The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1881-08-19
CHRISTIAN TEMPERANCE A. OPPOSED
10 TnE ToTAL ABSTINENCE, ADy0.
GATED BY THE W0MRN.s CHRIS.
TAN TEMPERANCE UNION.


Editors Democrat
Philosophers have noted the tenden-
cy Of enthusiastic men and women 70
90 to extremes, and as truly religious
people are enthusiastic, the first teach
ers Of christianity exhortcd their fol-
lowers TO temper their zeal according
TO knowledge, and let their modera.
tion be known unto all men.
The writer recognizes tao extremes
in the matter to which he calls atten.
tion. Total abstinence ON The one
hand and drunkenness On the other. As
teacher Of the christian religion he is
bound boldly TO speak the truth and
when total abstinence is taught 81
christian Temperance, our christian
doctrine is missrepresented. The de-
sire Of doing good, which the Women's
Christian Temperance Union has, ID
uRmistakable. It's work Is TO try TO
obliterate the vice OF drunkenness, and
It sees no other method Of curing
drunkenness than by putting every
liquor that might lead weak men and
women into this vice out of reach.
This forbiddiDg men 10 drink at all Is
called christian work. If 1T be 70 Il
Is Of God, and no one can resist IL
force, but IL il be not christian work
it Is Of men, and as all human efforts 70
abolish immortality have proved un.
sueseeseful, it will meet with the same
fate. The blessed spirit Of God work.
ing in the consciences Of men can alone
cure a moral defect. If lie teaches
total abstinence christians must teach
it. Ifbe does not teach total abstin
ence It is presumptious on the part O
christians TO enforce it on all men, and
a perverGion of christian irnth. w.
claim that the mind Of the spirit il
revealed in the scripture and thai
among His last words are these 81
any man shalt add nnto these things
| God shall add unto him the plaques
which are written in this Book.
Total abstinence is ne where taugh
or commended in the scriptures. Ii
the 35th chapter Of jeremiah, the Re
chabites weae commended, not becaus
they would driak no vine, bot becana
they obeyed the command Of thsi
father. And they arc Brought 70.
ward TO illustrate the manner in whic
men should obey the comm apds G
their heavenly father.
God has no where commanded me
10 abstain from wine, but He does con
, mand the temperate use of it. An
every christian by Christ's comman
is bound to partake of it at the Hol
Communion, aud to refuse to partak
r of the bread and wine is to violai
His dying command. He makes 4
exception "drink ye all of it."
! The teaching of total abstinence
a expressly forbidden by such con
5 mand as this, and wine is haIlowed {
e the most sacred uses of re ligion.
Christian teaching is the teaching
Christ. The first miracle He perforl
Y ed was the turning Of water into win'
aud the immense quantity. (there we
six water pots, which held two or thr
firkins piece) shows that the use "
not TO be confined to this occssi,
alone. Miracles are lessons In actio
!" and thus the FIRST lesson of this kin
o our Savior taught, was about the prop
!, use of wine.
/ The pattern of life for every chr
etah 10 Chtiots anu not oOnu tue Dt
: : tist. John the Baptist did not drir
d wine, and our Savior did. TO in.ims
re that our Lord was not the most peri,
D' pattern ofa godly life, to think it me
5. commendable TO abstain from wine th
d to drink it in moderation, is pharisl
III self righteousness, and not the righteo
u ness of Christ. He ate and Ora
= = with publicans and sinners, and I
. Pharisees callel Him Ga giustono
Al man, and a wine bibber, friend
O. publicans and sinners" Hence to
re vocate total abstinence as christi
principle, is 10 deny the Savior /
In honor Of being the most perfect m
j. that lived and condemn His exam,
o. as did the Pharisees.
= Wine is represented as one of t
y best gifts of God, and to abuse this g
Il is to bring down Gods condemnatic
Ia The drunkard abuses it, and no drur
) ard "shall inherit the kingdom of Coz
> The total abstainer teaches that it
:, = evil aud thus despises what God
r. presented to man as a gift.
|, Wine is made to typify the pleasul
OF Of Heaven by Christ. "Verily / s
:. unto You, | viii drink no more of t
,e fruit of the wine until that day tha
er drink it new in the Kingdom of Go
ne Isaiah uses it to show forth the bic
ne ings of the gospel "Ho ! every {