances of churches and not look
ing to the spirituality of their hearts being
in Christ. Temperance societies don't use
that passage; there are SO many plain ones;
and the Lord spake unto Aaron, saying,
"Do not drink wine nor strong drink, thou
nor thy sons with thee, when ye go into
the Tabernacle Of the Congregation, lest
ye diet shall be statute forever through
out your generations. '-Leriticus 10; 8, 8
v. 1t says to all men: "W Wine is mock
or, strong drink is raging, and whatsoever
is deceived thereby is not wise. ''-Prorerbs
90; v. Look not thou upon the wine
the cup, when it moveth itself Alright, at
the last it biteth like serpent and stingeth
| like an adder, and thine heart shall utter
perverse things-yea, thou shalt be as he
that lieth down in the midst of the sea, or
as he that lieth upon the top of mast
Proverbs %; 81, 80, 49, "a v. "Be not
amongst wine bibbers. ''-Prorerbs 90; 90 v.
"Woe unto him that giveth his neighbor
drink, that puttest thy bottle to him.
| Habakkuk 2; Is V. cit is good not to
drink wine, nor anything whereby thy
brother stumbleth, or is offended, or is
made weak. ''-Romans IA; 81 v. "But
thou, oh man of God, flee these things and
follow after righteousness, godlness, faith,
love, patience, meekness. ii Timothy 6;
| 11v.
There are many more which are too
numerous to mention, but | will refer to
the 35th chapter of jeremiah, where the
ID /
Lord was we'll pleased with them and gave
them blessing; also, the 1st chapter of
Daniel, how that Daniel, Hananiah, Mi
shael, Azariah, would not drink wine, and
the Lord WAS well pleased with them and
gave them much wisdom.
/ think the Bible does advocate Teetotal-
| ism, as well as irstructing us to be temper
ate in all things. Our Saviour tells us,
deny himself and take up his cross and
follow me. '-Natthsu 1G; "a ".
Let the man or woman that is Chris
tan, and able to take their glass moder-
ately, deny themselves for the sake of the
souls of their weaker brothers and sisters.
AS for taking it for health or medicine,
temperance doctors find that there is very
| little nourishment in alcohol, therefore do
not have to prescribe it, as hundreds can
testify; and how many poor drunkards can
tell you they commenced taking cider or
wine, or spirits mixed and swectencd, in
small quantities, daily, for their health,
and now they find themselves going fast to
the bottomless pit! What can the Church
do for them? Will they listen when told
! they must not take SO much, but be more
moderated No, tell them there are brothers
and sisters who never were drunkards, and
who have pledged themselves not to touch,
taste or handle it, and ask them to Join
them. Then, when sober, with the grace
of God, they may become true members of
! the Church of God. :" Be not deceived;
neither thieves, nor covetous, nor drunk
ards, nor revilers, nor extortoners, shall
inherit the kingdom of Cod. Corinhi
ans 6; 0, lev.
| 1t seems to me that every protesting
| Christian ought to be Teetotaer. That
is the only way intemperance will be kept
from flooding the land. Children then will
be brought up to avoid all alcoholic drinks,
neither cider or home made wines; they
will shun it as they would a dose of arsenic.
Then We may hope for good, moral intu-
ence in our communities. ':Train up a
child in the way he should go, and when
he is old he will not depart from it,
PrOrcrbs 90; G Y.
will now conclude in the words of the
Apostle, " Abstain from all appearance of
evil. u Thsssilontans, chap. 5, 90 verse.
| am, MIR. Editor, very respectfully yours,
i TnEroTALER.
THE PARSONAGE, Queen Anne Parish,
Monday, March 18th, 1879.