The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-11-20
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II seems that once a year it u the
order in the Episcopal Church for all
the clergy to deliver sermons on the
subject of temperance. This has been
the custom In that church for num-
Der Of years. This sermon always
comes at a fixed season. and next
Sunday is the day for It.
In this connection IL Is Interesting
to read the joint letter issued on the
subject to the Episcopal clergy by
Bishop futile Of Missouri. the presid-
ing bishop. which Is signed by the
sixty-six other bishops of that church
in this country. Here is the letter:
The church temperance society has
labored for years to deepen and
strengthen and extend such sef-re-
straint in checking and resisting the
great evils of the drink habit.
success OF these efforts II. by infor-
nation and exhortation in sermons
and by devotions and suppiication in
prayer the attention OF our church
people can be concentrated upon the
wise and sober Christian way In which
the church temperance society essays
to do Its work.
bishops. and the bishops ask of the
clergy and people of their respective
dioceses. that they will unite in maxi
November No NIB II. fsos "a Say of special
references to the subject of temper
ance in the prayers and sermons Of
our churches.
This is a model letter on the subject
Of the handling of temperance in the
churches. There is no references in
whatever to prohibition laws or
prohibition movements of any kind in
any State. The clergy are exhortea
to fnculcate the great Christian doc
trine of self-restraint In its broadcast
sense. The great evils OF the drink
habit" are to be resisted. There is
nothing about total abstinence. moth
ing about removing the drink temp
tation from the whole country, moth
ing about all drinks being poisonous.
nothing about human laws for prohi-
bition OF the sale OF liquors. II
1t is really refreshing to see the
leading authorities In one of the
great church bodies going back to the
fundamental Christian teaching in
this matter of the drink habit--seif-
restraint. The clergy are to appeal
to individuals to exercise their Cod
given wills In restraining themselves
and their families, from the excesses
of the drink habit. They are not to
go out and force their brethren Of all
the world to eat no more meat, be-
cause. forsooth. they think meat is a
poison and not good for themselves
Bishop futile and his co-iaborers
want their clergy ito concentrate up
on the wise and sober Christian way"
of remedying intemperance, and their
appeal contains no incorporate Ian
guage. The principle of self-re-
straint broadly applied. means self
control TO all personal habits. which
tend to injure the body or the soul of
ones self or his neighbor. II these
were done as the Bible teaches. there
would be no. Christian preacher today
in Alabama demanding votes for a
constitutional amendment. And there
will never be any stopping of this
agitation, or Of return to peace upon
this matter, until all preachers of the
gospel abandon their folly of trying
to get Caesar to reform men and re-
turn to christ's way of leavening the
whole lump by working from the
heart outward. and from Individual
to individual. by voluntary seIf-re-
straint.