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'^ -it ■ » I COURSE OF LECTURES Olt ABSOLUTE ABSTINENCE; OOKTAmiNQ A REFUTATION OF THE OOCiftlMES OF THE TEMl>ERANCE SOCIEtY, • ADVANCED tH THB TEMPERANCE VOLUME: DELIVBRRO BEFORE MliS CONGREGATIOA IN OAKyiI. j»-»,..»«f, j»^#«.,*^.^Sw"««-»*S*»»*»(j****j.»'*^'frf''''i.t''Srf»"*«'^*»rf"* 'v^»'?>..***''i.«*'"' W"-t-i''*'i.:' \ 3\ COURSE OF LECTURES ON ABSOLUTE ABSTINENCE; rONTAININO A REFUTATION OF THE DOCTRINES OF THE TEMPERANCE SOCIETY, ADVANCED IN THE TEMPERANCE VOLUME DELIVERED BEFORE HIS CONGREGATION IN OAKVItLE, U. C BY THE REV. ROBERT MURRAY, PRESBYTERIAN MINISTER, IN CONNECTION WITH THE CHURCH OF SCOTIiAND. " In vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the comm»ndments ot men." — Matthew, xv. 9. " But they shall proceed no further: for their folly shall be manifest unto all men."— 2d Timothy, hi. 9. TORONTO : PRINTED AT THE BRITISH COLONIST OFFICE. 1839. RESOLUTIONS rAS'iEO AT A MEETINO OF THE RRVEHEVD IIOBERT MtmHAl's CONOnEOATION. 1^ At u Moeling of ll.o Uovorend Robert Murray's Congrcgaiion, held at OaUvillc, on the lOth day of February, 1839, Mr. Andrew Wilson. Junior, m the Chair, it was Moved by Dr. Maci-herson, seconded by Mr. Amott, .ind unanimously carried : Resolved t. That this congregation consider the publication of the course of Lectures on Temporanco Societies and Doctrines, which has just been concluded by the Reverend Mr. Murray, would ho of gcne.-al pubhc buiiefit. Moved by Dr. Richardson, seconded by Mr. Edward Sanderson, and unanimously carried : Rnsolved 2. That the publication of Mr. Murray's Lectures on Temperance Societies, is rendered absolutely necessary in order to confute, and put to silence, tho numerous calumnies and false statements which have been most industriously cii-culated in certain quarters, regarding their scope and tendency, and in order to shew that their real tendency is in the highest degree moral, and correct, and conducive to the best interests of chnstiamty. Moved by Mr. Urquhart, seconded by Mr. Hopkirk, and unanimously carried : Rcscavcd 3. That a Committee be ap))ointed to prepare a letter to the Reverend Mr. Murray, in accordance with the foregoing resolutions, and to wait on him with the same, requesting him to permit the publication of these Lectures, and, in the event of his complying with such request, to enter into such arrangements and take such stops for obtaining their publication as they may deem expedient. Moved by Mr. Tassic, seconded by Captain McCorquodale, ami unanimously carried : Resolved 4. That the following persons do compose said Committoe, vi/— Dr. Mcl'herson, Mr. Arnolt, Dr. Richardson, xMr. Edward Anderson, Mr. Urquhart, Mr. Hopkirk, Mr, T^.s/.c, and Mr. Cameron. Anuiiew Wilson, Junior, Chairman, w ] L E T T E II . TO THE REVEREND ROBERT MURRAY. R£V£REND AND DEAR sm, After iho conclusion of your Lecture last evening, a meeting of the members of your congregation was hold, and a series of resolutions passed, a copy of which I beg to enclose, relative to the publication of the Lectures on the principles and doctrines of Temperance Societies, now concluded, in which Lectures you have so fully established the unscriptural foundation and tendency of these Societies, as at present constituted. As a general desire exists that these Lectures should be widely circulated, on account of the valuable information and scriptural instruction therein contained, I beg leave, as Chairman of the Committee appointed at th« Meetmg, to request .,hat, in terms of the above resolutions, you will have the kmdness to place these valuable Lectures in tho hands of the public, in order that they may judge of the correctness of the principles therein laid down and enforced, and of tho falsity of tho statements so industriously circulated relative to their tendency. You will please to observe, that, in terms of the third resolution, a Comm.ttee, of which I am Chairman, have been fully authorised to regulate all matters connected with the object now solicited, and, in the event of your consontmg to tho present application, which I hope you will do, I shall bo ready to meet with you, along with the Committee, at any time you may afterwards appoint, for the purpose of entering into the necessary details. I remain, with much esteem, Dear Sir, Yours, most respectfully. ^ , Andrew Wilson, Junior. Oakviilc, 1 1th February, 1839. ' 1 TO THE MANAGERS, ELDERS, AND MEMBERS, OF THE PRESBYTERIAN CONGREGATION IN OAKVILLE, TIIE rOLLOWINU a sa (9 ^ w m 51 © IN RIUUTATION OF THE DOCTRINES OF THE TEMPERANCE SOCIETY, AS AT PRESENT CONSTITUTED, Are, With the utmost respect and gratitude, Inscribed by their Most dutiful, devoted. Humble Servant, and AfTcctionatc Pastor, ROBERT MURRAY. wi 4*t P II K I' A ( ; ]■; . ,„ '" "'" 7' «°"'.'"''' "» " ""J <" »«lk.l. of tl.M Ia,„l „f bo..,.,, ,ib.„,, wriucn there with the i„.n.!r' ""'V''° "''' '""'' «' """«' Leclurcn ucto publicly. ru;Twa ae : : 'r ;"'""' '" '^''"''' ^"'' '•'■''^-"•^ ^'-" «-... a..a the wrni;- :: r- 1::;::?^:'''" """"^ ^-^^ " '^■ America, but also i„ Great linil doctrines; n„t only i„ Nor.h -"victio., that I coll neit "' ."' """ ""^ "'"'''' ''"' "- '« "'^' ..eop.e,..ertotheZ 1 :c:i^ n'Tr'^ [7 '''' '^""'"^ '" ""^ "^ peace. ' ""'" '"-"'' ^'"^""^ '^'' '^'<^ J»"S^-^ which .hrealencd l,.-.- m ^ I'llEFACJE. UitJcr ilicHo iniiiic»*ion.«, I struggled long Imtwoon n scum' ol July anJ H dioail of Itriiigin;; upon my own licnd llio foiiconlint<>d inaliro ami rovillngt ol llio society ull ovoi llio world. Hut, li!«t inocraslinntion, nnil tlio Ifoi of man, which hringoth a •rnnro. shoul.l finally piovail agaieisi mo, I fixed their com- monccmont to the period when I should, in the courio of my evening Icciinv* llirough ihe gofpel of Mnllhow, finish thore pernicious in their tendency than the very evil which they are intended to remedy. I doubt not that there are at this moment many mourr.ing that a profess«l ambassador for Christ should, in the temperate lan^uaqe of ike Temperance volume, thus lend his influence to desuoy, boih for time and eternity, unborn millions o( our race. I doubt not they are at this moment pre puri.ig to try the pivsumptuous olfend.., in their u.ual way, by holding h.m up to the vvifherin- ir.fl..K^nce of public odimn ; for they consuler membovshiu with them as absolutely necessary now, in order even to acquire anv rcspfctable status in society. But they may, if thev rh- K.se, save th.n.^clves of this trouble, for the of- fender holds that society ch.-ap indeed, where admission is granted only on such conditions. But let them persecute.lor the ofiVn.h-r also knows, that all who live godly in Christ Jesus must t^uflVi- p,Msrcution. Besides, it will she,/ to the world what spirit th.-v are of. 1 am aware the Society will brand me with the epithet of a canting hypocrite, lor pvejuming to try their beloved scheme by the test of Scripture. I am also aware manv able divines support the cause, yet still it does ap- pear to nu/uu scriptural ; and the only apology for clergymen giving their names to the temperance pledge appears to be, either that they have been forced into it by the almost resistless i '■ J I I I t^ tide of popular opinion, or that (hey have joined it unsuspicious of its tendency. But you will readily perceive that neither ot these are valid apologies, if the tendency of the Society is evil, for they are the watchmen on the walls of the spiritual Zion, and are bound to give the alarm when Zion's interests are in danger; they should therefore never be found sleeping at their post. Every merchant is aware that it would be perfect folly to send goods to a foreign market, and to attempt to pass them at the custom house there, while he knows that by the la^tsof the country they aie held contraband, and must be confiscated as soon as they arrive. Every lawyer knows that it is absolutely necessary for a judge to hear both sides of a case before he can in the decision,do justice between man and num. Every physi- cian is aware that there are many cases in which a cure can- not be etfecled, without takiiij,' into his calculation fiie rcirote as well as the pioximate cause of the disease. lOverv divine knows that the more opposition the truth meets wiih, the more glorious it appears. If, then, it shall appear that the members of this society are attempting to force men into heaven, contrary to the established and immutable laws of heaven, will not the merchant say that this is folly ? If it shall appear that this • Society have only laid one side of the case before the public, and that too very imperfectly, will not the lawyer say at once that the public cannot give a clear decision on its merits 1 If it is found that this Society have been attempting to cure a great moral disease, by attending to the proximate cause, without taking into account the remote cause, will not the phy- sician say that it is possible they may not only fiiil in effecting a cure, but even aggravate the disease ? II it is found that the efforts of this Society are founded on eternal truth, the isuspicious neither ot ety is evil, unl Zion, 3sts Gie in eeping at ct folly to js them at Mfaci the iscated as ibsolutely re he can ?ry physi- purc can- le rcirote TV divine the more is society y to the not the that this le public, f at once fits? If to cure e cause, the phy- effccting und that •uth, the word of God, will not the divine rej«»Cfi to have it fairly con- fronted with that standard ? But if it is found that this Society have been teachmg lor doctrines the commandments of men, let then, not hesitate to change their plan of attack against the common enemy. And if it is found that an extension of the principles of this Society would subvert all human society, and extirpate the human race will it not be considered a dangerous measure, and un- worthy o( further support 1 And if it is discovered that its most zealous advocates have either ignoranlly, or wiltuliy mis- represented the word of God to support the cause, will it still be considered necessary to upliold it at such an expense ? And if it is found that many of the arguments by which it is supported, are direct reflections against the character and con- duct of theSaviour,a«d if some of these arguments come with- in the sphere of blasphemy, will you still believe that there is no reason to stop and reflect, before pui^hing farther your fa- vorite scheme at such hazards ? And .ince it ap|)ears to me to involve all these consequences, may I not hope thatvou will suspend your judgment on my non-conformance, till I have stated my objections fully, and until they have been removed satisfactorily. My first objection to this Society, is that it is not correctly designated by the name of Temperance Society, (a)* At first sight ♦his may appear an objection of very little im- portance, but :* V not so. It is evident that the use of lan- guage is to convey ideas. But if we make use of language to convey ideas, contrary to what by common consent it leally does, then are we using language c'ishonestly. Let me ask you, then, where, amid all the volumes ever written in the English language, previous to the organization • See Appendix. > :• I ! t ortheTeraperance SoeSSJr, do jou find (ho won! temperance ussd as sj-nonimous wirti absolute abstinence ? It never was so used. Why. then, was this society designated a temperance Society, and not at once an Absolute Abstinence Society ?_ l! T'" ," "iff "'"•""Sh intentionally concealed from the wotlu Had this society been properly named here could not have been found a single text in L whole in- spired volume to support its claims, without neivertinir i"s meaning The authors of this society „,„. have' Z7Z fa , ad therefore passed it upon the world under false colours. The name lempeiance was evidently adopted as a Ibil to de- The founders ol this society were perfectly aware that no man who wished to stand respected as a christian, could ""^ dea of bemg branded as intemperate, or as a drunkard. Th and enabled its advocates to use, or rather to ah i,.- m-inv texts of scripture in support of their .scheme. K„, ;; "e members of the temperance socieiv /„r .1 ' shall henceforward, for tl e ,rke „f h,' , !, '""°"'"''' '" ' _ I „„ ,h ; , .' ," "' ^"""^y- denominale them) s. y, tha 1 put the Absolutes to dc.fiaiiee. individually and collectively, to point out one single tevt nf . ■ , beginning of Genesis to the end , ^ v" ,li"' '""' "" nK 1 . L • 01 ii millions of dol- lars annually, and for preventing unborn millions from going down to hell ! There is no such authority in scripture lor absolute abstinence from intoxicating liquors, as this is, to ab- stain from the marriage union. O ! to what absurdities men will really allow themselves to run, when they study only the phrases in God's word, which make for their purpose, without any regard to their local signification? Notwithstanding these quotations, Paul encouraged marriages, and only discouraged ihem for a time, while the church was distracted with persecu- tions. The more we study our Bibles, the less liable are we to be imposed upon by the advocates of fanciful theories ; from whose tender mercies we have little to hope. Since God cre- ated man upon the face of the earth, there never was a more downright absurdity imposed upon, and supported by any en- lightened, and civilized people, than that of absolute abstinence from all intoxicating liquors. I shall now proceed to the examination of some of the principal arguments made use of by the absolutes, to support their favourite theory, which, by the way, often appears too heated and intemperate to redound much to their credit. Is there not such a thing as intemperance in the use of language, as well as in the use of alcoholic liquors ? If there is, can the absolutes plead innocent in this respect 1 1 presume 1 might challenge the world to produce any parallel in print, to the in- temperate ravings which have been published in support of this cause; and surely no good cause can ever require such sup- port. The arguments which I intend to refute shall be taken from the Temperanc -'olume, which I cannot help remark- ing is a strange book lu many respects; but in none more stri- kingly so, than in the intemperance of its language, and the decided preference which it gives to theory, over truth. Were I ,1 V i h 11 12 so that you may sec and uiidcrslatid to judge correctly of its merits. Many wlio have signed the temperance pledge, iimy not be fully aware of the spirit of tiic society with which they have connected themselves. 1 shall therefore quote their doctrines, from their' own acknowledged standards contained in the temperance volume, urd from no other authority, as any other might be considered spurious. For it would not, indeed, be dealing honestly with the society to make them responsible for every production of all their members. But the dilFerent writers, in this volume, have all had their works examined by the society, and approved of as canonical. This volume, therefore, may, with pro- priety, be called the Temperance Bible,and by its doctrines they must stand or fall. In Peter and John Hay, Temperance Bible, page 1 l,it is thus written," Your only safety is in total abstinence from all intoxicating drinks." This is certainly a plain prohibition of all liquors containing alcohol. Who- ever, then, has put his name to the t, r.p. ronce pledge, and uses alcoholic drink in any shape or qnrn' J';.; finning r-iaist this plain doctrine of the T. B. Tais Uoctrine is not men- tioned in one solitary instance only, but runs through the whole volume. In the Rewards of Drunkenness, p. 4, it is written, "separate yourself then utterly from this ensna- ring sin. Touch not, taste not, handle not. In entire ab- .'aiiience is your only safety. This persevered in, you shall • never fall. Wherever, and however, the temptation is presented, avoid it, turn from it, and pass away." This is evidently the same doctrine. But this last sentence is deserving of our notice in anolher point of view. In our Saviour's instructions to his seventy apostles, whom he sent before his face to preach the gospel in every city : Luke's mm,m»iw,^mr'^l f rrcctly of Igc, J. lay th which •ro quote standards no other >us. For B society all their tie, have ipproved nth pro- loctrines jperanco ) in total lertainly Who- go, and ;j:,Mi,ast ot men- igh the p. 4, it s cnsna- tire ab- ou shall • ition is ' This 'ence is In our he sent Luke's IS Gospel, X. 5, «, 7, 8, lie says, *' And into whatsoever house ye enter, first say, Peace be to this house. And if the son of peace be there, your peace shall rest upon it, if not, it shall return to you again. And in the same house remain eating and drinking such things as they give. And into whatsoever city ye en'er, and they receive you, eat such things as thoy set before you." Now, I leave you to judge, if any two commandments car possibly be more di- rectly opposed than these two. We cannot be christians, if we do not obey the commandments of Christ, and we cannot belong to the Absolutes, without conforming to their rules, and as it is a moral impossibility to do both, it remains with you to choose which you will obey, God, or man. In the Well Conducted Farm, p. 3, it is written, " My Maker does not require of me any more than I can do with- out rum, for he used no ardent spirits himself, and I shall require no more of them." I shall make one remark on this passage in passing, namely, is not alcohol ardent spirit ? and did Christ not use alcohol 1 He used wine without any scruple ; and many kinds of wine contain half as much ah cohol as proof spirits do— it is, therefore, evident that the Saviour did use alcohol, or ardent spirits. Either the Holy Bible, or the T. B. is teaching falsehoods— which of the two is wrong, I leave to your own decision. In the T. B. Effects of Ardent Spirits, page 18, it is written, " And there is no other way given, under Heaven, whereby men can be saved from the vice of intemperance, but that of total abstinence." You sec this is still the same doctrine. You must also observe that there is here an unwarrantable liberty taken with one of the most solemn passages in scripture. The sentence was intended by the ^1 Hi if I fC ku.' I I 1 # n 14 AF^slle to exalt the character of the Ke.Iecmor, but it h here a d.rec, rellecion upon, his character, some hin^lre than an ,nsmuatio„ that he loft no proper precep, ,o Zrd men agamst the ,i„ of .Ira.kenncss. My f'ien 1 ' Z fs^ot drawtng an ,„ference,for it follows as a natural co^se. uence or corolary, fro,„ the statement here made. An:l Xthe; Z: 'l ''■^ho„0"nn, the Savour, I leave you to ju I God did all our other enjoyments, telling us at the same ,ime .f we become drunkar.ls, he woul.i banish us for ever from hs presence. And is this not sufficient to defer eZchZ •lan from the vice of intemperance. In rhe T n ^ . to American Vn,„!. •. ■ '^^'""^- "> '"e ■!• B. Appea American i;outli, jt is written in pace 7 " A .Im- ,• smoe the infection h,,' i,„ , '^ ° ' '""" '""'■ "^™''° "»ti become almost universal hmr^i to the honour of beinff God's servrntc i . •* ""^ ^'^'"^ recly opposite to the commandments of Christ But rhr." has said, John xiv. 15, 81 34 " if ^„ , 7't,hrist commanlments. He thl ' hi ^ """' '"'"^ ""^ "ee^h them, he it L tt 1 hi ''^U^TrV"' not, keepeth not my sayincs " And T.K "" ""^ myfrie«ds,ifyed„^h'arert"ci:tnryo"''T:.r does so Vn„ h "^''\'^^'''^ ^^ ^^P^^'ns the reason why he ~.t!L"tiirir:r^rr^;r^^'^^^^^ servants of God ? ^'od~are they then f hr , but it is thing more f to guard 'his is not 'sequence, I whether I'ge. God on, as he imc time, ver from ?ry chris- • Appeal liort time )ut Gor], biish the ••" You ut there . The Y claim s, as if ve seen are di- : Christ ep my fs and eth me iTe are In this ris, for hy he recfly in fhe 15 InT B Putnam and the Woir, or Monster Destroyed, page 14, it is written, " He only that entirely abstains is temperate." The same doctrine is taught here also. But we have here something of more importance. We have a key to explain many of the dark sayings of the absolutes. Nothing is more common than to hear the members of this sect saying, coolly and deliberately, that such and' such another man or woman is not temperate. But intemperance in their acceptation is no disgrace, and no sin, although they do not mean it so. No christian would bear to hear an m- fidel branding the Lord Jesus Christ as intemperate, and consequently immoral. But you can not surely bear with more patience to hear a Rev. Gentleman say so. If there is any meaning in language, the sentence last quoted, in- cludes all the Patriarchs, Prophets, and Apostles, in the list of the intemperate ami immoral, with him who is in the scriptures denominated the Lord God of the holy Prophets at their head, for none of all these entirely abstained from alcoholic liquors. C an you lend the influence of your name, or having lent it already through ignorance, will you allow it to continue to prop up such a heresy as this, that the Lord Jesus Christ was an intemperate and immoral man. In T. B. Scripture Arguments for Temperance, it is written, page 5, " All agree that total abstinence is the only hope of the drunkard. But is it not preposterous to expect him to abstain if he see the Minister, the Elder, the Dea- con, and other respectable men indulging their cups." The Rev. author of this tr^3atise, you perceive, teaches the same doctrine of absolute abstinence. But let us look at the ten- dency of his arguments. Suppose Ministers, Elders, and Deacons, should give up their cups, in order to set a good example (o some worthless character in the circle of their M 16 influence, is it probable to. he would follow their e.amDlo o. ills 1,0^ ,„ va,„ ,s It not preposterous to expect him to give up this abominable practice, while he hears the m" i frequently ; m order to reclaim him, therefore, they mu ° give upusingthatholynamealtogether. Another maiimay be an extortioner ; and is it not preposterous to expr.Th« he w, 1 abandon this vice, so long as he sees the Ester inviet:n;tr„:t':txti:h'r--^ it must be obvious tovou aU Th ^ accomplish , , y" ■"'• There appears, when rMrtinn. .his volume, to be something like a wan. of ded^n amonf ■t. writers. Some prohibi. all intoxicating drink and others^ e would appear only prohibit ardent spirits R, ," , t ,' « the great enemy they all wish .o b^; ft , '"''"' ^yremarks.oalell aLe, antthru^ 'e ettST toxication. This is also the view now cenerallv t.l.o„ a acted upon by .he absolutes, and vvitho^ fl; :„:"„ be consistent For with what reason could any manure his poor neighbour to lay aside his spirits and water whl he himself IS using a like or oven a greater quaiX rfl,^' meed" Z ^T "'hT' "' "''"' " "«-■ - P-' - o^ meed, &c. The absolutes have compassed sea and land to make proselytes to their doctrines; so also did the Phar^e : to make proselytes ,o .he traditions of, he elders; lit did •sXth^oitto^^-'ri; '^"'■""'^ -'^ ^^ ^' ^at they made them .e;!}:rnrh;iZ^frS # example. the name ct him to ho Minis- ■ name so ley must man may )ect that Minister, httle in- iety has omplish reading- among others, alcohol -onfine sguise, ice in- sn and "annot I urge while ' alco- 3r, or nd to 'isces It did r the ssly, than 17 themselves. The only text found in the whole inspired volume which affords any countenance whatever to the absolutes, and which is continually in their mouths, is m Romans, xiv. 21, which says, "It is good neither to eat flesh nor to drink wine, nor anything whereby thy brother stumbleth or is made weak." It appears scarcely possible that any man, even of ordinary capacity, can read the chapter of which this verse forms a part, and for one mo- ment believe that it gives any countenance whatever to the scheme of the absolutes. On the contrary, it is a direct . and positive condemnation of their favourite scheme. In the second epistle of Peter, iii, IG, he says, " In Paul's epistles are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction." In Rome, at the time Paul wrote this epistle, there were people from all nations of the world, many of whom must have retained their natural prejudices against particular kinds of food. It is evident from this chapter, as well as from other places of the New Testament, that christians were not restricted to the use of an^ particular kind of food ; for the apostle here says, "Onebelieveththathe may eat all things, another who'is weak, eateth herbs. Let not him ^hat eateth des- pise him that eateth not ; and let not him that eateth not judge him that eatelh ; for God hath received him. I know, and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus, that there is nothing unclean of itself. All things indeed are pure, but it is evil for that man who eateth with offence." Now, is it at all surprising, that the christian liberty, of eating all kinds of food, should have given offence to some of the converts to Christianity. It is well known to every one, at all ac- quainted with the onrly history of the church, that chris- tians, of every rank in soricty. live:! in habits of the most u % if I ) , I i IS ■niimate and social iiKeicourse. Men of all nati^s who previous to their conversion, had belonged to all the varvinj shades of idol worship and Gentile superstition, mot under the same roof, and sat down to the same repast. It is not therefore any matter of surprise, that many of them should re^am ,he,r special prejudices against particular kinds of food, even after their conversion to Christianity. Thus for at once behove, that he might with impunity eat swine's flesh, whtch from his infancy he had been taught to look up! on as an unclean thing. The Egyptian, on .ho other hanS cat the flesh of sheep, the use of which he had been taught to look upon as an abomination. Many of the Roman c, £„ on the contrary, were in the habit of using those thim,^ w hout any scruple of conscience. Now, when m n u f * mfluence of these and similar early prejudices, camet ZTouL "' '"'' '° '~'' •'P°n«''<=hother as mem- bers of the same society, it is not surprising, that while some were catmg, what others held as unclean^ unea^tZs on .his subject should have existed in the chu»h. To hafc continued to outrage the feelings of new converts .ocliris^ am^ by insulting all their preconceived opinions regardh I meats, must have deterred many from becoming membe aiid thus have retarded the progress of .he gfspel tTJ r.t 'Zc^T" "' '"^ """^""'^ argum'ent amoun; .0 this, .hat Christians were not to judge one another re- garding meats. And although he himself had been taught were of 1 rf"^ ^^ '"^"'""' " "P^" "'"^o who r ' of the same faith, that they should not wound the fc .ngsofnew converts whose fai.h was still wea by „ ""°"'"' '" "•^'■- 1*—. ■'" the use of those mea, l' ". T M 19 in their unconvevted state they had held as unlawful and from the power of early association, st.ll regarded as un- clean. The apostle, like a faithful servant, labours o remove every obstacle in the way of securing converts to chHstianity. He stood in the door of the church, and proclaimed a hearty welcome to all who believed m the Lord Jesus Christ, even although labouring under many errors in other matters,-for it is evident he considered their objections to using meats as an error, and a proof of the weakness of their faith. This appears quite opposite to the conduct of our modern absolutes. They stand in the door of the church, and say to all who would enter, unless you pledge yourselves to absolute abstinence from all intoxica- Lg drinks, you cannot enter here, depart you unclean. In vain do they plead their belief in Christ; in vam do they argue that stimulating drink is permitted in the Bible; in vJndo they plead that they consider the use of these thinc^s consistent with true Christianity; the door is still shut, nav^ermetically sealed against them, so long as they are TonWormists to this ne. test; this gigantic idol of man s Tation, at whose shrine they have sacrificed the word of God the interests of the church, and the honour of the Sa- viour Are they not aware that they are acting m direct contradiction to the spirit of that very passage of scripture upon which they build their authority 1 Are they no aware that thev are giving offence to many of the most devoted f :d most Lfre followers of the Lamb of God 1 Are they not aware that they are shutting up the kingdom of heaven against men, neither going in themselves, nor suffering them that are entering to go in] Are they not aware that all thi. mighty effort, by which they are turnnig the world upside down, might succeed even beyond the hopes of its most sanguine devotees, and yet not add one convert to the 20 ,„,„„ one soul to heaven'! UisWov „Mc THAT THE MANU- . thatthcT.B. plainly t-ches Havin, thus fa.-ho>.n that he 1^^^ ,^^^ the doetrine of absolute ''''*'*"'"""';„„ t„ ,vhat is there itU I shall -^t ''"•-;_,^Xy o nl"f-turing, dealing taught regavJing the """'"^"'y ° , ,, ,he strong hold of Cand using alcoholic h.,uors Th < ^^^ ^j,^,, he Society, and unless wo ta ^^^^^ ^^ .^ „ campment, there ,s no hope o^ J ^^^ ^,^„,„t„, , aisputed greu^l f - --*„^ J,,^. ,,,,„•,,. us, and rrrruS:: their Chains and slavery ajuvy; and I ">"f ';, "."J^^Lnt, lo -hat you may ho „lar attention to the '^'^^^; ^^i,,,^,,i„g\y on thts pomt prepared to give your deeisio.. ^^^^ ^^„,g „f Ih'-h appears awfully j;:;;; j ^hall now subjoin a religion and the .uteres s of socety^^^^ ^^^^^ ^^^^^ ^^j „, few .-tations^'r^^^^^^^^^ ,. ^„„^, ;, „,. i„„orahty, aoctrme, that the use oi aviolationofthcwillofOo.!. Sr: 21 il'rafllc in Ardent Spirits," p. 1, it is said, " To use ardent spirits is an immorality; it is a violation of the will of God." '•Effects of Ardent Spirits," page 18, "The parent should no more suffer his children to drink a little than he does to lie a little, and to steal a little." " Appeal to American Youth on Temperance," page 4, " If while under conviction, a person allows himself to sip a little, he is sure to grieve away the Spirit of God. For unless heaven and hell can work together, God cannot consistently send his Spirit to co-operate with the spirit which Satan employs more than any other agent, m fittmg men for his service and kingdom; for what communion hath light with darkness 1 and what concord hath Christ with BeliaU and how can two walk together except they be agreed 1 if then ye know these things, and desire salvation, O beware of sinning against the Holy Ghost." " Alarm to Distillers," page 6, "If endless exclusion from heaven is the drunkard's doom, can he be held guilt- less who deliberately prepared for him, and perhaps placed in his hand, the cup of death and damnation 1 Wilfully persevering to furnish the sure means of death, you carry to the judgment the murderer's character, as clearly as the midnight assassin." Page 7, " It seems hardly needful to say that the foregoing considerations are all strictly appli- cable to such as furnish the materials for the distiller. Page 8, " Nor is the crime of the retailer of ardent spirits essen- tially different. Indeed, the retailer, the distiller, and he who furnishes the materials, must be looked upon as forming a triple league^ dangerous alike to private and social hap- piness, and to the very liberties of the nation.'' J,- - 22 $f H m matters too far; but dcpcnu uy ^ ^^^ ^^ ^^^^^^ ^^^^j of debased appetite ''»~^'- ^^ ,„„,eience, and the meets no support m the B.ble or^^^^ ^^^^^^^ ^^ traffic meets none, ^^^ \' ., will you do it longer^ cruel kingdomof darkness and dcaU,.^ y ^^^ ^^^^ ^^^^ ShaUconscieneebenve^by hec^^.^^^ ^^ bears you be eursed^ the young eonviction at childrcnr' ..Arguments against A*"' ^P^.