The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-03-05
THE DUTY OF THE CHURCH
It Should Arouse Moral Sentiment
Against the Liquor Traffic.
Thinks That Is the Best Way Of Bringing
About Temperance and Prohibition.

The audience that heard Mrs. J. Ellen Foster,
OF Clinton. Ia, give her views on temperance
from the Christians srand-po filed nearly
every seat in the spacious auditorium of
Meridian-street Church last evening. She is an
interesting talker discarding. for the most part,
elaborate oratory. Her force rests in the sim
plicity of her faith and the directness with which
she calls sin to account, according to the laws OF
God. Her methods of argument based
tirey upon scriptural commands and the truths
taught by Christ To these she adds the charm
OF a very pleasant voice, which is rich in a sym
pathetic tone that wins the attention of her
hearers. DIR. Gilbert. ia introducing tho lady,
said that Methodism not born in the small
circle of studen Is at Oxford, but in the heart of
the mother Of John Wesley It was therefore
the duty of the Methodist Church to recognize
the labors Of woman and to let her speak what
she knows aDd feels. Mrs. Foster, who, in the
cause of temperance, has become widely known
in Europe well as in this country, stands on
the Methodist platform OF total abstinence for
the individual and prohibition for the
State. But the church has never said what
legislative means should be prescribed
in attaining these ends The Methodist Church
has never said word in this connection about
political parties. and God grant it never may.
tory FORMS outlined the subject of her address
in saying that how to relieve the world of the
burden Of sin under which it struggled has been
the thought and inquiry of theolocians But all
inquiries as to what means shall be
applied in removing ain reach the
same conclusion-that they must come
from the Christian Church The question then
is what is the duty of the church, Eloqusntly
picturng the rise of the church ia Christ and
the truths He taught, she spoke of those truths
an being handed down first through the little
band OF His immediate followers, who spread
them to the church that hourished in the first
and second centuries, and then on down to the
present time. when they are taught from the
pulpit, in the family circle and through the re-
ligious press Opposed to them are the sins in
many forms, and among them is the use of al
cohoL 1t IL a sin against God. because it
violates bis laws and purposes concerning his
people. Gods law is a law of harmony, and
1T based all the transactions of religious
and secular life Man 10 becoming more and
more the supreme master OF the world and nat
ure's force as he understands and more
Gods purposes. All physical phenomena and
discoveries but the development of God in
matter, and man is constantly finding them out
and applying them to his use He who knows
most about them is closer to God. As an illus
tration she referred to the uses of steam, cleo
tricity and the wonderful mathematics of
astronomy.
All these are governed by harmonious laws,
and, if the inanimate world is arranged. it is
not possible for man to be without subsection to
a divine law. II he dares not to violate the laws
outside of him. how can he dare to violate the
law within HIMSELF Man knows that alcohol
poisons the blood destroys the tissues and
frerzes the head. but he dares In its put
himself beside God When a man. by drinking
intoxicants disturbs the functions of body
often say they can drink without
damage to themselves. and point
to many others prominent in good works who
also drink. Men drank because they did
not know the law. II ones father or grandfather
drank, aye. if he stood in the pulpit, he
not sit in judgment upon him. That is mat
ter to be settled by Gcd. He who does not
know the law 10 not responsible to the law. We
know it, for the church, finding wrong
isted began to inquire about it; and society, dis
turbed, looked for the disturber Hence came
the doctrine of total abstinence for the indi-
vidual and prohibition for the StAte.
The manufacturing. buying AID selling OF
liquor 10 q constant injury to the church
Children are trained in the Sunday-school, and
the saloon gets them. Alcohol stands in the
way of acceptsnce OF the faith. It produces
dizziness OF mind. blunts apprehension and de-
stroys conscience. She gave as examples of this
young woman who was held from conversion
because she drank Snnpsr.a wine and
the care of charitable institution
was placed as = servant in the family
of an influential New York Methodist. In
few days she returned to the institution, saying
che could not stay there. wine always
kept on the table. Again she found home, and
again she returned to the care of the charitable
because she was subjected to the temptation of
drink Thus this poor woman was driven thith-
and yon. finding no rest, :or wherever she
went there was the tempting wine.
The duty of the church of Christ was to arouse
the moral sentiment against the traffic. The
government is not the embodiment of the senti-
ment of the whole. If it was the liquor traffic
would not exist to-day. The majority of the
moral sentiment is through woman but she can
not impress the law man But the time
is coming. and il is not far away. when woman
will do it. If the church is TO make itself felt it
must DO through the law. Modern Jurisprudence
is only an amplifcation of the old Mosaic law.
There is law against murder and
YET one of the most refined means
most brutal. is that of alcohol To-day the awful
sin is the localized saloon, and while man alone
cannot abolish it, he can individually set up in
himself the ideal good aud thus by example.
bring about moral sentiment that will accom-
piish prohibition. It was done in Iowa, whore
now its effects are SO great that prison
tractors likely to lose heavily financially, be-
cause there are not enough prisoners to do the
work. Des Moines, the largest city in the
State. has not had an open saloon for
with Haddock's blood. there is not to-day
saloon gambling den. This great good was
accomplished by the religious idea that grew
and grew until the work was accomplished.
the rum traffic. but the element of faith is need
ed. faith that must look beyond all obstacles.
matter how great to the grand consumma-
ton that will come.
This evening Mrs Foster will deliver an ad-
dress the same topic in the hall of the Young
Mems Christian Association.
Coming Visit of Evangelist Mills.
The visit of the Rev B. F. Mills is likely to
be q notable event in religious circles. Reports
indicate that he has been doing remarkable
work in New York. Brooklyn, Albany, Philadel-
mia varranfar prnvi5ADco and othar LARGO