Untitled article by A. Delos Westcott

Pacific Press Publishing Company · New York · August 11, 1892

FromThe American Sentinel, Vol. 7, No. 31

Neither Gospel Nor Temperance.

By A. Delos Westcott

THE Union Signal has quoted from the pen of John G. Woolley a definition of gospel temperance, which the editors pronounce “the best definition” they have heard. The first part of this definition is perfectly proper; but the last sentence discloses the fact that the “undying enthusiasm” which has for some time been displayed in an effort to force the gospel upon people by law, is not yet dead. Mr. Woolley says:—

And when a Christian man stands up and votes the will of God touching drink into the ballot box, and does it for His sake and in His name, though he stands alone among a million, and against overwhelming odds of policy or politics or worldly wisdom, I call that gospel temperance.

Mr. Woolley and the Union Signal may call this gospel temperance as much as they please, but the fact is, it is neither gospel nor temperance. It may be the gospel of some people, but it is not the gospel of Christ. That gospel does not require the aid of civil law. It can succeed without it. Says the Apostle Paul: “I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ; for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth.”

The gospel is not the power of the State; it is the power of God; and in order for any one to be able to be saved by it, it is necessary for him to believe. As human laws can not force men to believe, the State can never force any one to be benefited by the gospel.

To undertake to force the gospel, or any part of it, upon people by law, is to undertake to substitute the power of the State for the power of God’s Spirit. And as no one could make such an attempt until he had first lost his faith in the power of God, it is a virtual declaration that the power of the State is more efficient than the power of God. It is, in short, a denial of the power of God.

The work of Christianity is to be accomplished, “not by might [margin, army], nor by power, but by my Spirit, saith the Lord of hosts.” This shows that the power of God’s Spirit and the power of the State are distinct and separate powers, and that they are opposed to each other, in the sense that they do not co-operate in religious work. The gospel is to be applied to men’s hearts by the power of the Holy Ghost; instead of having its outward forms forced upon them by the power of civil law. No government ever did or ever can, by enactment, help Christianity in the slightest degree. All seeming help which has come from a

source has sooner or later been turned into a curse. This truth is written in letters of blood on every page of history.

The apostle declares that the gospel is the power of God. Consequently when the power of the State is substituted for the power of God to enforce an observance of the outward forms of the gospel upon men, it is not the gospel at all which is enforced, but a counterfeit of the gospel. Paul speaks of those who are “having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof”; which shows that “godliness” consists of two things—form and power. Some people seem to think that if they only get the “form” from the Bible, it matters little where they get the power; and so they petition and vote for the power of the State to enforce gospel temperance, and gospel morality, and anything and everything that they think is gospel. But as the gospel is the power of God and is not the power of the State, or of its armies, it is impossible to vote gospel temperance, or anything else pertaining to the gospel, into the ballot box. The gospel never went into the ballot box, and there is no power on earth that can put it in. The gospel goes into men’s hearts when it goes anywhere, and it does not go by “the gateway of politics.”

As there is no gospel in Mr. Woolley’s definition, so also, there is no temperance. Temperance is self-control, and not external legal control. A man who does not drink simply because he can get no liquor is no more temperate in the sight of God than the man who lies drunk in the gutter. Temperance is a Christian grace to be acquired through the working of God’s Spirit; and you may as well talk about legislating faith, virtue, knowledge, patience, godliness, brotherly kindness, and charity into an individual as to talk about legislating temperance into him. But you say “there are some people who are temperate while they do not believe in the gospel at all.” This seems to be true; just as many persons appear to possess the other Christian graces without believing in Christianity. Our only explanation for this is, that God is so merciful that he helps even those who disregard his claims, and does not permit them to fall under the complete control of Satan, that his goodness may still lead them toward repentance. Some persons have more natural force of character and self-control than others; but the forlorn and helpless wrecks of humanity which we see all about us at the present time, should shake our confidence in the moral power of man when separated from his Creator. God only is good, and all goodness proceeds from him. The gospel is the medium through which he proposes to impart his power to fallen men—that power which alone can give them the victory over the forces of evil in the world. There is no safety outside of God’s plan. “Without me,” says Christ, “ye can do nothing.”

But the Scripture says in plain words that temperance is a fruit of the Spirit of God (Gal. 5: 22, 23); and Mr. Woolley admits that it belongs to the gospel when he calls it “gospel temperance.” It is just as impossible to have the fruits of the Spirit in an individual who has not the Spirit as it would be to gather grapes from thorns or figs from thistles. The carnal mind does not bear the fruits of the Spirit; hence it is worse than foolish to talk about forcing people by law to be temperate. If these people would search their Bibles with the right spirit, they might find out what kind of a tree temperance grows on, and then they would give up their effort to compel a corrupt tree to bear spiritual fruit. And if the energy that is consumed in the effort to influence legislation and secure the aid of the civil power to force the gospel upon men, were put forth in proclaiming the gospel as God directs, the Holy Spirit would attend their efforts in such measure that they would not need to be ashamed of the results. Paul said, “I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God;” but when he spoke about those who were “having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof,” he said, “from such turn away.” A gospel which denies the power of God by entrusting the civil power to establish its claims, we have need to be ashamed of, for it will never succeed. Its supporters may succeed in securing control of the civil power; they may succeed in persecuting to the death every one who disagrees with their notions of religion; but they will not succeed in converting any one to God, or in making the world any better.

If the prohibitory movement has no other end in view than to aid temperance, then the sooner it goes down the better; first, because the State has no right to meddle in any way with that which belongs to the gospel; and, second, because it is impossible to force people to possess the fruits of the Spirit of God. The only legitimate object which the movement can have is the protection of peaceable citizens from the incivilities of the drinker. This is on the principle that the Government should prohibit that which experience has shown to be a necessary and almost invariable cause of crime. The prohibition movement can properly have no more relation to temperance than it has to faith, charity, or patience. And the sole object of government is the protection of each citizen against the incivilities of others. A. DELOS WESTCOTT.