New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-11-05
RELIGIOUS INTELLIGENCE.

annual meeting of the Episcopal Church lem
perance Society in this city during the last
week has brought before the public what may
be called a new departure in the temperance
reform agitation. This society was organized
n little over year ago, and was modelled
closely attera similar organization when Is ia
successful operation IN the English Church.
Ira object in bret Is 10 unite all Christian
people in an organized effort to promote true
temperance For this purpose various pledges
are administered, and those who wish TO JON
the society may promise to abstain entirely
from all intoxicating beverages, or TO
use such beverages sparngiy only at
their meals, or never to drink III saloons OF
grOg-shOps. or not 10 treat or he treated IN
business transactions. These pledges are to he
considered as binding only as long as the per-
sons making them retain their cards OF MEN,
bership III the society. The resolutions passta
at the recent meeting characterize this scheme
of temperance as broad, tolerant and Scrptural,
and worthy of the support of all Christian men.
The claim of the society Is most certainly u
valid one whether or not 1t Will be practically
successful IN doing what l. has set out 10 40
will be decided in the future. here Is no
earthly reason why the most radical ptOhlOl-
ZIONIST should not approve such a plat IOrm, so
far as 1t goes. He may think that 1t goes
very little way ; he may even believe that SUCH
q basis of action is an unworthy COMPROMISE
with evil but if he is not blinded by prejudice
or fanaticlsm, he must surely acknowledge
that something Is gained II men who are I'M
moderate drinkers can be SO lar cured OF their
habit us to become moderate, that Is temperate
drinkers. They have at least taken step III
the right direction, short though II may be-. II
they are dealt with in Christian spirit, II they
are gently and gradually led. ana not driven
roughshOd, perhaps they Will yet anG III the
total abstinence camp, which some lt&aLu is
the only camp OF safety. 20 that, even from
the prohibItonist's point OF view it WOULD seem
rs though he ought TO work With such society
| up TO "a certain point.
| But il must be borne in mind that the claim
| of the pT0hibtiOnsI to be the Gully uHe expo
nent of temperance l. 10y many earnest Christian
men stIcnuUusly denied and by others secuted
| and derided. The assertion that total aOsil-'
nence is cniOiued in the Scriptures has not Only
never been indisputaOly proved, but the
direct contrary. is upheld by men whose
piety, deVOutuess ana scholarship are
| beg Ond question. These are facts winch
| stand in the way of the prOhlblUunlSt when ne
attempts 10 identity temperance with total az
| stineuce and which have made the results
| of temperance reform so lHcOmnens9rate
| with the zeal and devotion OF It's agents. Inns
failure l. expressed 10y saying that the temper
| ancu retOrmcrs have not public Oplulon othlbd
| them which j. perfectly true. But L VIII not
| do to quarrel with public opinion IKE thls'
| mistaken though it may be It l. only the az
gregatc oi the intentions OF the people on thdu
| subject. ana those intentions cannot at once De
| overturned. Ii It be true thar total aDSu-
nence alone is temp arance, the world VIII some
dav find IL out, and public opinion Wal sup
| port It's enforcement. ia the meantime, great
| numbers of Christians nave not found 10 OUT
! aud Will continue to act on the motto Sc
without Abuse To obtain their influence
| and help in the battle against lntempeIance Is
! the object and ann OF the Church temperance
Society. That such movement should nave
| been started 10y q body SO conservative H. the
| Episcopal Church will commend 1t to many
| who fluid no standing gtCund on the Platforms
Of other Temperance societies. NAT Cuulch
! la, often Jagged far behind IN great popular
movements; 1t has often appeared to be more
ANXIOUS to preserve its family hclrlOoms than
| 10 go ont into tine great wOrk-a-daY OF to-day.
| But slow though ii may be, when 1t does take
| a stand Its utteranCcs are generally character
| lied by pthy AnElO-SaXon common sense,
| that commend them to the reason OF tie people;
| This new departure IN Temperance reform VIII
! be watched 10y many with great interest.
A PEOPLES Church II BERLIN.-AccOldln
| to The London Echo, an ecclesiastical move,
! ment of no small significance Is gong forward
| i'm ecclesiastical Berlin new party
| has been formed among the Liberal meIDOeT
OF the Prussian Church, clerical and lay,
| which has taken the name OF the fe0pies
| Church PARTY At Il recent meeting all the
speakers started from the assumption that
| the Church exists for the People, not the
| People for the Church, and consequently
| that no reforms II doctrine, worship or con-
stitutiOu can be REGARDED aS wholesome ana
| fitting unless the People have had their right
| ful and autholi,at share IN then. Ihe'AS
sembly adopted almost unanimously a pro-
| gramue OF ten Articles Inc only one upon
| v-hirh there was aIV division vas az Article
| Uropu-ing the abolition of the present vow OF
| tine Clergy al ordination, and the Substitution
| of 4 general promise to II teach and preach the
| Christian reiI non III the Spirit OF It's tounder
| Article insists upon the extension OF the
| rieht:of free choice Of the clergy to every con-
| creation. Article demands the Strength
! eniug of the independence OF the congregations
in relation to the ecclesiastical syn0dS the Tree
| administration of the ecclesiastical properly
/ 4l...r. Flta4rfr 1f4I
! the right of the parish or congregation 10 se.te
| as to the use Of the parish church, Nlthn limits
| to be fixed by law, and abolition OF the prIVI-
| lcred standing Of the clergy IN the eccieslas-
| teal corporation. Article requires that the
| cemeteries and charity aids shall be common
| TO all confessions. One speaker Indignantly
| refuted the SANDER that the Berlin population
| is irreligious." He held the great meeting to
| be IL proof to the contrary. II the people have
| become Indifferent TO the Church, he salO, III
! was because the Church had turned away
| from that religion which cOmpels the Tree as
! sent of conscience and produces love between
neighbors.
The London Christian World says that the
temperance party displays narrow and Phari-
| sale spirit in its Ostracism OF those q no DO not
| agree with it, In the United states IN many
| circles, especially religious circles, KIND oil
| social tyranny has been established with regard
to the use OF intoxicating drinks, which can
| scarcely be favorable to the development OF
strong moral fibre or of the highest form Of
| religious character. When tcetOtaiism is made
| q condition of Church membership, and when
| Christian ministers OF character and standing
! simply dare not be seen drinking a Z. ass OF
| wine. Whatever their private convictions on the
| subject may be- condition of things has been
reached calculated to foster humbug ana
| hypocrisy rather than true pety. COnscicnces
that ale subjected to this kind OF strain, even
| if they DO not revenge themselves IL some
other direction, are not very likely to be in
| healthy condition. The note OF duty which Is
| often insisted upon in relation 10 this partica-