The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1913-07-24
THE PEOPLES FORUM.
Gospel Temperance A Law.

To the Editor of The Republican:
Permit me to call attention to the
fact that Gospel Temperance is an
universal law"
In my last showed that temperance
as required in the New Testament is an
efficient self-restraint, which prevents
indulgence in any thing perncious to
morals or injurious to health. This is
law of the New Testament, and applies.
to wine and all distilled spirituous
liquors, to opium, and. all narcotics
There is divine wisdom in the rule.
The art of making distilled liquors was
not discovered for several hundred
years after the time of Christ and the
apostles. Had this rule forbidden only
the strong drink known at the time.
then all the hosts of alcoholic liquors,
which have since then been produced
by the art of distillation. would claim to
be exempt. in fact would probably claim
by inference at least, the divine sane
ton.
The New Testament lays down prin-
ciple which governs every case that can
arise. 1t is a self-restraint which is to
be an efficient barrier against all the
indictments of drunkenness, and every
approximation to it. This is to be en-
forced upon the conscience of every
man, in all ages. The pleasure of
drinking, the excitement which it pro-
duces, and the example of those who
would convert social gatherings into
scenes of revelry. all operate against
self-restraint and lead to dissipation.
The diseased appetite produced by
moderate drinking, which never ceases
its craving, leads millions to drunk
ards grave. Education. refinement,
self-respect, pride of family, noble
position, indeed nothing has furnished
motions strong enough to resist the
force of the appetite once formed.
Ministers, doctors, lawyers, states
men, scholars, farmers have fallen
through the use of liquor, from their
high positions into ignominious disgrace
and ruin, because they did not observe
the law laid down in The New Testament.
Men may say if they keep within GER
tain limits it will not hurt them. There's
the rub. if-but they do not as rule
re strain themselves, hence the major
ity who practice moderate drinking
suffer in themselves and as a rule in
their boys who go them at least one
better. Tendency of moderate use is
to immoderate use and the poisonous
effects soon fellow. Because one now
and then can drink moderately all his
life, will another claim he too can, and
so expose himself to a great danger?
Would he do so in any other thing? If
smallpox prevailed in our town, would
men rush into it? No, they would wise
ly give it wide berth, or take every
wise precaution possible. The users of
intoXicants perils the interests of his
soul and body and does it while he sees
deaths and disaster which
have overtaken others.
Gospel temperance is restraint, not
moderation. This law is easily under
stood; easy to apply to all cases that
NAV arise and more comprehensive than
any expressed command prohibiting it
could be. Is the church enforcing this
law? Is she even living up to it? Not
verv well. She has too many in her
ranks that love presumably for
the stomachs sake-too many that con-
dive at it for the money it brings in.
lntemperance is one of the greatest
dangers that threaten our civilization.
Christianity is one of the greatest of
our civilizing forces. The christian
religion leads men to recognize and
accept their responsibility for others,
and so unites them in action under every
urgent motive. 1t thus becomes an ex-
cltant. In her work of rescuing, re-
forming ana chrlStlanlZlng, she is hin
1ered by the work of intemperance, for
even with regulation, the liquor traffic
Increases more rapidly than the popula-
ton. One of the two things then must
take place, either civilization must de-
5troy the liquor traffic or be destroyed
oY it. Has the; church done it whole
iuty since its organization? 1t has
existed over 1900 years and still there
are over ten billion who have not heard
If the Savior. There are about thirty
Millions who profess the Protestant
'aith and very large proportion per-
laps one-half-that are of little or no
to the church. Infdelity has
captured the learned
rites, and worldliness has taken
he pews, while the preachers as a rule,
re not half as earnest and faithful as
hey ought to be. By and by the church
will be sifted and God will be glorified
n his own. His church will be purified
nd saved. Are we willing to be saved
~ the skin of Hur tooth are uua Jo;pr,