The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-12-15

Have they helped OF have they hlndered! are
questions pressed upon us.
And who made the discovery after all, we may
inquire, that to think prohibition, and to talk
prohibition, and to act and vote prohibition,
covers the whole field of our duty with reference
to Intoxicating drinksl Is this panacea for all
the woes of intemperance a human invention or
device is it borne to us by divine revelationi
Suppose we look at the subject of idoatry and
see if we can learn anything from Gods dealings
with it, from mans guilt III relation to it, and
from the prospect that our race is yet to be COM
pletey emancipated from its influence and do
minion.
Very early history in human depravity busted
itself in its three-fold sphere. 1t entered the
sphere of speculation and gave US false gods;
1t entered the sphere of morality and corrupted
the first principles Of duty; it entered the sphere
of worship and converted the temple of God
into the abode of monsters. In Egypt the chill
dren of Israel saw idolatry in its most loathsome
form and were affected by its gross immoralities,
its extreme cruelty and its heartless oppression.
Delivered with the high hand and outstretched
arm of Jehovah from the house of bondage, they
begin their separate national existence under
prohibitory law. The principle of prohibition
enters into their written constitution which
came directly from the hand of God. 1t was the
browning feature of every enactment Of the
Decalogue. But twas proved then. as it has
been ever since, that the casual mind is enmlty
against Cod that it is not subject to the law of
God, neither indeed can be; for while the finger
of Jehovah was writing prohibition upon Sinai.
the lsraelites with the consent and Guasl-ap-
proval of Aaron, were molding and worship
ing the golden calf. Prohibition was written
then. not by selfish demagogues, butby jehovah
of hosts, and proclaimed amid hghtnings, and
thunderings, and earthquake The people
tremble and fear; some are destroyed for their
guilt; but they solemnly ratify the constitution,
and they are under a prohibitory law of their
own adoption. But did prohibition prohibits AS
civil or political measure, was it successf
Did it carry with it any self enforcing spirit SO
as to secure cheerful and universal assent and
obedieuce2
Follow the history Of Israel for hundreds of
years and how sad the record of apostacy and
idoatry! Idolatry is degrading, corrupting, fos
tiers and intensfes the passions, dishonOrs God,
and darkens and ruins the souls of 1t
brings upon individuals and upon the nation the
judgments of heaven; but it continues, and
spreads, and Widens and deepens, age after age,
in spite of prohibition and despite the retrlbu-
tions of God under the theocracy. Under the
monarchy people fall before it, priests give way
to it, prophets are ensnared by it; kings and
queens build temples to idols and offer their
sacrifices all high places. Ahab and Jezebel,
and even Solomon and Jeroboam, and how many
more, go in the way Of their own hearts and in
the sight of their own eyes. Prohibition only
prohibited; it did not secure obedience to God,
and reverence and love Hence the nation was
sent into captivity During the seventy years
captivity in Babylon, the lsraeites, from various
causes were nauseated with idolatry, and they
rediscovered, and at the synagogue and the nome
circle began to practice Gods prescribed method
of beginning and carrying forward moral and
social reforms, as enjoined in Deut vi, 6-9
''And these words which | command thee this
day shall be in thy heart: And thou shalt teach
them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk
of them when thou sittest in thy house. and
when thou walkest by the way, and when thou
lest down anG when thou risest up. And thou
shalt find them for sign upon thy hand, and
they shall be as frontetS between thine eyes.
And thou shalt write them upon the posts of
thy house, and on thy gates"
HELPS TO TEMPERANCE.
Christ Jesus, the great revealer and interpret
er of the truth which sanctfes and saves the
soul, cleanses the temple, removes the scaffold-
ing of rites and ceremonies which had answered
their purpose, presents US the self-suffcient
Pharisee and the broken-hearted publican, and
proclaims to astonished Nicodemus and the
world that the difficulty hes back of all overt
acts, and that man must be born again, born of
the spirit of God. His nature must be renewed,
his impotent will receive power from the divine
throne to do that which is right; the heart must
be purified by the word and the grace of God.
The commissioned apostles are not instructed
to use the disciples to organize councils and to
meet in conventions to adopt civil and political
platforms, embodying the prohibition of mon
archy the prohibition of polygamy the prohibit
ton of the liquor traffic, but to remember that
the kingdom of God was within them and they
were required to let their light so shine before
men that others, seeing their good works. might
glorify their Father in heaven. In this spirit
the primitive Christians went everywhere
preaching the gospel The diffusive power of
Christianity justified the promise and the match
less wisdom of its founder. The statues of
Jupiter and Juno, and heather affairs and tenn
pies disappeared as the religion of the cross
moved forward upon it's conquering mission.
Go among the Christian nations to-day-En 2,
land France Germany, Prussia, the Unit 1
States Why do not people organize to put int ,
the Constitution a clause prohibiting idolatryi
The answer is that the spirit of God, the truth
of God, the preached word, holy lives, a pure
spiritual worship, literature sauctihed by the
breath of the Almighty, developed and sus-
tanned enlightened sentiment. thank God,
have placed us beyond the need OF any such en-
actment The sanctuary helps us as the syna-
gogue helped the Jews, the prayer meeting
helps us preaching helps us. revivals help US.
days of thanksgiving help US, the Sab6ath-school
helps US, family affairs help u.s. a religious press
helps u.s. The battle is fou ;ht, the victory won;
not ON the line of prohioitory enactment, but on
the line of personal and household conservation
to the service of Him whose blessed feet still
walk among the golden eandlestcks, to give to
His people garments of praise for the spirit of
heaviness-
What advantage would there be in India, in
China or Japan i'll merely publishing, or in for
nially adopting, law prohibiting idolatry, I'M
less the people were ready to abandon the wor
ship of idolsl Does prohihitory legislation with
regard to poygamy in Utah execute itself and
work a transformation Are any vain enough to
imagine that human enactment will prove
more effective than divine ordinanceY Any
such reliance will prove disappointment All
genuine reform must begin in the heart, and I'M
fAl1 wi
the individual, and pervade the family, and thus
the community; and if it would take root down
ward, and bear fruit upward. it must be prose
cuted in accordance with Gods method, like the
leaven hid in the three measures of meal, eff
fectually doing its work, till all are leavened.
Written constitutions will not save us; pro-
hibitory laws will not save in advance of pub
lie sentiment, neither will political combinations,
-. n.t na.rtL L.