The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-08-12
Christian Temperance
By SteOart McQueen.

once honest differences of opinion are found, But we go back to the Gospel and ask, What should be our position in this matter? First, last and always, we must take the ground of charitable judgment. Remember, the Bible mo- where insists upon abstinence as a necessary virtue. That is to say, 1t nowhere makes abstinence binding up- on all men if they would be accounted good men. Therefore. 1t i'll becomes advocates of 'temperance' to claim that only those who totally abstain are tenn perate or self-controlled. From what has been said it follows that the whole matter must be left to the Christian trained conscience of people where God Himself leaves 1t, and the church has no right whatever to legislate on the subject. The State has a right to legis- late. but solely as a matter of police regulation The Bible rule for us all, wherever we may be and under all circumstances, is soberness, not neces- sarily abstinence, but always and in- variably soberness.
 As has been said, "the question js: Should the individual drink alcoholic liquors as beverage in such moder- ation as will prevent him from being an injury to others?" This is a ques- ton which each individual must Le- eide for himself If he is of sane mind and full age, 1t is an impertinence for any other person to attempt to decide 1t for him, as much so as 1t would be for any one else to decide whether he may d-.nk tea or coffee or. eat meat. He may surrender this liberty either because he thinks it's use will be haz- ardous to himself or hazardous to others. But, he cannot surrender what he does not possess. He is not at liberty to be drunken. It is right to condemn him if he is drunken. He Is at liberty to drink, it Is not right to condemn him merely because he drinks. The motto. judge not, that ye be not judged" applies.
 But, let us be most careful, men and brethren, lest we abuse the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free There lies the great danger to us all. Let us not fancy because we have the right to do thing, we must necessar- lily do it. Certainly, for most men, 1t would seem that habitual abstinence is more expedient than nabitual use, and unquestionably safest. Thereby Is avoided the danger of a terrible catas- trophe, one of the most terrible in which a man can involve himself, and that Is the sin of drunkenness. Let ns remember there are reasons which may well influence some Christians, q do not say all Christians). to feel that the cause of this kind of temperance may be best promoted by the prac.lce of abstinence. as. for instance, when we know that thus we have 1t in our power to bless other lives than our own. Sup pose we know, (absoiutely know), tha- some friend will be saved by our ex- ample in this matter. Then, plainly, our duty would be to abstain. Above all, let us daily pray for Divine grace' that we may practice temperance, isolf control), in all things. So only shall we grow in Christian character .(for self control lies at the very fouuda- ton sources of character), and grow also into the image and likeness of our Savior, who was Himself the em- bodiment and personification of tenn perance.