that often provoke it should not be equally avoided. We yield to none who differ from us on this question, in maintaining the absolute sufficiency of the gospel as the means of spiritual regeneration, and its sole adaptation to this end; and if we are sometimes inconsiderately charged with putting temperance in the place of the gospel, the blame of the comparison must be held to lie with those who suggest it, and not with those who uniformly disown and deny it. Great mischief, too, is often done by a common tone of raillery, which some earnest, though it may be weak-minded, abstainers are ill prepared to encounter. To them the question is one which cannot be lightly viewed. It cannot be disposed of by a jest about the nutritive properties of water, or the moral imbecility that needs the assistance of a pledge to maintain the ordinary decencies of social life. As men and as Christians, it presents itself to their minds invested with the magnitude and importance of a mighty agent in the moral renovation of society; and connected, not remotely, with the highest destinies of mankind. Our friends, in their superior elevation of mental light and freedom, may regard all this as wild and extravagant fanaticism; but they' ought to know that minds so prepossessed are not convinced by witticisms, nor conciliated by ridicule. Most of all to be censured is this kind of conversation, when adopted towards those who have once been the slaves of excess; and accompanied, as it often is, by direct inducements to temporise again with their great enemy. They who thus put a stumbling-block in their brother's way little think, perhaps, what mischief they are doing, or surely they would pause, before obstructing so effectually a work which they admit to be good, while they decline to give it their direct assistance.

On the whole, let it go forth that the temperance movement does not pretend to supplant the gospel, but to act as its pioneer; to go before it, and put out of its way the mightiest of social obstacles to its rapid and universal diffusion. For this mission we maintain that it is admirably adapted, and that its efficiency has been amply proved. May we not hope that, as our friends, who yet withhold their support, come to understand it better, they will feel it impossible to neglect so important an agency in the great work which all Christian men, in their several spheres, should have constantly on their hearts and in their hands—the salvation of souls.

J. M. Burton and Co., Stereotypers and Printers, Ipswich.

AN ADDRESS TO CHRISTIAN PROFESSORS

ON

THE TEMPERANCE REFORMATION,

BY SAMUEL BOWLY.

Ir is now very generally admitted, that by far the largest proportion of the crime, immorality, and destitution of this country, has arisen from the almost universal habit of using, to a greater or less extent, some kind of intoxicating liquor. Any rational measure for the prevention of these enormous and wide-spread evils, must be entitled to the most serious consideration, if not the zealous support of all good men.

Cold must be the feelings, and selfish the heart, that would not rejoice in the mitigation or prevention of evils so destructive of the present enjoyment and future well-being of our fellow-creatures. There are, indeed, few who do not profess an anxious desire to see these evils and sufferings removed; and many possibly suppose they have been doing their best, by occasional precept and the practice of what is termed strict moderation, to promote this most desirable object; yet such have unhappily been the ignorance and deception prevailing on this subject, that these very individuals have assisted, however unintentionally, to keep alive the evils they were anxious to destroy, by supporting the customary use of intoxicating liquors, and thus scattering the seed from which intemperance has uniformly sprung, when the soil and the circumstances have been favourable to its growth. For whilst it is self-evident on the one hand, that where there are no beverages which can intoxicate, there can be no intemperance; so on the other, the experience of this country for ages past clearly proves that the use of such beverages has ever been productive of a fearful amount of intemperance, for the prevention of which every means, short of total abstinence, has signally failed.

When, therefore, we clearly see that the general adoption of a certain custom is directly or indirectly productive of an incalculcable amount of misery and vice, which would be effectually prevented by its abandonment, surely it becomes a deeply important question for every individual to decide, whether he will give the influence of his example to the maintenance, or suppression of such a custom; for

one or other he must necessarily do. If he decide to uphold the custom, he may possibly be able himself to avoid the dangers and evils incident to it, but he cannot protect those who follow his example; and the melancholy history of the past assures him, that large numbers in pursuing the same path, but having less religious principle, less moral courage, greater temptations, or stronger appetites, will assuredly fall.

Under such circumstances, we might reasonably expect that every benevolent individual who had the welfare of his fellowcreatures at heart, and much more every sincere Christian, would carefully enquire whether it was necessary for him to pursue a course, which, even if abstractedly lawful and comparatively safe to himself, had yet proved so dangerous and injurious to society at large. And if the result of an impartial trial, proved, as we believe it must prove, that it is not necessary either for health, or strength, or true enjoyment, to pursue this course, but that another is open before him even more calculated to insure the permanent enjoyment of these blessings, yet free from the temptations and sufferings peculiar to this; would it not become his imperative duty, by example as well as precept, to recommend it to all around him? Such, however, is the weakness of human nature, that the power of custom, the deceptive feelings of a vitiated appetite, or the fear of being thought singular or inhospitable, have prevented many well-disposed persons from adopting the practice of total abstinence, whose judgments have been convinced of its immense importance to the physical comfort and moral welfare of the community. We would earnestly and affectionately entreat such to bear in mind, that in addition to those who are themselves the victims of intemperate habits, there are thousands of unhappy women in this country, groaning under a cruel and oppressive bondage, and tens of thousands of unoffending children suffering from bitter privation and neglect, whose emancipation from their miserable condition will greatly depend on the part which the benevolent and Christian portion of the community takes on this great question. The state of these pitiable sufferers can only be effectually improved by the recovery of those whose intemperance is the cause of their distress. But alas! how can we expect these degraded individuals to overcome the violent cravings of their appetite for strong drink, if the more intellectual and moral portion of the community, cannot or will not conquer their inclination for smaller quantities of similar stimulants? How can we expect such

