The morning times., 1896-11-16
Rev. DR.. McKim Discusses the
Church and Temperance.
HEARD BY EfISC0PALIANS
He Urges Individual Effort in
the Fight Against the
Evil of Drink.

The discourse Of the Rev. j. Randolph
McKim, D. D., rector of Epiphany Church,
last night, on he subject of Temperance,
was heard by very large congregation.
In uae iirst part OF Jne auuress tine
speaker reviewed the subject from the
general standpoints OF the moral and the
economic, and later discussed the effects
of the liquor traffic on contemporaneous
society and soIne OF the methods Dy which
the evils of the traffic and drink habit
could be overcome.
A very Interesting part of the remarks
was that in which he referred to the argu-
ment ON the other side that there was no
prohibition as to the use of liquor eX-
cept in immoderate quantities by the
founder Of the Christian church.
lie said that there were some OF the
speakers and writers Oh the use of wines
in the ola days who maintained that the
wine of the Scriptures was not fer
mented product. DR.. Mckim would not
20 so far. On the other hand he expressed
the belief that the wine referred to was
fermented, but he did not believe that
it contained the percentage of alcohol
that it does in modern times.
ST. PAUL's REBUKEs.
But th ere could be none who would main
tain that if the conditions existing pre-
vailed at the time of the teaching and
VI tl'c CdNiouI, ht IT,
buke til EN- as stcrnly as lie did other human
frailties in the age in which lie appeared
on earth. Indeed IL could be assumed that
there was no problem" of this kind in
the years OF ChriSt's mission. As to ex-
cesses of all kinds there was ample protest
in the writings of st. Paul.
1t was doubtful, he said, if the world
fully comprehended the great power which
the church and the law of the land had
To. hot In ..rin Tn
quoted statistics giving the number Of
persons engaged in the retailing of liquor
at 200, 600 in the year S95; the consump-
tion in gallons at ! i 10, 100000; the retail
cost as S9D2, 600, 900, the capital invested
$299, 900 ,O0o, and taxes paid upon the
sale and manufacture Sll 100000
This was apparently powerful foe to
fight. but nothing should be considered
hopeless when the cause is right and when
those who are engaged In il shall depend
for the issue on truth and God" What
was needed was that the members OF the
Christian churches should do their duty;
and We're this done, tremendous advance
might be anticipated in the right direction.
NEED OF INDIVIDUAL WORK.
In order 10 enlist in this cause, each
one should say, what can do:' Let
each be conscious of a sense OF RESPONSE
bility; and let each Christian man and wo-
man determine not 10 assist III any way
the fortunes of those who are responsible
for the causes and effects of the evils of
intemperance.
DR.. McKim eloquenly arraignsd the
liquor traffic and the abuse of liquor as
the fruitful cause of wretchcd homes. de-
graded men aud women, degraded classes,
degraded citizenship. He would ask in
the name OF Christ that no one snouid as
sist in such work. lie compared the Sc
ductions OF drink TO the euchantment pf
Gree. who turned her shipwrecked guests
into swine.
The most suggestive remedies he Of
rered were prudence, prayer, wstchfulness
and strict morality. With these even
the tremendous pressure under which civ
iization now existed could to large eN-
tent be lightencd and the people move for
ward unimpeded i'll the passing of meet
and Christian life.