^^^^^^^^^^^^ can it be that a real f '^'-/St; g „trll use 1 When in ,he manufactory of ="^'1<="' I" '^^^^ ^ man's path on I think of the light that -^."^^".HeU^ors of Intern- this subject «o clearly, and to^h°w ^^^^^^^ ^ ^^^, perance must flash m h,s face at every 1^^ ^^^^^ ^ ^ disposed indignantW '"^J ^g j^, ^^rc not kno«n till christian." Page ^'^','" ;„ord, therefore, is said m many centuries after Chnst "»* » T p ' 34, "Whether it the Bible concerning ardent spm^s J g.^ ^^_^ ^_^_^j^^, be lawful or unlawful certain It. s^tha ^^^^ ^^^ drunkards into «'--'%7Jf J „o drunkard shall inherit express tesumony of the B b^ tot^n ^^^^ ^^ the kingdom ol God. As the c ^j_^ ^^.j^j manufacturers of ='f "' ^P"'^, "^ e'soU to hell every States) the means of sending live nun week." r . 2S t^rom the passages here quolod, we would be almost disposed to think that the absolutes had changed their ground, and that the war was now only with ardent spirits. But let us not be led away with names, for we have already seen that they positively prohibit all intoxicating liquors - The quarrel, then, is with Alcohol, for this is the intoxica- ting part of ardent spirits. The other constituent part is ^vater, which the absolutes have not yet prohibited. This premised, I now proceed to prove that the use of alcoholic liquors is neither an immorality, nor a violation of the will of God; and if the use of alcoholic liquors is not an immo- rality it follows as a natural consequence, that manufactu- ring and dealing in alcoholic liquors do not necessarily involve any immorality. The Bible is generally allowed, both by christians and infidels, to be the purest and best standard of morality which the world ever possessed,and as it is the word of God, from it only can we learn his will. We shall therefore be guided in our decisions by its plain dictates alone. In Heb. VII. 1, 2, Melcliisedek, king of Salem, is repre- sented as priest of the Most High God, also as King of righteousness and king of peace; but in Genesis xiv 17,18 19 we are told this same Melchisedek brought forth bread and mne to Abram, when he returned from the slaughter of the kings, and blessed him. Was the Kmg of "ghteous- ness and peace, and the Priest of the Most High God, guilty of an immorality in offering drink contaimng alcohol to Abram^ or did Abram, the friend of God, and the father of the faithful, commit an immorality, or a violation of the will of God, by partaking of such drinks These are questions for the absolutes to answer. Genesis xix. 3, we find that Lot made u feast to the angels sent to destroy Sodom,^ ani ti '■ 1 24 i tint Lot untcrluiiiea can it bo prove 1 thatt _^^^^ '"T ^^Lk he took thing is oviJont, 'f ^ ,, Jene.l by the angds h. „ento„t o the cUy be j; ^^^^ ^„„,. he ^e^-^^o ^^ ^nf h a"; "tedly, even to e-* H^^ ^^^„„ l„Gencs>s, »- «y,„ King Abin-'e* |J»^ '» J'.;^^^. :: *;y t doi«g •« l- ^ "; - ; :^ ^na fuU of days, on I have the conduct of Isaac, when ,,^^j j^^^^ we have in j^.^^ ^„„^ ,„ these the occasion ot wessu b ^ ^f „y gon s M i^lnff it near to mo, and 1 «" j, „„ar to wine. 11 n^ " , or stealing a ii"»^ i.;tonthis tlLocaasion, -""J^ „^\' ,,essing^ '"«""■ "rfZ give plenty ofittoh.^ on - ^^^^,,^ ,„„vnagc,ana (."« ?oadthatl.abann,a.V...fe.'. or ne jOt )ok sed cof gels risis. Or , an(^ 7,8 1 lid of icnds, immo- ^crscs, lys, on d Isaac venison near to c drank, and kiss ; and he and said, vhich the c dew of • corn and ility— if i^ it grieves W it on this /ith God to [1. XXIX. vvc ;c, and from I 25 the setiuel, it appears that Jacob had been drinking freely, and vet we never read that it was charged against him as an im- morality or a violation of the will of God. In Gen. xlui. 34, ^vo are told that Joseph's brethren drank, and were merry with him (or as thcllebrcw word signifies, ihey drank largely with him,) But who will say that Joseph, the temporal saviour of his father's house, and of Egypt, was guilty ot an immorality in giving his brethren alcoholic drink at this time or that they were violating the will of God by partak- ing of such drink. Did not the heads of all the tribes of Israel drink largely, and make merry together at this time] Is there an absolute among the thousands who have signed the temperance pledge, who will say that they disapprove of the conduct of the sons of Jacob thus making merry together on this occasion. If there is such au one among them, he may be respected for his consistency,but he cannot be prais- ed for his hospitality. Gen. xlix. 10, 11, 12, Jacob, in his last benediction to his family, and prophetic predictions regarding their worldly dignity, says of Judah, "The scep- tre shall not depart from Judah until Shiloh come, and unto him shall the gathering of the people be. Binding his foal unto the vine, and his asses' colt unto the choice vine, he washed his garments in wine, and his clothes in the blood of grapes; his eye shall be red with wine, and his teeth white with milk." Now if the use of alcoholic drink is an immo- rality, or a violation of the will of God, would the Holy Spirit of prophesy, speaking in the patriarch, have repre- sented the abundance thereof as a blessing of such magni- tude as to have connected it with the promise of the Saviour] In Exodus XII. 14, we find the feast of the passover appointed by an ordinance for ever; and in the xxiii. 14, 15, 16 verses, we find also the feasts of harvest and ingath- ering appointed; and in the xxxiv. 22, 23, this appointment E . I- 20 is conr.imcJ in tl.es<; w"^^. ' ^ ,,„,,e,t, ..,..1 the lea» :f week,, oitho first ■■- r; j"-^„riee in th. yeur »hu« „r ingathering uttho V"" '■;™ ,.^,.„ „,c LordGoJ. the God all your men '*"J^^'" ">''"''; „" be saW, ""at i" theso „n.rael." But, F'haps " -^^ ,,„„ot. on the feasts no alcohol was uscJ- C"'»' f ^„„ „„„ent that ,,Hncip.o of the f -'"XX ' oget lor, thrice every year, Ud would thus have Mlu,tdtofc ^^^^^^.^^_ ^^^ „,, the whole of his people, to comu.. ^^^ g^„|,. hiUoiy will i" '- :->;r;:o::;eronlI "- ^^-^ '"^r luros say on this subjee 1 I" ^ ^,. ^^ ,„, .^sc cast verses, inclusive, ^-c f'"-l '^^ J^ ., ^.^^^ ,haU trul, Uthe all explained in •'»= f""""""" "°tc field bringeth forth year by the increase of thy ''=»'>• *"„! Lord thy God in the plac. yea. ; and thou shalt eat l-e^:; *;^^; ^ J., .be tithe of thy Ihieh he shall choo. o pta^e n «t^^ ^_^^^, _^^ ^^.^^^ ,, corn, of thy «i««. ""-l "' """J; °"' ,„„„ to fear the Lord thy and o. thy .locks, that thou maycst earn ^^^ ^^^^._ ^ „,^ God alway. And ,f 'he ■■ -y^y » S_^^ ,^ ,„„ far from thou art not able to »"y ''• " ''jVoose to set his name thee which the f'Vi' God hi blessed thee, then shat there, when the Lo"» '"J ^"^ ^att. .^ , thou turn it into money, and bmd up ^^^^ g^, „ and Shalt go unto the place «h* ' j whatsoever thy choose ; and thou shalt bestow that money ^^._^_ ^^ f„,. .oul lusteth after, for o-"- -/-^^ ^^ desireth. and thou „r««g*«. or f^""^""^" ,; God, and thou shalt »h„ltcat there "efcre the Lord thy ^^^ ^^ ^,_^ ^^ „ reioice, thou and thine housel. Su J^.^^_ ^^ „^ „i„ „t alcoholic liquor is an .mmoralty, a ^^^ .^^^^^^^^,^ j,ho,ah God. this is a »'';«''8« P-^"''; „,e of that which is moral inconsistent with himself? s the _^ subsequent to-dav, to become immoral next year, 27 vcar ? I call upon the absolute, to ai»swer these. quc«lion;4 honestly, and without sophistry. God .s not -'-P- "^ ^j^^ their every motion, he hear, their every word he Unows iSlr/thought. ^^tthomnotthinUthattheya^ex. tending his cause while they arc thu. .nsult.ng hun to h.s very face. You arc aware, that under the law of Moses, not a lamb was ofrere,l, not a ram, nor n bulloek.nor a goat upon the a tar of the LorJ, but wh^t was accomiianlcd with wth a spccihcd nuantity ofa drink ollering,-»ot ofwater.ns we might suppose, if the doctrine of the absolutes was true, but of Strang wme. The passages relating to this are very numerous^ 1 shall there- fore mention only a few. Exodus, xx.x, 38, 10 11, ^ow this is that which thou Shalt offer upon the altar two lambs ot the lirst year day by day continually And with the one amb a tenth deal of Hour, mingled with the .our h part of an 1 m ol beaten oil, and the fourth part ot an bin of wine, (or a drink ofcing And the other lamb thou shall olVer at even, and Zlt do thereto according to the meat offering of the mornmg, and according to the drink offering thereof, for a sweet savour „„ offering made by fire unto the Lord." Numbers, xv. la- forms us, that in performing a vow or free-wdl offering, a lamb was to be accompanied with the fourth part of an lun o wine, a ram with the third part of an bin of wme, and a bullock with half an bin of wine. According to the nunaber thafye shall prepare, so shall ye do to every one according to their number. And from Numbers, xx.x, it appears tba eve.y ^"fiee had its meat offering of .flour and oil, and its drink offering of wine. This wine which was to accompany tlu= sacrifice, of the children of Israel, was a special provision made by God himself, for the use of the tribe of Lev,, who had «o inheritance among their brethren, but were to serve at the altar kl d8 In holy things. A small portion of the wine offering was poured out unto the Lord, and the remainder belonged to Levi. It is true, they were not permitted to drink wine when they went into the tabernacle of the congregation, as we find it recorded in Leviticus, x, 8, 9, 10, 11, but on all other occa- sions they were permitted to drink wine. Besides, the Israel- ites were specially commanded to take the Levites along with them to their feasts, f>nd even to make them merry, by the use of wine and strong drink. Novv, what shall we say to these things 1 Is the use of alcohol, which the holy God enjoined upon his people, and also commanded them to offer to him along with every sacrifice, really an immorality, and inconsit- ent with his holy will. God commanded all his people to drink and make merry, or rejoice in his presence— the parents and their children together— and was not God who gave this command, in a very peculiar sense, the Father of the Jewish people ? were they not his children ? But the absolutes say, " The parent should no more suffer his children to drink a little, than to lie a little, or to steal a little." I^ this not a re flec- tion against the parent of the Jewish nation 1 Had he been a man, would they not have quoted the Jews as a striking illus- tration ot the madness and folly of permitting the use of alco- holic liquor in religious services ] And would they not have represented the author of such a system as utterly execrable % Remember that christians worship the same God, and believe in 'the same Saviour, and are sanctified by the same spirit as the Jews worshipped, believed in, and were sanctified by. But this God com»"anded the Jews to eat and drink, and rejoice before him, that they might learn to fear him. The same God has commanded the use of alcoholic liquor, by all his people, when assembled at the table peculiarly his own, to celebrate the most solemn ordinance of the christian religion. What could be the Saviour's meaning, or where were his tender mer- f. m 29 cies when he appointed this holy ordinance, if the doctrine of theabsohites \s true? For they maintain that alcohol was invented by the devil, they say it is the spirit which Satan em- ploys : — " Appeal to American Youth on Temperance," page 4 " If while under conviction, a person allows himself to sip a little, he is sure to grieve away the Spirit of God. For unless heaven and hell can work together, God cannot consistently send his Spirit to co-operate with the spirit which Satan employs more ihan any other agent, m fittmg men for his service and kingdom; for what communion hath light with darkness] and what concord hath Christ with BeliaU and how can two walk together except they be agreed 1 if then ye know these things, and desire salvation, O beware of sinning against the Holy Ghost." 1 appeal to you as creatures endowed with reasoning fa- culties, if this sentence does not contain something more than an insinuation against the wisdom and goodness of that Bemg, who both appointed the rites and ceremonies under the law, and the sacraments under the gospel. Is it possible, that under the law and under the gospel too, God should have appomted the use of that m his Church, which is sure to grieve away his holy spirit from his people, and with which his holy spirit can not co-operate 1 Is it possible, that the Saviour, in whose benevolence and benificence the christian rests his hope, should thus have united his cause with the cause of darkness, and his kingdom with that of Belial, and left a commandment, which his followers cannot obey without sini.ing against the Holy Ghost. These are not subtile doctrines, which require the united power of logical and metaphysical reasoning to refute. They only require to be stated honestly, and they refute them- 30 ,„„„aed the Jews to use m ^^^^^^^ ^^J„„,, A„d is it .to permitted them '» -f "" ™f ^lians may use i- their „ot a legiUmate '="»'='""<"'• '^ „fVi„k as they ate eom- private intercourse .be -- ''f J //'"BuUhe drink com- Lnded to use in the.r H.g.ous d« .es_ « ,,,^ manded in these duties was alcohohchquor t ^^^^^.^ „ost natural and legU^ate 'n ^ence the u V„„or B sanctioned a-nS — ^jj^^^^p, , p,o„,,that But the absolutes assert, for tbcy do ^_^^^ ^^^^ both the wine and strong drmUm-e-^^^^^^^^ ,ery little intoxicatmg. Th,s assert o „ ^^^ ^^.^^^ fo/we find in Numbers. -'" 'J^^'^^^'J; „,„erta,ncd by the ollerins was stror.g wme ; and it n. Masses of strong most accurate chemieal exper.ments tha^^wo S ^ wine contain as much alcohol - ";/;f„ "J.^^ ^Je eon- The strong drink 'herefore an ong the J "s ^^^_^ ^.^^ tained a still higher percentage of alcohol , say that it was little intoxicatmg. ..e want of observance oHheM^--^^^^^^^^^ visited with awful curses. Ttee ^ ^^^^ xxvn, ch. of Deuteronomy, a few ot ^^ ^^^ •"^ nCirtrorriTS *: with^ a cousump. 22 verse it b said the uo . „^„af,on, and with ex- tion, and with a fever a»d wjth an ,^^^, ^,„j „•,., treme burning, and with the sword, ana „,ldew, and they shall pursuet^^^^^ 28, "And the L"'^'' shall smite hee w. ^^^^^^ ^^^^^^ c l- It ik at 31 but tliou Shalt not enjoy them ; for they shall ro into cajnivi- ty." Verses 53 to 57 inclusive, « And thou shalt eat the fruit of thine own body, the flesh of thy sons and thy daughters. So that the man who is tender among you and very delicate, his eye shall be evil toward his brother, and towards the wife of his bosom, and towards the remnant of his childien, which he shall leave : so that he will not give to any of them of the fiesh of his children, whom he shall eat. The tender and delicate woman among you who would not adventure to set the soal of her foot upon the ground, for delicateness and tenderness, her eye shall be evil towards the husband of her bosom, and towards her son, and towards her daughter, and towards her young one, and towaids her child which she shall bear, for she shall eat them for want of all things, secretly in the seige and straitness wherewith thine enemy shall distress thee in the gates." These are but a few of the terrible judgments threatened against the Jews for dis- obedience to the commandments, and ordinances of the Lord, and all who know the history of that people, know that they were carried into effect even to the veiy letter. But it is true these curses were not pronounced against the Jews, for the viol?tioa of the law respecting the use of wine only. It is also true that the ceremonial law is now abrogated. But if we look into the xxvi ch. of Deuteronomy, it will appear that the observation of the several feasts instituted by the Lord, was o-uarded with peculiar care, and therefore the want of atten- tion to them must be visited with the severest judgments. The curses which 1 have quoted above, appear to have been more immediately connected with those stated feasts, which also ap- pears to be particularly noticed by the prophets. I cannot help remarking again in this place, that if the use of alcoholic liquor was not immoral under the law, it cannot be immoral under the gospel, unless it can be shown that it was specially I mlu-ht we consider the use ot forbidden. With eq-» /^^^^ t^^ under the law and in animal tood immoral, lor it too w the Jewish sacrinces. MO.S . K. sons -raed^:,rr;rnel ...; ,3 and 14 verses, when P™''"=.^°''„„ ' i^ pl.oe, of the -^••■'^''t""-u::?:u"::-se:freS.':ndhen.aae earth, that he might eat the mere ^^ ^^ ^^^ ^.^^^ him to suck honey out of *e .0* «' ,_^, ^f ,„„b,, „ck. Butter of kine, »"<> "ulk of *ecp, w ^.^^ ^^^^ ^^^ ^^ and rams of the breed B-h^^^ ^^^^ f , '^ Wo,^ „f *= kUnejs of «•>"•• -^f- tired wine as one of the the Grape." Had Moses not _^^ ,„„fullj., and blessings of providence ;«b^^^^^^^^^^^^ „e here euume- as innocently as any of the other gu , ^^^ ^^ ,ated, he would not have — ^''^J *Jdered b, Mose, of alcoholic Bll of God. If we ao ^_ ,g_ ^^ ^^^ ,t believe the scripture^ '"/j brought the ark of the Lord to recorded that when Dav^ rnTe^U among all the people, Zion, the very same day, He ^^^^ ^_^^ ^^^ e.e„ -ng'he ;hole '^^^^ olbread, andagood women as the men, to y ^^ considered r:s:S;:;::^cl;^:l.— nty.oravioia..n.^ 83 will of God, what an awful conclusion did he here make, to the solemn services of that ever memorable ^ay. Nehemiah was governor in Jerusalem during part of the time in which the second Temple was in building.and was es- teemed a lenient and abstemious governor. But in the v. 18, of his book he writes, "Now that which was prepared for me daily was one ox and six choice sheep, also fowls were prepared for me, and once in ten days, store of all sorts of wine." If Nehemiah had lived among us at this day, would not the ab- solutes have called him an intemperate man, for using such quantities of alcoholic drink ? And when he died would they not have enroled him among the five hundred intemperate -whom they consign to hell every week? It was well for Nehemiah that his place was fixed, before the absolutes usurp- ed the judgment seat. Again in the viii. 12, we find, that after Nehemiah had forbidden the people to weep, when they had heard the law, and were convinced of their sins, that he sent them home to feast and rejoice. « And all the people went their way to eat and drink, and to send portions, and to make great mirth, because they had understood the words that were declared unto them." Is not this what the absolutes call drowning conviction at the bottle 1 For (say they) unless heaven and hell can work together, God cannot consistently send his Spirit to co-operate with alcohol. What an awful reprobate in the estimation of the absolutes must Nehemiah appear, who thus, by one awful mandate, drowned conviction in a whole nation. But this is not all that Nehemiah did, for he tells us in the xii. 11,12, 13, 14, verses, - Then contend- ed I with the rulers, and said, why is the house of God forsak- en ; and I leathered the Levites together, and set them in their place. Then brought all Judah, the tithe of the corn and the new wine, and the oil, unto the treasuries. And I made , i *. n 34 treasurers over the treasuries — r : "Ir oflice was to di'*' tribute unto their brethren." Wha ^vvful regardless man must Neheraiah have been, if the doctrine of the absolutes is true, not only to bring alcoholic liquor into the very house of the Lord, but also to bring in the priests, the Lord's minis- ters to drink it there. But what does Nehemiah say in the very next verse: "remember me, O ray God, concerning this, and wipe not out my good deeds that I have done, for the house of my God and for the offices thereof." This prayer was either a solemn mockery on the part of Nehen)iah, or he did not believe that the use of alcohol was an immorality. Nehemi- ah's conduct altogether appears directly contrary to the stand- ards of the absolutes, still it would be presumptuous in you to doubt even, that the absolutes are not correct. For in a pass- age which has already been quoted it is said, " Wo to that man who at this crisis, shall knowingly encourage the exciting cause of such evils, (that is to say alcohol,) I see for him the wine of the wrath of God poured out without mixture, into the cup of his indignation", &c. This is not jesting. It is given as the prophetic vision of his reverence. But where he has found that it was applicable to the cause of the absolutes, I know not. In Revelation, xiv. 10, we find the same lan- guage applied expressly to the worshipers of the beast and his image, and unless this scripture is misapplied, then alcohol is the beast mentioned in the revelation, which appears alto gether a new idea. Such a use of scripture is a melancholy proof of the want of that reverence which is due to the sacred oracles. By such a perversion of scripture even drunken- ness can be vindicated as a duty commanded by the Lord God of Israel. For it is said in Jeremiah, xv. 27, 28, " Thus saith the Lord of Hosts, the God of Israel ; drink ye and be drunken, and spue, and fall, and rise no more. And it shall be if they refuse to take the cup at thine hand to drink, then S5 shall thou say unto them ; thus snith the Lord of hosts : ye shall certainly drink." I ask the absolutes if they would con- sider it fair dealing with scripture, if any man should bring forward this scripture as an argument or an apology for drunkenness. Certainly it has no such meaning, but the very reverse, taken in its proper connection, but taken without any regard to its connection, it is nothing less than a positive com- mand to drunkenness. Every feeling in the christian bosom revolts at thus handling the word of God deceitfully. But as I shall have occasion in another lecture to direct your atten- tion more immediately to the way in which the absolutes handle the word of God, I shall not further anticipate the subject at present. In Psalm, civ. 14, 15, it is said, "God causeth the grass to grow for the cattle, and herb for the service of man, that he may bring forth food out of the earth ; and wine that maketh glad the heart of man, and oil to make his face to shine, and bread which strengtheneth man's heart." Wine is here direrMy ascribed to God as one of his creatures, given to man expressly for the purpose of making his heart glad. But the absolutes themselves cannot deny that it is the alcohol in the wine, which maketh the heart glad ; therefore, alcohol, without all controversy, is one of the good creatures of God, and given tor the express purpose of exhilarating our animal spirits. But this is often denied in the Temperance Bible. Scripture arguments for temperance. Page 11, it is written, "When men, in abuse of the divine bounty, have made this foul poison (viz. alcohol) to justify its use, and give it currency, they call it one of the ' creatures of God.' With as much propriety might they call gambling establishments, and murderous weapons his creatures, and thus encourage their general use. But how awful the impiety of thus ascrib- ing the worst of man's inventions, to the benevolent God." I cave you to judge whether or not this is according to the 36 Scripture last quoted It is there said, that wine is one of the divine blessings, it is here said, that alcohol, which is the very property in wine which maketh glad the heart of man, is one ot the worst of man's inventions. How these two declarations are to be reconciled 1 know not. In the appeal to American Youth, page 3, Solomon is represented as forbidding the use of wine. Let us see what h.s wntings say on this subject, that we may ascertain what credit IS to be placed on this assertion. In Proverbs. ,x. 1 to 6.nclus.ve, it is said, « Wisdom hath builded her house, she hath hewn out her seven pillars; she hath killed her beasts ; she ha h mingled her wine ; sh. hath also furnished her table she hath sent forth her maidens : she crieth upon the highes places of the city, whoso is simple let him turn in hither : as for him that wanteth understanding, she saith to him. con.e eat of my bread and drink of the wine which I have mingled.- Forsake the foolish, and live, and go in the way of undeLnd- •ng. Can any man read this passage and not be struck with the conduet of the absolutes, as being indirect opposition to that of W^dom, m every particular? She spreads her table prepares her wine, and sends out her maidens to ur^etrj ample and those who want understanding, to forsake the fool ish,and come and eat of her bread and dL of her wi e The absolutes send out their maidens also, into the highesIpLl „ the cty to cry, and use all their arts and influence o urn away those who a. following Wisdom's ad .ce a„d e^ suade them to eave her tahip Kn«„ i. ^ is an i™„oralU,, a vio,: i ^f ,hrXf GoT tT'I ^ " have tried ev^rv nr^ « i ^°°- ^^^ absolutes -ny of ,hc,„ have had .,. g„o., .nse .o re^isUh^t W i.i-»m,»mtt^mm- 37 tions aud their misrepresentations. It would be cruel in me were I to touch the same strings, nud cause them to vibrate in a different direction. No, I cannot act so unfeelingly to those whom I respect so sincerely. I only ask the ladies to reflect whether or not as members of the Temperance Societies, they can act the part of those whom wisdom sent out ; and,I know their own good sense will point out their duty, and th' c they will not be slow to discharge that duty. I am aware the absolutes will say, this passage from Proverbs is not to be taken in its literal sense, and that Wisdom's feast had no reference to wine, except in a metaphorical sense. But here there is no room for dispute, for the Saviour himself has explained it : Matthew's Gospel, xi. 18, 19, " John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say he hath a devil. The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, behold a man gluttonous, and a wine-bibber, a« friend of publicans and sinners: butWisdom is justified of her children." It is evident that the Saviour here refers to the passage which we have quoted from the Proverbs in vindica- tion of his conduct, and, therefore, may be understood in a literal sense. If you would read the eighth chapter of Proverbs, you would theresee that Wisdom was no mean personage, she was the companion of God from eternity, and his daily delight. In Ecclesiastes ii, 24, it is said, " There is nothing better for a man, than, that he should eat, and drink, and that he should make his soul enjoy good in his labour, this also I saw that it was from the hand of God." In the III, 12, 13, he confirms and strengthens the same opinion when he says, " I know that there is no good in them (that is, the labours of men) but for a man to rejoice, and do good in his life. And also, that every man should cat, and drink, and enjoy the good of all his labouris ; it is the gift of God." Had the absolutes not quoted from the jSI-- '■ ill I! 38 writings of Solomon we would almost liave believed that, they had never read them. Solomon certainly says, " wine is a mocker, and strong drink is raging, and whoso- ever is deceived thereby is not wise." But this is only cautioning against the abuse, and not prohibiting the use either of wine or strong drink, otherwise he never could have written what I have already quoted, without having been guilty of gross inconsistency. But there is still more in Solomon's writings on this subject, worthy of your notice. For it is said, Ecclesiastes V ch. 18, 10, " It is good and comely for one to eat, and to drink, and to enjoy the good of all his labours, that he taketh under the sun, all the days of his life which God giveth him, for it is his portion. And every man also to whom God hath given riches, and wealth, and hath given him power to eat thereof, and to take his portion, and to rejoice in his labour, this is the gift of God," viii ca. 15, " Then I commended mirth, because a man has no better thing under the sun, than to eat, and to drink, and to be merry, for that su W abide with him of his labour all the days of his life, which God giveth him under the sun."— IX ch. 7, " Go thy way, eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a merry heart, for God now accepteth thy works." After these quotations, can you really believe that the absolutes are dealing honestly with scripture when they quote Solomon as an authority to support the doctrine of absolute abstinence. This is certainly sinning against the clearest light. There is no trade under heaven more reprehensible than dishonest dealing with the word of God. It is vastly more contemptible, and degrading, and immoral, and contrary to the will of God, than either manufacturing, dealing in, or moderately using alcoholic liquors. The 39 311 devil himseir (luoted the scriptures most dexterously, whc he tempted the Saviour in the wilderness, but he did not quote them honestly ; an J what a striking family likeness, in this respecf, is there between the arch-enemy and the absolutes. It is well known to every divine that the Song of Solomon expresses the mutual love between Christ and the church. In this Song, v. 1, we find th.u Saviour address- ing the church in these words, " I am come into my garden, my sirftur, my spouse ; I have gathered my myirh with my spice ; I have eaten my honey-comb with my honey ; I have drunk my wine with my milk ; eat, O friends, drink, yea, drink abundantly, O beloved." This is the voice of the chief-shepherd, and how like the voice of a beloved fi-iend. It savours little of the method of building up the church, and of moralizing, and christianizing the world which the absolutes have adopted. In the prophecies of Isaiah, the want of wine is generally used as a symbol to represent great national distress, and its abundance to represent national prosperity and peace. Thus, in the XXIV ch. 7 to 12, it is said, " The new wine mourneth, the vine languisheth, all the merry hearted do sigh. The mirth of tabrets ceaseth, the noise of them that rejoice endeth, the joy of the harp ceaaeth. They shall not drink wine with a song, strong drink shall be bitter to them that drink it. There is a crying for wine in the streets, all joy is darkened, the mirth of the land is gone. In the city is left desolation, and the gate is smitten with destruction." — Again in the xxvii. 2, 3, it is said, " In that day sin'g ye unto her, a vineyard of red wine. I the Lord do keep it, I will water it every moment ; lest any hurt it, I will keep it night and day." We cannot suppose that the prophet would have made use of such cx})ressions, had the use of alcoholic liquors been un immorality. Jeremiah alj-o r 10 Tcpi-cserits ihc want of wine as a national calamity and abundance of wine as a proof of the favour of the Lord In Joel ... ID, 24, it is sai.l, - Yea, the hovA will answer an 1 say unto his people, behold 1 will send you corn and wine, anrl oil, and ye shall be satisfied therewith, and I wd no more make you a reproach among the heathen. And the floors shall be full of wheat, and the fats shall overflow with wine and oil." Can we conclude from this that the use of alcoholic liquors is an immorality or that it grieves the spirit of God^ If so, the scriptures are evidently calculated to mislead us. It is asked triumphantly in the T B. from what hill, or mountain, or from what stream ot God's bounty strong drink flowsl The two following quotations will answer the question: Joel ..MS, And it shall come to pass in that day, that the mountains shall drop down new wine, and all the hills shall flow with nrulk, and all the rivers of Judah shall flow with water Anrios .x. 13 14 "Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that the plowman shall --rtake the reaper, and the treader of grapes him that soweth seed, and the mountams shall drop sweet wine, and all the hills shall melt. And 1 wfll bring again the captivity of my people of Israel, and ihey sha build the waste cities, and inhabit them, and they shall plant vineyards, and drink the wine thereof, they shall also pidiii y them." Do not these make gardens and eat the truit ol mem. i^ ,. ^ m ti quotations from scripture answer the question from the T.B regarding the source from which strong dnnk flows to man ( And did the spirit of prophecy foretel this great abundance ^f alcoholic drink as a blessing or a curse ? It certainly does not reqmre any great depth of Biblical learnmg to «« --^^'^^Ht Lu^be beaten with knowmg h,s -"»;-» "°',.