The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1886-03-18
IN. Y. SUM-
The Christian Church and the Liquor
Traffic.
BY w. JENNINGS DEMOREST.

Inc lQQ1VlQual mem DerS OF Gn6
Christian Church are under special
obligations to carry out the doctrines
and teachings of Christ. Not to do
this would prove that they had no
claim to discipleship or any sympathy
with him or his character.
The one thing that Christ taught
above all others, and which he requir-
ed not only as the test of character,
but as the test Of love and devotion to
him, was doing good to others; and
this was to show practically an inter-
est in the welfare Of others. His Sc
verest denunciations were against
those who made only a pretense Of
this devotion, concerning whom he
said: ''Ye pay tithe of mint, and an
Use and cum min, and have omitt+d the
weightier matters Of the law-judg-
ment, mercy and faith. These ought
ye to have done, and not to leave the
other undone." This proves clearly
that he meant that moral questions
were paramount to all others. ''Ye
serpents, generation of vipers, hypo-
critics, whited sepulchers, full Of dead
mems bones and all manner of un-
cleanliness, are terms he applied to
men who failed to meet their true OBJ
legations to him and his cause. What,
then, shall be said Of church members
who vote to license rum-selling, or
who fail to vote for the destruction
of the liquor traffic whenever oppor-
tunity offers?
Tt is too well known what are the
awful consequences that follow the
liquor traffic It is not necessary that
we should depict the horrors of this
vile curse in our land, or the terrible
amount Of crime, wretchedness and
poverty it brings to our homes and
our country. All this is known and
understood by the people; and no in
telligent church member can screen
himself behind a plea Of ignorance as
to his personal responsibility for this
awful curse.
Can the Church continue to endure
the stigma and reproach of being a
party to this criminal debauchery of
the people? Can she remain silent
witness of-and, even worse, a partic-
ipant in-the crime of liquor-selling
without deserving and receiving the
condemnation Of her righteous Judge?
God surely lives and reigns, and must
see his cause yindicated; and woe be
unto him who causeth even one of his
little ones to suffer! But what shall
be said of those through whose syco-
phancy the country is deluged with
crime and wretchedness, who yet de-
to bo oo,,n4o1 tho op,
bers of the Christian Church? What
a contradiction! What would our
Saviour say to such pretenders? And
who wonders at what the outside
world has to say about such apathetic
selfshness and fragrant violation OF
all moral law by churchmembers when
contrasted with the pure moral teach
ings of the Saviour they profess to
initiate? We ought to blush with
shame and chagrin to know that such
glaring inconsistency can exist in our
loved and cherished Church in this,
so-called, enlightened age.
We urge the necessity of revivals,
and seek the spiritual welfare Of the
Church; assert that Heaven is our
home; sing II want to be an angel" :"
and repeat innumerable platitudes,
while our skirts are all besmeared with
the blood of victims Of our selfish
apathy, and the awful consequences of
our connivance and participation with
the criminal in his death-dealing
traffic are daily laundering in our
ears. The rumseller's CHASTITY smile Of
fendish delight in the protection he
receives awakens no chord of sympa-
thy in the breasts of these practical
panderers to his criminal pursuit.
The paltry excuse, and the only one
that they can offer, is shallow pre-
tense Of regulating the evil" for a
money consideration. Their Christian
sympathies are all chilled and blunted
by mercenary considerations. This
excuse is legitimate only with those
whose wine-cellars, wine-bibbing, and
wine-sated appetites shut out the glare
of Gods truth. The Church in gen.
eral is made to bear this load Of guilty
responsibility by its shameful defer
ence to these "whited sepulchers." o
for grand awakening of an active
Christian conscience among all Christ:
followers! This is sure to come, ant
then shall we see what we have so Ions
sought and prayed for, a genuine re
vival of true religion, that God viii
own and crown with such a blessins
that there shall not be room enough
} to receive it. :"
New YORK CITY.