The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1914-09-20
APPEAL TO STATE
FOR OUR RIGHTS
DIR. wINEREE DISCUSSES WHY THE
PULPIT SHOULD SPEAK AS
TO PROHIBITION.
FIRST FOUND IN BIBLE
"THOU SHALT NOT" RINGS OUT
FROM THE SACRED PAGES.
MUST VOTE FOR DE-
LIvERANCE.

Culpeper, Va, Sept. 1o.-Rev. E. w.
Winfree, the able Baptist minister of
this city, preached a sermon on why
Should the Pulpit Speak on Prohi-
bition?" which has attracted a good
deal Of attention. His text was Luke
4:1S-19:
THE Spirit of the Lord is upon me.
because He anointed me to preach
good tidings to the poor: He hath sent
me to proclaim release to the cap
tives. and recovering Of sight to the
blind; to set at liberty them that are
bruised; to proclaim the accepta BILE.
year of the Lord"
| DR.. Winfree said in part:
This prophecy Elsa. 61:1) Jesus
distinctly and openly applies to Him
self. claiming that in Himself 1t Is full
filled. His personal ministry. the min
istry Of days of His flesh. moved along
these lines. And the history of His
Church Is the history OF activity and
4 progress and achievement In these
/ very same Fields. To the poor the
captives.' the blind the bruised'-to
these He has been sending through
His Church these twenty centuries the
blessed message of Gods goodwill,
and the Influences and agencies OF de-
liveranee from captivity, and blind
xlCSes II OIA III IlSlllS SAiiA "out0St AioiAi
h all the ills ano- losses which have come
into the world by sin. AS the Father
1 sent Him, so also He has been sending
4 His followers and friends to bear
His message and to perform the self
same sort of works which He Him
self performed.
4 Preachers have been severely criti-
cised and roundly denounced and BIT
terly condemned for their activity in
the present Statewide prohibition CAM
pajgn. This, of course, is no new
thing. Since the days of Paul and
Jesus we have been accused of med
ding and even of turning the world
upside down. But, even yet, it may
be, some of the very elect are in
doubt as to whether the pulpit should
have anything to say about politics,
whether, indeed, preachers should
essay to discuss prohibition.
1T should be borne in mind that
this -question-this prohibition issue
has been brought forward by the
pulpit. The churches and the pulpit
/ have created 1t, and forced 1t upon
the attention Of the people. To be
sure, some of the sciences. and husi-
ness, and craftsmanship have added
their voices--have Joined in--have
taken the matter up; but the church
and the pulpit brought 1t forward,
| lead in pressing 1t home upon the
/ hearts and consciences of the peo-
ple The pulpit and the churches
| have created the sentiment, proclaim
ed the views, held up the standards.
and formed the convictions which
have headed up in the issue now
before us. Surely we cannot at this
iuncture forsake our own cause! 1t
4 could not be expected nor required
| that We now abandon the position to
which we have all along been calling
| Local prohibition. Statewide prohi-
bitien. nationwide prohibition AMI
worldwide prohibition are all wrap
ped up In the Golden Rule and In the
Two Great Commandments. And
there can be no full. complete. faith :
full proclamation or teaching of the
| gospel without open advocacy OF them
open contention that each and all
OF them are to be secured as rapidly
as possible.
1T should be remembered. too, that
the traffic in intoxicating beverages
antagonizes absolutely all of the WORK
of the church and OF the pulpit, So
/ far as 1t can, whenever and wher.
| ever 1t can, this traffic neutraiiZes alb
solutely all OF the efforts and labors
| and plans OF the pulpit and the
church There is no interest, tenn
poral or eternal. for which the pull
Dit stands--to the promotion Of which
| the church and pulpit are commit
/ ted-which this 'business'-this traf-
| fic--does not imperil, and destroy To
/ the utmost reach Of its opportunity.
Marriage. and the home. and tho