^°;^^^ 'christians to stand back from rfanlur^Tes. they should be guilty of ^c^ody -rcit"nhe^j:rrrra:t^^^^^^^^^^^^ rr*a:rdel«t prevailed "^-J^ -"."» and Shan he still -'^;;;,^t;;Wdwr„».e suggested ■"T « "'ur th:.' rl^ d oCmand the stones U. be irbr"int::Vey Unow little of his histo^. ^ ^ r"°^.ri;"rs:rrprp:etri- the angel ot ligw, wneu ,^ ,.. is contrary to any Whenever eKpe^iency urges «s^ do wta^ TadUr, Jt "^''"rlS ':! pSthe tigeror panther, to lCe^;:;^S.a^.-the.a^^^^^^^ in confutation of ^he assert^n J^hat he " ^.^ liquor is an immorality." 1st lim. viii. ^o, i'i ..f w .4 . X 49 commands upon Timothy in the following words ;" Drink no longer water, but use a little wine for thy stomachs sake, fnd thine often infirmities." In this P-age there are everal things worthy of remark. In the first place it shows clearly that Paul, in his injunctions respectmg bishops, did not mean that they should abstain from the use of alcoholic drink, for Timothy was a bishop, and he is here specially commanded to drink wine. But, can any man believe, that the apostle Paul, who was immediately under the influence of the Divine Spirit, should, m his mstructions to the church, regarding the qualifications of her prmcipa teachers, prohibit them from using alcoholic liquors, and in a few sentences thereafter positively command them to use such drink 1 Such blundering would disgrace a school-boy, and can we suppose that the great apostle of the Gentiles could possibly be guilty of such trifling^ In the second place, this verse teaches us plainly, that the apostle, in his epistle to the Romans, xiv, 21 where he says " It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drmk wine, or any thing whereby thy brother stumbleth or is off-ended or is made weak," had no intention to prohibit the use of these things, generally. This instruction, as I have already proved, was for a particular purpose, and not for general observation. Had it been intended to apply in all cases, is not the apostle, in his instructions to Timothy, directly contradicting himself t Had Paul forgotten, at the time he wrote to Timothy, the nature of the instructions he gave to the christians at Rome, or, rather, had the Holy Spirit of God, under whose immediate influence the apostle wrote, forgotten these instructions, or become mutable! In the third place, this verse is a direct condemnation of the water system pursued by the absolutes. It appears that Timothy liad been a milk-and-water man. But, Paul, who was his *?iA 1 4' 50 l'a(li(3r in llio Lord, lays his apostolii? iiijunction upon fiini to give np that abstcniious systcMTi and to use alcohoUc hqnor. But, why did Paul do this ? Was it to destroy the hcahh, or to shorten the life of his beloved Timothy ( — Certainly not. ^t was tor the express purpose of improv- ing his strength and prolonging his life. But, would Paul have commanded Timothy to practice an immorality in order to improve his health ; or, to do an immoral deed, even to save his life ? Most certainly he never would. — Would Paul have thus commanded Timothy to " sip a little," if, by doing so, he had thought he would thereby havo grieved away the Spirit of Go.l ? No ; he never would. If Paul had thought that, by thus forcing the cup upon Timothy, he was clothing himself in the murderer's character, would he have done so I No ; he never would. It is evident then that Paul looked upon the use of alcoholic liquor as perfectly innocent, and quite consistent with the highest attainments in the christian life ; also, that it was, in his estimation, calculated to renovate the health, invigor- ate the body, and prolong the life of man. How strange then, that the absolutes should make the apostle Paul their- chief corner stone, seeing that he has written expressly agamst the whole system, and denied their doctrines in toto. But they, on the other hand, give him the lie, and if we believe their arguments, we must also believe that the apostle Paul did not understand the meaning of what he wrote, any more than the pen which he used in the operation. Again, in Paul's epistle to Titus, i. 7, and ii. 2, 3, 0, ho says, " A bishop must not be given to wine. — That the aged men be sober, grave, temperate. The aged women, likewise, that they be not given to much wine. — Young men, likewise, exhort to be sober minded." In none of these injunctions does it appear that the apostle y^* "* y ■•< -^ > m * 51 ha'.l the slightest intention to prohibit the use oi" stinuiluling (hink. In 2 Peter ii. 13, and in Jucle, 12 verse, wo learn that the feasts of love, or feasts of charity among the primitive christians, 'even during the ago of the apostles, had been scandalized by the improper conduct of ungodly men, who had crept in among them. In these feasts alcoholic drink was in common use, and sometimes indulged in even to excess, as we have already seen in Paul's epistle to the Corinthians. But none of the apostles ever insinua'e the propriety of giving up the use, in order to prevent the abuse of alcoholic drink. I presume all who have attended, without prejudice, to these arguments, will find disposed now to say, that they do not believe the apostles prohibit the use of alcoholic liquors. But wc come now to examine how the example, and llie precepts, of the Lord Jesus Christ bear upon this sub- jecf, and if you find these corroborating what has already been adduced, will it be too much for me to expect, that you will acknowledge I have proved what I proposed, and shown, even to demonstration, that the use of alcoholic liquor is neither an immorality nor a violation of the will of God. In Matthew, vi, 32, 33, it is said, "Take no thought, saying, what shall we eat, or what shall we drink, or wherewith all shall we be clothed, for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the king- dom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you." This is not the declaration of a mere man, but of him whom all christians esteem as the head of the church, and of whom the prophet Isaiah in the ix, 6, thus speaks :— « Unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given : and the \ . 62 government shall be upon his shoulder : and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, the mighty God, the everlasting Father, the Prince of peace." This same great Being has, in the passage above quoted, plainly declared that we need drink as much as we do I'ood and raiment, and we have his promise who cannot lie, that drink shall be given to his people. Nor was this drink water only. No, it was such drink as the nations of the world look after, namely, strong drink. This ap- pears evident from the parallel passage in Luke's gospel, xii, 29, 30, " And seek not ye what ye ahall eat, or what ye shall drink, neither be ye of doubtful mind ; for all these things do the nations of the world seek after, and your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things." Is the use then of alcoho- lic drink an immorality, or contrary to the will of God ] And yet God knows we have need of it, and promised that if we seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, that he will give us this drink. You see then, that the very supposition that it is an immorality, makes the i)romi8esof God even worse than unmeaning. But we have the best reason to believe, that this great Being whom the prophet calls the mighty God, the ever- lasting Father, namely, the Lord Jesus, used wine himself, and by so doing he used alcohol, —for there is no such thing as wine without alcohol. For he himself says, in Matthew, xi, 19, « The Son of Man ca-ne eating and drinking, and they say, behold a man gluttonous, and a wine-bibber, a friend of publicans and sinners." The calumny, then which the phari- sees brought against the Saviour, was precisely the same which the absolutes bring against his servants now, who in this particular imitate his example. But, if the great head of the church had wished his followers to abstain from the use of alcoholic liquors, would he himself have used them ? n iJP(|ii t.-.-*W »"-J»*^-' '^f-^fl^W.^'flp .53 And since he has used them, are his people guilty of an Immorality in following his example 7 But the absolutes say, to all who imitate the example of the Saviour in this particular, that they are guilty of an immorality. If then this doctrine of the absolutes is true, the conclusion is ir- resistible, that Christ Jesus, by usins; alcoholic liquor, was guilty of an immorality, and a violation of the will of God ; that is, he sinned against himself, and violated his own holy will. Awfully revolting idea. This is nothinj^ less than downright blasphemy against the holy one of God. Is not this denying the Lord that bought us ? Is not this the doctrine of devils 1 Is not this the grossest heresy that ever disgraced the Church of Christ 1 Is not this what the apostle Peter foresaw, when he gays, in his second epistle, ii. 1, 2 3, " But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you ; who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction ; and many shall follow their pernicious ways, by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of, and through covetousness, shall they with feigned words make merchandize of you ; whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slum- bereth not." Now it may be asked, what are the features in the character of the absolutes which makes this prophecy applica- ble to them ? In answer to this, I would say that it was brought in privily. Those who support the cause, maintain that it involves no political principle, and that it has no sectarian ien- dency. Is not this bringing it in privily, by quieting the fears and jealousies of the public ? In the second place, it makes the Saviour an immoral being. Is not this denying the Lord that bought them 1 In the third place, many have followed their pernicious ways. Do not the absolutes now boast of hundreds of thousands supporting their cause 1 In the fourth It I 54 place, the way of trulh, by reason of tfiem, U evil spoken of. Is this Jiot eminently the case vrilh the absolutes 1 Do they not holtl up to ridicule the |)crmission so frequently nnd so fully granted in the scriptures to use alcoholic liquors ? Do they not s|)eak evil most unceremoniously of all those who follow the way of truth in this respect 1 Do they not, by their misrepre- sentations, lay open the word of God to the scolF and ridicidc of unbelievers. In the fifth place, through covetousness, with feigned words, they make merchandize of you. Is not this peculiarly the case with the absolutes 1 They tell you that supporting this system would cost you nothing, but would be a direct saving of many millions of dollars every year. That they speak to you with feigned words, you require only to read the temperance bible to be fully convinced of this fact. There you will find many assertions, without arguments, and many arguments founded on data gratuitously assumed, and conclusions drawn from scripture quotations, which give no countenance whatever to this unhallowed scheme, which is subverting the plainest dictates of the word of God. If this prediction is not applicable to the absolutes, it cannot be denied that there is a singular coincidence between their character and the character of those described in the pre- diction. But let us now look a little farther into the Saviour's history, and we shall find the doctrines of the absolutes still more clearly confuted. Wo find in Luke x. 6, 7, 8, that when the Saviour sent out his seventy disciples by two and two, to go before him into every city to preach the gospel, he laid upon them the following injunctions : — " Into whatsoever house ye enter, first say peace be to this house, and if the son of peace be there, your peace shall rest upon it ; if not, it shall return to you again. And in the same house remain, eating and drinking such things as they give, for the labourer is worthy of his hire. Go not r- V I ■ * . . » 65 from house to house. And info whatsoever city yc enter, anil they lecoivc you, eat such things as arc set before you." Now, tliat the use of wine, and strong drink, or of ulcohoUc li(|uor was as common among the Jews as ever it was among any other peoijlo on the face of the earth, cannot be disputed. Neitiicr can it bo (Usputcd that, no nation over surpassed them in the duties of hospitality. Their bread, and their wine, witii a cordial welcome, greeted the stranger wherever he went. Bear in mind, that it was among a people of this social and hospitable character, that the Saviour sent his apostles, saying unto them, "Into whatsoever house ye enter there remain eating and drinking such things as they give ;" and then say that the use of alcoholic drink meets no countenance in the word of God. Nothing can be plainer, than, that the Saviour not only countenances, but positively commands his disciples to drink whatsoever the hospitality of their entertainers should set before them, no matter whether that was water, wine, or strong drink, there is no exception. If then the use of alcoholic liquor is an immorality, it requires no metaphysical reasoning to arrive at the conclusion, that Christ has here bound his disciples by a positive com- mandment, to commit immorality. Can any man who profbsses to be a christian, subscribe to such a doctrine as this ? or lend the influence of his name to build up and support a system which makes the blessed Jesus the author of sin. But if you cannot subscribe to the doctrine that the Lord Jesus has commanded his fol- lowers to commit immorality, you cannot subscribe the pledge of absolute abstinence which involves this doctrine, and consequently must subscribe to the fact, that the use of alcoholic liquor is not an immorality, and that the abso- lutes are teaching you doctrines of their own invention, i 56 mo, that the commandment <»"■ Lo"" § f„^^ j^em, '° ^rrm^chtLr/L^r— ate .* r^r U r. add.e.e<, a. it .as ^-he *— of his church on this particular pomt, «hrough a g For the disciples who were Jews, were m 'T; of oartaSn. freely, of the hospitality of the>r brc :^„ t eCs and would therefore ^ppear to ave re- rtrs:;ir'x^.aw.ciUt— °f ^'- nr^^r^d VrlbX in an th^r doctrmes """^^^and to counteract their influence Te" s — ndment on record for the direction of htpeople in all ages of his church. The cause of the absolutes may flourish for a tinie, 5;:errintbr:fi;o..^^^ Ung, -™;;:ten:: drSur converting Gospel, ,., 2 to 10 °<2"^'™;" f,^, i„ cana of Galilee, water into wme at the carnage _^^|^ \^Tt:o:rtl" ^oUbtrL a.ine mls. sion. It IS also v/oiu y miracles were, m order „ot performed -^^ ,^, '^^^^rthte been'obtained Xr: ^r^rr scarce, suppose that^ < — -l» » I i < — m S r d e 13 > I t ^7 miraculously provided, had already drunk freely, having consumed all that was provided for the feast. The gover- nor of the feast, also, faults the bridegroom, not only for withholding the good wine, at the beginning of the feast, and not giving them what was inferior when they had well drunk, but for having kept the good wine until now; that is, even to a period when they had done more than even well drunk. If then the use of alcoholic liquor is an immorality, what can you think ol this commencement of the Saviour's public ministry. He not only by his presence, and example countenanced the use, but also exerted his di- vine power to supply the article, and gave it to them in abundance, without money, and without price. Will any man in the face of this solemn tiansaction, hold up his head and say, that either the manufacturing, or using alcoholic liquor is an immorality. This would be too palpable an ab- surdity to pass undetected even by the most illiterate behc- ver in Jesus. Let us suppose, that, a manufacturer of al- coholic liquors in our day, were to send his produce to the dealers, with orders to distribute them to the public gra- tuitously, what would the absolutes say of such a man 1 Would they not look upon him as a monster ? Would not the whole society resound in the language of the '^. B. Monster Destroyed, page 20, " The use of ardent spirits meets no support in the bible or the conscience, and the traffic meets none. Be firm. Be decided. Be courageous. Connect your cause with heaven. It is the cause of God ; the cause for which Immanuel died. 0, as men and patriots, banish intemperance with all its sources from your country and the land. As ministers and christians, banish it forever from the churches of the living God. Let the demon no longer hide in the sanctuary. Let entire abstinence be writ- ten in caj>itals, over the door of every church. Expel for I 'i 58 ever the accursed enemy, that the spirit of the Lord may descend and bless us with life and peace. Entire abstinence is the only weapon which will destroy the monster. Have you supported this cruel kingdom of darkness and death ?— Will you do it longer? Shall conscience be riven by the act? Shall the land that bears you be cursed; the young around you be sporting with hell; the awakened sinner be drowning conviction at his bottle; the once fair communi- cant be disgraced ; the once happy congregation be rent ; its ministry be driven from the altar, and its sanctuary crumble to ruin ? Shall our benevolent institutions fail, and our liberties be sacraficed ? Shall God be grieved 1— Shall the wailings from the bottomless pit, hereafter reproach and agonize you as the cause of the ruin, perhaps of your children and children's children V This is the language they use, and such a declamation as this, on such a subject, appears to be an insult both to God and man, a solemn mockery of the Saviour, and directly contrary to the word of God. Where did the reverend author of this wonderful pamphlet discover that christians should observe entire abstinence 1 Where did he discover that entire abstinence is the cause of God, and the cause for which the Saviour died 1 These doctrines are no where contained in the Bible, and unless he can prove that he had them by immediate revelation from heaven, they are utterly un- worthy of your reception. All the three characters which the absolutes consign to wailings in the bottomless pit, viz : the manufacturer, the distributor, and the consumer of alcoholic liquors, are united in the person of the Saviour, during his attendance on the marriage feast in Cana of Galilee. So long, therefore, as the manufacturer makes his liquors of good quality, and the dealer is careful to obtain it good., and to dispose of it unadulterated, and the m -^^ * a do consumer to use it in moderation, they cannot be condemned by man, without censuring the conduct of the Lord of glory. Tliose who in this traffic deal honourably, and those who use these blessings of providence, so as not to abuse them, have notliing to fear from the anathema maranatha of the absolutes, for the Saviour, who set the example in his own person, is the same who is appomted to be their judge, and this honour he will not make over to another. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, a gluttonous man, and a wine-bibber, a friend of publicans and sinners, how much more shall they call them of his household ? But the Saviour, in the character of judge, has told us the very sentence of approbation which he will pass on his people, at the great day of final retribution, together with his reasons for doing so. These you will find strange reasons, if the absolutes are correct. They are recorded in Matthew xxv, from the 31st verse, and are the following :~" When the Son of Man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory ; and before him shall be gathered all nations ; and he shall seperate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats, and he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, come ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat ; I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink ; I was a stranger, and ye took me in ; naked, and ye clothed me ; I was sick, and ye visited me ; I was in prison, and ye came unto me. Verily I say unto you, inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these, my brethren, ye have done it unto me." Were the absolutes aware that such a passage as this was ^ 60 contained in the word of God 1 If so, would they have dared to forbid, as an immorality, what the Judge of all thus dc • lights to honour 1 I am afraid they have neither read this, nor the following part of the chapter, where it is recorded, " Then shall he say also unto them on his left hand, depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels ; for I was an hungred and ye gave me no meat ; I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink ; I was a strang'^r, and ye took me not in ; naked, and ye dothed me not ; sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not. Verily I say unto you, inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. And these shall go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into life eternal." Are the absolutes not running the imminent danger of being roused to a sense of the folly and madness of their fa- vourite scheme, by this awful and unexpected repulse from the Judge of all the earth T Surely a system, which involves such contradictions, and manifests such oppositions to the infallible standard of truth and duty, cannot have any title to the support of those who know and believe in that standard. I would say then to all who believe in this standard, and yet are trembling lest the tender mercies of this society should overtake them, "Fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul ; but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell." Are you not astonished when you hear any man, who professes to be a Minister of Christ, urging upon ministers and christians in general, to banish alco- holic liquors for ever from the churches of the living God, and to write entire abstinence in capitals over the door of every church ? Can you conscientiously receive 4 Gl such a man, as a Minister of Christ? No, my friends ; Christ foresaw that the time would come, when such men would creep into the church, and that such doctrines would be maintained by them, and, therefore, lest his own example in using alcoholic liquor, the force of the miracle which he wrought to produce alcoholic liquor, and the commandment which he gave to his disciples to use alcoholic liquor, if it was offered unto them, should all prove ineffectual to guard you against this error, he ordains the use of this very liquor as one of the symbols in the celebration of the most solemn ordinance of the church. Here then the two systems come directly into collision, and one or other must give way. Has it not been gravely suggested that the command- ment of the Saviour, even in this instance, should give place to the commandments of men? Have they not represented the cup containing intoxicating liquors, as the cup of death and damnation ? Have they not called upon Ministers and Christians to banish it for ever from the churches of the living God 1 Have they not issued their mandate that entire abstinence be written in capitals over the door of every church 1 I would ask, you, then, how the absolutes can possibly obey the commandment of the Lord, in commemo- rating his dying love, without being guilty of direct incon- sistency ? How can the ministers of religion who r^re members of this society, put into the hand of the commu- nicant, when seated at the table of the Lord, the cup which they have so often denominated the cup of damnation? How can these men consistently bring into the sanctuary what they have called upon all christians to banish from the church of the living God? How can these men who have enjoined entire abstinence to be written over the door ol 62 every clmrcli, commaiKl alcoholic liquor to be brought within the sanctuary, and plncod upon the table of the Lord-? These questions may appear to you involving cUiri- culties which human wis.lom cannot surmount. But have you never read so much as this, that the children of this world are wiser in thcii generation than the children of light 1 Have you never read what the absolutes have done, and are still doing in this matter ? Do you not know, or have you never heard, that they have substituted coloured water in the place of wine, in this holy ordinance, thus making their practice consistent with their declarations 1 Have you never read, or have you never heard, that the champions of this society maintain, that it is better the cup of the Lord should be discarded from his table, than that one jot, or one tittle of the temperance plan should fail of being carried into full effect ? Have you never read,or have you never heard, that through the influence of this Society, many, when seated at the Lord's table, have passed with trembling hand, the cup of blessing untasted, viewing it in the light they had been taught to view it, viz as the cup of death and damnation 1 Have you never read, or have you never heard, that the disciple of Jesus, in connection with this society, now receives the communion cup only bv a special act of grace on the part of this society, which has been lately promul^'.nfed to the world ? Does not this circumstance prove satisluctorily the pernicious « s^^iency of the Temperance Society, that one of its natural conse- quences is to set aside the most holy ordinance oi" the gospel of our salvation, and to ingraft upon its stock, the doctrines and the commandments of men. Thus the authority of the Temperance Society has exalted itself .401$ 11 ., .ri* G3 above all that is called God, and rendered null and void the commandments of heaven, unless sanctioned by the stamp of their authority, and the seal of their approbation. But in all things, divine and human, the less authority is sanc- tioned by the greater; consequently, the absolutes who have presumptuously granted their permission to use wine in the celebration of the Lord's Supper, have assumed to themselves an authority, superior to the authority of him by whom that holy ordinance was at first instituted, that is, they have elevated themselves above him to whom God has given all power in heaven and in earth. This very act of grace, then, on their part, proves them to be the enemies of God and man, and adverse to all that is holy, just, and true. Do you for one moment suppose that the ever blessed Redeemer of our guilty race, would have commanded his followers to commemorate the shedding of his blood for the remission cf sins, by drinking aicoholic liquors, had the use of those liquors been in themselves an immoraUty. If it were possible to prove that the sacred volume counte- nanced immorality in any manner or way whatever,it could no longer be held up as a rule for your conduct. However strange it may appear to the absolutes, I cannot help informing them, that there is good reason to believe that the Saviour used alcoholic liquor even after his resurrection from the dead. Matthew xxvi. 29, the Saviour remarked to his disciples, when he gave them the cup at the institu- tion of the sacrament of the supper, " I say unto you, I will not drink 'henceforth of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my father's kingdom," or, as Mark expresses it, "in the kingdom of God"; or as Luke expresses it, "until the kingdon 'f God shall come." *.l ¥ /:■ a > I r>4 Also, u. U.0 san,c cl.uptor of Luke's Go.,«l 2Ull. a..,l 30th ™L ., .1.0 Saviour says to his disciples. "1 appou>t uuto you a kingdom, as my Valhc- hath appointed unto mo, It yo may cat and c'rink at my tabic n> my k.ngdcn, and s' on'uTonos, judging tho t», Ivc tnbos o Israel We do not find it mentioned expressly m the Oospels, that the Saviour did drink wine ,»ith •'- j''"-!''- ^;- tween his resurrection and ascension. But m Luke XX.V. 30, we find him eating with two of h,s d'^^'Pl-, «t the village of Emmaus. And in the same chapter 41 , -U « verses, it is said, " And while they yet beheved not for tv and wonder, he said unto them have ye here any meat. Z% gave him a piece of a broiled fish and of an honey comb and'he took it and did eat before them. Agam, we find him dining with a party of his disciples who had gone a"g. John XX,. 1-2, 13. 15, "Jesus saith unto them come and dine. And none of them durst ask h.m. who at Zsonabt to suppose that he did. on one or more of these oceans, fulfil his pledge of drinking wme wrth them^ But I am afraid the absolutes have been too long engaged •m dealing out eonelusions from false premises to then- friends. " adt^ of .ound eonelusions from reasonable p..m,ses, m ueht mportant matter as this. Lest they should be ho... fied aHhebare supposition that the .Isen Savour used aleo- :1 ijor and siLee I pro-riscd to deal with them only up- on sCiptur; authority, 1 will yield this pa.t.cuU.r po.ut to tho.n, ♦ <:<>•* 65 if the following quotation does not bear out the supposition I have made. Acts of the Apostles, x, 40, 41, where Peter in his address to Cornelius and his friends, says, " Him God raised up the third day, and shewed him openly, not unto all the people, out unto witnesses, chosen before of God, even unto us who did eat and drink with him after he rose from the dead." This appears to be satisfactory evidence of the Savi- our's pledge to his apostles having been fulfilled. The word of God was given by the inspiration of the Holy Ghost, the third person in the Godhead, and therefore can neither coun- tenance immorality, nor contradict itself. This being admitted by all christians, and having now brought before you so many direct passages from that infallible standard, some of them countenancing, some encouraging, some commanding, and some perpetuating the use of alcoholic liquors in the church oi Christ, you may, therefore, without fear of contradiction, maintain that the doctrine of absolute abstinence from alcoholic liquors has no foundation vi^hatever in the word of God. I said before, and I again repeat it, that there is not in the whole inspired volume a single text supporting the doctrine of the absolutes. If there were, then the Spirit of God has forbidden what the Son of God has practised in his own per- son, and perpetrated in his church, thus making God inconsist- ent with himself, which is utterly, awfully false. The following corollaries follow from this demonstration; first, that the use of alcoholic liquor is neither an immorality nor a violation of the will of God ; second, that the farmer, who supplies the materials — the distiller, who converts these materials into alcoholic liquors — the dealer, who serves them out to the public — and the consumer who uses them in mode- ration, may rdl be christians, and carry on their respective d^pa^'tments in this process, without the necessity of thereby K / 66 contracting moral defilement; third, .hat the U",e of alcoholic Cor is established in the church till the second coming ol Xi t ; fourth, that the ™hole spirit, as well as the plain pre- cent of the word of God, supports the use of alcoholic hquors ; r„d fit that the doctrine taught by the absoutes has no foundation whatever in the word of G«l, but leads directly to the most detestable heresy. LECTURE IV. XHB BKxaU^O or THE ABSO.UrKS C.OSB O. THK CHa.STU« OCX. or IIOSPITALITV. We come now to consider the bearing of the absolute cause upon the christian duty of hospitality. In order to se Slbjeet clearly before you, I shall make a tew quotation from the T. B.. which bear immediately upon it, and contrast them with the good old standard, the Scriptures of truth. T B Address on the effects of ardent spirits, page 4, we find it written thus : " I will begin with the infant and I Tay say he is born into rum. At his birth according to Tu^om, a quantity of ardent spirits is provKled; they are though to be as necessary as any thing else. They are con- sidered as indispensible as if the child could not be bom withoutthem. The father treats hi. friends and hishousehoW and the mother partakes with the rest The infant i, fed with them, as if he could not know the good things I is heir to. without a taste of ardent spirits. In most families. «»T> ^'1 .1 1 -! «r:/ ardent spirits arc introduced, and used on every extraordinary occusion. Without mentioning many, that the knowledge nnd experience of every man can supply, I will instance only the case of visitors. A gentleman's friends and acquaintance calt on him. He is glad to see them, and fashion and custom make it necessary for him to invite them to the sideboard.