The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1879-10-25
To the Members Of the M. e. Church of
Cecil County.

The writer is tfunactical enough to be-
licve that III all great moral movements
the Church of Jesus Christ should take
the lead: and that all her ministers and
membership should honestly and cordi-
ally commit themselves to them. The
day, as we think, has gone by when
christians. ministers, and members of
any branch of the church can be driven
from their duty either by the cry of
political preaching" or the fear of be-
ing branded as political church. =
They are not to yield to the .dicta of the
world as to their course of action. The
world, in moral questions. is not to lead
the church, but the contrary. the church
is to lead the world. - It,' (not the pol
iticians) says the Head of the Church
are the light of the world 1t should
not, in such questions, cause member
Of the church to hesitate as to the dis
chirge of his duty. if such questions be
advocated by one political party and
antagonized by another. lie should act
under no such motive, but upon the
naked principle of right and aorong; by
doing so, he does not commit himself to
any party as such. Much less should he
hesitate fearlessly and honestly to do his
duty. when no such party doctrines are
presented for his suffrage. On the
simple question Of "Local Option" he
commits himself to no party platform,
nor forieits his allegiance and fealty to
any party organization. The question of
the importance Of any political view he
may entertain is not affected i'll one way
or the other by the vote he may cast, in
favor or in opposition to Local option.
For good men in both parties will be
found upon both sides OF the question.
From our g stand point" it is true, it
cannot be seen hoe christian man can
vote in favor of the liquor traffic; yet it
is possible there may be such: at any rate
We are disposed to give them credit for
sincerity in the course they may elect to
pursue. Now, while making this adj
mission. we assert that even under those
circumstances. a member of Il Christian
Church, should hear the church, when
by her councils she spoke on these ques-
tiOns: for certainly the arguments in
favor of Local Option" and observed
evils growing out of the liquor traffic,
with the councils of the church are
sufficient to create doubt in every I'M
lending the weight and influence of the
christian name to such a traffic; and
then, that which is considered by a vast
majority of the Christian Church as an
| efficient means for the removal of great
evil. should have the "beneft Of the
doubt" 1t is well if the members of the
Methodist Episcopal Church, would pom
der the weighty sentences enunciated
both by her Book of Discipline, and the
resolutions of General and Annual Con-
| ferences, to which we now invite the at
| tention of the membership of that &c
clesiastical organization, which has &C
| complished, at least, as much for the
! spread of the Gospel in the world as any
other of the various churches in the
world and whose position among them
---ii-, Ivsf,~, III,; vII UlIr
| questions of morality.
In the book of Discipline, under the
head of General Rules" p 80 S34, we
have these words; at is, therefore ex-
| pected of all who continue therein" q.
C. 1.-THE United Society'') "that they
should continue to evidence their desire
| of salvation. list. BY doing no harm:
by avoiding evil of every kind, especially
| that which is most generally practiced,
such as taking of the name of God in
vain: the protaning the day Of the Lord,
either by doing any ordinary work there
i'll or by buying or selling: drunkenness,
| buying or selling spirituOus liquors, or
| drinking them, rnless in cases Of extreme
necessity.' 1t is matter of astonish-
ment, that men claiming membership in
| the NJ. Z. Church-men pledged in
solemn manner, by vows OF the most i'm
pressive character should yet purchase
| this deadly poison, whatever may be the
reason by which they claim to satisfy
their consciences.
Again, we have in the same Book, the
following. p. 135; $40: But in case of
neglect Of duties Of any kind, : =,
Hquors as a bcrerage y K n let him be
brought to trial, and if found guilty and
there be no sign Of real humiliation. he
shall be expelled. Again in the same
book, Appendix p. z. 356-357, we have
the resolutions of the General Conference
of 1872. Resolved list That we are
more than ever convinced of the absolute
need of total and lcgal probation as a
condition and the removal and cure of
the evils of intemperance, and we here
pledge our utmost endeavors to inaugur-
ate So wise and salutary dispensatiOn "
=. Resolved 3rd That we not
only regard the manufacture, sale. OF the
using of Intoxicating drinks. as a bever-
age moraty @r0ng, bit IRE also earnestly
protest against or members giring conn
tcndnce to the Hq"or traffic by signing pc
Wtons for license, By coting to grant IL |
cehses; by renting property for such pur-
poses, or by directly helping in any other
may to promote intemperance. any one |
thus acting is guilty of uhchristian con-
duct. and is subject to disciplinary action. |
Resolved 4th. That we should make |
special effort to secure the nomination
and election to Office Of strictly temper
ance men,
In the Report of the Committee on
- Temperance to the Wilmington An
nual Conference, and which was adopted
HEM Con- We have the following, Re
solved, That to knowingly vote for any
man, for civil Office, who in any way is
with the liquor traffic or who
assists i'll sustaining it, is unchrtstiau
rondHct and IN case Of our orn n.en4Jeys. a
4treet tiolation Of tie .Nethodist Episcopal
Lhur h."
Resolved, That in the policy of Local
Option we see the hand of God taking
be question OF liquor license out of party
politics. and Nr0'ciHg tie responsibility
1trtcHy upon tie legdl c0ters Of all pdTis$.'
These are the views Of the VI. f. Church
IN this important question: and, there
ore, We suppose that every Methodist {
'oter white or colored. and Of whatever
political party, will feel himself under
obligation to use his whole influence in ,
securing tie success of Local OPTION
y hateycr other church ministers or {
members may do: Let - the people called
'lethodist see to it then, as ever they
will lead in the van of all great moral re- c
olms. They We're raised up Ito spread
holiness over all these lands Let them c
Use then in their might and by their vote
trike down forever one of the sternest Il
nd most successful opponents OF Gospel
with which the Church has ever {,
ccu called upon to contend. {
To those who are r"lied Mcthodists,
tho arc found now in the ranks of the
lurch,s foes. and going to the places ,
there liquor is sold, We would say. de-
lst from Your course or honor the church
y leaving it rs you diShonor it by con-
nuing in it, and thereby duplicating the f
hole body as aiders and abettors of this Il
normouS evil.