The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1913-07-17
THE PEOPLES FORUM.
The Duty of the Church to Temperance

To the Editor of The Republican:
1t has been suggested that | write for
your columns something on the DUTY
of the Church to Temperance. shall
gladly comply with the suggestion.
assume that what is meant by the
Church is the outward organization as
we see and know it, in its denomina-
tional capacity. Of course the true
Church, which is composed of all true
christians, no matter to what denomi-
nation they belong, is and will be I'M
qualifiedly opposed to the rum traffic.
1t cannot be otherwise. But our church
as at present organized and recognized
is somewhat divided on this question.
Many of our church members do not
see alike on this matter-sOme, indeed,
look with favor on the manufacture and
sale of the stuff; others claim the right
to use it as they please, while others
would restrict the sale of it or regulate
it for financial reasons.
Some good, high toned professors of
christianity think it is in accord with
their profession to rent their property
for saloon purposes-o course, always
through an agent and if they give a
bit of the income received from the
traffic of debauching manhood and
womanhood and hindering the church to
which they profess devotion, if, | say,
they give pittance to the church, that
makes it all right-a good thing indeed
With them the end iustifies the means.
A processing christian who rents his
property for saloon purposes, or for the
manufacture of it, or who engages
directly or indirectly in the business, is
not fit to be meWber of any christian
denomination. He plainly is not
member OF the true church, for it is
safe to say that no man who is truly
converted, who has the life of Christ in
him, will engage in that which democrat
ICES society and the world and binders
the church. His place is outside, with
evil workers-wlth his own class, for If
anything, he is worse than the avowed
enemies of the church. He is plainly a
hypocrite, a deceiver, a traitor to the
Master he processes to adore and
serve.
What is the work of the church?
Primarily to preach the Gospel to every
creature. For this she was sent forth
in the world. She is to fight all manner
of evil. She is to hurl the anathemas
of Jehovah against all sin. She is to
hold up a Savior, nay, the only Savior
from sin. and proclaim to all who are in
sin that we have an Advocate with the
Father, even Jesus. The church, as the
ambassador of Jesus, is the sworn foe
of sin in all its forms.
| presume no duly enlightened person
will deny that intemperance is sin.
They cannot DENY this fac # they &C
cept the teachings of the Bible.
The saloon then is engaged in a wrong,
a sinfrl business. The church as such,
is and must be opposed to 1t. In her
deliverance she is; but as matter of
fact is the church as an organization,
in all its members unltedly working
against the traffic? She is weak from
division, from lack of concentration and
from personal and selfish aims of many
of her members. While the liquor in
of the traffic; the churches are divided
in their efforts, each seeming to think
that their way is the best or the only
method; and while they are pickering
about the way to do the work, the
liquor traffic goes on defying the church,
and every sense of decency and public
interest. for the money they can get out
of it. Suppose the church members of
this town or state should unite their
forces, how long would it take to throt-
tie the liquor traffic? Could they do it?
Undoubtedly if they would. Is the
principle of temperance enjoined IN the
Bible? If SO what duties grow out of it?
| think all will admit that temperance
is a christian virtue enjoined in the
Gospel. But it is claimed it means a
moderate use of thing that is, if |
use liquor moderately am temperate.
The original word which is translated in
our version Temperance" means an
efficient and effectual self control. In
the New Testament it means "having
self-control, continent, abstinent.
The duty required by our word
temperance, is strong moral self
control, which will keep US from every