The Newtown bee. (Newtown, Conn.) 1877-current, 1891-11-20

ing it is, under all circumstances and IN
all social conditions, a SINH false theo-
nv. Itcontravenes the example of Christ;
it is Mohammendan, not Christian.
5. 1t must, therefore, be left TO each
individual to Judge for himself when it
is right to drink wine, or whether it is
right to drink it at all. For his decision
upon this question he is not to be judged
by his fellow Christians, either as a bigot
because he is total abstainer, or as
sinner against the law of God because ne
is not. Drunkenness is always and every
where a sin; whether drinking Is sin
depends upon circumstances and Whetn-
err the circumstances are such as to make
drinking sinful, each individual must de-
eide for himself, and answer for his de-
cision, not to priesthood,a society, or a
newspaper press, bnt to his own con-
science and his God.
6. Whether the community can prop
erly, without infringing on the liberty
of the individual, prohibit all manufac-
ture and sale of alcoholic liquors,is po-
litical question on which the teachings
and life of Christ throw no light. Such
prohibition, however, can be sustained
only on the ground on which, in time OF
socialistic excitement, all sale and car
riage OF dynamite ought to be forbidden
or in time of epidemic hydrodhobia all
dogs as large might be condemned to be
shot-not because it is sinful to use
dynamite or keep dog, but because I'M
der present circumstances and IN the
present exigency, the peril from dyna-
mite or dogs is so great that the lndlvid'
ual liberty must be set aside for the gen.
eral welfare. In other words, prohlbl'
tion as political law, and habitual ao'
stinence as personal practice, can only
be maintained as exceptional remedies
called for by an exceptional exigency
and founded on the special need of hero
ic measures-not on eternal laws of right
and wrong, forbidding all use OF the
fruit of the vine. Whether these specia
remedies are called for by the exigencies
of modern civilization; whether, in other
words, temperance or total abstinence IL
the best weapon with which to fight the
drink traffic and the drinking customs Of
to-day, is question on which the wises'
and best of men may and do differ.
7 Any permanent temperance reform
however great emphasis it may lay on
Christian duty of total abstinence, mus
draw sharply, and maintain stoutly, the
distinction between total abstinence anc
temperance, between drunkenness anc
drinking. 1t must recognize drunkenness
to be everywhere and always a sin
drinking to be made so only by the cir
cumstances; temperance to be always
and everywhere duty, total abstinence
to be only means now to be employed
for promoting temperance. In brief, Chris
tan abstinence from the use of pur
wine can only be urged ON Paul's exhor
tation, and with equal emphasis on boil
clauses: Brethren, ye have been calle'
unto liberty; only use not liberty for al
occasion to the flesh, but by love serv
one another"
s. Finally, if any one ask me what
t0lDk JEllS law Ol SITlSGldH loNC lSiuAO
of the Christian in American society o
to-day, reply that it seems to me to re
qure general abstinence; that is, tn
laying aside of all wine drinking as
means of social entertainment or person
al luxury, land its retention only in so ia
as experience and observation demon
; strate,as in some cases they do,its decic
, ed advantage to health in invigoration G
vital powers for the better doing c
Gods work in the world. But | trust tina
this necessity belongs simply to the pres
ent epoch, and l am not without hop
, that we shall yet come to time-thoug
, not in my day-when a pure vine ca
be used by society with no more serious
" evil results than now are produced b
the use of tea and coffee.