The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1875-12-11
For The Cecil VIII
THE TEMPERANCE CAUSE.

For The Cecil Wing.
THE TEMPERANCE CAUSE.
The cause of temperance will prosper in
Maryland just in proportion as the church
takes the lead in the reform. The people
look to the church for teaching and exam
pie in regard to both doctrine and morals,
and we now implore the ministry and the
membership of the churches to give us the
full benefit of their influence in this con-
test between God and the mighty. While
the people have personal interest in the
success of temperance the church and her
pastors need that success to much greater
extent. They cannot carry out their heaven
ordained mission to its completion until the
legal drink traffic is overthrown. In each
and every department of the church's work
she is met and hindered by the drink shop
system. She cannot preach the gospel to
every creature, because at least e-fourth
of the adult population are kept away from
the sanctuary and rarely ever hear the
living word. When men are awakened to
the necessity of religion through their at
tendance upon the preaching of the word
of truth vast numbers of them destroy their
influence by resort to the Intoxicating
cup, and thus continue in sin. The churches
in Maryland would have doubled their men,
bership of to day had there been no legal
drink traffic in the State.
Nor is this all. The terrible system of
rum enters within the pale of the church,
and destroys many, of both her ministers
and members; and after the church has
spent years of labor and vast sums of
money to train the children in the Sabbath
School, there comes time when these chill
dren have to 90 out in the world, where
many of them fall victims to the legal
drink traffic, and are forever lost to the
church and society. Again. it hinders the
missionary work of Christ. The same
ship that lands the preacher on the heather
shore lands also the barrel of whisky, to
corrupt and destroy his influence. So with
the Bible cause; the necessity for supply
ing destitute families with the Bible is
created almost entirely by the drinking
habits which render them too poor to buy
for themselves. Tracts are bought and
distributed to reach those who do not at
tend church, and three fourths of those are
kept away by the influence of the drink
system. 1t also Injuries the finances of the
church. Very many wives, sons and daugh-
tiers, who are church members, would con-
tribute literally were it not for the fact
that the husbands and fathers spend their
earnings in the rum shop. She is suffering
from liquor, and to an extent that no othef
portion of society suffers.
On the other hand, the church would be
benefited to a greater extent by the aboli-
ton of the legal drink traffic, and the
churches would be full to overlooking, and
thousands would be brought to a knowledge
of the truth. The church would no longer
be dishonored with drunken members, and
ruined by the drink cup. She could thun-
der against the evils of intemperance with
out being reproached with the adage:-
physician, heal myself" She could cry
aloud and spare not without being told that
Babylonsh garment and golden wedge
were hidden in her tent.
In most of the churches of the State
wine bibbers are found and toddy drinkers
are not rare, and it is high time that an
indignant and outraged people should de-
mand that these churches should purge
themselves of all such fellowship with the
workers of iniquity.
And this is not all. But you will, in
almost every case, see those who indulge
in the wine cup use the "weed" also. One
bad habit generally creates desire for
another. Men often try to justify them
selves in the use of tobacco, but they must
admit that it is an unnecessary habit and
waste of money. How often will church
members complain and say they are not
able to support the gospel, but yet will rob
God of his money and spend it to satisfy
their false appettes. Why do you spend
your money for that which is not bread?
"Come out from among them and touch
not the uncean thing" And why cannot
the church do this? Are they not the
heaven, appointed guardians of morals and
religion? Are not the ministers of the
gospel set as watchmen on the walls of
Zion to sound the alarm and give warning
to the people of the coming sword, and has
not God notified these men that the blood
of the people will be required at their
hands if that warning is not given in time
for escape? This is not only the duty of
the church, but the people to understand
it, and they are now calling loudly on the
church to take her God-given position at
the head of the temperance reform, and thus
bring her power to bear in overthrowing
this great evil.
Neither is this all. In this case the voice
of the people is evidently the voice of God.
The demand for church action at time
when the question is outside Of party poll
tice and when there is no great political
issue before the people, party lines have
melted away and distinctive party plat
forms do not exist, and the people are ris-
ing up against the corruption and opprcs-
sion of the times. This is an age of revo-
luton. 1t extends to all civilized and semi
civilized lands. Empires are crumbling.
Thrones are topping. Governments are
changing, and Nations are staggering to
and fro, like drunken men. Out of this
whirlwiud comes the voice of the people
and Jehovah calling on the church to awake
from the slumber of the past and come up
to the help of the Lord against the mighty.