— This is all done in his best style, in his most easy and affable manner. The children of the family notice this, they arc delighted with the sight and exhibition ; they arc pleased with the manners, and gratified with the conversation of the visitors on the occasion. And in this way one out of every twenty- five, of those who live to thirty years of age, becomes intemperate." The first part of this quotation seems to be such an outrage on common decency, that it appears strange why it should not have overturned the cause which it was intended to support. "A child born into rum." And whyf Bimply because the parents, in the near prospect of an addition to their family, make preparations that their friends may rejoice with them. And are we not commanded to rejoice with them .vho do rejoice, as well as to weep with them who weepi— Did not Abraham, the father of the faithful, set this example, Gen XXI. 8, by making a great feast the same day that Isaac was weaned. We do not read what he did at the birth of the child but it is not improbable, from some of the remarks made by Sarah on this occasion, that the patriarch had manifested his joy in a way somewhat similar to that which is here condemned. In the parable of the prodigal son, Luke, XV we read that when he returned, his father made a feast to his' friends, and rejoiced as if he had received him from the dead Now, if it were natural and, right to make merry and rtjoice when a child was restored back to the world from the / tt il 06 dead, 01 IVoin the patha of vice, is it not equally natural, and equally right, that there should be rejoicing and making merry when a child lirst comes into the world 1 Do we not look upon a child as a stranger, and yet a near and dear relation sent to us by God himself, and shall we receive him without one kind expression, without one single demonstration of gratitude and joyl With but very few exceptions, the human race, m all agp?, and under all ditferent circumstances, both civilized and savage, both christians and heathens, have been in the habit of showing demonstrations of joy upon the birth of a child. - And was there ever any feeling so universally prevalent among the human race, which is not considered the voice, or law of nature"? And was ever great joy expressed among any civilized people without being accompanied by the use of alcoholic liquor ? And shall we then thoughtlessly give up these good old customs, venerable by their antiquity, and stil more venerable by their having the sanction of the wisest and best in every age of the world, and this too, merely that we may conform to the niggardly, unsocial, and inhospitable ipse dixit of the absolutes 1 We have already proved, even to demonstration, that the use of those things which they condemn is not only sanctioned, but even commanded by the highest authority. In the second part of this quotation, the duty of hospitality to friends and strangers is thrown into contempt.— They wish to make it appear that this fashion, this custom of treating with kindness and hospitality, ruins their children, by the bad example they thus set before them. This is touching a very tender string in the parental breast, which vibrates to the verv soul. But how will this doctrine appear when confronted with the standards of eternal truth ? MelchiZedek treated Abram with bread and wine in the same affable and easy manner as the present generation used to do when side- boards wferc fashionable. Lot treated the angels in the same «M.^#r.««« \l. I X, /-„ ,t^y0F—^ e9 hospitable manner as christian men used totrcot strangers, before they signed away the exercise ol their judgment, and delivered themselves up as the bondsmen of the absolutes.— Joseph entertained his brethren in precisely the same manner as a christian man used to entertain his brethren when they visited him in this, the country of his adoptio.i, previous to the time when the absolutes took die direetion of his conscience. In the xixth chapter of Judges we find a Levite visitmg his father-in-law. and eating, and drinking, and making merry every day during his stay with him. We also find the same Levite entertained on his way home by an old labouring man, who took him in as a stranger, and caused him to eat, and drink and to make merry. We also learn from this chapter, that even the Levites, who were the ministers of religion under the Mosaic dispensation, carried wine along with them even when tbey were on very short journeys. This passage also teaches us that the Jews were remarkable for their hospitality, both to friends and strangers. Americans also held a high character once among the nations of the world for hospitality but by subscribing to the creed of the absolutes, they must ot necessity fall speedily from their high estate in this respect and become the scoff, and taunt, and bye-word of all civilized jiations. • We observe from the " Arguments against Ardent Spirits," page 8, that the absolutes do not ask this sacrifice of personal comfort and national character for nothing. They promise, in return, upwards of 5G millions of dollars annually, as a direct saving in the articles of intOxicatmg liquors, and loss of labour. But the Bible kolds out no such pecuniary remuneratiou to induce its friends to prac- tice hospitality, as the absolutes do to leave it oft*. But the Bible bas rewards of its own kind. When dollars 70 cease to be current, and when bullion brings no price, the Judge of all the earth will say to the hospitable, "Come ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat; I was thirsty and ye gave me drink," &c. Tills is the reward the Bible promises to the hispitable. But to the inhospitable, the sentence will be, " depart from me ye cursed into everlasting tire prepared for the devil and his angels ; for I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat ; I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink," &c. Dollars will be but a poor compensation for such a finale as this, even if they could be carried with us, which is also impossible. Thus in the end both the loss of dollars, and the loss of heaven, and the loss of their own souls, will make up the neat gain of the inhospitable when the jiidgment is set and the books are opened, and the earth with its riches are consumed with fire. Under the Theocracy in Israel when God was their king, he did not apprehend any danger to the children arismg from the hospitality of their parents. The very manners of the parents, and the very delight of the children which are here condemned by the absolutes as pernicious in the one, and destructive to the other, are what God approved of in both. They were to eat, and drink, and rejoice, with their whole families before God. And for what reason were they to do sol Why, that they might learn to fear the Lord. How very different then is the opinion of the God of Israe.l and the absolutes on this subject. In Matthew ix, 9, 10, we find that Jesus having called Matthew from the receipt of custom, went immediately into his house and dined with them, along with many publi- cans, and sinners. But we know that on every such occaijion alcoholic liquors were used among the Jews, and yet we do not find the Saviour throwing out the least hint of any danger arising fr»m this source to the junior members of the family. \;^.ir 'l T v^Dr ■n In Luke v, 29, 30, wc find Ihe Saviour after calling Levi, feasting with him, along with a great company, and the Pharisees accusing the disciples for eating and drinkmg with publicans and sinners. It was not for eating and drinkmg they were blamed, but for associating in a friendly manner with those whom they considered worthless. In Luke '^iv, 1, we find the Saviour dining with a Tharisee on the Sabbath day, and from the seventh verse it appears there was a regularly invited party on the occassion. Thus we find the Son of Man, who was also Lord of the Sabbath, countenancing dmner parties even on that day. However much christians may be disposed to blame such things, and however frequently they may really be a profanation of the Sabbath, still we cannot deny that they may both be given and attended, without any immorality, otherwise the Saviourwould not have countenanced them. In verses 13 and 14, of this chapter we find he following instruction :-«Whenthou makes, a least, ca^l the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind; and thou shal be Messed ; for hey cannot recon.pense thee ; and thou shalt be r clp^nsed at the resurrection of theiust.^' f ^T^^S inEccl X 9--A feast is made for laughter, and wmemdketh Iny*' Our Saviour then, in this passage, not only couBte- ZL conviviality, accompanied with the use of alcoholic liquors, but in the most unequivocal manner pronounces that those shall be blessed, who invite to their feasts the poor and the despised, and pledges ^^--^^/^/^^^.^'^l^t^J.l'l resurrection of the just. And shall f-t-s.gh*^^ man, then, presumptuously condemn what Christ the Lord has rncioued for, dare to consign those to destruction whom the "e tudge of :il has thus openly declared that he will publicly honour before an assembled world, and in the presence of the S of God ? It would really appear that the absolutes do "know the will of Him whom they call their Master, nor 'i 72 yet what manner of spirit they are of. In Luke's g<^ptl, XIX, 5, 6, 7, we find the Saviour with Zaccheiis, ilm chief among the publicans , and in John xn, 1, 2, we find him in Bethany supping with Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead ; and in Mark, xiv, 3, we find him dining in Bethany with Simon the leper, three days belore his crucifiction. We have thus the example of the Saviour frequently attending feasts along with his disciples, and eating ami drinking both with the Pharisees and with the Publicans. What higher authority do we require than this, or what higher can we have ? The apostles, also, in imitation of their master, inculcate hospitality. In the epistle to the Romans, xii, i 3, the apostle classes hospitality among the christian virtues. Again in 1 Tim. Ill, 2, the same apostle tells us that a bishop must be given to hospitality ; and again, in Titus i, 8, he says that a bishop must be a lover of hospitality. The apostle Peter, iu his 1st epistle, iv, 9, 10, also commands christians generally to " Use hospitality one to another without grudging. As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God." My friends, when we have made up our minds to oppose the doctrines taught by the example of the Patriarchs, and by the precepts and the example of the Apostles of our Lord, and by the precepts and example of our Lord and Saviour himself, and to prefer the commandments of men, to the command- ments of the livmg God, then, and not till then, can we sub- scribe the creed of the absolutes. The efforts of this society appear to be fulfilling the prediction of the apostle Paul in 2 Tim. iv, 3, 4, which saith, " The time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine ; ^fk?f>* ^m>' feat after their own lu^ shall they heap to themselves teachier^ having itching ears, and Ihey shall turn away their ears front tJie truth, aad shall be Jurned unto fabks." The experience of the church, in every age, proT'^s that men may be found to teach ony doctrine, however heretical ; ami our own personal experience proves that abundance, who call ttiemselves chris- tians, have been found to teach th« favourite doctrine of abso- lute abstinenee, which is no where countenanced in the inspired volume, and which is directly contrary, not only to itd spirit, but also to its plainest and snost positive injunctions. In the T. B. address to young men of the United States on temperance, pages 12 and 13, it is written — " Entire abstinence from the drink of drunkards is the parents only plan in training up children. However novel the assertion to some, it can be easily shown, that the example of all who use ardent spirits, except as they use prescribed medicine, is in the scale of intemperance. It is to the honour given to the degrading cup, by those who can drink without what is con- sidered excess, that we must ascribe, in a great degree, th6 first seduction of all who receive tiie ultimate wages of intemperance." In answer to this quotation, I have only to remark, that the drink of the drunkard has, in all ages, likewise been the drink of the saint ; it was also the drink of the Saviour. God has not, in this world, provided any scperate meat or drink for the nourishment and support of the bodies of saints and sinners. The novel assertion, in this question, cannot possibly be shown to be true, without ranking the Saviour and the saints, in all ages, among the number of the intemperate. To the honour given to the degrading cup, by those who drink without excess, Is here attributed the seduction and ruin of the intemperate. — ^ \i.'-- i^" 74 But who ever honoured this cup so highly as the Saviour of the world? He wrought his first miracle to make it overflow abundantly, after it had been drained to the bottom by a con- vivial party where he was a guest ; he used it himself during his life on earth, and after his resurrection from the dead, and has left it in his church to remain through all generations as one of the symbols of his dying love. Is not this then ascrib- ing the first seduction and the ultimate ruin of the drunkard to the Saviour of sinners 1 So directly is this the conviction of the absolutes, that many of them have set aside the use of wine in the sacrament of the supper, while others pass the cup untasted when sealed at the Lord's table, as an accursed thing, thus openly insulting the wisdom of the Saviour, while they profess publicly to celebrate his love. In the T. B., Dr. Sewall's address, it is written, « It is perhaps difficult to determine in what way intemperance first manifests its influence on the moral pow^irs, so variou^y does it affect different individuals. Were I to speak from my owu observation, 1 should say that it first appears in an alienation of those kind and tender sympathies which bind a man to his family and friends ; those lively sensibilities which enable him to participate in the joys and sorrows of those around him.— The social affections lose their fullness and tenderness, the conscience its power, the heart its sensibility, till all that was once lovely, and rendered him the joy and the idol of his friends, retires and leaves him to the dominion of the appetites and passions of the brute. Religious enjoyment, if ever he poses- sed any, declines us the emotions excited by ardent spirits arise, &c." 1 have only to remark that, if the Doctor menns what he has here said as applicable to the drunkard, we are ready to ■<^:t^ •-y^:t?rf 75 subscribe to its truth. But if he means it to apply to the use, as well as to the abuse of alcoholic liquor, (for we maintain there is a use without the abuse), we have only to say that he is either wrong in his assertion or else the Bible is not true. In "he T. B., scripture arguments for temperance, page 16, it is written, " And now, does any one still enquire what more he can do for temperance than pledge his example 1— What more, let it be asked, was you once doing to aid intemperance 1 Did you not, with kind looks and bland words, pass the cup to your child, your friend, your neighbour, your servant, and even to the stranger at the inn or at your door "? Did you not, with the fruits of your industry, aid the distiller, the retailer, and say to all around, drink, drink, though you knew there was death in the cup 1 And have not some, perhaps many, been thus ruined by your instrumentality ?" In this quotation there appears such a direct contra- diction to the bible, that it would almost seem to have been written as a satire upon the word of God. Are not the kind looks, the bland words, and the manner of passing the cup to children, friends, neighbours, servants and strangers, which are here reprobated, and held up to scorn and con- tempt, the very conduct which the scriptures recommend 1 M<^ I he Saviour, with kind looks ana bland words, pass tiif cv , to his disciples : xlnil does he not say to his church in ali a,ges, " Eat, O friends, drink, yea, drink abundantly, O beloved t" Until these, and many other passages whicu have already been quoted, are discarded from the bible — in short, until we have a ne^v revelation of the will of God, such doctrines as are here inculcated, cannot for one mo- ment be entertained by any but the ignorant and the unbe- lieving. Such prod actions as that from which this quotation ! i 76 is taken, do more real injury to the cause of Christianity, than all the distillers, spirit-dealers, and spirit-consumers on the face of the earth. It is, in short, nothing less than a wilful and deliberate misrepresentation of the word of God. But, as we shall have occasion to examine this production more minutely in one of its bearings, we shall leave it at present, In the National Circular, pages 15, IG, it is thus writ- ten, "There is another reason why all women should unite in temperance societies. More than an hundred thousand of the lovely daughters of the lust generation, were doomed to the tremendous curse of having drunken husbands, and rearing tiieir little ones under the blasting, withering influence of drunken fathers. But there is no need of it. Let the fathers, and mothers, and brothers, and sisters of this generation all cease the use of intoxicat- ing drinks, and unite their influence in temperance societies, anil the daughters of the next generation, and of all future generations practising upon this plan, shall be for ever free. And there is another reason why women should belong to temperance societies. Multitudes of the last generation were made drunkards by the customs of society. Though the apetite for ardent spirits is not natural, and would never exist wei-e it not formed by the use of it, it has been formed not only in the cradle, but in many cases has been coeval almost with life itself. Even the mother, when her infant was unwell, and she did not wish during the night to be kept awake with it, drank the poison herself, and the helpless babe slept like a drunkard for a simflar reason, and the drunkard's apetite was formed there ; and as it tnat were not enough, as it lay in the cradle, she fed it with a tta-spoon, and the drunkard's appetite was strengtlicned. -^.--. c % ^;^:■*T -^.^-. 77 and no sooner could it walk, than the father after lie had been drinking, gave it the boUom of the glass, sweetened in the most enchanting manner, and the drunkard's apetite was confirmed. And before the heedless youth iiad hardly entered upon manhood, he. stumbled into the drunkard's grave, was covered up, and his destroyers were glad to forget him. But there is no need of it. Let the custom of so- ciety be changed, and each individual unite with others, to taste not, touch not, and handle not the abominable thing, and the evil will be done away. Generations yet unborn to all future ages, saved by simply ceasing to do evil and learning to do well, will rise up and call you blessed." The first reason here quoted why all women should unite in temperance societies is indeed plausible, and were the cure prescribed not contrary to the word of God, it would certainly be worth making the experiment upon the most extended scale. But w.-^ have too high an opinion of ladies in general to suppose that any considerable number of them would consent tq be relieved even from that heaviest of earthly curses— a drunken partner— at the aw- ful expense of trampling the authority of God's word under their feet. Often have they sought, and not in vain, for consolation in that word, when all worldly comforts and worldly comforters had forsaken them. And would they sacrifice a tried and trusty friend, that they might grasp at the doubtful promises of a fawning stranger. It cannot be denied that many of them have signed the temperance pledge, but with them in most cases it has been the sin of ignorance. It has come to them recommended by the ap- proval not only of the learned and influential among their lay friends, but also bearing the sanction of those whom they regarded as the ministers and faithful servants of i^.. !) ; f i 78 the Lord Jesus Christ. Besides, a married lady is not at liberty, according to the law of God, (Numbers, xxx,) either to make a vow or a pledge without the consent of her husband, either expressed or understood. The second reason here quoted la a barefaced insult upon the female character, as well as upon the word of God. Females are expressly authorised in scripture, to use alcoholic drink, ond if at any time it is more necessary than another, it is at that very time when they are more especially debareJ from it, by the hard-hearted and un- sympathising absolutes. In all such cases the use of it is innocent, and in very many cases, where the mother is de- licate, it is almost indispensible ; and yet they dare not taste a single drop to support their declining strength, or to in- vigorate their emaciated frame. Well may it be said of the absolutes, that " their tender mercies are cruel." Was there ever a more unjust insinuation thrown out against the female character than this, that they, in order to get rid of trouble from a sick and heirless babe during the nigh., diink alcoholic liquor with the view of intoxicating the child ? The man who judges thus must be devoid of honesty or observation, if not of both. Did the author of the Na- tional Circular not know that all the tenderest sympathies of the female heart are alive towards their helpless offspring 1 They know by the experience of many generations, handed down from mother to daughter, that what is here reproba- ted, cures many of the early complaints of children ; and the draught which is here attributed to the mother's indif- ference, is in reality taken expressly for the benefit of the child. Mothers are thus held up to ridicule, as unsympa- thising and cruel, for administering to their babes, a me- dicine which so qnickjy and so effectually removes many of , iTv ;t-v 79 their early complaints. It is said here, as well as in many other passages of the T. B., that the appetite for alcoholic liquors is not natural. But this, like many of their other axioms, is by no means self evident. As this is a fundamental doctriue of the absolutes' creed, especially where ladies are in the question, I shall for their sakes pause a little and shew its fallacy. Is there a man among the absolutes, who, be- fore he ceased to sip a little, has not observed flies and various other insects congregating around the intoxicating draft, and risking their very lives for the pleasure of sipping a little along with him] Who perverted their appetites ? Perhaps it may be said that their mothers had used it, and thus instilled into them an unnatural taste. But let the absolutes make the experiment, let them retire into the bosom of the remotest forest, far beyond the haunts of men, and let them spread out the intoxicating liquors, and there, too, they will soon find their table furnished with guests, and showing evident symptoms that they have a taste for alcoholic liquors. And who will say that an appetite, shewing itself under such different circum- stances, is not natural 1 Let the absolutes also make the experiment, by setting a little milk-punch before their cats, ddgs, swine, &c., and they will at once find that they too have an°appetite for sipping a little. But will any man say that this appetite arises from their mothers having used such driiik 'I— Will any man, who is a christian, dare to affirm that the Saviour ever indulged in the gratification of any unnatural appetite, and yet it is certain that he used alcoholic liquors ?— But, was not the Saviou: holy, harmless, undefiled and seper- ated from'sinners, and may not the mothers, in the spiritual Israel, imitate his example in this respect, without either con- tracting moral dePleir.ent themselves, or thereby entailing moral defilement upon their children 1 Let not the ladies even blush at the accusations of the absolutes, while they find the ■♦ 80 Saviour united with them in the same condemnation ; for It is said in the last sentence of this quotation, tliiit " Generations yet unborn, to all future ages, saved by simply ccasin?; to do evil, and learning to do well, will rise up and cal' you blessed." This is evidently something more than an insinuation, that the use of alcoholic liquor is an evil or a sin, as the scripture quotation implies. But if so, then, according to the most legitimate logical deduction, the Saviour, who also used it, was a sinner. If your hearts revolt at such an idea, then learn to look upon every advocate of absolute abstinence with an eye of suspicion, and distrust. Before leaving this head, I claim your indulgence for one moment, while I look into this tirade against the ladies, in a critical point of view. It is said, the infant was unwell, the mother took a little strong drink, and the child was cured, and slept soundly. This seems rather an argument for the use of alcoholic drink. But mark the sequel ; the drunkaid's appetite was formed there. It is evident that the author of this pamphlet must have been an M. D., who, mourning over the loss of many a fee by this simple cure, starts the bug-bear of forming the drunkaid's appetite, to frighten mothers, that he might have more opportunities o( forming the Doctor's bill.— Again, as it lay in the cradle she fed it with a ica-spoon, and the drunkard's appetite was strengthened. We are led to conclude, from the way in which this sentence is expressed, that tea-spoons form the first food of the infant, but how far this regimen may tend to strengthen the drunkard's appetite is not easy to detei^mine, however, it is probable that such solid food may require a large quantity of fluids to render it soluble. — Let mothers feed their children with catnip, and then, although they all die of colic, you will be innocent. But what part does the father act in this tragedy 1 Why, no booncr could jfT y m V 81 licen drinking, the chikl walk thtin the father, after he l»aa gave it the bottom of the glass, meelencd in the most enchanting manner, and the driinkard'.s appetite was confirmed. If the author of tiiis sentence meant that the child did eat the bottom of the glass, there can be little doubt that such food would irritate the intestines, exciting a greater or less degree of inflamation and fever, and would naturally produce thirst. - But I have, perhaps, misapprehended the meaning of our author, for he says the bottom of the glass was sweetened in the most enchanting manner, it would rather appear from this, that the father had been in a playful humour, for every person who understands the English language knows that it is with music only that an instrument can be sweetened to pro- duce any thing like enchantment. Had the author meant that it was sugar, or molasses, or honey, &c., which was used, he would have employed the word enticing, not enchanting.— But it is well known that glasses, under dexterous management, do actually produce something like enchanting music. But it is not easy t. comprehend how any propensity to drunkenness should arise from such a playf d, and apparently innocent pastime of the parent. But still we are told, gravely told, that in this manner the drunkard's appetite was confirmed.— «' And before the heedless youth had hardly entered upon manhood, he stumbled into the drunkard's grave, and was covered up, and his destroyers were glad ; forget him." The plain English of this sentence is, that at soiue period previous to the time wtienthis youth, after being fed with tea-spoons and the bottoms of glasses, entered upon manhood, he had the misfortune to stumble into a grave which had been opened for the remains of the drunkard well known in the neighbourhood. This was an accident, and rendered truly alarming, from his having been covered up in the grave. But we are not told who covered him up, neither are we told by what means he M A: t> V^> ^.r,% 0/ ^.^%%% IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) s? J'^'l^^. 1.0 I.I 1.25 ■- IIIIIM |50 1.8 U ill 1.6 ••- ^%< Photographic Sdeices Corporation # r.> >^^ \ ^^t '<> 23 WIST MAu4 STkeeT WEnSTER.N.Y. 14SeO (7i6) 872-4503 .