Saturday press. [volume] (Honolulu, H.I.) 1880-1885, 1881-09-10
PLEA OF A MODERATE DRrN yER.

EprroR SATURDAY PnEss II take the iberty OF
kindly requesting the insertion Of W ioho"ihe
lines, by way of critioiscm upon certan published
statements of Mr.. Halenbeck appe.rinR in your is-
sue of the 10Th entitled, so-called Gospel Temper.
ance Meetings" say so-called OF the terms tota'
abstinence - and "temperan,' are quite diner
ent in meaning. IL il n msnomer to apply the
word temperance in conDction with te-total or
total abstinent movepeys. Only those have the
right consistently to uss the word tetnperance VINO
preach II as Christ, Pun hnu az az. poora, ",u aa
Others did Tempergice means tue niouerate use
Of n thing How cri one be temperate in that
which he does not .se. MIR. III. says ne does not
believe that man phIlsohil, Hno =, 70 he Ia,,b,s
Eook of life Il other words, all who do not
| believe in the doctrine Of total abstinence are
| damned Notwithstanding his belief in the doc
trina of faits in Christ Jesus who says, " whose
| ever beiey.th me shall be saved" now MI.
| Editor. srch a wholesale sweeping charge against
| moderats drinkers, is a wicked libel 10 say ue
Ieast-apon the general community, and upon our
forefs TIERS, and basphemy and perverse wrestling
| of Holy Writ. have never spokento 10 Mr.. II
| heard him once in the Fort Street Church, when
nothinp was said of total abstinence, but he may
| tr,w me AZ the bush convert, just ms convincing
asMoses was in his belief by the burning yet indie
structable bush in the wilderness Of the invisible
yet symbolical presence of merciful yet Just God
Mr.. II. calls himself Christian tee-totaler or
total abstauer, and call myself q Christian
moderate drinker, yet challenge Mr.. ii. to show
me his credentials and will show him mine. Ex-
tremes meet. Tho drunkard goes to- the positive tue
| total abstainer TO the negative both are intem-
perate the kettle calls the pot black. The doc
trne of total abstinence as advocated by tee,
| totilers is a reflection against the conduct and
character Of Christ against the wise dispensation
| of GODS providence who chose to place us-as free
| agents-in this world under probation, which are
made instrumental in bringing and working and
demonstrating in us those virtues which glorify
| God The very first moral act-so to speak-of
God was to place forbidden fruit within the rea ch
of his two first inexperienced children. There
was no evil in the fruit itself it was good, 80
| good that whoever eat thereof would "become
| like orse of us,"-the holy Trinity-to know good
and evil-Geii. 3:22. The good and evil lay in the
| principle NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. or disobedience
Here was n test of love the opportunity to gro"
into active life free agent to destroy 1t by
the blight of the sin of disobedience. Who can
please those inconsistent pharisiaca spirits who
of old called Jesus Christ glutton and wine.
biber because he came eating and drinking, and
John the Baptist devil because he abstained!
could say much more but will not take up any
more of your space except to conclude, with warn
ing tee-totaers not to interfere with the Gospel o.
Christ by any supplement of the doctrines, rudi
ments or traditions of man. Anyone going, o
thiaf and rSbber the Gospel Of Christ il
the power of God unto salvation unto all who
believe" salvation from drunkenness or any othei
OF , e Hna Rsva s in eevs bs IN
Christ Hail it with JOY and songs of praise Fol
there is none other name under heaven given
unto whereby he can be saved" This Is the
tian take no other pledge.
The BUSH CONVERT.
tWe regret that our correspondent could find i
7 in his heart to thus not only aim to defeat th
glorious work that is being done here by earnes
workers. but strengthen the hands of the enem
by his support of moderate drinking. The follow
ing thoughts occur in connection Herewith:
The true definition of temperance, according +
Dr. Crosby, the great champion for moderat
drinking. il ga great moral SubjcctlOn of tn
whole man to the sway Of reason" To this W
presume " the bush convert !" would assent. No'
as the great army of drunkards is CONSTANT
recuruited from the ranks of moderate drinker
[ and as he who totally abstains never can becom
victim to the habit, reason and good sense woul
4 dictate that n temperate use OF anything
destructive would confne it to medicine and tn
nrts. Next week may give a few authorities o
= this point for which we have not room In thl
y issue.
If however it could be granted that there is Il
serious injury to the moderate drinker, is there
responsibility so far at least as Christian ma
is concerned, with reference to ones infiuen'
4 over others!
= Believing as Mr.. Hallenbeck does that evel
Christian will desire to obey tho command al
stain from all appearance of evil,' Is 1t strant
that he questions the piety of him who deliberat
ly does that which the best medical authority sa.
i is an injury to the individual and which evel
l alms-house, prison and asylum says is a curse
thy y eblssor bs as i6ysef Il .eT ere @
: would for an instant countenance practice
n fraught with danger and harm Could :" the bus
convert " or any other person have attended Il
:, meetings of the past few weeks and with
= breath strong with the fumes of alcohol, ha,
gone to his unconverted friends in personal effo
!, for their salvation with any hope of success
And now in conclusion let us ask "the bus
q convert" if the expression moderate drinker
rot as much abused and quite misleading
4. the word Temperance" What is a modera
8 drinker Who shall draw the line which separat,
! the moderate from the immoderate drinkers
n What is moderation for is craze for anothe
, but is the evil any the less to the former than IL
o latter If we take the declarations of the mo
/ eminent physicians and scientists, must we 1T
8 conclude that any use of alcoholic stimulants
3 Christian pledge himself before God and man
wholly abstain from that which "at the last bite
like serpent and stingeth like an adder."-ED