The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1881-09-09
coRREsPoN pENcE,
CHRISTIAN TEMPERANCE AZ OPPOhED
re- TOTaL ABSTINENCE BY THU
wOMEN's CHRISTIAN TEN.
tEKaACE UNION.

A communication af mine TO vonr
paper Of Aug. 10Th has caused consid
cradle comment, and has met with
very severe condemnation on the part
Of many whose personal friendship |
value, and who are laboring for the
good Of the community. True charity
consists in this, that good men how
ever widely they may differ in their
methods of work, give each other cred
IL for pure motives. Recognizing
these in those who have written in
Christian spirit, / will make the fol-
lowing reply to- those arguments which
IL answered carry along those | do not
touch upon.
The editors Of the Christian Temper.
ance Union say that my article hit
neither their pr NIPPLES nor workings.
But surely the column Of yoar paper
devoted TO the furthering Of their
work IL intended TO instruct your read
era rs totheir views on Chris ian Temp
erance. Are We to losk upon this
"straw man" AZ they call IL, as set up
simply 10 amuse the reader, aud as not
advocated by themi Are the public TO
suppose that when they quote with APP
probation page after pag. and column
after column from Prohibition papers
that they are not furthering the cause
Of Prohibition My article was direct
ell against this, and though il may be
TO them "strnw man" Brother Harris
took considerable pains TO try and stiff
fen his backbone.
/ would notice here that do not 20
outside Of the scriptures for instruction
on any moral question. II moderate
drinking Of wine, whether M "a beverage
or for medicinal purposes or sacrament
tai use, DO allowed in them, the Chris.
tian can use them without offence 10
anyone, and We maintain our position
that the teaching Of total abstinence is
contrary to the general teaching Of
the Spirit Of Christ. IL j. urged that
this IL only n personal opinion anil con
trary to the general teaching of Chris
tians. Mr. Harris makes the asser-
ton that, "it IL don! tless true that
ninety. il not ninety mine in every hun.
dred Christian men would utter an
earnest protest against IT," Let us M.
peal 10 the authority of Bible critics Of
world wile repute.
Afford critic Of the highest repnta-
tation, whose work on the Greek Test
ament Is recognized in every theologi-
cal seminary in the United States and
Great Britain, makes the statement on
John II. ca I'VE may answer an
error on the other side, by saying that
the Lord here most efieetually and once
for all stamps with bis condemnation,
that false system Of moral reformation,
which would commence by Pteeiges 10
abstain from Intoxicating liquors. He
pours out His bounty for all, and He
vouchsafes His grace TO each for guid-
ance; and 70 endeavour TO evade the
work which He has appointed for each
man, ,-by refusing tie bounty, 10 sare
dis trouble of seeking tie grace, il mn at-
tempt which must end in degradation
Of the individual motives, and in social
whatever present ap.
parent effects may follow it's first pro
mulgation. One visible sign OF this
degradation, in It's intellectual form, Is
the miserable attempt made by some Of
the advocates Of this movement, { o show
that the wine here, and in other places
Of scripture il unfermented wine, not
possessing the power of intoxication.
John Wesley the greatest authority
in the Methodist Church, says com
menting on the same passage "Christ
does not take away human society bat
aancti6es il. Water might have
qusnched the thirst; yet our Lord AL
lows wine; especially at festival solem-
nifty"
French whose work on the miracles
is quoted by AL ~ the beat modern
authority sa, of our Sovior comment
ing on this same miraclc,) ale should
not be as another Baptist, a wilderness
preacher. withdrawing himself from the
common paths Of men. His should be
at once higher and a harder task, 70
mingle with and purify the lives Of
men, to bring out the glory which was
everywhere hidden there. How pro
cious is His witness hero against an
indolent and cowardly readiness to give
up to the world, or TO the devil, anght
which, in itself innocent, is capable Of
being drawn up into the higher world
Of holiness, ever as it il in danger OF
sinking down and coming under the
law of the flesh and the world For
man il not to be perfected by exemp-
ton from temptation, but rather by
victory ia temptation, and the only
temperance which has any value Mt
all, il one which has its source not in
the scanty supply, bnt in the strong
self-restraint. That this gift of wine
should be large was not what we might
have looked for, He king, gave as
became n king
Bishop Wordsworth. we'll known as
one Of tho translators of the revised
New Testament. expresses the same
opinion on this miracle and on the pas
sage quoted a. favoring total absti-
nence in Rom. XIV. 2l. "It is good
neither to eat flesh nor to drink
wine, nor anything whereby thy broth
or stumbletll" writes thus. "May 1t
not therefore be duty to take VOWS of
total abstinence from wine etc, in order
that by so doing we may reclaim hourl
brother from intemperancei "This is
no consequence ofSt. Paul's teaching.
For 1t is true, that we are not to put
block in our Jrothers way.
But neither are we to put a stumbling
block in our o,cn wag. And this we