^^ ^'h 82 got out of this perilous situation, but it is evident he did get out, for this happened before he arrived at manhood, and yet be did attain to this period of life. His destroyers were glad to forget him. But who were his destroyers *? You cannot suppose his parents were, for they appear to have possessed the feelings of parents ? You cannot suppose the tea-spoon, the bottom of the glass, and the drunkard^s grave were so, for they had no memory 1 Neither were those who covered him up in the grave his destroyers, for it is evident he survived this accident and attained to manhood ? But as it is tiic criticism of principle, and not of language, in which I am engaged, I shall follow this subject no farther. In the last sentence of the quotation from T. B. it is said, *«let the customs of society be changed, and each individual unite with others, to touch not, taste not, and handle not," the abominable thing, and the evil will be done away. I have already shown that the customs of society, here alluded to, are sanctioned by the highest authority, and have been almost uni- versal since the earliest ages, and must, therefore, be founded in the very constitution of our nature, and cannot be changed without petting at nought the commandments which have been quoted from scripture on this head. But suppose this custom to be done away, and what would be the result 1 Where will you find hospitality if you banish from society that very element which God has expressly given to cheer our hearts and enliven our intercourse. The use of alcoholic liquor opens our heart to our friends, and extends the arm to welcome the stranger. I trust I have now proved that the system adopted by the absolutes is directly contrary to ihe scripture doctrine of hospitality, and, therefore, can claim no higher origin than a commandment of sordid men. 83 H 1 *> >-' LECTURE V. REMARKS ON THE INTRODUCTION OF ALCOHOLIC LlftOURS-ON THE FUTURE PROSPECTS OF THOSE WHO ARE SOBER AND TEMPERATE IN THE t3^ OF THEM-AND SHOWING THE DOCTRINES OF THE TEMPER- ANCE SOCIETY TO BE A DUlECr INSULT TO THE HOLY ONE OF ISRAEL. Before entering upon the still more awfully momentuous doctrines of the T. B., we shall relax for a little and beat them out of a few of their less important positions. And first, we shall consider what is said regarding the time when alcoholic liquors came into use. T. B., Traffic m Ardent Spirits, page 1, it is written, " All men lived without ardent spirits, and all the business of the world was conducted without it for four thousand years." T. B. Alarm to Distillers, page 2, it is written, "Ardent spirits is not needed as an article of living. In the first ages of the world, when human life was protracted to hundreds of years, it was unknown. T B National Circular, page 2. it is written, " All the world lived without it, and all the business of the world was conducted without it for more than five thousand years." It does appear strange that the authors ot these three books in the T. B. should agree in ^^^'^ ^^^»^^"^^/^ ^^J^^ Antideluvians being unacquainted with the use of alcoholic tuor and yet give us no hint whatever of the source from Xn;e they derived theirinformation. Do their family records TeaHh m back to so remote agesi Do their national I'lr^es unfold to them that milk and water, only, were used a table before the flood 1 But, supposing the Antideluvians M * '1 Si were unacquainted with alcoholic liquor, and that the same state of society could now be introduced which then prevailed, would the absolutes be satisfied 1 h it not said of the whole of that generation, as of one man, that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually ; and is the character of the present generation worse than that of being evil continually 1 If alcoholic liquors were unknown before the general deluge, how comes it then that Noah, so soon after getting out of the ark, undertook the labour of planting a vineyard, and, with all possible speed, converted its produce into alcoholic liquor ? Did he know this process before the flood, or did he stumble upon the whole by accident ? The rational conclusion certainly is, that he was neither unacquainted with the cultivation of the vine, nor yet a stranger to the use of. wine. Besides, when he offered burnt offerings of every clean beast and fowl to the Lord, when he came out of the ark, is it not reasonable to suppose that he accompanied them with a meat offering, and also with a drink offering of wine, as was afterwards appointed by special commandment to Moses ; if so, that wine must have been made before the flood. We have no direct account, giving us data, to decide with certainty, what were the particular kinds of drink used before the flood. But there can be no doubt, that they were in the habit of using drink, in all probability powerfully stimulating, for the Saviour, to whom the beginning and the end are ever present, says, Matt. XXIV, 38, "For, as in the days that were before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying, and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark." Now, unless the absolutes can prove that the drink, here mentioned, was not alcoholic liquor, then their assertions, in this particular also, go directly in the face of the Saviour's declaration. It certainly would be prudent, at least, to build no theory on premises so extremely doubtful. 85 We shall now briefly consider what is said in the T. B. regarding the futnre prospects of those who are sober and temperate in the use of alcoholic liquor. T. B. Traffic in Ardent Spirits, page 18, it is written, "Multitudes, there is reason to believe, are now wailing beyond the reach of hope through the influence of ardent spirits ; anfl multitudes more, if men continue to furnish it as a drink, especially sober men, will go down to weep and wail with them to endless ages." — Is it indeed so, that sober men must go down to the pit of ever- lasting destruction, to ween and wail for ever, because they liave continued sober, wljlle the means of drunkenness was within their reach ? Certainly there is no passage of Sacred Scripture which authorises the conclusion, that the Sovereign Judge wili condemn any of the human race for having resisted the temptations to which they are exposed in this life. No ; the Judge of all the earth will do right, whatever insinuations the worthy Doctor may have thrown out to the contravy. In the book last quoted, page 23, it is written, " Alcoholic drink brings down multitudes, who were never intoxicated, and never condemned to suffer the penalty of the civil law, to an untime- ly grave." How multitudes should be brought to an untimely grave by alcoholic liquor, who never were intoxicated, is incomprehensible to us, as no case of the kind has ever come within our knowledge, and as the Doctor has not stated how it takes place, we look upon it as a mere gratuitous assertion, although regularly preached up as a prominent doctrine of the T. B. Again, T. B., Eifects of Ardent Spirits, page 17, it is written, " That man who, in health, drinks one glass to make him feel better, is just so much of a drunkard ; one-sixth if it takes six glasses to intoxicate him. He has one-sixth of the material of a drunkard in his constitution. But it is this moderate use of ardent spirits which produces all the excess. It is this which paves the way to downright and brutal intoxi- ^1 li 80 cation." We must confess our ignorance of the science of the fiBctional calculation of a sin, or of a sinner. Is there such a thing as the sixth part of a drunkard, the sixth part of a thief, the sixth part of a liar, or the sixth part of an hypo- crite 1 If so, how is their everlasting destination to be fixed 1 But certainly no such calculation is any where hinted at in the word of God. It is true, moderate use of alcoholic liquors generally precedes the abuse, but it does not imply the abuse. Neither is the abuse a necessary consequence of the use, any more than vice is a necessary consequence of virtue, otherwise that Just and Holy Being, who permitted the use, can never condemn the abuse. But it may, perhaps, be said again, that all use is abuse, which is directly contrary to the whole tenor of sacred scripture. To every one, even but slightly acquainted with the science of law, it must appear as evident as the light of noonday, that the very statute which condemns the abuse sanctions the use. Again T. B. appeal to American youth, page 4, it is written, " It is a solemn consideration which must have great weight with such as reverence the Bible, that even moderate drinking may for ever exclude the saving influ- ences of the Holy Spirit." We certainly do not recollect one single passage in the word of God which gives the slightest countenance to the idea contained in the passage now quoted. Nay, we defy all the temperance societies on the face of the earth to prove the truth of this assertion by Scripture, unless according to their custom they wrest it from its connection, and make it speak a language which was never intended by the Holy Spirit who at first dictated that word. In short if this position can be proven from scripture, what a mass of inconsistency would the word of God then present to the reflecting mind. Were not the - 87 Jews specially commanded to cat, and drink, and rejoice when they assembled before the Lord to keep their appoint- ed feasts, and expressly permitted to drink on these occa- sions, either wine, or strong drink, or whatever their soul lusted after. Were they not commanded in the law of Moses, to bring the strong wine of their drink offering with every sacrifice, that the Priests, and the Levites might be supplied with that article abundantly, and they were per- mitted to use it, excepting when they went into the taber- nacle of the congregation. There can be no doubt from many passages in the New Testament that the Saviour himself used such drink as was common among the Jews, at the time when he was personally with them. He also commanded his Apostles to use it, when he said "Into whatever house ye enter, in the same house remain eating and drinking such things as they give." Besides he com- manded the use of it to remain in the church to the end of the world, whenever his people assemble to commemo- rate his dying love. Paul also commanded his beloved Timothy to drink moderately, when he said drink no longer water, but use a little wine &c. And were all these things done, that the saving influences of the Holy Spirit, might be excluded from the church, and the people of God. Such a thought is too revolting for the mind of the christian to dwell on. In the last quoted book, page 8, it is written " far more than thirty thousand are annually slain by moderate drink- ing." That far more than thirty thousand individuals are annually slain by moderate drinking in the United States of America, does certainly appear alarming to those who do not know how this amount is made up. Every individ- ual who docs not subscribe the temperance pledge is sus- 8S peeled to be intemperate, and no sooner is he known to take a single glass of alcoholic liquor than he is entered upon the list of the intemperate, and when he dies, his name stands upon the roll of those who have died fiom the eftects of alcoholic liquor. But a roll taken upon such data, can scarcely be considered as an authentic account of the ef- fects of intemperance. T. B. Monster destroyed, page 11, it is written " Good says the Demon (viz. Intemperance) growling in his den, that is all I want. The doctrine of prudent use is the basis of my kingdom." We have an objection to this doc- trine, and the answer to it in these words, page 12, " prudent use can do no hai-m, and prudent use does not keep intem- perance in the land. These are the strong holds of the Monster, and these must be broken down. Let me ask, where is the doctrine of the prudent use of alcoholic liquors taught, and by whom V* The Reverend author of this book, could not be ignorant, if he had studed his Bible, as we cannot doubt he did, that the doctrine of the prudent use of alcoholic liquor was taught in that holy Book, and taught too by the Spirit of God himself. This supposed which we cannot reasonably deny, it follows that he con- sidered the Bible to be the basis of intemperance, the strong hold of the Monster drunkenness, and consequently that it must be broken down. In short the Bible is now the only barrier against the leaven of absolutism, spreading its dead- ly influence into all the springs of civilized society. Could they remove this stumbling-block out of their way, they might carry their standard with a high hand, lording it over the consciences of the simple, but so long as it is not remo- ved they can never finally triumph. I am aware it may still be said that these are only assertions affording no proof 89 that the doctrine of prudent use of alcoholic liquor- is taught in the word of God. To obviate this objection, it will only be necessary to adduce a few passages. Eccl. ii, 24, " There is nothing better for a man, than that he should eat and drink, and that he should make his soul enjoy good in his labour ; this also I saw that it was from the hand of God." Eccl. IX, 7, " Go thy way, eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a merry heart, for God now accepteth thy works." Eccl. x, 17, " Blessed art thou O land when thy king is the son of nobles, and thy princes eat in due season, for strength and not for drunkenness." — These, with many other quotations which have already been made, show, evidently, that the doctrine of prudent use is taught in the word of God, in the fullest and clearest manner. Although there are still many of the doctrines contained in the T. B. which have not yet been brought before you, and which are worthy of being exposed, still, lest these Lectures should be considered a weariness to any one, we shall limit our observations to one other class of doctrines, namely, to those which appear to he a direct insult offered to the Holy One of Israel. In setting this doctrine before you I shall make liberal extracts from the T. B., and limit the remarks upon them as much as possible. T. B. Traffic in Ardent Spirits, page 16, it is written,^ " A single glass a day is enough to keep multitudes of men, under the full blaze of the gospel, from ever experiencing its illuminating influence and purifying power. Those who use it, thorofovo, are taking the direct course to destroy ' 90 their own souls ; and those who furnish it, arc taking the course to destroy the souls of their fellow men." In reply to this quotation I have only to remark, that it is not possi- ble to determine, by any general rule, what quantity of alcoholic liquor is perfectly safe for every individual to take. . But this we hesitate not to affirm, that if any one is mjured by the use of a single glass, he is as guilty as those who are injured to the same extent, by any quantity however great. It is the eifect produced, and not the quantity by which it is produced, that will be considered chiefly by the Judge of all the earth. The man who has either his bodily faculties, or his mental powers injured, by a single glass, taken either every day, or occasionally, ought on no occa- sion or on no account to take so much. But it L the latter part of the above quotation which deserves our attention. We deny altogether that the use of alcoholic liquor excludes the grace of God, or destroys, as a natural consequence, the human soul. Such a declaration is a direct insult to the Saviour, who taught, by hiii example, the use of alcoholic liquor, and who enjoined his followers to use it when set before them. Is it not a direct insult offered also to the Holy Spirit, who guided Paul in writing his epistles, and who, under this direction, said to Timothy, " Use a little wine for thy stomach's sake and thine often infirmi- ties " Is it not a gross insult to the Saviour to affirm, as it is affirmed in the foregoing quotation, that those who furnish alcoholic liquor are taking the course to destroy the souls of thQir fellow men? The very first miracle which the Saviour wrought, to prove himself to be the Redeemer of man, was the conversion of water into alcoholic liquor, and is he on this account to be pointed to as the enemy, not the friend of man 1 Is not such an assertion, an insult to his wisdom, as well as to W benevolence, and cndea.ou^ ''^ V >^- { 01 Ing to hold him up to tho worM clothed in the garb of thd hypocrite ? Do the absolutes not know that man is a rational and an accountable creature, endowed by his maker with knowledge and judgment, and reason sufficient, when enlightened by the word of God, to guide him m all these things 1 Besides, if every means of tfansgressmg the law of God were removed, where then would be the trial of our faith and virtue, this life would no longer be a 8ta' 1 of probation 1 Again, in the t. B., Traffic in Ardent Spirits, page 90, it is written, " And unless members of the church shall cease to teach, by their business, that fatal error, that it is right for men to buy and use ardent spirits as a drink, the evil will never be eradicated, intemperance will never cease, and the day of millennial glory never come." The author of this sentence openly asserts, as if by prophetic inspiration, that the millenium will never come, while members of the church continue to deal in, and to use alcoholic liqUors. But, if he wishes us to understand this as prophetic, we have no hesitation in saying* that he must have been under the influence of a lying spirit. For He, who is the Lord God of the holy prophets, says, in Mark's gospel, xvii, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, " And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Soh of Man. They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot ; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted," they builded ; but the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it -ained fire and brimstone from heaven and ^ I i .« 92 destroyed them all. Even thus shall it be when the Son of Man is revealed." But wc know that the niilleniuni will precede the second coming of the Son of Man, there- fore the assertion in the T. B. is a Hat contradiction of the Saviour's declaration, giving him the lie ; and who will not say that this i^ an insult to the blessed Jesus { Besides, from the above quotation, it is evident, upon our Lord's own authority, that men, even to the end of the world, will continue to cat and drink, to marry, to buy, to sell, to plant, and to build. It is also worthy of observation here, that the Saviour does not enumerate the vices either of the Antideluvians, or of the citizens of Sodom ; no, he nien- tions only those enjoyments, and those pursuits, m which men have been engaged and shall continue to bo engaged in every stage of his church and in every age oi the world. From this passage it is as clear as the light of noon-day, that the Saviour regards the use of alcoholic liquor to be as innocent as eating, or marriage, or buying, or selling, or planting, or building, and whatcvei men may say to the contrary, it will not alter his mind, and whatever individu- als, or societies may do to banish it from the earth, they cannot change his purpose, that it shall remain among the children of men till the end of the world, till the last hour of time. It is for the absolutes then to consider, whether, by rallying rotmd the standard of absolute abstinence, they are not opposing themselves to the God of heaven, and endeavouring to thwart the counsels of the eternal. Traffic in Ardent Spirits, T.B., page 22, it is written, " It is the selling of that which is a real, a subtle and a very destructive poison ; a poison which, by men in health, can- not be taken without deranging healthy action, and inducing, more or less, disease, both of body and mmd ; k >v— k ^^■~ ' 93 which is, when taken in any (luanlily, positively hurtful ; and which is, of course, forbidden by the word of God."— The author of this quotation boldly asserts, that ardent spirits arc a very destructive poison, and positively hurtful, and consequently forbidden in the word of God. But it has been shown, in a former lecture, that the use bocU of wine and of strong drink are directly sanctioned in the word of God. It has also been shown that the prophet Zechariah, ix, 17, after looking forward in the visions of the Lord, to the ages of the christian churchy was led by the Spirit of God, to hail with holy rapture the introduction of that very drink, which is here represented as poisonous, and hurtful, and forbidden in the word of God ; for he says, " How great is his goodness, and how great is his beauty! Corn shall make the young men cheerful, and new wino the maids." If the author of the above sentence from tho T B was aware of this declaration of the prophet, his language can be regarded in no other light than an insult to Him by whose spirit the prophet was guided. But since ardent spirits are not only not forbidden, but represented m that holy word as a proof of the great goodness and great beauty of God, it follows, according to the Doctor's own mode of reasoning, that what he has said regarding ardent spirits, is altogether false. Having thus shown that the premises assumed by this author are altogether false, it would only be a waste of time to follow him through all his erroneous conclusions. T. 13. Rewards of Drunkenness, p. 4, it is written " sepa- rate yourself, then, utterly from the ensnaring sin, (viz: drunk- enness.) Touch not, taste noi, handle not." In Entire ABSTiNENCE is your only safety. This persevered in you shall never fall. Wherever and however the temptation is pre- sented, " avoid it—- turn from it and pass away." 04 Men have been found wicked enough to write stitlres and parodies on the word of God, but perhaps there never was yet found in print, such un insult offered to infinite ivisdom, nnd such a direct contradiction given to the Sa^ vbiu's injunctions, as that wl:ich is contained in this short quotation. To say that entire abstinence is your only safe- ty against drunkenness, is :o say that there is no safe guard against it in the word of God. In short it is tantamount to saying, that God has dug the pit of destruction large and deep, on the public haunts of men, and surrounded it with many fascinations, and strewed it over with flowers, that the un- wary travellers on life's journey, may be allured, and fall there- into and perish forever. Awful reflection this against the be- nevolent God of our salvation. If the pit of destiuction is dug for the drunkard, God has fenced it round with the terrors of hell and suspended over it the lamp of the Lord, to show every one who approaches near thereunto, the awful horrors of that drpadful place, and written all around it, in letters of everburn- ing sulphur, the endless and inconceivable misery of those who shall fall thereinto ; yet still he is slanderously represented by this author, to have left it open, and without either fence or guard. Again, the Saviour said to his apostles when he sent them before his face, as recorded in Luke's gospel x, 5, 6, 7, * And into whatsoever house ye enter — in the same house re- main, eating and drinking such things as they give.' But the author of the above quotation, says " avoid it, turn from it, and pass away." No language cau be a flatter contradiction of the Saviour than this. It not only gives him the lie, but puts a ne- gative upon his positive injunction. And is this not an "atvult to the holy one of Israel 1 Again, the Saviour has coinmand- ed that wine shall be on his table to the end of the world ; and he has rJso commanded all hia people to drink of U when seat- ed before him. But the absolutes say to th?ir disci])k\s. V m ■* 05 « wherever and however alcoholic liquor is presented, avoid it, turn from it and pass away." Is not this a positive prohibi- tion to every disciple of the absolutes from becon)ing disciples of the Lord Jesus T Are they not hereby prohibited from yielding obedience to the dying command of the Lord Jesus Christ 7 Are they not hereby commanded, so soon as the symbols of the broken body and shed blood of the Lord Jesus are placed upon his table, to avoid it, to turn from it, and pass away ] If this is not contradicting and in- sulting the Saviour, what is contradiction, and what is insult 1 If this" is not heresy, what constitutes that deadly sin, which condemns its votaries to the drunkard's penalties, and the drunkard's society throughout the circle of eternity 1 T. B. Well conducted Farm, p. 11, it is written, ♦' There is tremendous guilt somewhere. And it is a truth, which ought to press with overwhelming force upon the mind of eve- ry sober man, that a portion of this guilt rests upon every one who, with a knowledge of facts continues the totally mnecessa- ry and awfully permcious practice of taking ardent spirits.— Each individual ought, without delay, in the view of eternity, to clear himself, and neither by precept nor example, ever again encourage, or even connive at this deadly evil." In answer to this quotation, we would remark in the first place, that there is tremendous guilt attachable to every self- rightecjs sinner, who, clothing himself in the cloak cf hypocri- sy, dares to attach a portion of the drunkard's guilt, to all who obey the apostolic injunction, « to use the world as not abus- ing it." In the second place, we wonld remark, that the use of ardent spirits is not an awfully pernicious practice. The bare supposition ofthe contrary, is an insult to the Spirit of the Lord, who speaking by the prophet Zechariah, hailed the m im^ ii mw^^^ * ^^ ^^ ti ^i' i fit' m ' m^ 'i^^ 9G introduction of ardent spirits, as a proof of the great goodness and great beauty of the Lord God of Israel In the last place we would say, that '«each indiv.dua ought w. h- out delay, in view of eternity to clear himself, and neith- er by precept nor example, ever again encourage, or even connive at this deadly eviP'-Soeiety founded .n error and supported by heresy. For we again affirm that .t is so because no man who is a consistent member of it can obey the Lord's commandment, "into whatsoever house ye enter _in it remain eating and drinking such things as ihey give And is it not insultinix to the Lord to set at noug.it even the least of his commandments, by the traditions and the com- mandmcnts of men, and to call that a deadly ev.1 wh.ch he has enjoined. This appears to be nothmg less than repre- senting the Saviour as the author of sin. T B Effects of ardent spirits, page 11, it is written, « Ardent spirits are "the greatest curse that ever God inflicted on the world, and may well be called the seven v.als of h.s ,vrath. There is nothing, not even the shadow of a virtue to rescue them from universal and everlasting execration. 1 he animus in thU quotation is too obvious to require alniost any thing said to point it out. The passage m the Prophet Zechariah which already has been adduced more than once teaches us to regard ardent spirits as a manifestation of the ,reat goodness and beauty of the Lord to the children of men. But our author gives God the lie to his face and tells him ihat they are the greatest curse he ever inflicted on the world and tl Jthey have not even the shadow of a virtue to rescue them from universal, and everlasting execration. f this is not contradicting, and blaspheming, what constitutes that smj But have ardent spirits not the shadow of a vntuc, as affirmed in this quotation! Have they not the virtue of exhilarating 97 the animal spirits, and of making glad the heart of man, as well as other alcoholic liquors. But it is because they possess thjp very virtue in a high degree, and at a price which brings them within the reach of every one, which caused our author to consign them to everlasting execration, and denounce them as the greatest curse that ever God inflicted on the world. In Psalm civ. 15, God claims to himself the honour of causing the earth to bring forth wine, that maketh glad the heart of man. He too brings forth from the same store>house all the other varieties of alcoholic liquors, and for the same pur- pose. If it is 8ii honour to God to give wine to make glad the heart of man, is it a dishonour for him to give other alco- holic liquors, which have a still more powerful tendency to produce the same effect, and at a price which excludes none from occasionally enjoying this gift of his bounty ? All the gifts of God's providence are good v/hen properly used, and therefore should call forth our gratitude to him, but they are all hurtful, and degrading to those by whom they are abused, and therefore call forth the exercise of our reason, and our judgment to direct us in the enjoyment of them. But if this exercise of the faculties which God has given us is neglected, and his gifts are abused, no man in the use of his reason would on that account call the gifts of his God an accursed thing. If ardent spirits nre really what the absolutes repre- sent them to be, a very destructive poison and the greatest curse that ever God inflicted on the world, it must be evident to every one that the execration imprecated in the above quotation is applicable to God, and not to the ardent spirits. To bring the truth of this view clearly before your minds — suppose that a skilful Physician, knowing well the deleterious properties of ar caic, should give a quantity of it to a child in a present, saying, that it was of the very best quality, and that this child should take some of the arsenic into Us stomach, and ■^1 yfl I ' . ^j^SXlS.^-^^ii.^\. ■-f.^-.t^M 1] 98 thereby destroy its life, you would never once think of con- signing the arsenic to universal and everlasting execration, but the Physician by whom it was given. In like manner the curse so heavily imprecated in the above quotation, is applica- ble not to the ardent spirits, if they are what the absolutes re- present them, but to him by whom they are given, that is, to God. It is our duty to be on our guard against all, whether individuals, or societies, who would touch us either by their precepts or example, to hold in execration, either the God ot providence, or the gifts of providence. T. B. Effects of Ardent Spirits, page 17, it is written. « He who advises men not to drink to excess, may lop off the branches : he who advises them to drink only on certain oc- casions, may fell the trunk ; but he who tells them not to drink at all, strikes and digs deep for the roots of the hideous vice of intemperance ; and this is the only course to pursue." It is plain from this sentence that the absolutes take great credit to themselves for the depth of their wisdom, in having devised a scheme for banishing intemperance from the earth, which God had never promulgated, namely, by digging deep and removing every fibre that can produce drunkenness. We would gladly have passed in silence this arrogance on the part of the absolutes, had they not exalted their wisdom, above the wisdom of God. He who advises men not to drink to excess is none other than God. Throughout the whole of the sacred volume wherever this subject is mtto- duced, not to drink to excess iS all that God enjoins on man in ordinary cases, and the neglect of this injunction incurs - heavy displeasure. But the absolutes say, this is only to lop ott the branches, thus making their own wisdom and benevolence, jMiperior to the wisdom and benevolence of God. But since i^ ■I I ^ 1 -« 1 ^ -. * «9 God has only prohibited the excess, thereby sanctiouiiig the use, I would ask the absolutes upon what authority they found their system of super-divine perfection, calling upon men to renounce what God has granted them permission to use 1-- One thing is evident, that it is not founded on the word of God, and therefore cannot tend to his glory. T. B. Appeal to American Youth on Temperance, p. 3, it b written, '' Thus it was said of him, who was honored to an- nounce the Saviour^s advent. ' he shall be great in the sight ot the Lord, And shall drink neither wine nor strong drmk. In the view of omniscience, then, true greatness is associated with entire abstinence from this artificial stimulus.'* It may perhaps appear captious to object to any part of the above quotation, still we cannot pass it over in silence. We readily acknowledge the greatness of John, for we have the au- thority of the Saviour himselt; Matt, xi, 11, that "among them that are born of women, there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist." We have also the authority of scripture that he drank neither wine nor stiong drink. But we have, also, the declaration of John himself regarding Christ's greatness, when he says in John's gospel i. 27, « Whose shoe's latchet I am not worthy to unloose." We have, also, the corroborating evidence of the Saviour, that "he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is grec> - than John the Baptist." How infinitely great- . er then is Jesus, whom all the kingdom of heaven worship and obey, than John, who was less than the least in the kingdom of heaven. Was not, Christ Jesus then, and not John the Baptist, the individual in the above quotation from the T. B., who was truly great 1 But Christ used alcoholic liquor, therefore « in the view of omniscience, true greatness is associated with the use of alcoholic liquor, and not with enUre absUnence. Is it =3 U 100 not an insult to Christ, that his example should, not only be concealed as if polluted, but that the example of one so infinite- ly inferior, and who himself was not even a christian, should be held up for the imitation of christians, in preference to his holy and perfect example 1 Besides our case is not at all analogous to that of John the Baptist ; for (Jod commanded befoie he was conceived in the womb, that he should neither drink wine nor strong drink, his abstinence was indeed a matter of indivi- dual and positive duty, not of choice. 