Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1900-02-01
w. c. T. u. COLUMN.
me sunday school vs.. Intemperance.-B
Rev. ID. q. Babcock, -. ID.


Rev. ID. q. Babcock, I'D
Ofcourse the Sunday school is agains
lntemperance, and therefore it must be
against the causes that lead to and per-
petuate that vice. Drunkenness is an
effect! To prevent that effect the
causes that produce it must be re.
moved. The temperance movement
mas been made necessary by the liquor
system. Work against that system OF
evil must be prosecuted with ever-in.
creasing intelligence and power until
1t is destroyed. There is no call in
volving the welfare of society for the
reformation OF the liquor system; the
best good OF man demands the extirpa-
ton of that terrible upas tree-roots,
trunk and branches. The drink curse
Is not mixture OF good and evil, but
is evil as whole and in all its parts.
There Is no good reason why any per-
son should use any kind of intoxicating
liquor as beverage, nor why il should
be made or sold for such use.
The Importance OF intelligent, sys-
tematic and continuous temperance
work In the Sunday school cannot cas-
lily be over.estimated. We offer the
following reasons for this statement:
l. The alcoholic liquor system is the
prolific source of large share of the
evils that afflict humanity. 2. To ex-
tlrpate that is to clear and pave the
way for many moral, social and civil
improvements. 3. Half our population
are confronted every day with the al
lurements of the drink curse: these
allurements are on our streets, In MANY
homes and places of business, and the
wine that 'infamesn still fingers in
some churches as an element OF our
Lords Supper. 4. The abnormal appe-
tite for intoxicants is formed, with
rare exceptions, in youth, when the
nature and effects Of these subtle pois-
ons are least known and most perilous. |
D. We have startling illustration of |
what intoxicants are doing in the fact
that 81 per cent Of all criminal convic
tions are Tor offenses caused BY drink
and that more than half o. the conyicts
In our penal institutions are under age
when first incarcerated. 6. Thousands
of new pupils come under Sunday
school influence every year. We de-
sire to prevent them forming bad hab-
It's. We also desire to tram up an
and more efficient army
against that goddess, heartless, merci-
ess foe of all that is good-the LIQUOR
ystem T. Good Sunday school work
viii yield more encouraging results
han can be obtained anywhere else
outside of Christian homes. DR.. Gull
'er has well said, IAN ounce Of proven
ion here is worth thousand pounds
II possibly impossible cure" To ssraise
he fallen" is good work, but to pre-
'ent them from falling is better. Cor /.
ect formation is very superior to
temperance work in the Sunday
chool must be largely didactic. What
Mould be taught? That which il true
nd that only a moral force attends
he truth when taught through a Bible
essen that is not felt in our secular
chools. While the Sunday school has
I present only minority of our youth,
hey may be so trained that they will
e mighty through God to the pull.
~ down Of this stronghold" of evil.
We are sapping and mincing now.
he time for an explosion draws near.
We may be relatively few, but there
no restraint to the Lord to save by
ANY or by few" He said to Israel.
Ii We walk In my statutes, and keep
" commandments five of
Ju shall chase hundred and a hum
red OF you shall put ten thousand to
ght." He wants US To be as optimis-
as that! That ratio of power is not
20 great for those on the Lords side.
we each highly resolve, Where he
ads I'll follow" he will lead us to
Glory.
Uneeda nawsnanar-pho u ANr.rD,