Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1903-03-07
SOME STRANGE FACTS.
Reasons Sometimes Advanced for In
difference to the Great Tenn
persnce Movement.

Our work is to make men Chris
asns and they will be able to resist
the temptation to drink" This was
the reply of pastor to our request
that he help in the temperance work.
Let us examine this statement.
While we pride ourselves in being a
great Christian people, we are nation
noted for its drunkenness. There are
vast portions of the human family who
know nothing about Christianity,.ye
they know as little about the evils
of drunkenness. Why? Because there
is no drinking.
Strange as it may seem, the Brah-
min, Buddhist and Mohammedan re-
6gions, considered as pagan and false
religions, absolutely prohibit the man.
ufacture, sale and use of intoxicating
drinks, the curse of nations and re-
igions; while by nations claiming to
possess the pure and true religion, this
curse is legalized and perpetuated.
Strange as it may seem, while the
people of pagan nations are renowned
for their sobriety, the people of Chris
tan nations are notorious for their
drunkenness, and whenever Christian
nations have sought by commerce and
missions to civilize and Christianize
peoples the drink evil has been intro
duced and proved curse.
We lay it down as a rule to uphold
Christianity, but when our brethren
speak fooishiy we cannot allow it to
pass. DR.. Cummings in one of his
1. famous lectures on miracles says:
The secret of temperance is not in
the cellar, but in the heart of the land
lord of the wine cellar. A Christian
man will not become intoxicated if he
drinks from a cask. A drunkard will
become intoxicated If he drinks from
bottle. It is not in the quantity be-
fore you that the element of temper
ence is. but in the grace of God that
has been planted in YOU"
/ A Christian man viii not become in
5oxicated If he drinks from a caski
As well tell US that Christian man
, will not burn himself If he put his
4. hand into q flame, or will, not be
poisoned if he takes a dose of ar
tcnic. His Christianity will be no pro-
lection from the fiery elements of the
poisonous substance in either case.
1 It will not do to assert that your
Christianity will prevent you from be-
coming Incorporate If you continue
to use these drinks. 1t did not pro-
tect Noah, it did not protect Lot. Nor
thousands of others who once stood
high in the Christian church.
l Let it ever be borne in mind that al
coholic liquor touches the stomach,
the head, and the heart. And it oper-
ates on the stomach, the head and the
heart of the Christian as it does on
the poorest infidel. In its operation
alcoholic liquor has power to drive
the grace OF God from the heart.
In Northumberland there is a farm
where John Wesley and his followers
preached the Gospel for 40 years. The
last record of the farmer and his fam
lily was, five sons came under the power
of Divine truth, and bright hopes were
entertained for their usefulness and
salvation. Alas! the bottle drove the
Bible from the farmers table, the
preachers from the farm, and the sons
TO dishonor and to ruin. In every
sense alcohol touches the heart, and in
its work it leaves il as hard and des-
titute of all proper action as a bit of
clay. BecaLse of the prevalence of al
coholic liquor the grace of God has
never had a fair chance. Hence we
strive to sweep it from the land, and
especially from Christian favor and
support.
And in this as in every enterprise I'M
dertaken for the benefit of mankind,
the Christian minister has part, and
very important part to perform
National Advocate.