1 would ask the abso- lutes then if the Rev. Author of the above quotation, deals hon- estly with the Scriptures, and with the world, even them- selves being judge ? But dishonest dealing with the word of God is even worse than the traffic in ardent spirits. T. B. Monster Destroyed, p. 9, it is written, " We talk of our religion, and weep over the delusions of the false prophet, and the horrors of Juggernaut, but a more deceitful prophet is in our churches than Mahomet, and a more deadly idol than Juggernaut, rolls through our land, crushing beneath its wheels our sons, and our daughters." This sentence is too revolting to enable us to believe, that the author of it, expressed what he himself meant. We as christians do mourn over the delusions of the false prophet, and also, over the absolutes, who so strenuously endeavour to m- graft one of his peculiar doctrines, upon the gospel of Christ ; but that there is in the christian church a more deceitful pro- phet than Mahomet, we utterly deny. Christ Jesus is the pro- phet, as well as the priest, and king of the christian church ; and is he who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth, more deceitful than Mahomet the impostor. True it is, that Christ not only used alcoholic liquor himself, but also perpetu- ated the use of it in his church, from which Mahomet debared *-«. 101 his followers, but wc dare not on that account to make a com- parison between the basest of men, and the Lord of glory, or haviag made the comparison, we dare not give the preference to him, in whom there was no truth, over the blessed Jesus, who is the way, the truth, and the life, without being guilty of the grossest blasphemy. T. B. Arguments against ardent spirits, p. 23, « Again : I ask the men whom I am addressing, (viz : distillers, retailers and farmers) how they reconcile their manufacture, and sale of spisits, with another command of the bible 1 « Woe unto him that giveth his neighbor drink, that puttest thy bottle to him, and makest him drunken also, that thou mayest look on their nakedness.' True, this applies most emphatically to the retailer of si»irits ; but what would the retailer do if there were no distillery : and what could the distiller do if the farmer with- held the materials 1 All these men are engaged directly or indirectly in giving their neighbours drink." Is it not strange how the absolutes should make the pas- sage of scripture in this quotation to be directly applicable to distillers, retailers, and farmers, who are engaged in the pro- duction, and distribution of ardent spirits, since they so fre- quently maintain, that not one word is said in the bible, regard- ing ardent spirits 1 But giving up this objection, we would re- mark, that this passage of scripture, does not implicate, as a matter of necessity, any of those who are hereby represented in the process of production, and supply of ardent spirits. It ap-. plies directly, and only to those, whatevertheir occupation may be, who, under the cloak of friendship or hospitality, or any oth- er pretext whatever, urge their neighbors to excess in alcoholic liquor, that they may gain some undue advantage over them and thereby injure them in their property, or in their persons, 102 or 'n their reputation. But it is to another part of the quota- tion that your attention is more particularly required. It is said, " What could the retailer do, if there were no distillery ; and* what could the distiller do, if the farmer withheld the materials 1" You must see clearly from this, that the farmer, without whose aid the whole process must stop, is pointed at both here and in other parts of the T. B., as the most culpable of the whole. You are all aware, when the farmer has thrown his grain into the earth, he can do no more. It is God who blesseth the springing thereof, it is God who giveth the increase, He, therefore, according to the above reasoning, is the most culpable of all, and consequently the woe in the above quotation is most applicable to him by whom it was pro- nounced. This is evidently pointing to God as the author of sin, which is insulting to Him. T. B. Scripture arguments for Temperance, page 6, it is written, « The use of this liquor is inconsistent with the proper inHuence of christian example. The Saviour says. « let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father to/io is in Heaven.' But, will men esteem christians the more for drinking, and thus be led to glorify God on their behalf ? Or, will the Saviour pmise them for this, when he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe 1 Rather, will not their drink- ing lead some to excess, and thus sully the Creator's work V In reply to this quotation we have to remark, that if chris- tians were commanded by their King and Head, to abstain from the use of alcoholic liquors, then the use of them in any manner, in any shape, or in any quantity, is directly and immutably inconsistent with the proper influence of christian example. But having pointed out so many falsehoods and so 103 many errors in the T. B., we have yet to learn whether the originators of the temperance scheme, and their lineal descen- dants, the absolutes, are really christians, and influenced by the example and commandments of Him whose name they have assumed. While we are ignorant of this, we may oppose their views, and act contrary to their mandates, and yet have no evidence that our use of alcoholic liquors is at all inconsis- tent with the proper influence of christian example. The passage of scripture here quoted, if we have any understand- ing in the word of God, shows that they have either no foun- dation whatever in that holy word for the scheme which they are pushing forward at all hazards, or that they have been culpably negligent in their selection of a passage to support their sweeping assertion. The passage quoted is the Saviour's command to his disciples, not to those whom he had more formally called, but to all who believed in him and followed him as the Saviour. What light then did he call upon them to show to the world, but that very light which they had seen in him 1 That firm and determined zeol for the glory of God which he had shown before them, and which no opposition could shake ; that unceremonious association with all who believed in him, which he had observed ; and that participation in the bounties ot providence, which should be set before them, in whatever society they should be placed, as he himself had set them the example. In short, the whole walk, conduct, and conversation of Jesus, in so tar as frail man can imitate him, was the light which they were enjoined to show forth before men. Wherefore, every unprejudiced man will esteem christians the more for drinking, while they do so according to the example, and ir * ^dience to the commandment of our Lord. Are we not commanded to rejoice with them that do rejoice, as well as to weep with them that weep 1 Suppose we f 104 were to go to the house of mourning, aud while there, to show no evidence whatever of sympathising with them m their distress, would this be imitating the example of Jesus, at the tomb of Lazarus 1 would this lead them to glorily God on our behalf! Again, if we were to go to the house of rejoicmg, and while there, morosely refuse to partake with them of those things which God has given expressly to make glad the heart of man. and thus throw gloom over their joy. would this lead them to glorify God on our behalf] No. It would induce men who had no practical experience of godliness, to look upon Christianity as inconsistent with the innocent enjoyment of the present life, and thus lead them to shun the company, and despise the professions of the christian. There is an in- sinuation in this quotation, that the Saviour will not approve of his followers when he eomes in his glory to judge the world, who imitate his example in this respect. But the Holy Saviour will never distpprove of his people for having imitated his example, nor yet for having obeyed his precept. He is neither mutable in his conntels nor changeable in his purposes. He will not only approvs of others for giving us what is here con- demned, but he will also approve of us the more, for giving it to others who believe in his name. This is evident, trom the very reasons which he assigns for the sentence of approba- tion which he is to pronounce on his people, when he comes as alluded to in the above quotation. The absolutes are there- fore professing themselves to be wiser than their Judge, and presuming to dictate to him, other grounds for regulating hia discussions, than those which he himself has already laid down. Is this, then, not an insult to him who is infinite m wisdom, and immutable in all his decrees ? To say then, that the Lord's people, by doing what their Lord himself has taught, both by his precepts and by his example, will lead others to sully his work, is a reflection upon himself, not upon his people. 106 Is he infinite in wisdom, and yet did he not foresee this, and U he infinite in benevolence, and yet did he not regard this ? No higher proof can be obtained of the error and the heresy of the doctrines, and the commandments of men, than their be- ing opposed to the wisdom and perfections, to the example and the precepts of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ ..ft LECTURE VL Showing that the doctrines ofTHETEMrERANcB socmTV area direct INSULT TO THE HOLY ONE OF ISRAEL. T. B. Scripture arguments for Temperance, page 7, it is written, "The use of ardent spirits is inconsistent with the harmony and brotherly love which Christ re- quires in his professed followers." He requires them to " love one another with a pure heart fervently ;" to "be all of one mind ;" to be " of one heart and one soul." But who does not see the utter impossibility of this, if some continue an indulgence which others regard with abhor- rence ? Since public attention has been turned to this subject, thousands have come to the conviction that drink- ing distilled liquor is a wicked as well as filthy practice. The most distinguished lights of the church, and all such as peculiarly adorn human nature, decidedly embrace this sentiment. And how can such have any thing like cordi- ality with those who continue a habit now so extensively viewed with disgust 1 Ah ! the man, however decent, who, in a day like this " will have his glass, not caring f t i i 100 whom he oflends," must have it ; but with it he must als** " have his reward." For, judging from his fruits, he hai nothing of the spirit of Christ, or of Paul. That holy apostle speaking on this very subject of appetite, says, "give uone offence, neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the church of God." And the Saviour says, whoso shall offend one of these little ones who believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck." That the use of ardent spirits is inconsistent with the harmony and brotherly love which Christ requires in his followers, we deny upon the grounds which have already been adduced. The Saviour's commands regarding brotherly love, unity, and unanimity are also misapplied in this place. What is said here is the same that has been said by the most heretical, and pestilential sects of professing christians, whose doctrines, and prac- tices have disgraced Christianity, and human nature ^K- But the more objectionable, and the more heretic! i. tenets are, of those who profess themselves to b- ciuid- tians, the more determinedly do they urge such passages as the abov3, in order to force men into their cage of foul birds. It If? not easy to conceive how the use of distilled liquors ?h oji'c' be c( . isidered a wicked, and a filthy practice by any but inc absolutes. All who allow the use of wine, thereby allow the use of alcohol. But it is generally ad- mitted that there is much more difficulty in obtaining wine free from adulteration, than ardent spirits, and this difficul- ty always increases in the direct ratio of the price of the wine above the price of ardent spirits. Still every onp knows that it is the alcohol, and not the watery part of the wine which gives it the quality of exhilaraiing the animal I 107 gpirits. Now, if this itimulent can be obtained purer in ardent spirits than in wine, wherein lies the wickedness of using iti And wherein Hes the filthiness of the practice 1 Is it not safer for every individual to mix his alcohol with what quantity of water, and sugar he thinks best, than to take into his stomach a mixture of which he neither knows the ingredients, nor the consequenresf That the most distinguished lights of the church, and all such as particularly adorn human nature decid- edly embrace the sentiment, that the use of distilled liquors is a wicked and a filthy practice, is not correct. Those men, in many instances, who have been the most active in pushing forward this scheme are found among those, who, leaving their first faiih have embraced the tenets of what is generally called the new light party, and who in not a few instances have brought upon themselves the displeasure and censure of the church by their perni- cious doctrines. Shall we say then that men who have been publicly ejected from the church, on account of their heretical doctrines, were its most distinguished lights, and particularly adorned human nature 1 We know well that such men can have little cordiality with us, even were we to join this society, unless we also became their disciples in all their heresies. But aie we to renounce our faith, or any article of it, in order to gain the cordial friendship aiid love of those whom we believe to be unsound in the faith I Again, it is said, Ah ! the man, however decent, who in aUay like this, " will have his glass, not canng whom he of- fends," must have U, but with it he must also "have his reward." What is " the day Uke this," to which our author particularly refers t Is it a day of peculiar religious lightl n» \i 108 O, no i the shadows of the morning are yet long in that land. By their o%vn showing, even in the most highly fa- voured situations, not more than one in four of the popula- tion are in any sense members of the christian church, un- der any denomination. And shall they presume to say that this child of ignorance and error is a proof of superior light 1 No. Error has ever been the offspring of igno- rance and superstition, not of superior light, and christian attainments. Judging from his works (says our author) he has none of the Spirit of Christ or of Paul. But did Christ court the cordial friendship of the Jewish doctors, or of the Pharisees, by shunning the company of publicans and sinners'? or did he court their friendship by observing the traditions of the elders, and the commandments of men, which they had engrafted upon the law 1 Did Paul en- deavour to secure the cordial friendship of the disciples who came to Antioch, and taught the people that they could not be saved by their faith in Christ, unless they were circumcised, and kept the law of Moses, by giving into their views, and adopting their errors ? We have al- ready shown, that the views and the doctrines of the ab- solutes are contrary to the word of God, consequently, we ought never to attempt securing their cordiality, by adopt- ing their errors. This was never taught by the apostle, nor practised by him. Would the christians at Ephesus have been innocent had they embraced the heresies of the Nicolaitans, in order to escape the charge of deficiency in christian love, and cordiality 1 Certainly not ; for Christ approves of them for withstanding, and condemning that heresy. » . . ^ -4 t I s^eOfamam 109 >.. w * In reply to the last part of the above quotation, it is worthy of remark, that the words of the Saviour therein used, were applied by way of rebuke, and caution to his disciples against spiritual pride, and teaching them, that true christian greatness consisted in humility, and child like docility. But in the very next verse he says, "Woe unto- the world because of offences, for it must needs be that offences come, but woe to that man by whom they come." . Let us then enquire by whom the offence has come in this instance, for without this knowledge wc know not to wLjm the Saviour's language is applicable. If the use of alcoholic liquor is an immorality, a violation of the will of God, then it follows as a natural consequence, that those who use it are giving just offence to the church, and • thereby incurring the displeasure of the Lord. But if, on the other hand, the use of alcoholic liquor is sanctioned in the word of God, it must follow as an equally natural consequence, that those by whom this use is prohibited are causing this offence, and not those who use it. — That the use of alcoholic liquor is not an immo- rality, but has received the highest sanction, and is consis- tent with the highest attainments in the christian life, has already been proved by the whole tenor of scripture, as well as by the example of our Lord and his apostles. — Those, therefore, who prohibit the use of these things as unholy and debasing, cannot be freed from the charge of giving the offence, and consequently exposing themselves to the penalty. But for men to follow their own imagina- tions, and teach their own commandments, and denounce all who do not imitate their example, are they not thereby insulting the Lord, and provoking him to displeasure 1 T. B. Scripture Arguments for Temperance, page 7, it is written, " The use of distilled liquors, in this day of no light, is incompatible with the 'ope of receiving any gene- ral effusion of the Holy Spirit. Christians are allowed to hope for the Holy Spirit to be poured out only in answer to prayer ; and only in answer to tr'ie, spiritual, believing prayer. * If they regard iniquity in their heart, the Lord will not hear them ' If they wilfully and habitually cherish any sin, they cannot have faith, and it is inconsistent to hope that God would show such approbation as to answer their prayers. Nay, is it not most solemn mockery for any to cry, ' Revive thy work, O Lord,' while, by example, they are perhaps seducing thousands to sin 1 Indeed, how odious the spectacle of a company assembled, professedly in the name of Christ, and looking toward heaven, but, in this posture of devotion, all breathing forth the foul, fiery element. This is literally offering strange fire before the Lord. And, instead of mercy, I hear Hi^ terrible remon- strance, ' Ye are a smoke in my nose, a fire that burneth all day.' I see the lightning of his anger ready to smite such impious mockers. It should never be forgotten that the miserable men whom the Almighty struck dead, when they 'offered strange fire,' were probably excited by liquor, as we infer from the fact, that His command never to taste any thing like strong drink, when about to enter the place of worship, was issued immediately after that awful visitation. O, how, without sin, can His pure spirit be invoked to descend and mingle His holy influences with that spirit which worketh only iniquity and death, and which pollutes the very air we breathe ]" I In answer to the first part of this quotation, in so far as it refers to the day of light, it is only necessary to refe r to what was said on that head under the preceding quota- tion. That the use of distilled liquors are incompatible Ill with the hope of receiving any general effusion of the Holy Spirit, has been replied to in a former lecture. It is evident, however, that we may both praise and glorify God by the use of these very liquors, otherwise they would have been excepted by the apostle when giving his general injunction, " Whether ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the praise and glory of God." But if it can be used to the praise and glory of God, as- we naturally infer from this injunction, it must be evident to every one, that it cannot be regarded as a sin, nor as an iniquity, neither is it inconsistent with believing spiritual prayer, and therefore may be used by the faithful in perfect accordance with the well grounded hope of God's gracious answer to our prayers. Consequently, while using this liquor, and not abusing it, we may cry, "Revive thy work, O Lord," without being guilty of any mockery, nay, even be pour- ing forth the prayer of faith, from a pious and devotional heart. II jt *a I r Our author says, " Indeed how odious the spectacle of a company assembled, professedly in the name of Christ, and looking toward heaven, but in this posture of devotion, all breathing forth the foul fiery element ! This is literally * offer- ing strange fire before the Lord.' " You will observe that all this, is directed against the use, not against the abuse of distilled liquors, consequently the com- pany here alluded to, are supposed to have been using, not abusing these things. It does not even suppose that any of their faculties, either bodily or mental, were in the least degree impaired by it. No, nothing more is supposed than this, that their breath discovered what they had been using, Yet in this state of perfect soundness both of body and mind, assembled BaMWMatini r . i -ii i <8» i m i i«ftlb''rMW«Mlttl l t ' '. I ? 112 rni -of ur^A lookine toward heaven, in a posture ',n the name of Chnst, ^"^^'^^^^^^^^^^^ ^^^^.^ ,„d represen- of devotion, they are called ^'^^^''''''^^"^^^ down the ted .s offering strange fire to the L^^^^^^^^^ ^r;^;;^ ^^^^,^^3. lightning of God's anger, t— ^^^^^^^^ .„,,p,cable If this is really the case ; then »"^y ^ ^^^^ ^,^. r^s^y^^'^f^^t^ our hope. rable. Do we. look to Jesus as me lou and to his p,-ecep.s, and to »«. example as ^^^ » ^^ of our lives, in all we say, and m all we do, and je y J the one, and imitating the other, ^ ^ *"t„d forbid.i ourselves justly obnoxious to h« ^'^f^'^er was set before But did not J-»^!'■'"tLCbv whi" ^ entertained 1 h;„ by the hospitaWy ot those by whom he ^^^^ ^^ ^"'°^7\h:: rvero^i-Lt o^^..sedto partie^^^^^^ Totso mueh for their salces, (as has already been shown,) as r Le who should live in other ages o^ ;» c ur h. He ;:'::r SlLn.aUen>to^ , . ^r like the spirit of the devil operating in the.r hearts, an^breaite^" -'- ""' ^"'^' "" '"f I"' and hv»e isy, and preparing his people for reeeiving only h,s and hypoorsy, au v p °. ^„,„ed us of our danger I to form of His ''«"«™'° . christian duty, and sents this very use, as unfitting us '»' /\«'7 ^ treasuring up for ouraelves the «"* "f^"^' ~j ',,„„. trine utterly repugnant to the revealed will of G«l, and «vo ing to the mind of man. What are we then to think of n. I (%. 113 self'righteous presumption, and blasphemous arrogance of the individual, or the society who can say to those who use distilled liquors, although attentive to religious duties, ''Instead of mercy I hear his terrible remonstrance, ' Ye are a smoke ia my nose, a fire that burneth all day V I see the lightning of his anger ready to smite such impious mockers." It is against those who presume to approach a throne of grace, or look devoutly to heaven, after using distilled liquors, that our author hears this remonstrance, and sees this lightning of the Lord directed. But, as our Lord's injunction to his disciples was general, without a single exception ; and as he knew that distilled liquors would be in very general use in his church, it follows, as a necessary consequence, that they were sanctioned by the Saviour. We would ask, then, whether it is to those who use these liquors, or, to those who, in consummate arro- gance, pronounce against them the heaviest penalties of offended justice, that the title of impious mockers is most applicable 1 There is nothing either of christian humility, or christian charity in such language as that made use of by our author, and when we find it to be directly contrary to the word of God, we cannot resist the conclusion that it does appear to savour much of blasphemy. But let us enquire for a little who they are of whom it is said, " These are a smoke in my nose, a fire that burneth all the day." This passage is found in Isaiah, lxv, 50, and from the context it is evident that it applies to those who wish to appear holier than their neigh- bours, while they are hiding their impiety and sensuality under the long robe of hypocrisy. It is for you then to judge whether this character is most applicable to those who use distilled liquors, or to the absolutes. And, in order to form a correct judgment, it will only be necessary for you to ascertain which of them is most distinguished ior arrogating to them- selves the Pharasaical claim to superior sanctity. I i i: 114 In the Inst clause of the above quotation from tlife T. B. it is asked, " O how without sin, can His pure spirit be invoked to descend and mingle His holy influences with that spirit which worketh only iniquity and death 1" This question is not for us to answer, as it involves the deep things of God. But we know that God foretold by his prophet the use of distilled liquors (Zecharlah, ix, 17,) as a great blessing to his church and people. We have also seen that Christ excepted no liquors in his commandment to his disciples. Paul also teaches us that there is nothing either in meats or in drinks unclean. Did Christ then enjoin upon his disciples, and did Paul, the great apostle of the Gentiles, sane- tion, by his apostolical authority, that which worketh only iniquity and death, and which pollutes the very air we breathe 1 Did Christ enjoin the use of that upon his people which makes it sin m them to invoke his pure spirit to descend and mingle with it, his holy influences? No ; the very supposition is insulting to the Saviour, and the propagation of such a slander is nothing short of blasphemy. T. B. Scripture Arguments for Temperance, page 9, it is written, " Suppose our Missionaries should go out with the bible in one hand and a bottle in the other, what impression would they make? Even nature herself would revolt at the alliance. And nothing but custom and fashion have recon- ciled any among us to similar inconsistencies at home. But, not only must our Missionaries be unspotted, they must also be able to testify that no real christians pollute themselves with this or any other unclean thing. With such testimony they might secure the conviction that our religion is indeed purifying and elevating, and that our God is the true God. For saith Jehovah, " Then shall the heathen know that 1 am the Lord, when I shall be sanctified in you before their eyes." - 4 ^ 115 In answer to the first part of this quotation, it is worthy of remark, that it is purposely put in a shape to excite disgust, and not to impart instruction. True it is, that such an ac- companiment might appear to some to be out of place, but would it be less indecorous for him to take in his hand, along with his bible, a leg of bacon to satisfy his appetite than a bottle of strong drink to quench his thirst 1 The one of these is sanctioned throughout the word of God for man's use, while the other, throughout the whole of the Old Testament at least, is represented as unclean. Besides, the heathen, so soon as they could read the word of God for themselves, would find that the ministers of religion, under the law, both used intoxi- cating liquors by the express permission of God, and that it was offered in sacrifice by Hid own specia'. appointment ; and also, that it was both used, and the use of it enjoined upon Ug by the Author and Finisher of our faith, and then they would be persuaded that there was at least no inconsistency in minis- ters using these things. But to put the case in iid true light, let us suppose that missionaries among the heathen, were to refuse all alcoholic liquors, when set before them by the hospi- tality of those, among whom they were endeavouring to diffuse the light of the gospel of Christ. The question would very naturally follow, did Christ, whom you preach, forbid the use of these liquors 1 It is evident they could not reply that he did so, without being guilty of a direct falsehood, which the heathen would discover so soon as they could read the gospels. But if they should say that he did not forbid the use of these things, but that they were forbidden by the temperance society, of which they were members, the question would again naturally follow, is the authority of the temperance society superior to that of Jesus Christ, whom you have taught us to regard as the great God and our Saviour ] To this the tem- perance missionaries would probably reply, that the temperance 116 society waa an auxiliary to Christianity, and tended to guard the disciples of Christ against the deadly sin of drunkenness.— Here another question would naturally be put by the heathen, namely, are you at liberty wilfully and directly to sin against your Lord, by disobeying his commandment, that you may guard us against the probability of becoming drunkards 1 As no answer, satisfactory to the enquiring mind, could possibly be given to such a question, it would follow, as a natural con- sequence, that the heathen would reject the gospel scheme as a cunningly devised fable, and despise those by whom it was published. But besides the missionaries to the heathen being absolutes, which would unquestionably mar their usefulness, they must also be able to testify, that no real christians pollute themselves, (that is,) use alcoholic liquors or any other un- clean thing. But supposing the heathen should attend to the missionaries reading over the word of God to them, they would find that when the Lord prohibited his people from eating many beasts, fowls and fishes, which he set apart as unclean by a special law, no drink of any kind, or any quality, was mentioned as unclean, or prohibited to His people. They would also find that no such thing as the use of any drink was represented as unclean in the New Testament. Besides^ they would soon learn that the Saviour had expressly declared, « Not that which entereth into the man defileth the man."— They would also learn that the Saviour says to missionaries in particular, « Into virhatever house ye enter, eat and drink such things as they give." Would these inconsistencies and contra- dictions to the won! of God, even if supported by all who call themselves real christians, lead the heathen to believe that our God is the true God, or that our religion is purifying and elevating, seeing that christians themselves must act so con- trary to its dictates, and walk so directly counter to its com- mandments, before they can attain what they themselves ^^ 117 consider a clean and pure state 1 Every man, therefore, who goes as a missionary to the heathen, clothed in this mixed garment, not of linen and woollen, but of those ever jarring materials, the commandments of God, and the commandments of men, ought to remember that he is insulting God, by teaching in his name, the commandments and doctrines of men, which he never sanctioned, and which he can never- bless. T. B, Four reasons against the use of Alcoholic Liquors, page 7, it is wiitten, « Our fourth reason for the disuse of alcoholic liquors is, that any thing short of entire abstinence exposes to all the dread consequences just named. Here is the grand hope of our cause. Total Abstinence defies all danger and mocks at consequences. With it we are safe, without it, in peril.'