The Reformed Presbyterian Standard and also 0\ir ... - Rparchives.org

September 23, 1914.
A FAMILY PAPER.
tish Temperance Bill, which was rejected
last year by the Lords, was re-introduced,
passed both Houses, and became the law of
the land on the 13th of August, 1913; a measure
which, though its provisions of Local Option
do not come into force till the year
1920, and notwithstanding many defects, has
yet had already good results through its
clause restricting the hour of opening every
drink-shop till 10 a. m. The value of this
Act, however, lies for the present, at least,
chiefly in the fact that the principle of Local
Option is embodied for the first time in British
Legislation. But why the present Liberal
Government, with its claims to be the
government of the people, by the people,
for the people, should delay for six years
the coming into force of the Local Veto provisions
of the Scottish Act, and should delay
indefinitely the fulfilment of its oft-repeated
promises to introduce and pass a
sweeping measure of Temperance reform,
•many even of its own supporters fail to understand.
It may be that the Government
is too busy with its Bill for the Better Government
of Ireland, which if it should become
law in any shape or form, will, we believe,
but entrench more strongly in its already
too strong and privileged position that
Trade which is Britain's and Ireland's greatest
foe. The Chancellor of the Exchequci
said not long ago that "If we are to found
the prosperity of the country, its commercial
prosperity, its industrial supremacy upon
an impregnable basis we must cleanse the
foundation of the rot of alcohol." Quite
right! But actions speak louder than words.
We do not find our encouragement solely
in the meagre Temperance legislation of the
year, but rather in the steady progress that
is undoubtedly being made in the education
of the young, in whose keeping, from the
human point of view, is the future of the
Church and the State; in the enlightenment
of the public conscience as to the disastrous
evils of the sale and use of strong drink;
in the conversion of the Medical profession
which is now almost altogether on the side
of Total Abstinence; and, above a."*, in the
attitude of all the Churches toward the
Enemy of the Gospel of Christ. Truth is
mighty and must prevail. Say not in the
struggle naught availeth. The smallest effort
is not lost. Temperance is on the
march to victory and cannot be stopped.
For this Reform is international and
world-wide. The nations outside our own
are arising and are preparing to put on their
beautiful garments. Guy Hayler, in his
comprehensive view of the battle against
the Trade" that is being waged on the
world's wide fields,says that "France is be-
"ig thoroughly roused from the stupor of
alcoholism. Germany, too, is contributing
a battalion of brave warriors to the army of
••eform. Sweden is pressing on vigorously
to the goal of Total Prohibition by the
^tate; the Latin races in Europe and in
South America, even Russia, have all begun
and some of them much more than begun, to
realize that the Drink Trade is disastrous
to national well-being and progress." It is,
however, in the United States and in the
British Colonies that the greatest and most
encouraging advance is being made. A Bill
for the Total Prohibition of the Manufacture
and Sale of Intoxicating liquors has been
introduced in the United States Congress,
and if Congress will but reflect the prohibition
sentiments of an increasing number of
individual States in the Union, then there
is some prospect of the Curse being finally
expelled from the whole territory of the
Republic of North America. It would seem,
then, that the nations of the world are coming
to believe with John Wesley, that "it
is amazing that these poisons should be permitted,
I will not say in any Christian country,
but in any civilized State."
It is, however, not to statesmen and not
to parliaments that we look for leadership
and success in this conflict; it is rather to
the First Battalion of Christ's Army, the
Church. It has been said, and we believe it
is true, of our own as of other Churches: "If
the Church would only march as one great
army, without any traitors in their ranks,
against the drink trade, that trade would
soon go to its deserved doom and an emancipated
nation would rejoice." When the
members of the Church come to realize the
meaning of, and the answers to the two questions—"Am
I my brother's keeper" and
"Who is my neighbor" then she will go
forth as she has never gone before to the
help of the Lord against the mighty. And
soon, sooner, perhaps, than we expect, He
shall see of the travail of His soul and t)e
satisfied.
Your Committee cannot pofnt to anything
special in progress during the year within
the bounds of our own Church. We believe
that every Minister is fully alive to his responsibility
toward this question. But are
we in our capacities as Sessions, Presbyteries,
and Synod as consecrated and as thorough
in our efforts to extirpate the curse
as the position of the total separation from
the Traffic of our Church would seem to imply
In this matter as in every other interest
of the King we are watchmen upon
the walls of Jerusalem who shall never hold
their peace nor might, taking no rest and
giving Him no rest until He establish and
make Jerusalem a praise in the earth.
The attention of Ministers was drawn at
the appointed time to Synod's instructions
of last year; the 1913 Report was printed in
leaflet form and sent to all the famiHes of
the Church. The Committee has under its
consideration a memorial on Tobacco from
the Session of CuUybackey.
The Address on Temperance to be issued
during the year has been unavoidably delayed,
but will, we hope, soon be published. We
Relieve, however, that on both these subjects
the best method of dealing with the tempted
and fallen is rather by the public and private
word and believing prayers of Ministers,
Elders and Sabbath-school Teachers, and the
holy and consistent example of Christian
parents and of all Christ's declared disciples.
Not otherwise can we fulfil our office and
pay our vows as faithful witnesses to the
character and claims of our Exemplar and
Saviour-King.
Your Committee appends the following
Resolution for Synod's consideration -and
acceptance:—
1. Synod directs all Ministers, Elders and
Members of the Church to give all diligence
to the training of the young, by precept and
example, in the principles and practice of
Total Abstinence from all intoxicating liquors
as beverages.
2. Synod recommends that all Ministers,
Elders and Members of the Church to give
all diligence in training the young to abstain
from the use of Tobacco.
3. Synod recommends all the Ministers
of the Church to preach on the Fourth Sabbath
of November, on the disloyalty to the
Lord Jesus Christ, of any indulgence in
Strong Drink as a beverage, and the Christian
duty of Total Abstinence from Strong
Drink and Tobacco.
Respectfully submitted,
W. J. MOFFETT.
WHAT THINK YE OF CHRIST
Do you think of Jesus Christ according to
the Holy Scriptures that He is the Son of
God—the great God Man Do you know
that it is impossible to think correctly about
Jesus except as you think along Bible lines
That no one can know the Son of God as his
Savior without believing that He is revealed
to all men in the Old and New Testaments
as the Lamb of God slain from the foundation
of the world Do you believe that the
whole universe is Christo Centric, that God
has made Him to be head over all things
to His own body the Church That all power
in heaven and in earth is given unto Him
That by Him God made the worlds That
all judgment has been given unto the Son
of God That the Father judges no man
but has committed all judgment to the Son
That the issues of life and death are in His
hand Did He not say, Lazarus, come forth
I say unto you arise Let us make man
Do you believe that God gave Him power to
iudge Adam and Eve, and sentence them f
death, at the same time offering Himself as
their Savior Do you believe that God endowed
Him with power to drown the old
world and to burn up Sodom and Gomorrah
Do you believe that according to the
divine will He led His people out of Egyptian
bondage and drowned Pharaoh and all
his.'^arm.y Do you believe that He led
Israel, His chosen people, into the land of
Canaan over the bleeding corpses of the rebelHous
inhabitants of that awfully wicked