Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1906-07-25
great deal more than telling.
.,..l 4 y. II 49, q L ......l,

great doal more than telliipg.
If you should tell thes other boy
that ne should totally abstain
tecsuse whiskey is "thasworld's
greatest curse" he would, soon or
late, detec. that your statement i.
tpot true, if he be I'll intelligent
boy. Though you should never
give him the slightest hint that
The Bible allows him any liberty,
he would suspect that it is not
whiskey, but the abuee of wbis-
key, II at is evil. He might never
be able to answer your statement
logically; hut, being intelligent.
he would feet that there is some
thing wrong with it. And what
would be the effect of such a
feeling? Your gaudy pileof tenn
.perance instructions would totter
and full; for its very foundation
would be gone. Such facts as
these, MIR. Editor, constitute the
basis of the elementary education
al principle that, ultimately, it is
best not to overstate any cause.
Again, Mr.. Editor, arc you sure
that you would not somewhat
overstate the matter, if you should
tell him that even the abuse OF
whiskey is "tbe worlds greatest
curse?"
/ believe that dishonesty is a
greater curse than tie abuse Of
whiskey. | believe that it is
equally damaging to The spiritual
powers, and ,at it seizss aSlarger
number of victims. Anshonest man
5le one who (even III The face Of
temptation) does as he would be
done by in business. How many
do that? l believe that, whenever
whlskey has slain it's millions
dish5 5neety has slain its tens OF
millions. When CUR lielovell pas
tors shall arrange for aunited and
strenuous effort to put.down this
gigantic evil, it will not be diff
cult for them 10 find suitabls texts
in the Bible. L suggest that hey
Begin with Tho eight, ninth, aud
teplb verses of the sixth chapter
uf First Corinthians.
Besidrs, Mr. Editor, ahuu. one
hall of be PEOPLE on The aarlh are
ldolitars. Is j. nnt probsblp hat
ldoIalfy is q greater curse than The
atusp of wIiisRpys? ~, selecting
some township III Edgefeld C"un.
ly, you will take he irouhle tc
count lh- druukarlls insfbai inwrl.
ship, aud TO con l,arr their nun.
ber with that of lhe entire popula.
llor, you Mii; he nb,e-te pe.imate
III whiskey Evil more pxac@)s. Ii
you will take tl,e additional
trouble to count such of these
drurkafds asneg'eci antlsnla!traal
tneir fam lles, and 10 compar.
their num!ler with tllat Of H.
drunkarls wiln are meyer sunklnd
tn their families, aid always pre-,
vide " II for hem, You will b
abe TO estimate tie whisSny evil
still more exactly. II you wlI
lbtn lake he troub., tor mem Der
during lh. next fifteen years, nj
tne drupkards in The: township
and to count such as shall become
total abstainers, you will be- able
to estimate the s.hiskeg evil:with
considerable accuracy.-T be abuse
of whisk ". MIR. Editor,sis a great
evil. By overstatlng it, however
we cannot do the slightest5good.
The most important Of your ug.
gestions is the }thong aontainedslr
the wenty-frst. verse 3of8 the four.
teenth chapter Of Romans, -
In order to understand 3th at stfte:
ment clearly, we. must skno w5sfhe Cir
cumstances under which-it was made.
The few Christians to whom Pau
minister ed at Rome lived iE:the midst
of a vast host Of relatives and neigh
bors who offered sacrifices and Iiba.
tions to the various pagan gods.
Among the sacrifices, were animals
commonly used for food; and, among
the libations, was wine, 1t seems
that sometimes part of an animal
was burnt as sacrifice, the remainder
being used for food. Some of the
Christians at Rome thought that it
was wrong to eat such food, while
others thought that there was no harm
in eating it. This difference of opin
ion caused much friction in the
church.
Under these circuu stances, the
great apostle wrote the Christians at
Rome letter, in which he discussed
very thoroughly the vexrd question
concerning the eating Of meat pre-
viously offered to idols. In substance,
he told them that every man had the
right to do as he pleased in regard to
the matter. Nevertheless, he advised
those who held broad views of the sub
iect to give up their acknowledged
rights in the premises. because 1t ap-
peared that the exercise of those rights
would be stumblingblockt to sucn OF
their brsthren as held narrower views.
He then announced the peril cent
general principle that you quoted, to
wit: "It is good neither to eat flesh,
nor to drink wine,. nor anything
whereby thy brother stumbleth. or Is
offended. or is made weak"
This principle. which. involves the
surrender Ola right, is founded ex-
plicl;ly on charity. In the tifteenth
verse ,ofthe same chapter,,the apostle
says: 'But if thy brother is grieyed
with thy meat, now walkest thou not
charitably." Discussing the same S ib-
iect in the first verse of the eighth
Il; I, yc .