* The dread consequences which our author here alludes to, are those of becoming the victims of mad-houses— the in- mates of hospitals and poor-houses— the want of inclination to prepare for death— and the loss ot the soul. These are in- deed dread consequences, and were they applicable to the use, as they are to the abuse of alcoholic liquors, we would say at once, that any sacrifice of worldly comfort should be made in order to escape from their polluting influence. In entire abstinence is the grand hope of the absolutes' cause.— That is to say, in an anti-christian scheme, rests the grand hope ot this pretended christian society. Such language as this, is at least a strong presumptive evidence, of the total ab- sence of true christian humility. How does total abstinence defy all dangers 1 It may set at defiance the sin of actual drunkenness, but this is only one danger. Does it set at defi- ance the just judgments of the Lord, for having set at nought 118 his commandments, and for attempting to overturn the very constitution of civilized society] Are thej walking so per- fectly, that they can demand as a matter of merited right, the felicity of heaven, and the favour of their God ; and set at defiance the power, and the displeasure of the Judge of all the earth 1 Do they set at defiance the terrors of the law, because they have fulfilled the lawl Does total abstinence defy all dan-er arising from other incitements to ungodly conduct 1 or is the sin of drunkenness the only sin of which the human family can now be guilty, and the only one by which they can incur the displeasure of the Lord 1 It is evident thot a man may refrain entirely from all intoxicating liquors, and yet have no fear of God before his eyes, no faith in Christ, no concern for his immortal soul, and no hope of eternal life, and how in such a state can he defy all dangers] But total abstinence (our author tells us) mocks at consequences. This is not the lai-uage of a pious and chastened soul. How can the abso- lutes, without being guilty of awfully hardened presumption,^ mock at consequences, seeing their system is a system of errors, founded in falsehood, subversive of the scriptures, and offensive to the Lord. Can they mock at the consequen- ces of their errors ? Can they mock at the rewards of false- hoods, so zealously and so extensively circulated 1 Can 4hey mock at the consequences of wilfully perverting the scriptures of truth, and intentionally concealing the mind of the Lord, that they may build up their anti-christiau temple, with the iragments of Christianity which they have torn to pieces ? Can they mock at the consequences of insulting the Lord, by setting aside his holy commandments, to make room for their own devices] Is it then in such a society as this, that we are to find our only safety ; and are all without its pale, in peril, and standing in jeopardy every hour ] No, it is not so. Let us fear God and keep his commandments, lor this is our l^ 119 duty ; and let us not fear men, so os to follow their crooked ways, for this bringeth a snare. If our only safety is in total abstinence, then the gospel of Christ can no longer be regarded as the gospel of our salvation, for it contains no such precept ; and if safety is to be found no where else than in total absti- nence, where then are the apostles, the martyrs, and the christians of other days, who had passed away before this child of new-light-hcresy was heard to utter its infant cry 1 It is only through the blood of Christ, and the renewing influences of the holy spirit, that we can become heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ Jesus; and it is in this situation only that we can, with any shadow of propriety, mock at dangers, and defy conseqiiences. The above quotatijn, therefore, is an open and public insult to the God of our salvaiicin. T. B. Barn's on the Traffic in Ardent Spirits, page 15, it is wiitten, " We are prepa/ed now to examine a few of the objections to this doctrine. The first is, that the traffic is not condemned in the Bible. To this the answer is very obvious. The article was then unknown. Nor was it known until six hundred years after the Bible was completed. This mode of extending and perpetuating depravity in the world was not suggested by the father of evil until it was too late to make a formal law against it in the Bible, or to fortify the argument of. human depravity from this source. It is neither in the Bible, nor in any other code of laws, the custom to specify crimes which do not exist. How remarkable in a code of laws would have been such a declaration as the trafficker demands, " Thou shaft not deal in ardent spirits," hundreds of years before the article was known ? The world would have stood in amazement, and would have been perplexed and confounded by an unmeaning statute. But further, it is not the practice in the Bible, or in any other book of laws, to specify each shade and degree of wrong. -I 120 Had it been, there could have been no end of legislation, and no end to books of law. I nsk the dealer in ardent spirits, where is there a formal prohibition of piracy, or bigamy, or kidnapping, or suicide, or duelling, or the sale of obscene books and paintings 1 And yet does any man doubt that these are immoral ? Does he believe that the bible will countenance them ? Will he engage in them because they are not specified formally, and with technical precision in the scriptures 1 The truth is, that the bible has laid down great principles of conduct, which on all these subjects can be easily applied, which are applied, and which under the guidance of equal honesty, may be as easily applied to the traffic of which I am speaking. Still further, the Bible has forbidden it in principle, and with all the precision which can be de- manded. A man cannot pursue the business, as has been shown, without violating its great principles. He cannot do justly in it ; he cannot show mercy by it ; he cannot seek to alleviate human woes by it ; he cannot do as he would wish to be done unto ; he cannot pursue it to glorif> God. The great principles of the Bible, the spirit of the Bible, and a thousand texts of the Bible, are pointed against it ; and every step the trafficer takes, he infringes on the spirit and bearing of some declaration of God. And still further, it is his busi- ness to make out the propriety of the employment, not ours io make out the case against him. Here is the rule— for him to judge. By this he is to be tried ; and unless he can find in the volume a rule that will justify him in a business for gain, that scatters inevitable woes and death ; that accomplishes more destruction than all the chariots of war, and the desolations of gunpowder on the field of blood ; that sends more human beings to the grave, than fire, and flood, and pestilence, and famine, altogether ; that heaps on human society more bur- dens than all other causes combined ; that sends armies on 131 armies — in a form more appalling and infinitely more loath- some than Napoleon's " food for cannon"— to the grave ; unless ho can find some prophecy, or some principle, or some declaration, that will justify these, the Bible is against him, and he knows it. As well might ho search for a prin- ciple to authorise him to plant a Bohon Upas on every man's farm, and in the heart of every city and hamletr" ', ,o't r You have now before you our authors whole answer to the first objection against the doctrine, that the traffic in ardent spirits is immoral. Namely, that the traffic is not condemned in the Bible. But it is a strange answer, and may pass for any thing but a refutation of the objection.t^ That ardent spirits were unknown until six hundred years after the Bile was compiled, is no reason whatever for the law against them not having been given, provided they are what the absolutes represent them to be. Did our author mean to say, that they were unknown to the lawgiver when the Bible was composed, and for six hundred years after it was completed 1 Such a declaration would be charging God directly with ignorance, and stripping Him of the attribute of omniscience. The Bible is not the production of men, but of God. Its laws and precepts are not adapted for any particular period only, but for every age and for every nation ; containing all that is necessary for life and for godliness. There is no vice of which men can be guilty, against which there is not a law in God's word. To suppose otherwise, would lead us to the conclu- sion, thaf, although God had formed man in his own image, and redeemed them when lost by the blood of his own Son, yet still he has left them without any sufficient code of laws to regulate their conduct in this world. But the fact is directly the reverse. Our author says, " this mode of R 123 extending ?ind perpetuating depravity in the world, was not suggested by the father of , evil, until it was too late to make a formal law against , it in the Bible^f i This would be a very rtiange declaration coming from any other but the absolutes, and is carrying out still farther the charge of ignorance on the part of God. But if the father of evil did not suggest ardent spirit* until it was too late to make a formal law against them, what did the father of evil expect to \ ■ . . . [ ■ \ \ ' • ' ' ' •* It is not the practice in the Bible," says our author, ^« or in any other book of laws, to specify each shade or de- gree of wrong." This admission annihilates the whole of our author's argument. What is ardent spirits ? Are brandy, and, rum, and gin, and whiskey, ardent spirits? If so, then ardent spirits are strong drink ; and is not strong drink mentioned frequently in the Bible 1 It does not matter whether the ardent spirits of the present day be a lew shades stronger or weaker than the strong drink of th« 133 Jews, stiU they are strong drink, possessing the same properties, and pi-oducing precisely the same effects, and consequently fall directly under the law applicable to strong drink. They are not therefore left, as our author supposed, Without any direct law in the Bible respecting them. The change of the name, without changing their properties, doea°not exempt them from the operation of God's law.— You are aware that ardent spirits have their name from the circumstance of their burning when fire is applied to them. But supposing they were mixed with water until they would not ignite upon the application of fire, they would no longer be ardent spirits, and ' consequently dealmg m Ihem, according to our author's mode of reasoning, wou d cease to be an immorality, still they might be strong dnnk, and fall directly under the law of God regarding strong drink, or alcoholic liquors. But how absurd to suppose that they can be brought within the operation of the law of God, or removed beyond its reach, and that dealing m them is a moral, or an immoral business, accdrding as their strength is increased or diminished by a very few percen- tages. Such a mode of reasoning is utterly unbecommg, wherever the holy law of God is in the question. ffi .t(n<4.o r{Ui : ■ ■' . . <' I ask the dealer in ardent spirits,"continues our author, « where is there aformal prohibition of piracy, or bigamy, or kidnapping, or suicide, o.- duelling, or the sale of obscene books and paintings r We are astonished at such aquestion as this. Is not piracy a name Applicable to those who covet their neighbour's property, andwh), in order to steal it, kill those to whom it belongs, or those who have the charge of itt But covetousness is expressly forbidden m the tenth commandment ; murder is forbidden in the sixth commandment, and the eighth commandment prohibits I 124 stealing ; thus all the vices which enter into the pirate's compound character are expressly forbidden in the law ot the Lord. Bigamy, although often practised by the Jews, was directly contrary to the original law, by which mar- riage was instituted. It is said in Genesis, i, 27, " God created man in his own image^ in the image of God created he him ; male and female created he them." Not mule and females. And in Genesis, ii, 24, '' Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother ; and shall cleave unto his wife ; and they shall be one flesh." And the Saviour says in Matthew, xix, 5, " And they twain shall be one flesh." Thu? expressly limiting the union to be between one man and one woman. And in 1 Corinthians, vii, 2 Paul says, " Let every man have his own wife, (not wives) and let every woman have her own husband." Now, since bigamy signifies having two wives, no law of prohibi- tion can be clearer than the above.— Again, kidnapping is only another name for man-stealing, which is expressly forbidden in 1 Timothy, i, 10, where it is classed with the vilest sins that pollute humanity.-Again, as to suicide and duelling, they are directly forbidden in the sixth commaiid- ment.— The sale of obscene books and paintings is forbidden in the seventh commandment, also in Eph. v, 3, " But for- nication and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not once be named among you as becometh samts. The ettecl of this commandment is shown in Acts, xix, 19, where we find that such books were publicly burned at Ephesus, to the value of fifty thousand pieces of silver. How then could our author endeavour to persuade us that these things are not forbidden in the word of God by any express pre- ceptl Again, our author says, " The great principles of the Bible, the spirit of the Bible, and a thousand texts ot 1. 125 the Bible, are pointed against it, and every step the traf- ficker takes he infringes on the spirit and bearing of some declaration of God." We know not how this should be, seeing God commanded his people (as we have seen in a former lecture) to bestow the price of a certain tithe in the purchase of strong drink, or whatever else their soul lusted after ; and where Avere they to purchase this strong drink, unless from those who dealt in it 1 But this very permis- sion to purchase, and to use strong drink, contains His high sanction to deal in it. From this it is evident that the spirit of the Bible is not against the traffic in strong drink. But is it not strange negligence on the part of our author, who was so zealous to put down this traffic, that out of all his thousand texts pointed against it in the Bible, he should not have condescended, even upon one of them, to support his arguments, and to give even the appearance of truth to his assertion 1 It was because he could not find one among all his thousand that would answer his purpose. Nor would he ever have found one, even if he had read the Bible a thousand times, for it is not there, and consequently he could not find it there. Again, our author says, " And still further, it is his business to make out the propriety of the employment, not ours to make out the case against him." From this we are led to believe, that our author's knowledge of the laws of civilized society was on a par with his knowledge of the divine law. If a man is at liberty to libel his neighbour publicly for immoral conduct, and yet to be freed from the burden of proving his libelj there is an end to the comfort and protection of civilized society. But it is evident that our author found the proof hopeless, otherwise he would have found no delicacy whatever in bringing it forward. It is, there- fore, evident, although he has both recorded and ; I '! 128 published his libel, since he ha, loft it altogether without proof, that the libel ca« bo regarded only as a mahcious Lnder, and the libeller as a public defamer, which « not only sufficient legal evidence, but satisfactory moral evi- dence of the innocence of the party libelled. Without ex- amining further into the assertions in the above quotation, there appears no reason why we should not pronounce it a satire on the Bible, and therefore a direct insult to the author of that holy book. ■,/t jua; : ■ ■ T B Barns on the Traffic in Ardent Spirits, page SO, it is written ; "Every church of Christ *e world ;v;r should be in very deed an organization o pure . em- prance, under the headship and patronage of Jesus Christ the friend and model of purity." In reply to this quotation, we have to remark, that taking the sentiment without regard to its connection, it is unobjectionable, and might be subscribed by every chris- tian. But when we consider what the absolutes mean by pure temperance, and that it is said in the pi-eceding page of this very book, "I call on all whom 1 now address to exert their influence in this cause, to abandon all connec tion with the traffic, and to become the firm, and warm, and thorough going advocates of the temperance reform, we certainly can neither subscribe it ourselves, nor recom- mend the subscription of it to others. It is nothmg less than calling upon all christians, to become firm, warm, and thorough going advocates of the temperance scheme, in all its wildness, and in all its impiety. Let us suppose the scheme carried into full operation as here described and that every member of the church of Christ on earth had signed the pledge of total abstinence, what would bo the 127 consequence f WoulH there any longer be a pure church on earth? No; it is as impossible to be thorough going members of the temperance reform, and at the same time ' consistent members of the church of Christ, as it is to serve God and manfirhon at the same time. How can these men even dare to mention the name of JeSus Christ, as the head and patron of a society for absolute abstinence. Did he observe the rule which they have set down for themselves I Did he refuse to partake 6f the drink which his entertainers set before hin^ at the festive board? Not one single in- stance of this is fotrnd on record. Besides we h^Ve the bcst'grouMs to think that he never did, otherwise he would' ttOt have commanded his disciples, to eat and drink, what was set before them; making no exception of any meat or of any drink. But What are we to think of what is said here of Jesus Christ as the friend and model of purity ] We know he was so, that he did no sin neither was there any guile found in him. But supposing any mere man in this day was to act the same part which he did, in so far as regards partaking of what was set before him in the shape of drink, would not the absolutes de- nounce him as a drunkard. Christ is not their patron, for he used what drink was set before him, but they refuse all intoxicating liquors. Their Society is not therefore founded on his model. Christ said to his disciples into whatsoever house ye enter, eat and drink such things as they give, but the absolutes say to their disciples regarding aU intoxicating liquors, touch not, taste not, handle not ; wherever and however the temptation is presented, avoid it, turn from it and pass away. Their Society is not there- fore founded on hip commandment, and the purity of his example is set asid^ as too low a standard for their imita" tion. How then without the grossest insult can ttiey pre- 123 sume to say that tlieir society is unile* ^airomge, that lie is the head thereof, and that it is tpunded upon tho model of his example. .. It would be presuming too far upon your patienqq tOr examine any further into this doctrine., If what has al-, ready been said, does not convince you that the T. B. con-; tains assertions in support of the absolutes' cause, which are insulting to the Holy One of Israel, nothing Tvhich we can i^oyf say, is likely to do so. We also consider it un- necessary at present to expose any more of the pernicious doctrines of the absolutes, persuadedi if what h49 already been exposed, does not cpnvince you, that, their system, is a system of pemious errors, nothing we can now say, is likely to awaken you from your dream of self-righteous security. ;-.i(i!') A •^{fu;.' '■■■:■■ "^Vf^ftJ .-n vnb s^frfJ fii i?n/rf '.yi-.na . 'J .h'I/5/J{li): ' a z;: ntut 'y.':ii< LECTURE VII. '{■/rv f.-. POINTING OUT A SOCIETY >QOI«>EO ONIIOLY PRINCIPI.BS, AND RE•««"" master, but is a slave, in worse than EgypUan bondage whose servit..de terminates not with the gr..ve. but extend through all eternity. If the heart of the drunkard were not changed into lhehea.t ofa demon, how could he re..st be.ng melted down to penitential sorrow, by the entreat.es of h,s friends, and by the prayers, the tears, and the »»»— remonstrances of his much-i..iured partner .n Ufe ? If there a any remaining sensibility in the drunkard's heart, » ^ W Bant leelinss...ust torment his mind, when he sees h.s faindy careworn, disconsolate, and ready to pensh w«h hunger and cold, through the madness of hU own folly. When h.s former acquainunce and friends, turn their backs and "vo'd h.s com- pany as polluted, a,.d a disgrace to human.ty, has he noheart io leel th-B, has he no desire to return again to the pa.h ot d,.tyandof.irtue? No man in his sound senses would agree to pay the price for all the riches of this world wh.ch the poor deluded drunkard is doomed to pay for his debas...g, de- moralizing and unsatisfying gralitication. But if these are only a few of the consequences of .Irunk- enness,totheind.vkIualwhois under its inlloence. what, ,t may be asked, are iU elTeeU upon society 1 There .s perhaps no better poi.U from which to commence our remarks ra an, swer to this question, than the centre of the drunkards own family. In this position, provided they are depending tor the.r daily support, upon the hidustry oftheir drunken head, there w^rbeoeui; demonstration of the effects of ,h» destrucUve vice. The tear-worn countena.rcc, and the tattered garments of a di«.ppo..ited. and neglected partner ; the anx.uus and 137 emaciated appearance of his maltreated, and half-s(arved chil- dren, tell in a language whicli all caii read, that the drunken- iiess of the head of a family, bereaves them both of peace and comfort. But the answer to a few simple questions, will elicit a fact, ftir more alarming than ev'en the privation of woi'ldly comforts. You will soon dlsddver, that there are no traces of christian example, no sound of christian precepts, no domestic altar, no fear of the Lord, and no rays of christian hope found in that family. Supposing, then, that drunkenness were gen- erally to prevail, and the name consequences were to follow, as (hey must necessarily do, what would be this state of human society ? Morality and religion would soon be banished from the eai-tlj, activity and industry would disafjpear, confidence in eafch other would be unknown among men, famine and dis- ease, and pestilence, and ungovernable passions, would lay desolate populous cities, conveft the fruitliil fields into a wilder- ness, and disperse the remaining fragments of the human fam- ily into wandering tribes, sunk into awful ignorance, subsisting on the beasts of the forest, and the natural productions of the wilderness, as their only support This is the outline of the consequences of universal drtinkenhessj and the maniier in which it would naturally cure itself. Is the drunkard innocent then in the estiikatlon of an enlightened public, who obstinate ty pursues a plan, and sets an example, which, if generally fol- lowed, would banish religion from the earth, consume the human family, shut the gates of heaven, lay open the doors of destruction, and bring a deluge o( vicn, and immorality over the face of the whole earth 1 If he is innocent whose conduct tends to produce such awful consequences, who then can be guilty in Ihe eye of heaven's holy law ? How often has sudden destruction tallcn upon the human limily, when engaged in (he madness of dissipation? We find 5l ., . .!,„ Plulislines were cut off in a moment, i„ Judges, X... that he Phtolvnes" ,.^^ g^„^„ i„ d,e midst of their d,ss,paUon, "h™ 3' ^ing xv,, 9, ,0 make sport in their presence. J^^^^/ '"J,^,*;,, .bile that Elah the king of toaelwas "'^"'"""J . „, 5.3 arU.king ^'^-^^^':^1:Z;Tj:2Z .tl of ass,... in I Kings, XX, that «■« ''™3' » . ,,, <,fb„el, when he, «.as overthrown by a handfaoUheyo^^^ ^^^^ ^.^,^.__^ and the thirty-two kmgs m '«'«"« '^ . ,j.^ ^at Ba- themseives drunk in the. 'J^trrin snhieltion.'was also bjlon, which had long held the earth .n ^^ people were ^™f » Jj,'i„teh ^^^^^ „ we find in Nahum, desole-tion. The greai n lu „* nhhle full dry, while .. 10. was overthrown an — ^^^ll^ Jl .hey Cd^n an individual, in a family, or m a nafon. There is another reasotl' why drunkenness should be citadel of the heart unguarded » *-^ ;,,^, M „3, every unhallowed P««»'°"' 2'^'' '/ ^"f afunkenness, the, de- ^hich is a necessary ^"^"^""tf I brute creation, and hase themselves, ''»-*f;j« Measure of the God of '■■•"^"''"^^rChave suited, by trampling the very heaven, whom tney nave ^^^^ „, badge distinctive of man. beneath *«^"^^ ' . ^ ^^ , . dissUo... W"*' ?.'trti ti:- e reofattrac'ion «>nal, a family- <" » """"""' "'"' 139 for »11 that is vile, degraded, and pollulmg ; while by a law of It Icly po*. 1. repels fro™ i. »« f ;;;?-;»- 1, and of good report. For it is as impossible for ™°™l ^ ''"" refeion to dwell with dissipation and drunkenness, as .t is fo^ Sh," dwell with darkness, vice with virtue, and happiness with misery. temperance, and of which every individual would find it to be Zs!nds conceive to be better calculated to secnre this end, t much o be desired, than any other that has ever yet been ;„:ited to ma;^ ---x:-:::zz:^u scaW th temperance society, is ambitious, no. pure i for • L » name to ourselves, and not for advancing the mte- S tLTdetmer-s kingdom on earth, and in the hearts o ^fn Nor are we ignorant that we are exposing ourselves to The leer of contempt, and the malicious insinuations of many, for toving denominated a society as heretical which was form^ ed with le care, and propagated with ■"«'=>'«;■;* „hich has leoeived the countenance and support of many ol le learned and benevolent ; and yet presume to point out one, loaded on such principles, and possessing such importance 1 1 14(1 as that to which we have now alhided. Nor are we ignorant that he who disturbs the hornet's nest, exposes himself to their sting, for the wasp defends his poison with as mucli determi- uation, as the bee does her honey. But let it be borne in mind, that the society to which we are about to direct your attention, is not new, that it is not the fruit of our own wisdom, and that it is founded on principles which were known and acknowledged before our day, and you will at least grant that we claim no merit of inveniion. The so- ciety to vyhich we purpose to direct your attention, had its origin in heaven, was planned by infinite wisdom before the foundation of the world, was gradually promulgated by the holy prophets, until it was i^erfected by the son of God, and published to the world by his disciples. It Is such a society »a which we have alluded above. The church of Christ is a temperance society, founded on pure and holy principles, and it is of this society that we would urgently entreat you all to become mem- bers, and to regulate your lives by Its rules, precepts and commandments. If any soeiety on earth has a claim upon you on account of its antiquity, it is Christianity ; for— its plan was h»kl in eternity. If any society has a claim upon you on account of its high descent, it is Christianity ; for it came down from God out of heaven.— If any society has a claim upon you on account of the wis- dom of its author, it is Christianity ; for it was devised by the infinite wisdom of God. If any society has a claim upon you on account of the dignity and respectability of the individual who stands at its head, as its patron, and upon whom rests the responsibility of the whole, it is Christianity ; of which the living head is the Lord Jesus Christ, the Lordofgloiy, whom all the hosts of heaven do worship, and all the saints adore.— %m %m 141 If any society has a claim upon you, on account of the great and happy change which it \a calculated to produce, it is Chris- tianity ; for it tends directly to subdue every evil passion, and degrading propensity, and to fit us for enjoying the company of angels, and blessed spirits, in the kingdom of God for efer i\nd ever. And if any society is founded on pure and holy principles, and requiring of its members, pure and holy lives, it is Christianity ; for its principles were fixed, and its require- ments determined, when nothing but purity was found in the whole universe of God, and before satan himself had ceased to be an angel of light. This fact being established upon the firm foundation of the prescience and immutability of God, it follows as a neces- sary consequence, that the christian scheme contains pure, and holy, and sufficient directions, for the regulation of our conduct in every situation of life, and in every thing that pertains to life and to godliness. Bu^ no man, who has ever read the scrip- tures with any degree of attention, can doubt for one moment, that the law regarding the use and the abuse of alcoholic li- quors is there laid down with clearness and precision. It remains then for every individual to decide for himself, whether he ought to regulate his conduct in this particular case, by the pure and immutable law of his God, or by the commandments and ever varying traditions of men. But when making this decision, it ought ever to be born in mind, that it is by the law Oi God, and not by the commandments of men, that we are to be jad^cd, when this mortal shall have put on immortality. We ha\ t al- ready shown, by many infallible proofs adduced in our former lectures, that the law of God regulating the christian scheme, does sanction the use of alcoholic liquors, without any excep- tion as to the kinds or strengths of those liquors. It now only remains to show, that Christianity does naturally and necessarily prohibit the abuse of those liquors. J « r 14« r„ order to establish IhU truth, it »." only be necessary , aldl a fe>. pertinent pa^a^ea <^ -npU-re and point out their bearing upon this »»'')'''• '"^^~ ,„x 10 11, 12, the Psalmist (who » called the man LXix, lu, ■!, i«. ,. When I wept and chast- after God's own heart,) says, vvnen "i;p ened n.y soul with fasting, that was u> my reproach. 1 Iderackloth also my garment, and I became a proverb o them. The, that sit in the gate speak agam^t me, and 1 was hllng of the drunkards." From this it U ev>dent tha "us duties and pious men. who serve God j -- y - honour him with their substance, are "">*«"" """S' *V/' woTand thescoff ofthe drunkards. Bu. since drunkards do Hat religious men, for the faithful discharge ofthetr reh- lusduties, it follows that drunkards are -t "Lpous men C coffe..a„d profane.-not christians, but d-P-sersbo* f Christianity and of its divine author. Again, m ProverH x 1. i, is said by Solomon, whohad every °PP°'«"»''Yl"r/drrnU the truth which he states. " Wine is a mocker, and »tr™g^™„ is raging, and whosoever is deceived thereby .s -<"»«• This paSage shows clearly the nature and tendency of alcoholtc liquoL They are mockers ; for the strongest ""^ «•-' '^ men indulging in them to excess, become weak »'. children ^ foolish too as children. Strong drink is also raging wta taken to excess, for the animal ^^'^-^.^^1^^ and the man who is under its influence, is left the sport and the p^y of every unhallowed disposition. This is the te^-^ of scripture, and it is confirmed by the experience of c.vih«d Itety But Solomon concludes his remarks by saying, "whoever is deceived thereby is not wise Christians are commanded to be wise as serpents, and harinl«s as doves, and rrommandment will be observed by all who deserve that honourable name. But if they allow themselves to be dece.