The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1877-07-20
Woman's Temperance Column.
"The Lord Of Hosts IS cith as, the God
ofJacob is or refuge"
To the iqdies cfme Christian Temper

seem to be incomplete and onc-sided, for
its phases are so manifold and the inter
ests Of humanity are touched by it at 80
many points that any address must be
cursory and lacking in completeness
which attempts to cover more than
small part Of the subject. And yet, if
one gives single view of it, as TO urge
the church to use "moral suasion," cal
ling that distinctivcly the christian
method" and emphasizing this thought
with all the power and elaboration Of q
strong intellect enriched with the cul-
ture and learning of the schools, and at
the same time fails to recognize the i'm
portance Of any other phase Of the tenn
perance work, either at the time or on
some subsequent occasion, we may con-
slider that discussion defective. Its ten
dency is unfortunate. Suppose we ad-
nit that the distinctive work Of the
church in the temperance reform Is
moral suasion. Does not every mem
ber of the church have other relations in
the world and hence other obligations
The duty of citizenship is no less bind
ing than the duty OF religion. Every
man has q variety of relations, out of
which grow duties. He owes it to him
self to be temperate, frugal pure, to
protect his health, to cultivate his mind
in fact, to make the most of himself
in every way This obligation rests
upon him without reference to his rela-
tions. To God he owes all this, and
vastly more, as the source of his being,
and the rightful and only possible ruler
Of the universe. To the family, his i'm
mediate relations bring new duties and
obligations too plain to require enumer-
alton. Then he sustains relations to so
ciety, to the government, and the world
in general. These relations are univcr-
sal. There are also special relation
as TO the church, to organized sooietio7,
to certain of his fellow men by the mer
est triilcs Of circumstance. New Ani
different duties arise out of every one
Of these relations, all binding, if not
with equal force, al least with equal
certainty. No man is complete and
perfect unless lac is perfect in every re
lation, and meets every obligation grow
ing out Of these relations. lie mus
not only be good church member, but.
he must also be good citizen. He
must not only be kind aud generous in
his family but he must be honest, just
and benevolent toward the world
The true temperance man is a temper
ance man in all respects. He abstain,
from the use of intoxicating beverages,
and hc uses moral suasion TO prevcni
others from using them; but he no less
makes use of the instruments ofprcven-
ton employed by society for its own
protection. He is Il temperance man
for himself, for his family, for society,
for humanity's sake and for God. He
employs the methods of warfare against
the evil, il,ofintcmperance peculiar to each
relation he sustains. 1t is scarcely cor
rect to speak of any one method of en-
forcing the principles of temperance ia
the world as the '.christian method"
because if used in a proper sense this
term is quite liable to be misunderstood
and if not used in its proper sense the
error is even worse than that of misap-
prehension. The truth is, all proper
methods are christian methods. 1t is a
christian duty to be good citizen, and
as citizen to perform the citizens duty
of obeying and enforcing the law just as
really and with as great degree of OBJ
legation as it is to join and walk with
the church in christian fellowship. 1t
is too narrow view for men of learning
and culture to take out excellence of
character and emphasize it into abnorm-
alimportance in.giving the estimate of
man. 1t is even worse for a public
teacher to single out one duty ofman, ,and
by his powers of eloquence make II
seem all important and all other duties
secondary, if not without consequence
What should we say of the Christian
minister who ignoring all other Chris
tian graces should assume and teach
that benevolence, is distinctively ''the
Christian grace" But what have YOU
to say of honesty, purity, fidelity to
trusts, meekness, temperance, and love
to God and man? Temperance work,
like efforts in behalf of all moral re-
forms, is beset with difficulties, requir-
ing, to be successful, patience, faith,
esrnestness of purpose and good de
gree ofpractical wisdom. Any one who
thinks the world can be reformed aud
the evils of intemperance remedied by g
single campaign, is greatly mistaken.
Enthusiasts are sometimes seryiceable,
even in the temperance work, but they
are not the reliance of those who have
studied the subject in all its bearings
and know the character Of the enemy
they have 10 meet. In order TO under
stand the nature of the work 10 be done
and to be prepared to accomplish some
thing valuable in the direction of re-
form, we should recognize these few
first principles:
First, lntemperance is an evil OF the
greatest magnitude. This fact is alread,
pretty well understood, and needs no
elaboration. Every temperance adj
dress proves it, by statistics, by exam
pies, by appealing to universal ohserva-
ton and experience.
Secondly, II Is intrenchcd in the ap-
petites and cupidity of men, and will
be eradicated when man ceases to crave
the excitements ofstimulants, and when
flan n..,ln f..l G -. IL