Birmingham state herald., 1896-02-27
BE NOT DRUNK WITH WINE
Eloquent Temperance Sermon
 by Bishop 0'SulIivan.
TRUE REMEDY FOR THE EVIL
Gods Help for Him Who Sincerely Tries to Help HimseIf-The Cause of Temp erance
 the Cause of Manhood.

A large audience was present at St. Paurs Catholic church last night to hear an able lecture by the gifted orator. priest, Rt. Rev. Bishop OSullivan of the diocese of Mobile.
 The subject of the discourse was "Tem- perance and It's Good Results; Intemper- ance and It's Evil Results" The lecture throughout was forcibly and persuasive ly delivered Below is his Biblical se- lection and synopsis of the address:
 And be not drunk with wine wherein is luxury, but be ye filled with the Holy Spirit. "-Ephesians V, IS.
 In commencing his discourse the right reverend bishop declared that no evil existing among us menaceS so boldly the peace, prosperity, happiness and moral and religious welfare of our peo- pie as the evil of excessive drinking. No other social evil disturbs the family relations and renders the domestic life of men, women and children so inhuman and hopeless as habitual and excessive indulgence in strong drink.
 Intemperance units husband and wife for the duties of percentage, which are the most sacred of human obligations. It destroys all sense of decency and honor, Silences the conscience and deadenS the best instincts of the human heart There ds no bright side to the picture of ruin w the presence of strong drink in the home. This hideous and brutaliz1ng vice can not be condemned too severely, and those who have experienced the suffering re- sulting from it may be pardoned if they are unsparing in their efforts to build up any force that makes for it's suppress sion and in condemning every effort that tends to widen the way for the spread of habitual drinking among us.
 No wonder the prophet exclaimed: AI.o4 rlafx fa hi wine and stout men at drunkenness" Nor is our Lord silent in the matter. "Take heed to yourself" He says Hest perhaps your hearts be overcharged with surfeit- ing and drunkenness, and the cares of this world and the day of retribution come upon you suddenly
 St Paul wrote to the early Christians: "Be not deceived, for neither drunkards nor adulterers nor Sodomites shall enter the kingdom of God
 The book of Proverbs tells us: "Be not in the feasts of great drinkers, because they that give themselves to drinking shall be consumed"
 But it is needless to quote further or to cite other proofs for the evils of intem- perance They are now acknowledged by all They are neralded in the morning and evening press. Intemperance under mines the health, weakens the will and infiames the passions. It fills prisons and insane asylums, corrupts our politics ana lowers the standard Ol~puDlc ana private morals.
 What a humilating spectacle is a drunken man! It should dim the eyes of angels; it should rouse with indgna- ton the soul of every honest man; it should fill with grief the heart of every pastor of souls.
 Do not imagine, my brethren, said he, that the abuse of liquor and the evils flowing therefrom are confined to any one section of a city or to any one nation ality or to any one class of people. The demon of intemperance, like death. claims it's victims everywhere and from all classes of society and all conditions of life.
 It goes around like a roaring lion, seek ing whom he may devour, regardless of place or social condition. Upon how few families has this curse not fallen?
 But while the demon of intemperance goes forth in every place to meet his vic tins it may be well said that his head quarters are in the saloon On it's thres- hold he stands day and night, weekday and Sunday, enticing poor humanity to enter and drink from the fountain of death.
 No man when he first enters the saloon intends to become a drunkard. He goes there for the social glass, with pleasant company and to while away an hour in gossip and games One glass leads to another and the man who does not treat when his turn comes is looked upon as mean, and so day by day the appetite for stimulants increases.
 There is a siren voice in the wine cup telling him there is no cause to fear the evil Of intemperance. Each visit to the saloon welds a new link to the chain of habit, each drink weakens the will and gives strength to desire, and so it comes to pass that so many young men and women acquire the fatal habit, which they never shake off. ,
 Is there no remedy for this evil?
 Yes, there is a remedy Let the slave of the drinking habit assert his manhood get his own consent to cure the evil, and then, relying on Gods help, resolve not to touch, taste or handle strong drink The Lord will not fail to help him who wishes to help himself.
 This is the first condition of cure Gods help and your own consent Do not minee matters, do not play with the tempter, do not say you can have your drink and do without; trust to no half measures, but keep far away from dan ger, and in real earnest say to yoursef, with the late Cardinal Manning: q can do without strong drink, and Ill go to my grave without tasting it.' A second remedy lies in joining temperance so- oiety, and, better still, a total abstinence society. You have such an organization in this parish, ,andit should receive the en- couragement of each member of the con- gregation. It has the sanction and ap- proval of every. good citizen.
 The Catholic church has been always the friend and the promoter of temper ance The present pope, Leo XIII,and the bishops of the church in t' country have repeatedly encouraged -t4.id blessed the labors of all those who work in a true Christian spirit for the diffusion of temperance principles.
 Let, all therefore, be sober and then homes will be happy, the state will be prosperous and the church will gather