The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1894-07-20
Can a Man BE Christian and Not BE a
Prohibitionist

We have often been asked this question and
as we were not altogether clear in our minds we
to answer it. 1t the title of Christian belongs
to that numerous class of people who, from
various motives have connected themselves
with the church and while striving to hold on
to the Ark with one hand have refused to sacri-
flee their political prospects or their social
standing or their business relations, then we
must answer yes But if the title of Christian
belongs only to those who are in their daily
lives, in their social and business and political
relations endeavoring to truly follow Him who
said, I'm much rs We did it not to the least of
these my brethren We did it not to me, --i it
were better for him that a milestone were
hanged about his neck and that he were cast
into the midst of the sea than that he should
offend one of these little ones, then we answer
most emphatically no! thousand times no !.
With the known attitude of the Republican
and Democratic and Peoples party this
question to-day, with all the light that every
Intelligent person mas on tins subject, for any
to oppose the Prohibition party by his influence
or his ballot, proves him to be either ignorant
or insncere; and we assert that no man has a
right to be ignorant, and for the man who is
insincere we have only feelings of pity.-"Nany
will say unto me Lord, Lord, - and then will
does not follow from this that ali Prohibition
lists are Christians 1--WE believe we know some
who are not, but when we remember the par
able of the two sons who were told to ''gO work
in my vineyard to-day and that the second
one afterward repented, we think there is more
hope for these than for those who, while pro-
IeSSlIlR 10 lONe Uue LOfu, SUlll refuse 10 90 his
will.
The above editorial in the Wtminator, a
Prohibitionst organ, published in Bel Air by
Mr.. P. F. Ball, has elected the following let
ter:
Mr.. Editor of The 1Egis:
Because of a leader in the July number of
the Httn,inatOr in which positiveness of opin-
ion and indiscrete zeal in good cause were
more prominent than spirit of gentle char
ity, wrote the following letter to its editor
With your permission l submit it to your
readers, some of whom may be his readers.
w. F. B.
18th July, 1894.
The Editor of The IHun,indtOr
SIR-This morning l read in Holy Scripture
these words: ''If We had known what this
meaneth, will have mercy, and not sacrifice
We would not have condemned the guitless"
They are part of the answer of our Lord to
the Pharisees who had rebuked him for q vio-
lation of their understanding of Gods law
they honestly believing that they better un-
derstood the force of the law than did the
giver of the law A few hours later came to
me The Uuni1GtOr,' and learned that-be-
ing now clear in your mind, you have reached
the conclusion, which hope is painful con
clusion, that | am not Christian, because
am not Prohibitionist. Ii only were thus
put out of the pale of salvation | should bear
your condemnation in silence but a great
body of the community in which we live are
damned with me. l may be under a delusion,
not seeing that there is lie in my right hand
yet | hope that am not past praying for.
Therefore l ask of you as did the writer of the
Epistle to the Hebrews, "Pray for us for we
trust we have good conscience, in all things
willing to live honestly" | protest, in all
honesty of good conscience that am will
ing, and ready to be Prohibitionist so soon as
can perceive that God is such-that he has
at any time in the course of His Providence
made it impossible to break His law-any
law; so soon as can see that His Divine Son,
our Lord Jesus, did by His teaching, or by
His example take care that His disciples,
either during His stay on earth, or during the
ages to our days, should be what you positive
ly assert a man must be in order to have a
good hope in Him.
L may not presume to call myself your
Brother-in-C Christ; but praying that God may
not judge you as you judge others, may
venture-unless you have reached a state In
which, not needing forgiveness, you do not
use the Lords prayer, l may venture to say
that. l am
Your fellow sinner,
w. F. BRAND.