Church Action on Temperance [pp. 595-632]

on Temperance.
of God out of its plain and obvious meaning, as it has been
and still is understood by the great body of Christian believers,
will prove worse than abortive. They must react against any
cause, so far as it employs them, by setting them against God's
everlasting truth. We are having sad experience of this now.
We believe that a principal reason why so many temperance
organizations have enlisted the small co-operation of which they
complain, is the unscriptural footing of the "new departure"
that has been adopted. We believe that the great reason why
vast numbers who signed pledges of abstinence twenty years
ago, and have since gone to drinking, has been that they find
that the reasons as to the intrinsic sin of drinking any alcoholic
beverage, then urged upon them as the conclusive reason for
signing such pledges, are not sustained by the Word of God.
2. The system of uncharitable and calumnious attack upon
those who cannot accept the doctrine that the wines of Scripture are not intoxicating, and of attempting to overawe them
by misrepresenting, perverting, and then vilifying them and
their sentiments must cease, or it will react terribly against
any agency which adopts it.
3. The vast extent, evils, and woes of intemperance, together
with the special causes which in present circumstances render
total abstinence from intoxicating beverages an important and
necessary means of arresting it, must be set forth and urged
upon all as a ground for such abstinence, to which the impulses
of a Christian love should constrain themn. We should strive
to show them that such an exercise of Christian liberty is expedient for the edification of their brethren and the welfare of
the people.
4. Let datue diligence be given to enforce all existing laws in
restraint of drunkenness, drinking, and vending such liquors.
If few States have prohibitory laws, or having them are able to
enforce them, there are few that have not laws prohibiting the
selling of intoxicating liquors to minors and drunkards, or to
any without license. The simple enforcement of these laws
would often exert a powerful influence for good. So also of laws
against the sale of adulterated liquors. When needful laws
are wanting, let them be sought and provided. Few States
would refuse some legislation in restraint or prohibition of the
1871.]:
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