persons to act in defiance of the persuasion, the ridicule, and the abuse of their companions, if minds refined by education, and fortified by religious principle, dare not face the smiles or the jeers of their associates? How can we expect the grovelling victims of intemperance to deny themselves what may appear to them their only luxury, when the professed followers of the self-denying Jesus refuse to banish one article only from their long list of luxuries, for the sake of suffering humanity and perishing souls ?

There are many, doubtless, who would persuade themselves that their example would have no influence in the matter, or at least could do nothing towards reclaiming the unhappy victims of intemperance; but, if such would consider for a moment by what means the tens of thousands have been reclaimed, who with their families now rejoice in the happy effects of abstinence, they would find that most of them had been induced to abandon entirely the use of their long cherished indulgence, by the precepts and example of individuals possessing no peculiar influence, and who had every excuse for continuing what is termed the moderate use of stimulants, which can be offered by any who still refuse to relinquish them. If these individuals had allowed such excuses to outweigh their Christian duty or humane desire to promote the welfare of others, what would have been the condition of thousands of those who have been reclaimed, but that of miserable drunkards, or souls excluded from the kingdom of heaven? There are numbers of abstainers who probably cannot point to a single individual reclaimed through their influence alone, but they can gratefully rejoice over thousands reclaimed by the united influence of those who have pledged themselves to abstain. As this influence becomes more powerful in proportion to the numbers as well as the character of abstainers, it is clear no individual can possibly escape the responsibility of his own example, in strengthening or weakening the influence which has been the means of rescuing so many from present, if not eternal ruin.

Few will attempt to deny that the temperance movement has been the means not only of producing a great moral reformation, but, under the Divine blessing, of preparing the way for the reception of those influences of the Holy Spirit which have led thousands of the reclaimed to sincere and heartfelt repentance; and if "there is joy in heaven over one sinner that repenteth," how ought the Christian to rejoice over the numbers who have been thus brought to this happy experience, and how earnest should be his endeavours to extend that blessing to others!

We have each a duty to perform in endeavouring to promote, to the best of our ability, the present and eternal welfare of our fellowmen. And when we clearly see, that a means, however simple it may appear, has been so successful in reclaiming from vice and leading to virtue, thousands of poor drunkards, whilst thousands more are still standing as on the brink of a premature and hopeless grave, shall we not be accountable if we refuse to make an effort to reclaim them, which only requires the sacrifice of one needless luxury?

In thus pressing this deeply interesting subject on the serious consideration of Christian professors, we shall not resort to any exaggerated representations. The vice and misery occasioned by the drinking customs of our country, are written in legible characters on the poor-house, the hospital, and the gaol; nor are they less conspicuous in the dejected wife, the half-starved child, and the degraded, blaspheming, self-destroying inebriate. The benefits of total abstinence are portrayed in characters not less striking;-the happy home, the cheerful wife, the clothed and educated child, the affectionate and thriving husband, and, it may be, the converted sinner; whilst the simple yet powerful instrumentality by which, under the Divine blessing, these happy changes have been effected, is only waiting the adoption of a larger portion of the sober and the virtuous, to carry to an almost unlimited extent this heart-cheering reformation. And can it be, that those whose religion so forcibly inculcates the duty of self-denial for the good of others, will refuse their co-operation in so good and merciful a work? Will they stand quibbling about their abstract right, or their supposed scriptural authority to indulge their inclinations, till yet more tears have been wrung from the afflicted, and yet more souls have been lost from the effects of strong drink? No! it surely can only be necessary to show them their brother's misery, and their own responsibility, and we believe the Christian principles which prompt them to labour so zealously in the fields of benevolence all over the world, will speedily induce them to exert their powerful influence, in favour of this effectual, if not only practicable means, under existing circumstances, of preventing the dreadful evils of intemperance amongst their own countrymen.

Thus far we have made our appeal on the ground of those more conspicuous effects of drinking on the one hand, and abstinence on the other, which are doubtless calculated to make the strongest impression on society at large. But there are very important grounds upon which we might appeal to religious professors.