The herald., 1896-02-23
TEMPERANCE
BY LADY COOK cLAFLlN

In all ages since man could moralize
philosophers and teachers have set
forth temperance as one of the chief
virtues. st. Paul, when he wrote to
the Oolossians, classed it with mercy,
kindness, meekness and patience. To
Timothy he said teacher should not
be much given to vine; not smiter,
but temperate. And to Titus he de-
scribes temperance as "showing all
mildness to all men," The Idler Of the
last century said, "To temperance
every day is bright, and every hour is
propitious to diligence" We might
multiply examples to show that it
means moderation in all things, as its
etymology proves. But since Father
Mathews time it has been captured,
pressed into service, and intemper-
ately abused by particular sect We
may govern our passions and appetites
within the bounds of moderation; we
may not be much given to wine nor be
smiters; we may show all mildness to
all men; yet ii we indulge, however
slightly, in the use of fermented or
spirituous liquors, this class will ve-
hemently deny us the virtue of tenn
perance. Teetotalers have not only
monopolized the word, but they claim
to monopoliZe the virtue also. And
they are ready to move heaven and
earth, and to set every village and town
in England by the ears, in order to i'm
pose their special Interpretation upon
all, and to compel us to their habit by
act of Parliament. How long will it
take our countrymen to learn that
men cannot be made virtuous by legis-
lation, cannot be made religious, can
not even be made sober?
If temperance be moderate use,
then total abstinence is not temper
ance. Moderation is one thing, ab-
stention is another. 1t is prostitu-
tion of language for teetotalers to call
themselves temperate. Temrerance
should have no place on their notices,
nor be haunted on their banners. And
it is because we would have all men
moderate in all things and tolerant to
others, because we would see no mans
personal liberty placed under the heel
OF his fellows, because there can be no
virtue where there is pulsion, that
we pen this paper as protest against
Incorporate temperance" The boun-
tiful Providence that dwelIs through
out nature spreads royal feast in
every cline for every creature, from
man to the minutest organism. 1t says
to all-eat, drink and be merry, for to-
morrow ye die. Are we, then. from
sour asceticism, to refuse the boun-
ties offered us? Or is it our
dlty to abstain from reason
able enjoyment because others
make beasts of themselves. There is
no qualification but is abused. Should
we, then, make absuention from pleas
ure compulsory all round? Thousands
of those who abstain from alcoholic
drinks eat gluttonously or drink tea
and coffee to excess. Are such tenn
perate? Has not the moderate eater,
who takes his beer or wine moderately,
better right to the title?
Wolleston, in his Religion OF Nature,
wisely said, $50 years ago, Temper
ance per nits US to take meat and
drink not only as physic for hunger
and thirst, but also as an innocent
cordial and fortitier against the evils
OF life, or even sometimes, reason not
refusing that liberty, merely as mat
ter of pie sure. 1t only confines us to
certain kinds, quantities and seasons,
ss may best consist with our health,
the use Of our faculties. our fortune, etc,
and to show that we do not think onr-
selves made only to eat and drink here"
II we turn to the Bible we find that the
second thing mentioned of Noah after
the deluge is that he planted vine
yard. Even when he got drunk there
ls no expressed reprobation of his con-
duct Only his son Hams son was
punished for Hams unfilial behavior
on that occasion. Wine and oil we're
constantly offered to God, and when
Jesus performed His first miracle He
turned water into wine, because the
guesis had used up too freely what
had baen provided. Could the teeto-
talers perform miracles also they
would, doubtless, turn all the wine
into water. The wisest of Biblical
men. Solomon, advocated wine for
those in grief or despair. And Robert
Burns, in rollicking strain, fairly but
very freely versities it thus:
"Ciie him strong drink until he wink,
That'ssinkins in despair:
An liquor guie to fire his bluid
That's press'd wi grief an care;
There let him bouse and deep carouse,
Wi bumpers flowing DER,
III he forgets his loves debts,
And minds his griefs no more
While we admire Solomon's wisdom
and Burns extraordinary genius, we
regret that neither could see any bet
ter remedy for sorrow than drink.
In the oldest parable in the world,
contained in the Book Of judges,
lothian spoke of wine as Cheering God
and man." In no part of the Old or
New Testament is it's use in the slight
est degree discountenanced. much less
forbidden. Christ and his apostles
drank wine daily, not, as teetotalers
would have us think, unfermented,
but the wine of the country, which was
always fermented. One OF the charges
made by the Pharisees against Jesus
was that he was fond of wine, and he
admitted it, to their discontinue. The
Biblical plea, therefore, falls to the
ground. 1t is true there are occasional
proverbs against drunkenness, but even
the inhibltions generally against this
vice are very few; and the fact that the
NaZarltes were all extremely limited
sect, and the pointed sllusion to the
SOILS of Rechab, show that teetotalism
among the Jews WAS by no means gen.
srAl. VITA us teetotaiism has become
so powers ul that great political and re-
lgious bodies are moved by it. lt be-
gan at first with small sections Of ip-
norant fanatics among the various
Methodist divisions Then the Ban
fists joined, and 1t length all sects
we're we'll represented.
Nbo J.1,rar houeo 1f