Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1878-01-30

CoNFERHNcE, CHARiEsrowS. MASS.
The question, How can the church bring
all its forces into action in the temperance
cause p is one of immense importance. 1t
presupposes. in the first place, that there is
work, hitherto undone, which sorely needs
doing. and in the second place that it is a
work which the church can aud ought to do.
1t gathers together these facts, and all the
suggestions which flow from them, in the
single pregnant aud powerful word, Hor ?
To this there might be many answers ;
will attempt to give but four
FirSt-The cause of temperance should be
more often preached from our pulpits, and
prayed for in our pra, er-meetings. | think
hear fifty prayers offered for the conversion
of the hcathen where | hear one for the re-
formation of the drunkard, and the restora-
tion of the drunkard's home. Can it be that
our pulpits are sometimes silent because they
are aware of wine selling or wine-driuking
among the pews Esau comes down to Us
in Bible history the subject of weighty con-
lemnation because he sold his birlhright for
Il mess of pottage. What shall we say then,
of pulpit which breaches, or church
which tolerates, gilt-edged gospel for fear
of giving offense, and denies the sacred mes
sage which comes as its birthright IRON
patry considerations of dollars and cents
Second-The church should give active
assistance in building up temperance organ
izations already existing, and establishing
others where they are needed. 1t is i'll part
the misfortune. and in part the fault OF the
church that so large portion OF the tenn
perance work has fallen hitherto into the
hands of men aud women either not in sym
pathy with religion or in direct antagu nism
with it. All this is changing. More than
ever before the temperance organizations
are looking to the church for assistance.
The temperance revival progresses in "A par
alel line with the religious revival The
reform clubs-the outgrowth of the latest
and most hopeful form of temperance agita-
tion-are organized on a basis, in many in
stances. distinctly religious. They are sup
ported by those noble organizations the
Women's Christian Temperance Unions.
Reformed men are coming to admit the
fact--taught them by bitter experience
that enduring reformation is impossible
without the special grace of God and the be-
ginning anew life throughout If the church
wishes for harvest, here it lies, ready for
the sickle, aud the field was never SO white
before.
ThHd-The church should set the seal OF
its disapprobation upon the sale or the use
of intoxicating liquors by its members.
When the world can point to church MEM
bers who are flagrantly aud publicly intem-
perate, but whose wrong-doing is permitted
TO pass unnoticed and unrebuked, it can
with force and consistency invite the church
TO heal itself before attempting such work
for others. And think there can be moth
ing which yields greater satisfaction to the
powers OF aikness than the spectacle OF d
church member, in good and regular stand
ing as the manuals put it, earning his live
ihood or building up his fortune 10y the sale
OF rum. Woe unto him that giveth his
nelghbor drink, that puttest the bottle u
him, and makest him drunken also, say the
Scriptures. Assuredly, then, doubly anc
many times woe to him who having taken
upon himself the high obligations OF a chile
OF God, engages in this devils business
and woe to the church which fails TO rebuke it
Fouh-lhe church can never occupy th
position it should hold in the Temperance
work, until it has abolished the use oil intox
icating wine at its communion table.
know only of two arguments that can b
urged against this much-needed reform, til
one drawn from an over-literal Interpretation
of Scripture, aud the other based upo
precedent. To the first answer that 1t
the letter that killeth and the spirit tina
maketh alive; to the second that precedent
stand in the way OF all progress, and r,
forms of any sort can be accomplished onl
by breaking away from them | will leav
the Scriptural argument to those who al
more competent to deal with 1t than | am
but this | know, that neither in Matthew
Mark nor Luke, where we have account
OF the institution OF the Lords Suppe
nor in the first epistle to the Corlnth
ans, where Paul reverts TO the subject,
the word I" wine" ouce used. The eyange
lists and the apostle speak OF il as " tie cup
and Christ himself, as quoted by the thrt
evangelisLs, as the irult OF the vine
Surely uniermented wine Is AS accurate
; characterized by these terms as that whlC
, is terinented, aud much more truthiully tha
many OF the wines OF commerce which a
l., not the fruit OF the vine at all, but u
; iruit OF human ingenuity iii ylllanous chez
= ical combinations If the whole beauty al
Significance OF the cup be, as we believe,
the symbol OF the shed blood of our Saviot
the untermented wine may AS properly ser
I. that purpose as the wine that is intoxlcatin
p Ii we are To press liberalism at this point,
r us be consistent aud, with the Roman ChurC
|, insist upon the actual change OF the eleInel
!, into the body aud blood oi Christ; but ii
stop short of this, let us take the only couI
l. which is wise aud safe. Let Us add that 1
" reform cannot be too speedy OF too gener
If the church is 10 enter upon the work viii
~ | have hinted at, and which, indeed, it h
already begun, OF gathering reformed III
within its membership, it must take c,
that it put no stumbling blocks or occasc
to fall in their way. Within one week,
Gently, learned of two cases OF reform
he meu-Christian men-who had been led,
az the taste of WINE at the communion table,
NJ 90 back to their old ways, and had lal
,' more deeply and more hopelessly than
''' fore. Shall we say that tins will not hapl
often What ii 1t happen but once WI
,, has our Master told us OF the worth o
e. single soul Suppose that of every thousa
" church members there is but one who il
70 danger OF being tempted in this way. 81
ee the nine hundred and ninety-nine strong o
D. destroy by their liberty the weak brother
.eN whom Christ died Z Can the church AFT
.s to 90 up to God at last with the question
ie, Cam upon its lips, Am ! my broth
lsl keeper Z" Friends and brethren, we are
lnG brolher's keeper. The last place in
ha world where any weak one should be temp
~ III il in the church of the living God, at
liable which commentaries the dying lov
I'M Christ.
RECENTLY in Illinois a man named II