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only of the divine law, but of their profession, regard money more than God.

Certain it is, whether they know it or not, that few men in the community are doing so much for the destruction of souls as those professors of religion who continue in the traffic in ardent spirit. A young man, who had been awakened to a deep conviction of his guilt as a sinner, who was in great distress, and anxiously inquiring what he should do to be saved, recollected that he had before banished such feelings, by the use of spirituous liquor. In his agony, he made his way to the place where it was sold-procured it, and drank it. His distress abated. His eyes seemed to be so enlightened that he could see that his former distress was delusion. A scoffer came in, and began to ridicule him for having, as he had heard, been serious. The young man denied it, ridiculed the idea; and has apparently been in a state of moral death ever since.

Another young man, who was in the habit of freely using ardent spirit, was at one time tormented with the idea, that his wife, who was anxious for her salvation, was in danger of becoming pious. He opposed her, and opposed all her efforts to secure eternal life. He strove, by all means in his power, to banish serious impressions from her mind. He succeeded; and was permitted again to hear her, like himself, cry Peace, peace, when Jehovah said, "There is no peace." He was induced, not long after, to give up the use of ardent spirit. His mind soon became solemn, and he was deeply anxious for his own salvation. His wife opposed him; but he was too much in earnest to be hindered. He sought the Lord while he was to be found-called upon him while he was near-forsook, as he believes, every false way, and turned heartily unto the Lord, who had mercy upon him, and abundantly pardoned. He is now rejoicing in hope, and is exceedingly anxious that his wife too, may become partaker of the same great salvation. She, however, remains as he once wished to have her; and whether the separation, which appears to have been begun, is to continue and increase, till a great gulph opens between them, and is eternal, remains yet to be determined. A strong and permanent conviction, however, rests upon his mind, made apparently by the Holy Ghost, that had he not ceased to use the drunkard's poison, which once excited him to violent hostility to the truth, and unceasing opposition to those who embraced it, he never had experienced its illuminating and purifying power. Nor is the connection between abstinence and the use of strong drink confined to this country. The British and Foreign Temperance Society, with the Bishop of London at its head, and composed of men whom no one can justly accuse of enthusiasm, say in their Report, "We need not dwell upon the effects of obviously exces

sive drinking. The habitual use of such portions of liquor as have no apparent effect upon the capability for ordinary occupations, maintains, in multitudes of our fellow countrymen, a continued excitement, which sets them free from effectual consciousness of responsibility for every action, and renders impressions of uneasiness, regarding their spiritual state, transient and inoperative.

"But, in many instances, to which the Committee refer with peculiar satisfaction, persons unaccustomed to any observance of the duties of religion, having been induced to join temperance societies, have at first become thoughtful hearers, and ultimately joyful and sincere receivers of Christian truth.

"Your Committee indulge, indeed, the highest hope that this Institution will be the honored instrument in removing from the human mind a general and fatal delusion, which most powerfully opposes the reception, and obstructs the progress of the Gospel of Salvation."

Even wicked men now understand, and confess, that between the traffic in ardent spirit, and a profession of the christian religion, there is a total hostility. They quote the fact of church members continuing in the traffic, and thus being accessory to the pauperism, crimes, and wretchedness of the community, as conclusive proof that they are no better than others: they state that they will ruin men, (and on their own principles,) for both worlds, for money. And does not the excuse which such men often make, "that if they did not sell rum, they would not sell so many other things," countenance the idea? What is their excuse, but an acknowledgment that their object of supreme regard is money? Your church member, says one, is making more paupers and more criminals than any other man in the town: and the great difficulty, in many cases with this assertion, is, it is true. For his own profit he is making paupers, says another, and I have to support them. He is exciting men to commit crimes, and I have to pay for the prosecution of them. He is taking from the very father, whose children come from day to day to my door and beg for bread. He is covering that amiable woman, and her lovely children, with gloom and wretchedness, more desolating and more relentless than the grave. For twelve and a half cents, he will doom that more than widowed mother to the more than death-like agony of seeing her husband, not laid motionless by the hand of her heavenly Father, but staggering homeward under a living death, inflicted by the hand of a brother in the church, of which she is herself a member; and who, before heaven and earth, has covenanted to do her husband good, and good only, as he has opportunity. And he will doom her more than fatherless children, not to stand and weep over their father's corpse, but to flee for their lives, lest, by their father's hand, they should be made

corpses; and to leave their mother, their last earthly hope, to be, they fear, as mothers often have been, murdered by the hands of her husband. Are such men, it is asked, Christians? Are these the men who give up all for Jesus Christ? And yet such men there are in American churches-who, if they do not sell their Master for thirty pieces of silver, do sell his disciples, to more than the agonies of crucifixion, for one; and without manifesting even as much compunction as did Judas, when he went away and hanged himself. Are these men the friends of him who said, "Inasmuch as ye have done it, unto one of the least of these my disciples, ye have done it unto me?". For a piece. of money will they thus agonize the Saviour in the person of his disciples, and yet profess to be his friends? Are these the men whose grand object is "Glory to God in the highest, good will to men?" Who can believe it? Nor are such feelings, in view of these abominations confined to men who make no profession of religion. The consistent Christian beholds them, and from the heart, cries, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." But as he prays, his voice is choked by the recollection that they do know; or if they do not shut their eyes, would know; and if they do not, it is because "he that doth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved." And as voluntary ignorance will not for a moment screen them from the righteous indignation of the father of the fatherless, and the judge of the widows, they are ready to say, "O that my head were waters, and mine eyes a fountain of tears, that I might weep day and night for the slain of the daughters of my people." Nor is their grief assuaged, or their righteous indignation abated, by the cold, heartless plea, "If I should not do it, somebody else would"-a plea that might fit a slave-dealer or an assassin, but not a disciple of him who said, "If a man love me let him keep my commands.-He that loveth houses or land, gold or silver, more than me, is not worthy of me-and he that forsaketh not all that he hath, cannot be my disciple.-He that findeth his life shall lose it, and he that loseth his life for my sake and the gospel's, shall keep it unto life eternal."