^^^^^ bv strong drink, they are not acting acc«.-l will Ic sufficient to illustrate this tmlh. 1« 2 Samuel x., 13, wc mul that David the king of Israel put hi. bottle to U.aU.s ,„„„.l,, and made him drunk, not through friendsh.p nor hos pitality, but for the express purpose, that he ra.ght thereby Le his own shame, and look upon the nakedness ol h.s servant with hnpunity. But God looked upon his transgression w.U displeasirc ; and although upon repentance, the S-'tofhrs J was blotted out, yet for his violation ol the holy law of h sOod „e was visited with »«vere family disgrace, bereavcmen^^and insubordination. Another instance of lh,s we fmd «. 3 Samue , r.., where Absalom put the cup to his brother Ammon mouth, and made him drink, for the very purpose that he in|sht then with impunity to himself, take away the «fc °f ^'»'"°'^;;; But for this wicked deed, he was left to run the f.dl eat^ee. of vice, to lift his hand against the Lord's anointed, an, to perish as a traitor against his own lather. The«= are sahsfac ,ory prools, that the hoi, law of God, which enjoms temperanee npon all his people, cannot be violated with impun.ty. But if intemperance was forbidden, and severely pun- ished under the law, which was only a temporary and m.per- fect dispensation, how mucb more must it be forbidden, and punished uiulerthe gospel, which is both a perfect, and a per- manent dispensation. Accordingly, we find in Matthew, xx.y, 48 49 .W, 51, the Saviour saying, to such as are appomted to feed the flock of his people, " If that evil servant shall say m his heart, .«y Lord delayeth hiscomi,.g; and sh^ Jegm t<, smite his fellow-servants, and to eat and dr.nk with the drun- ken • the Lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware o, and shall eut him asunder, and appoint h,m \r"ZT» the hypocrites ; there shall he weeping and gnashtng of teeth u It Merc, tlu;n,is an expicss prohilMtion under Ihe scvcitsI penal- ties, not confined to the body, but rencliiiig to the soul ; not iiinited to time, but extending through eternity, given by om- Lord himself, against his servants associating ^.vith drunkards, 80 as to learn their ways, and imitate their practices. No law can be more positive, and no penalty can be more severe, than what is here set forth by the Holy One of Israel ; and no exe- cution can be more certain, than what will follow upon those who continue to neglect this heavenly precept. Again, in Luke, XXI, 34, 35, and 30, the Saviour says lo his disciples, in every age of the world, " Take ?ieeu to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares ; for as a snare shall it come upon all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth. Watch ye, therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man." The Saviour's former injunction, applied more directly to the ministers of religion, but this is general, applying to the whole church, and calling upon every member of his mystical body, to guard against surfeiting and drunken- ness. It is worthy of remark, that this passage prohil'.ts not only habitual drunkenness, but even a single act of drunkenness. For, it is not said, lest your hearts being Jrequcntly ovei charged, but expressly, lest at any time, that :s, on any single occasion, your hearts be overcharged with drunkenness. No pi ohibi- tion can be more distinct than that which is iierc given by the Saviour, against even a single act of drunkenness, on the part of his people. Again, in Luke, yii, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, and 21, we find the Saviour cautioning the rich men of this world, n gainst trusting in their worldly riches, and engaging in dissi- pation and drunkenness, and teaching them tlie utter insignifi- cance of these things on that night when they shall be called ff' 14H to «ive in their account ol a stcwa.dshi,) vvl.ich they l.avc .bused. We have now seen, that the great Head oi the church has prohibited drunkcnnesB, not only in hin mmistenng servants and worshipping people, but even ia ^^^^ -«- «^ '^^^^^^ of this world. Who then will presume to deny, that chiisti- anity embraces in its very constitution, those laws ol temper- ance which its divine founder knew to be best adapted for promoting his own glory, and the best interests ol h.s peoi)le % Such being the injunctioi.s of the great Head of the church, it is natural to expect ihat the same doctnne ol temperance would be taught by the apostles, who were un- derthe immediate intlu.nce of his spirit. Aecord.ngy, wo nndin Romans, xni. 13, the command, " Let us walk hon- estly, as in the day, not in rioting and drunkenness. Tins s the apostolic injunction to all the members of the church of Christ ; for although the epistle was directed to the chr.s- tians at Rome, yet its maxims are applicable to the whole church, prohibiting drunkenness in all who are called chris- tians This is fully confirmed by the positive command ot the same apostle, in 1 Cor. v. U, where he says " But now have 1 written unto you not to keep coinpany-if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extort.oner-w.th such an one.-no not to eat." it is scarcely possible that language can convey any injunction, in plamer or more definite terms than the above. If any man then, who is called a christian, be a drunkard, ^ve are hereby expressly commonded, without any regard to his rank or circumstances, to hold no christian intercourse with him ; no, not even to eat in his comi)any. But, is not ihis the very highest censure which any society is in the habit 14i) ol stamping upon those who have piofejscil tliemsclvcs to bo il8 inc.nbcrs, aud who willully aiul habituftlly violate the aeknowiedged rules of the society 1 Christians are loft no liberty ol choice, they must either cease to associate witli the drunkard, who is called a brother, or they must stand con- dcmned lor a wilful and habitual violation of the law of God. Again, I Cor. vi, 9, 10, the apostle says, " Know ye not that the unrighteous sholl not inherit the kingdom of God ? Be not deceived, neither thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, shall inherit the kingdom of God." It is evident, then, that Christianity makes not only a temporal, but also an eternal separation between the members of the church of Christ, and the sensual votaries of drunkenness and dissipation. Again, in Gal. V, 19, 20, 21, the apo&tle cautions the christians in Oalatia against drunkenness as one of the works of the flesh, which excludes those who are under its influence from the kingdom of God. In Eph. v, 18, the church at Ephesus is expressly enjoined, " Be not drunk with wine wherein is excess." But if we obey not the command of the apostle, it is evident that we are dishonouring him, and the Saviour said to his apostles, " He that dishonourcth you, dishonoureth me, and he that dishonoureth me, dishonoureth him that sent me." From this it is clear, even to demonstration, that the drunkard is dishonouring the great God of heaven, who has power not only to kill the body, but also to destroy both soul and body in hell. In 1 Timothy, iii, 2, 3, 8, 11, the apostle says, '* A bishop, then, must be blameless, the husband of one wile, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach ; not given to wine. Likewise must the deacons be grave, not double-tongued, not given to much wine. Even so must their wives be grave, not slanderers, sober, faithful in all things." Again, in Titus, i, 7, 8, and ii, 1, 2, 3, 4, we l!H(l a reiietition of nearly the same injimctions which were (( V 150 given to Timothy, from which it is evident, that all who wore called to bear rule in the church, and all immediately connected with them, were not only forbidden to be drunkards, but enjoined to be sober, and exemplary in all their conduct, and deportment, and conversation, and thus to adorn the doctrine of God their Saviour in all things ; and to give no just cause to the enemies of religion to blaspheme. In 1 Peter, v, 8, all christians are commanded, " Be sober, be vigilant ; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about seeking whom he may devour." But it is evident, that they who are not sober cannot be vigilant, and that drunkards, by disregarding the commandment of the Lord, are exposing themselves unarmed to the attacks of that roaring lion, who destroys not only the bodies but also the souls of men. Upon the strength of the quotations which have now been made from the word of God, without rega.d to many others which might still be adduced, no one can hesitate to acknow- ledge, that the abuss of alcoholic liquors, or drunkenness, is prohibited in the scriptures under the severest penalties.— Neither can any one doubt, from the tenor of these quotations, that the drunkard, so long as he remains such, is exposing himself to the wrath of the Lord. Neither can it be doubted, from the bearing of these quotations, that the drunkard has no title whatever, either to the name or the hopes of a christian. Who then will dare to deny that Christianity is in its very constitution a temperance society, founded on pure and holy principles ? Who will dare to affirm, that there is on the face of the whole earth, suoh a monster as a drunkard and a christian in the same person ? Such a thing is utterly impos- sible, for the drunkard, while he continues his debasing practice, excludes himself from the hopes of the christian, and the word of God has expressly commanded his exclusion from the. society of christians. 151 There can be no doubt whatever, that intemperance, or ihunkenness, is one of the prominent vices on this great continent. But tlie prevalence of drunkenness, in any country, or in any society, is direct evidence, even to demonstration, of the want of christian principles in that country or community. For the more generally the christian spirit is diffused, the more generally will drunkenness, with all its train of concomitant vices, be held in abhorrence and banished fi-oin society. But the more generally infidelity, either real or practical, is propa- gated, the more generally will drunkenness, dissipation, and every degrading vice, spread among the ranks of civilized society. What then is the cause of drunkenness ? It is evidently not the abundance of intoxicating liquors, as has falsely been supposed, for every one at all acquainted with the science of political economy, knows that it is the demand which creates the supply, and not the supply which produces the demand. The manufacturer of alcoholic liquors would soon cease to prosecute his business, unless retailers continued their orders, and the retailers would soon discontinue their purchases, unlen their customers, the consumers of these liquors, continue their demands upon them. It is evident, therefore, that the want of christian principle is the prima^'y cause of creating the excessive demand for intoxicating liquors, and consequently of producing the supply. It is equally evident, that the increase of christian principle would lessen the demand for these liquors, and thereby dimish the supply. This is not a vain chimera, nor is it a deduction from doubtful premises, but a great and important truth, supported by the clearest testimony of scripture. For in 1 Cor. vi, 11, the apostle having just enumerated the sins which exclude from the kingdom of God, of which drunkenness is mentioned as one, says, " And such were some of you ; but ye are washed, but yc are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the 152 „Uh .hem, to .he ^"-^^^^^^'Zl^Z^ change, the hear., and '"™ '/' > j^ ^y^ ..yen. from these, and ,ovea„aserv,ceo thetonl^ It. ^^.^^.^^^^ ,„ similar passages, that most »""''/.., ,„,„ „i,i<.h des- .,eir conversion haae;^^^^^^^ troy the seal ; but after they nac associates, gospel, they separate thems^^^^^^^ ,„ ,,,, denied themselves to "«='7«.™^' ;" , ...ogether contrary to dignity, dishonorahle to 't-- «;^^;;"„^;;tme to .he true day ; we are no ol he n< *.t n ^^^^ ^^ ^^^^^^ ^^^ us no. sleep as do °'*'='^' ''"'^ "'^„j .^ ^^,^^ be drunken, they .hat sleep, sleep '"%"«'•;;'' 2^„,, „f .,e day, be .,e drunken in "^-'^^ j^^.^^V (a Ih and love, and for an sober, putting on. he breastp ate o .^^^^^ „elmet the hope osalvafon. J» p^-J^,, „ ^Jis., are m n 153 not walk in darkness, but ahall hove the light of life. Hft then who walketh in the light of life and followeth the Lord eannot be a drunkard, which is the fruit of darkness, and an ievidence that the individual who is guilty of this vice, is still in darkness, not in tlie Lord. The tree is known by its fruit, and every good tree bringeth forth good fruit. But christians are engrafted in Christ, who is the true vine, and therefore as a natural con- sequence, must biing forth good fruit. Every consistent mem- ber of the churcn of <;hrist, is, through his union with Christ, temperate in all things. The powers of darkness have ao longer dominion over him. He walks in the light of life, and natui:ally and necessarily brings forth the pe.iceable fruits of righteousness. His sins are pardoned, his soul is sanctified,, his desires are purified, his affections are cleva^ted, his faith i» strengthened, and his love to God i^ increased, so that he finds his duty to be his pleasure, and the service of the Lord to be the delight of liis soul. Thu3 escaped from the bondage of sin he enjoys the life that now is, and is permitted to look forward with a well grounded hope of becoming an heir of the life which is to come. Besides all this, Christianity is the noblest society that exists on earth, a tree of the Lord's own planting. The same great being, who is Lord over all, God, blessed for ever and ever, is still its living head, and ever ready to crown all its laithful members with the wreath of glory which never fades. The advantages of this society then arc not confined to earth and to time, but stretchout to heaven, and embrace eternity. [ - Wc trust that Christianity has now been shown in a satisfactory manner, to bo> in its very essence, in its consti- tution, in its laws, and in its operations, a temperance society. We trust, also, that it has been clearly proved, that Christianity ruling ia the heart, not only reforms the 154 .irunkara-s exterior deportment, but neeessarily eradicates 1 very desire of drunkenness, by deslroy.ng the prme.ple ■ om which it is produced. Wo trust also, that wo have .hown that Christianity not only reclajms the d"'"k"d, U converts the sinner from all his degrading vices, and makes him an holy man of G«i. Thus he, ^»ho «- ™ -» terror to himself, a burden to society, and aeh.ld of the devil is, through the influence of chrisliamty made to See with confidence in God his Saviour. Through the same influence he becomes an amiable member of society on earth, and is permitted, through a wolUgrounded faith to look forward to the house of God as his home and to angels, and the spirits of just men made per ect, as hs coLanicns and fellow-worshipers for eternity. What hen would man desire morel Does the purity requi^d in the church of the living God not satisfy your minds ?- " he blood of Christ not pure enough to make you dean Is the law of God not holy enough to regulate your lives^ Are the wells of salvation not capacious enough to satisfy yo' 1 thirst after righteousness^ ^"'■.""ttir Ih can out for yourselves cisterns of human invention that can ho d no water, that can give no satisfaction that can yield !;„ My fruits, and that can lead to no blessed consequences. But it must be evident to every one who has ever exerclod his reasoning faculties upon this subject, t at the svl em of temperance pursued by the absolutes although t may make nfcn temperate, in so far as the actual use o IToUc liquors are concerned, yef^^"' fj ^f J;™.^ in their hearts, and therefore be guilty in the sight of Hun who tries the heart. Besides, every member of the tem ;lr society may abstain from ^^"^^^T^^ yet still they may be guilty of other vices equally oflbns.vc .155 to God, and thereby incur his eternal displeasure. Foi', although it is said, regarding the law of God, that he who offendeth in one point is guilty of all, yet it is no when, said that he who obeyeth in one point is innocent ui a I. No, the very supposition is directly contrary to the whole tenor of scripture, and an outrage to common sense. 1 o what then does the mighty ettbrt of the absolutes amount ! Why to nothing more than this, that they may persuade n.ento leave ott'one species of immorality, without guard- ing them from running into almost innumerable others, equally fascinating, and equally destructive to their souls. Besides, thousands who know little of the gospel scheme, are induced to believe, that by uniting themselves with the temperance cause, they are safe, they can never fall, that all is well. Is this society not actively engaged m crying, peace, peace, when there is no peace'? The great object, then, of this society, even if it were possible to secure it, to the utmost wishes of its most de- voted advocates, would in the end, be found to be as un- satisfactory, as the means employed for its propagation have been shown to be unscriptural. But what a happy change, through the blessing of God, might soon be effected on tire face of the earth, if the same active and persevering efforts, which have been made, and still are making to advance the temperance cause, were turned into another channel, and made to bear directly upon the instruction of the icrnorant in the knowledge of the truth as it is in Jesus, and upon the conversion of the sinner from the evil of his ways and the practice of vice, to the love and the service of thJ living and the true God. Then might we hope to see drunkenness with all its kindred vices banished generally from society, and immorality, that many-headed monster retiring as ashamed before the light of the gospel of Christ. 0/ \f> II 11 till ^1 15G We come now to conclude these lectures, by calling upon you all in the name and by the authority of the groat head of the church, the founder of Christianity, even ,n the name and by the .nthor.ty of the Lord Jesus Chnst the Sr'our, to become members without delay of fhe socely which he has establishecl For there is no other society on <.arth where you can im^ peace and safety to your souls. Neither is there any other, the rules of which wdl lead you directly to cultivate all that is pure, honest, lovely, and ol .ood report, and to abstain from all that is earthly, sensua, devilish. Besides, there is no other society on earth which enjoins upon its members perfect purity in thought, word and action, neither is there any other whose rules ai-c not only complete but perfect, and whose members are promis- ed divine assistance to enable them to act, and to walk according to its rules, and whose rewards are unfading, and ever satisfying to the most extended capacity of the g orified soul. But having become members of this society, of which the Lord of glory is the head, you are bound by duty, as well as by interest, to abstain from drunkenness, as well as from every other vice. Be entreated also, as you value the hopes and the privileges of Christianity yourselves, to use your christian influence, to induce others to enjoy with you the peace and the felicity which are there, and there only to be obtained. By this conduct you will be assist .r.g in forwarding the great work of benevolence and love, which the Saviour came down from heaven to ace • ro /)lish, and to perfect which he died on Calvary. By enga-iag m this godlike occupation you become fellow-workers v,ith God, and joint heirs with Christ of the kingdom of heaven. The work then to which you arc called is no mean occui>a- tion, your fellow-workers are no mean individuals, and the reward is no insignificant recompense. It is only by 157 christianizing llic worUl that it can be moralized It is only by dirtusing christian knowledge and planting christian principles, that wo can overturn the empire of satan, and stem the tide of immorality r.nd vice. A thousand socie- ties of human invention, even by their utmost energy, would fall infinitely short of producing the same blessed results as Christianity alone, through the grace of God, is calculated to eilcct. If we are indeed sincere in our desires to promote the temporal comfort, ami the eternal interests of men, let us do so in the way, and by the holy means which God has appointed, and promised to bless, and not by the means which human ignorance and human pride have devised, and which God can never bless, because contrary to his own holy will. Be ready always to say in the language of the holy apostles, to all who would seduce you to obsc° vc the traditions and commandments of men, at the expense of setting aside the commandments of the Lord : <' We ought to obey God rather than man." Let me entreat you agahi to be followers of Christ as dear chil''*- '^'Zlnr.;'": ,„„ ,,-,„« „„..VtbcNlool.i..nho,», > -'"^ ' P" ;„ „f tofoUo...,, of „„c.„n„»„ M.nic..»..., .nd «»«; ' : * tr^.l.ic., d,«« »,. h O-o J„,,„a.dCU»l».Wc.k,.«hob,th«,«l« „o„. and d«cd ...c • ; l'^;';,^^^^ ; : ;,„„.,„ „,.„, ..„p„.odof «U»l.o :::ir:::a'in;;.w.uon, «... .,do,., „oh,™, .,.-„.„...„ Ill oj cvory kind, cipociiilly tliat wliicli ii most gcnetully [iracliiiod, such as— Arunkcnnoai, buying or idling ipirituous liquors, or dt inking Ifam, unless in ca$u of extren%e neeeisilp" I* thin, thoti, nut porpctuating ono of tho prominont errors maiiiuimod by tho Somhiuni, tho Maicioiiitus, Manichonns, an'-'"e tl- ^ ^''^^^ ^ evident .unfermented 7^"- '" ",^7 J^,s J^d/o In uttTb new wine from the Saviour's parable. Luke v 27 -!«, ^^^ ^ ^^^ preserved." • J .u » .v,» hnttlPB used by tho ancients, wore made of When we consider that the bottles usou u, l *vnen WD v- „„„„»nUnna; it is evident that ino , !• „«-! that iliGv contained many gallons , p„pared skins, and that they c ^^^ .^^^ ^^^^ ^^^^^^^ ,„, .^at U ,.i„o was put mto 'l'^""' J^JjmJ^'^^^i^^ ^^ich the Saviour alludes, when he was to this very process of fermentation _ fermentation hadbeenover.orifudid^otfeime -^ ^^^^ ^^^^^^ ^^^^^^^^ ^^^^^ ^,^ have burst the ^o" • Wh- - ^^ ^^^^„, j,-,,, „f ,,c grape, it ap- ancients, in preparing tho wusT. or ne j i . j. j^,^ ^^ ^ran- of tho nnainntg was fcrmqptml, and conicqnontty oontainnd alcohol, and wat ilioroforo intoxicnliiig: and no rnnciful hypothesis or rho ahsolulos, unless sup- ported ity ovidurico, still more cnnc]usivo than whnt wo have odduced in sup- poit of our assnrliun, cnn chnngo our vie\ys on this suhjoct. That thfi jiiico of tho grnpo was often rnducod to a jelly, or paste, ond proservod ill that stote without fermentation, and that this jolly, or piiste was nftprwards dissolved in water and iiscil as a drink, wo do not pret«nd to deny; liiii wo do deny that this liquid hnd any ulaim to tho namo of wine, any moin than currant jolly dii^solvpd in wiitor, is oniitlud to iho namo of currant wine; yot this drink, which is very frequonlly used at th) prosonl day is never sup- , posed to 1)0 wino. So much for the wine of the anciints. We shall now take a view of the wino and strong drink of the moderns, and here, also, wo will find a corroboration of what wo have said above, unless it can Ito proved that tho process, now observed in miinufuc, uiing wines, is entirely different from that which the oncients observed. Tho following tabic, taken from tho accurate chemical experiments of Mr. Brando, of London, mode before tho tomporanco monia had reached the shores of Britain, and, therefore, free from any suspicion of liaving been constructed for a party f urpo«e, shows the quantity of puro alcohol, and of proof Mpirits, in a variety ofdrinks, now in oso: •• TABLE. Pkscription of Drimrs. Lissa Wine ^. Ditto Average.. • Rnisin Wine UlttOa •••••■• ••■••• «••• Ditto Average. . • • Port Wine Ditto Ditto JytltO •«.. * a... •• .....a Ditto.. Ditto o o « aH a, 3 (u a. 26 24 25 26 25 23 25 25 24 23 23 22 21 19 .47 .35. .41 a 40 .77 .20 .12 .83 .29 .71 .39 .30 .40 .00 b O a. a. DESCRirVION 0( BRINKS, 52.94 48.70, 50.82, 52.80 51.54 46.40, 50.24' 51.66 48.58' 47.42 40.78, 44.60 j 42.80 38.00- Average.. .Madeira Wine.. I'itto Ditto, (Sorcial). jDitto Average.. Currant Wine . . , Sherry Wine. ... Ditto Ditto Ditto Average.. Tencriflu Wine. , Colares < 22.96 45.92 24.4248.84 23.93 47.80 21. 40142. 80 19.24 22.27 20.55 19.81 19.83 19.79 |18.25 19.17 19.79 19.75 28.48 44.54 41.10 39.63 39. 6() 39.58 30.50 38.34 39.58 39.50 VI T A B L E-C0NT1NUF.T>. DepchsI'tion of Drinks. o §< u a ^ « o i4 O Description of Drinks Lacliryniii Chiisli Consiaiitin; wliite Constanun, red.. Lisbon MalHga, 0CG6). Bncellas Red Madeira ... Ditto • Average . . < Cope Mtjschat • • • . * •* 19.7039.40 19.75 39.50 18.92 37.84 18.94 37.88 18.94 37.88 18.49 36.98 22.30|44.G0 18,40 20.35 18.25 95. 94 Cape Madeira \-y^^ Ditto Ditto Average.. ..< Grnpe Wine " Caloavella ^ ...«•• ■ Ditto Average.. . • Vidonia ...••.••• Alba Flora.. Malaga White Hermitage. Tlnsillon Ditto . Ditto, (old in cnslO- Average Nice....' Barsac.. •• Tunt ••• Champagne, (still). I Ditto, (sparkling).. Ditto, (red; Ditto, (red) • Average Rod Hermitage - . . iVJn do Grave 18.11 36.22pilto. ,«•••••*•• 19.20 18.10 18.65 19.25138 17.2C34 17.26 17.43 19.00 8.88 12.08 14.63 13.86 13.30 13.80 12.80 12.56 11.30 12. CI 12.32 13.94' 12.80 13.37 12.79 12.32 11.84 a. 26 |20.5ll41.02l Average |l8.n 36.22 Fronlignac 38 . 40 Cote Kotio. ' 36.20 Gooseberry Wine 37.30 Orange Wi\ie, average "jJll of six samples, Lon- don made ^1 o nn 34.52llTokQy.. ' "'•"" 34.86 Elder Wine • 38.00 Cider, (highest average) 17 26134.52 Cider, ^owesl average). IC 13 36 .26 rerry.averago of 4 samples 17. 7(; 24.16 29.26 27.72 26. CO 27.60- 25.60 25.12 22.60 25.22 24.64 37.88 25. 6» 26.74 25. 5n 24.64 23.68 Avei"vgc •-.--- ^ -^1.34 .22|lMcad Claret. Uitio ......•••••••• Ditto Ditto Average.... ■•• Malmsey Madeira .. . Lunel. ......'..' Sheraz Syracuse ' Santcrno Burgundy ••• • Ditto Ditto • • • Ditto Average Hock.... Ditto 116.3232. 64 14.08 28. Ifrl 12.9125.82 15.10 30.20 16.40 32.80 Ale, (Burton)........ Ale, (Edinburgh)...-. Ale, (Dorchester) 1 ^■•^> Average ^'°' 9, 8.791 9.87 5.21 7.261 7.321 8.88 6.20J 5.56 rage Brown Stout 15.52 31.04 l.o.idon I'orter, (Average) 15.52131.04 15.2830.56 14.22 28.44 16.6033.20 15.2230.44 14.53 29.00 11.95 23.90 14.5729.14 14.3728.74 13.00'20,00 Ditto Small Beer, (do) Brandy Rum ' Gin.... .• •• Scotch Whisky... Irish Whisky Canadian Whisky Canadian Whisky i^^-J!? Average 22.52 19.76 17.. 58 19.74 10.42 14.52 14.64 17.76 12.40 11.12 13.7! 13.60 8.40 2.5G 6.80 4.20 1.28 53.39 106.78 . ... 53.68 107.30 r>u6oiui3.2i> 54, 321108. 04 53 ,37 31.25 107 75 50 62 80 00 ,00 VII mote alcohol lh«n oooimon Cana,lm» »ln«ky. Brfovo lc.vi« .1.1. .«l.joot -o .tall .ubjoio « fo» roo,a,k, on wine, mken „„„, I^ M° cal/. Medical DicUo..,-,, both in conOmaUoa of ou, ™>v, :::::i:,r.,;a,.coo,.iain.a,coi.oiaaa.uo...^^^^^^^ *"'r;"r";;S;r; ';icT:?;Jr:;r.auoLr.w ,.,c.or.,,o • • r • nnrl nnihis d.'Pcml ihcir si imiilating propel 1105, mi- b :iri:::r.,.«d,e,cc,io.»i— ^^^ :::;:■:!; r;:;.:; i wi„o «bic>, ,, ab„,„.ei, ,.»=.»„ i, .ai„ ...., From the above acfiniuon ot wi»«. it 1. cviaont that O.e MUST, o, newly From Ito aoo __^^ ^^^ ,^ |.^|| ^^^^^ Uu>L.-apollauon unlil.t ha. onaergon „„pi,itooos liquoi, all of which appear Cermenlc. lir"'. " " ^P f.b e '.he Le liqeid '" Por,- .aj. .ho iearnea i .'■ ho T. .1,0 .e,v same principle which gives to bcana,, rum, wh,.ks, T 1 1 i i rcaZ ;,..litie., co„.e„ucn,., all .hose li.p,.,. fall Jlrcc.l, tl^he aiviUt: repeals win. .«■. —8 '"'"". "«" " •«*»'^' "■"' use and their abuse. Wecannoaelp remark... he a,.r™ce in. ^^ ::.per.„.e ,loc,.„, ana .hei, m.nner of .roa.in. .he.r p«..en.,. Du. .he,c / rw (•an be no difficulty in deciding which of ihcir views is most in accordance with the opinion, of the apostle Paul, when ho commanded Timothy to use o little wino for his stomach's sake and his often infirmities. In Hooper's Medical Dictionary, which has long been regarded as a standard work, it is said, "'Chemists give the name of wine, in general, to all liquors that have become spirituous by fermentation. As the production of alcohol is the result of spirituous fermentation, that wine may bo considered as essentially the best which contains the most alcohol. " The general iflccls of wine are, to stimulate the stomnch, cxh>Iarat« lh« spirits, warm the Ijabit, quicken the circulation, promote perspiration, and in large quantities, to prove intoxicating, and powerfully seilative. In many dis- orders, wini3 is universally admitted lo be of important iervicc, and e»pecinlly in fevers of the typhus kind, or of a putrid tendency ; in which it i* found to raise the pulse, support the strength, piomote a dlsaphorcsis, and to re»{rt putrefaction ; and in many cases it proves of more immediate udvantngc than the Peruvian bark. Delirium, which is the consequence of excessive irritabi- lity, and a defecti-'o state of nervous energy, is often entirely removed by the free use of wine. It is also a well founded observation, that those who indulge in the use of wine are loss subject to fevers of the malignant and intermittent kind. In putrid sore throat, in smuli-pox, when attended with great debility, and symptoms of putridity, in gangrenes, and in the plague, wine is to be con- sidered as a principal remedy; and in almost all cases of langour. and of great prostration of strength, wine is experienced to be a more grateful and eflicm- cious cordial, than can be furnished from iho whole class of aiomatics." In Duncan's Edinburgh Dispensatory, it is said. " Wine is the juice of the grape altered ly fermentation. Wine taken in moderate quantities, acts as a beneficial stimulus to the system. It promotes digestion, increases the action of the heart and arteries, raises the heat of the body, and exhilarates the spirits. To convalescents, and in all diseases of debility, and deficiency of the vital powers, wine is the remedy on which we must place our chicJ de- pondence." From the last two authorities, which are generally allowed to be standards in the Medial and Chemical world — it is evident that wine is always fermented, and consequently always contains alcohol. It is eqtially evident upon this authority, as well as upon the authority of the previously quoted physician, Dr. Macaulay, that wino is, in many diseases the mnat .efficient medicine which has yet been discovered. Many other avthors might ,|je MOucedfioni the ranks of the most eminent physician?, both of the la^t and m-m. IX lir»jei*«cntury, in supportof the use vf alcoMic liquoft in the tiealmciuofmany of die aw9t intiiictable disoas'^s inculewt to ilio bufnan fraiiio. But those quoted are unprejudiced wkjiesses in «ur fa*o«r,and ll»ei cansmrt ti^^r bodies into the hands of Doctors belonging Uj the absolw*c cause. /^ ;l I ERRATA J nEAD. -*»«• ""•'• .7;, two-foM. 10 .... last ... • ten-rom, • • ■ foUowinff expression 32.. ..19 followexpressu.n -fj^;^^;^.,,' 48. . . .last .... 1 Tjm v„, 23, . ^^^^^ ^^^ ^^^ ^.^^ 33 51. ...23 ff-"'f:^2^ LMkex,5,6,&c. 54. . . .26 l^»ke X, 6, 7 «*c. • pondered. fl>« I*? . ioy and wonder, J^J 64 1« J"J^ ...bondmen. 69. ... 3 bondsmen, . . . .-.•.• se^oH's address, page 3. ,e ^^r Sewall a address, .. . ur.Kixi^ 74 .... 15 ^^- ^^^\^ throw a gloom. 104.... 8 throw gloom, for « Mr. Edward Sander- In the introductory part-RESoUJTio.,-^^^ ^^^^^ ^^^^^.,„. son " read Mr. Edward Anderson, as seconu b ftgC! andcV" utiou.