Democratic Sentinel, Volume 9, Number 12, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 17 April 1885 — W. C. T. U. DEPARTMENT. THE CHURCH VS. WHISKY! [ARTICLE]

W. C. T. U. DEPARTMENT. THE CHURCH VS. WHISKY!

A Ringing Article Upon the Shortcomings of the Church. A CHURCH NOT JUSTIFIED IN UPHOLDING LIQUOR DEALERS —THE WEALTH OF THE TRAFFIC DOES MAKE IT RIG Ilf. S' M- D9UGLAS3. Christia prohibiton <>f the liquor traffic is the vital question of this age, On its wise and just solutions depead a mult.tude of issues of momentous character —issues of honor or dishonor, of victory of defeat to the church - issues of life or death to myraids us our fellowmen in the empire state of New York as we[l as m the thirty-eight states of our union and her territories. Christian prohibition should teach that the liquor traffic is notjonly an eviL hut more—it is a sin of the blackest dye. and as such, the church should denounce it in terms that cannot be misunderstood, constantly and fearlessly. Christian prohibition should faithfully rebuke all who

engage in the liquor traffic, and those who excuse or defend it. Is it cbrixtianity to establish churches whose members are distillers, brewers, saloon Keepers, hop producers, and the men that supply toe grain and rent the rooms or buildings for the traffic? Wo’d an individual church, comprised exclus* iyely ot the above class, receive Christian fellowship? Yet when they a r e mixed with ibe churches cf our land they are toierajed. It is idle, nay more, it is wickedness to denounce the saloou keeper, aud justify the distillers, and approve of the men who supply it with grain; or to wink at those who furnish barley ana bops for the brewery, and fellowship Christian men and women who rent their buildings or room ;for tne liquor traffic, as a very wealthy church is reported io do ia the great city of hiew York. The churches of our land need ta be purified to some extent with Christian prohibition. What would be thought of a church that would seek to justify a house for the reception of stolen goods by the plea that it is onlv supplying a demand already existing! Are grog sh ps to be tolerated as more respectable than the crimes they engender? If the church tolerates one crime why should it not all ? It crime is to be prohibited by the church, should it not begin at the fountain head, which is the liquor traffic, for beverage purposes, and ttierefore should there not be church prohibition of crime? Aty church that accepts the support of the distillery, the brewery, the saloon, or the aider and abbetor of the liquor traffic, is that moment shorn of her right tolprotest against crime. She thereby becomes a part er in the sin. and her lips are henceforth pledged to a guilty s : lence. The mission of the church is to teach the piohibition of sin in all forms, and preach the gospel to everv creature, and exemplify it in their own life as a body ot regenerate persons, and how can tins be done when the partners es the pin of liquordom rule the church ? The time has come to call tbiags by their right names, and to demand consistency in the church over state. Why treat the receiver of stolen goods as a criminal, and the destroyers of human happiness and life as exemplary Christians, if they have acquired wealth by the liquor traffic? The time has come when the 200,* 000 saloons which are warring against Christianity should be prohibited, and this be demanded bv the SO.OoO pulpits of America. ‘For the time has come that judgment must begin at the house of God-’ —Ist Peter, 4t- 17. According to the late statistics we have seen there are 21,665,062 church members in the United States. Estimating one-fourth to be of masculine gender, we have 5,416,265 male church members. Allowing one-third of this numborto anivc at the age of maturity we have 1,805*421 chur h members that are voters. Is not the church responsible in a great measure, for the intemperance existing in the land, because it does not advocate chnstian|prohibitiou? , IFben we consider that church property represents a capital of over sßot 000,fOO, that she possesses schools, acad. emies. seminaries, colleges and universities with 90.00 n ministers, and multiplied thousands of teachers and professors in these educational institutions, and about 500 church papers and periodicals, havng a circulation of many mil'ions of copies, penetrating every neighborhood in the United States, it does appear, if Christian prohibition were properly taught, it might prevail against -he dram shops of the nation. The Christian Temperance Women of New York say when they engaged in the crusade, ‘they were surprised to find alcohol so strongly entrenched in the cnurch. In many instances, respectable men and women drank liquors, leased, thfir buildings for the sale of liquors, and in some cases, were engaged in tho manufacture and sale of the same, and were pillars of the church. As long as the American church remains in such a condition, so long will the American dram shop remain to blast and destroy the best interests of mankind. The revolution of the church should be the watchword of the hour.’ 1. The church must cease the worship of Bacchus and return t» the worship of God. 2. Those who see and possess the light mu-4 cry alotid a d mare not. 3. Bread and butt-r must not control the church because Bro. A. has an immense distillery on Blood street; Bro. B. has I’a gigantic and coilosal brewery on Murder street Bro. G. has an immense saloon on the Broad wav of Ruin, Bro. D produces bops for Bro B’s brewery on Murder street; while Bro. E raises barley for the sariie; Sister F., a little more modest, only rents her property *o Bro. 0 . so that her son may go on the Broad j way of Ruin, . The church should treat the liquor traffic as a sin Because the distiller, brewer, saloon keener, etc., support the church by contributing their money, should the lips of the minister be sealed to not protest against the sina What will become of your church, it you anger and drive awayjthe Holy spirit? ‘For the time has come, that judgment must begin at the house of God ’ •Yes, Christian paohibition must be realized, and the seal on the minister' lips broken to proclaim againstthe Monstrous Liquor Traffic. Shakespeare told a profound truth in that oft-quoted ve-se-’ ‘•Vice is a mons er of nuch hideous mein, That to be hated needs but to be see ; But seen too o t familiar with its face. We first endure! then pity!! then embrace!!! Let the voice of warning be heard from the pulpit, that the Christian may obey Christ at the ballot box, as well as at His table—in political caucus as truly as at the prayer meeting. That the voter must vote in die fear of God- That a prohibition ballot is of as much importance, yea, more than a prohibition prayer against the sin of intoxicants. ‘For the time has come that judgment must begin at the house of God.’—lst Peter, iv 17. Let Christ rule, not mammon —[The Living Issue.