The Committee know of no principle of the gospel that will justify churches of Jesus Christ in permitting their members, who have opportunity to understand this subject, to continue this work of death. From all parts of the country the lamentation now comes, and often with tears, that the greatest difficulties in the way of the Temperance Reformation-of the success of the Gospel, and the salvation of men-are those members of the church, who still sell ardent spirit.* And if the church shall continue to

* Appendix H.

admit persons who are engaged in this traffic, as members, or connive at it, by suffering those who are already in the church to continue it, she will herself assume the responsibility, and be loaded with the guilt of perpetuating intemperance and its abominations to the end of the world.

If the principles of revelation and the facts which God, in his providence and by his grace is developing, as those who abstain from all connection with ardent spirit, as a drink, in greater and greater numbers become devoted to his service, and others, amidst all the triumphs of his grace, are almost uniformly passed by; and if the knowledge of the fact that ten times as many in proportion to the. number of one class are apparently renewed in the temper of their minds as of the other, do not awaken and move the members of the church to do their duty,-they would not be persuaded though one should rise from the dead. And should the temperance reformation cease to move onward, and the burning tide of desolation again roll back upon us, let them not forget that they are the Should their own members, in greater numbers apostatize, become abandoned, and the Holy Ghost depart, and their children die drunkards, let them not forget they are themselves the cause. Should the dragon, that old serpent, again renew his vigor, and pour out in greater abundance his poison-party spirit in our land continue to rage, and become a thousand fold more malignant, and burning-let them not forget that they are furnishing the materials, and kindling the flames. Should they rise even into fury, and burn with increasing fierceness, till the bands of social order burst asunder and the foundations of society dissolve, let them not forget that they are the cause. And should death on his pale horse pass through every place, and destruction follow, the universe would pronounce it just. They that sow the wind shall reap the whirlwind; and they that sow death shall reap also death.

These views, wherever the means are used, are extending through the country. Many churches utterly refuse to admit any persons as members who continue to traffic in ardent spirit; or to allow this in any of their members. They do not believe that they can allow it, without violating the known will of God.* Nor is this, as some have supposed, adopting a new rule of discipline: it is only applying the rule laid down in the Bible, correctly to this case, viz. that those shall not be admitted to the church, or suffered to continue in it, who continue perseveringly in the practice of open immorality. That being accessory to the production of the pauperism, crime, sickness, insanity, death and destruction, which are occasioned by the sale of ardent spirit, is an immorality, is by the Bible forever settled. And when this subject is presented, in the

• Appendix I.

spirit of the Bible, and illustrated by the manifestations of providence, it is felt to be an immorality of a high and aggravated character, by every impartial, candid and sober man. The truth on this subject commends itself to the conscience, and moves strongly on the heart. During the past year this subject has been presented, by our secretary, to fourteen of the churches in Boston; and eight of those churches have now in them, no members who are engaged in this traffic; viz. Bowdoin Street, Green Street, Pine Street, and Salem Churches; the first and second Baptist Churches, the Mariner's Church, and the Congregational Church in South Boston. Several churches in Salem, Beverly, and various other places, making in all more than two hundred, are now free. And when the church as a body shall treat the traffic in its true character, it will be stamped as a gross immorality throughout the christian world. Zion will then arise and shine, her light being come, and the glory of the Lord beaming upon her.

A city society has also been formed in Boston, during the past year; and societies formal enlarged in fourteen different congregations, embracing more tna.. three thousand members. A society of young men has also been formed on the plan of entire abstinence from the use of ardent spirit and the traffic in it, embracing more than 500 members. Three State societies have also been formed, during the past year, viz. in Maine, Rhode-Island, and Illinois. There is now a State society in each of the United States, except Alabama, Louisiana and Missouri; and it is hoped that, before the close of another year, there will be one in every State in the Union.

In the State of New York there has been added to temperance societies, during the year, more than 50,000 members. In several counties the increase has been more than 200 per cent. They have printed 350,000 circulars, and sent them to every family in the State, inviting each member, who has come to years of understanding, to abstain from the use of ardent spirit, and to unite with a temperance society. They have also printed and sent to all parts of the State, 100,000 constitutions for family temperance societies, in the following form, viz.

"This society shall be composed of the heads of this family, and such other members as shall hereunto subscribe their names. In subscribing the constitution we pledge ourselves to the following rules, viz.

1. We will use no ardent spirits ourselves, nor suffer the use of them in our families, nor present them to our friends, or those in our employment, unless in cases of extreme necessity, for medical purposes.

* Constant additions are also made to the Society.

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