The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1877-05-25
Communication.
The Murphy MOvem<nt-Murph VS..
lAristiNnS.
NORTH EpENsBuKG. May 2. issi7.

The Murphy Movement-Murphy VS..
Christians.
NORTH EBENsBUKG, May 2, 1877.
Mr., Editor-On the evening of the above date /
the Bethesda Baptist church was well filed by !
what the leader of the society called Christians.
These made by different means. some {
being brought into the fold through the door /
of one of the ordinances or the church-"this
occurring while in a state of unconsciousness
Others, Lydia like, whose heart the Lord /
openea end stu others by means means OF temper-
vet another class ere mentioned and definite
iy referred to as those going to nestruG1ion be-
caGse:t did not sign-the pledge. They are
like those whom the Apostle Paul speaks OF as
100 $ earnsy d m S 10 ee s"o1e1t 10 orG ne of
explanation before we go further. Be il known
then that we of the pfese mt day md two kinds
of temperance societies, the Christiy and the
Christless. The former we adhere to, but the
latter contains so nnch % n o, the & human ~ eement
one of the Epistles, "try every spirit" Hence
be summed up in these words: The former has a
human element controlled by y Divine element,
while the latter is uncontrolled bv any other ell
ment than the one which composes it No per-
son therefore can blame this society for being
influenced by animal excitement.
Now we will give you few of the confused
ideas advanced by the two last speakers which
guidance of the Holy Spirit was not present in
their minds. moulding their thoughts. The two
derstand What Mr.. Murphy temperance creed
required, and had no hesitation in saying that
its influence over mankind was limited. But
Others who spoke after them being pioneers
and holding honorable positions, departed very
advanced by the founder of the new crusade
so far indeed that the writer was led to con-
call in some Of his disciples and question them
| in rrga rd to their mission and reordain them,
"a they are likely to confuse by their wavering
minds the doctrine of temperance as nrst pro-
muIaated by thea leader OF this praiSewOrthy
movement. TINS was I.iiy exemnined t ny .w3
to. These gentlemen are both honorable so Tar
as the writer is aware, but as to their spiritual
ify God must be the judge. Before | proceed
further, however. let me quote q sentiment cN-
pressed at the beginning OF the meeting The
spirit of God is always in these meetings" Now
if this be true, and we hope IL is, let us note II
few things which could not have been prompt
ed by that spirit. The first or the TWO speakers
to HON reference is made announced that the
vet ty the mouths of two or three Witnesses
aye, from more than that, as we have ssrned-
| don't of course initiate against a society TO
! have failure. but it does speak i'll for both
! truth i'm order to stimulate the people.
And now let me say that the milk and water
! Was not as good If it had been confined to
! one vessel, altho' we take ii for granted that
! he wished US to understand that we could not
/ be cor and against Temperance. Admitting this
! to be true, let us use the honorable gentlemun
! as proof. Weare well aware that all societies
! have some good principles, while the greater
! mass may not be worthy of such distinction.
! Thus these good principles may be thought such
/ our appreciation. Now the honorable gentle
| man is a firm 5enouucer of Catholicism and yet
! a willing practitioner of some of is fundament-
| al ordinances. Thus his an tlogy falls by him
J
) The next honorable and Rev. gentleman,
! who, on account of his great desire to see the
| cause advanced, put forth ali his power, though
! humanity to accom- pish il, made two excellent
/ addresses on the subject, but the first was des-
| troyed by the second in few sentences he gave
! utterance to. Still the econtinusncc.of the meet
! ing and his great zeal for the cause led him to
! take. We certainly feel much less disposed 10
| do so il being the impulse of the Holy Spirit.
! gentleman represented intemperance was very
| good, but the question arises, What part of in
! temperance must you move first in order TO
! set the rest in motion? As the earth is a solid
mass, aud intemperance equally so, to move
! the mass of both you must start special parti
| Gle. Hence, then, to remove the greater mass,
| ''unbelief," you must remove intemperHnce.
| an i'm possibility both in the natural and spirit
al world. Therefore the honorable aud RI.
| Rev had better take Gods way of removing
| the great mass of intemperancc Next he spoke
! that rs it may, and it is certainly great sin,
| there other sins equally as great, and one OF
| at Ic,st is more nopulsr md produces worse re-
! suits To be convinced OF it's superlat:ve evil
go to our asylums and then you may be lndu-
| of intemperance. if it is the popular sin you
really wish to destroy. Yet neither of these
| are termed by scripture or history the popular
! sin The Jew and Gentle are alike blamed for
the popular sin, nnbelief Besides, take unbe-
| lief and rotmality and you have the two great
! sst evils in the world. These sins have compro-
| missed with the flesh, Satan and the world For
mality like all the rest the fruit OF unbelief.
| Hence q remark dropped near the close of the
meeting will. if not repcnted OF, be sin almost
/ sufficient to condemn the utterer. 1t evidently
led the innocent mind to believe in suhstitu-
tion; for the Scripture reads. Ephesiuns. chap.
ii, verse 8: For by grace are ye saved through
faith. and that not OF ourselves; but it is the
gift of God. not of works, lest any man should
boaet." Thus To say that all who Will not sign
| the pledge will go to deStru ctiOn Is OF man 5
work, and therefore he has somewhat to boast
OF. Again, it this be so, let us then. for conve
nience. reverse the language OF Paul recorded
in Romans, chap viii, verses J. 2. ), 4 and Q:
There is therefore now no condemnation TO
those who are not in temperance, who walk not
after the flesh but after the spirit OF temper
ance. C2) For the law of the spin ii of life in
| (Christ temperance hath made me free from
the law of sin and death. 81 For what the law
could not do in that ii was weak, God sending
! His Son Ucmperuncc) in the likeness Of sinful
flesh and for sin, condemned sin In the flesh,
90 that the righteousness of the law might be
fulfilled in " no walk not after the flesh but
after the spirit of temperance. 90 For to be
carnaliy minded is death, to he temperateIy
minded is lite and peace" We love that zeal
! and energy which leads men to exert them
selves to save the souls of mankind. but when
such zeal .nnd energy does not exceed that of
the Scrbes and PharIsces. God will be robbed
of the honor due to Him. though this may not
be intentional. Hence let God be true, but
every man n liar."-Rom., ch. ill.,, V. 4.
| If any one disputes the above assertions con-
| cerniug the persons referred to, we can make
them good. We love truth and those rho prac-
tce it, OMEGA.