Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1881-11-30
The Churches and Temp erance.

There is one thing that every one who
has had aught to do with the temperance
cause must have ob5erved, and that is The
apparent lethargy of the churches in the
work. We do not desire to he considered
~ finding fault, or Undertaking til teach.
the learned ministry their duty; but OBJ
servation has confirmed the opinion thus
expressed. minister once said to ne in
explanation Of this: "If YOU make man
a Christian, he will not go to excess in
liquor or anything else This is true in
ptrt, hut it does not hold good in every
case. Many men are so constituted that
they cannot drink at ali, and when there
is no special effort made to induce such to
become total abstainers, il matters but lit
tie low good Christians they may be, liq-
uor will drag them from their religion and
make them not only worldly, but d unk-
ards. Bat we are met with the answer to
his, that they are Christians they will not
allow themselves to drink at all, knowing
the result. Now, the mistake thtt surh
people make IN thus arguing is Just this:
There is no man who, when he takes the
social glass the private drink, rs it may
be, could be induced to believe that he
would ever Become u dlunkard; gradually
does the appetite grow upon one that ere
he knows it, he is fettered; and the Young
man who few months ago was consist
ent Christian, finds himself to o,diy confrm-
ed in the habit, and little later Il slave to
it, and not un il he has become drunkard
does he believe or realize it. When he
finds himself thus fettered and ruined, he
has disease more virulent than small
pox or yellowfever, and he is beyond the
reach of the church. and unless lifted up
by some temperance organization, or some
mysterious providence, lie end, his life
with the poison.
We believe, therefore, that the churches
ought to bestir themselves in this great
work. Il is estimated that the churches
of Great Britain alone lose thirty thousand
members every three years through in
temperance says Dr. Newman Hall.
There is no doubt that if the churches
were Il unit in bold, defiant opposition to
and in open, oulspoken war upon the
traffic in Intoxicating liquors and the
drink custom, neither would survive long.
All admit it is II needed reform, but they
do not all act and speak out against it,
while the millions in the trade give it a
pO"t' Ih'u Pt' Wy Ncn an tllOl - w ItlDOFo
it, except IN few places, and in these
have been unity and concert of action. In
temperance will never be materially de-
creased 50 rs to be permanent while ever
the drink custom exists, and the drink
custom will last just so long as the traffic
IN intoxicating liquors is premttad and
sanctioned by law. And the traffic will
last just so long as Christian people are
deferred from doing their duty by the
intimidation of politicians, who are ever
ready TO sound the specious cry in their
ears Of " fanaticism, politics in religion"
etc.
When G lristan and temperance men
understand that they are individually re-
SpDnsihu for the evils with which society
is cursed, that they are responsible for the
Liquor traffic and its results, We shall have
u change, not before; when Christian men
cease praying, "Fuy will be done on
earth u 1t is done in Iieaven," and voting
to erect hell in thous nds of homes, and
learn to vote rs they pray upDn these
great questions, then, and not till then,
will intempersnce be punished from the
earth, and Gods Kingdom come among
men. Exchange,