AMERICAN HEALTH AND TEMPERANCE ASSOCIATION.
By R. F. Cottrell
THERE may be objections in the minds of some of our people against giving this Association their support. It may be said to be unnecessary, since the church itself is the best and purest temperance association possible; and hence the propriety of mixing with the world outside, recognizing three degrees of temperance by three different pledges, is questionable. Such objections may seem quite plausible to some; but let us remember that our leading brethren have proposed this Association, and our General Conference, when gathered in council, and aided, as we trust, by the Spirit of God, have given it their recommendation. Our highest earthly authority sanctions it; and we have reason to believe that, as our cause is of God, this measure has the divine approbation. If we recognize the hand of God in our work, believing that he is bringing his people into unity of faith and action, we shall see the propriety of pulling together in measures thus recommended. Trials as yet unseen, except by the eye of faith, are before us. Sunday laws and temperance principles are being mixed together in the minds of the people; and as we stand against Sunday legislation, a prejudice will be raised against us, if possible, on the ground that we favor the cause of intemperance and lawlessness also. Now, that we are publicly known as decidedly standing on temperance principles will serve to repel this charge, and convince honest men that it is false. Again, there are various professedly temperance organizations, and we are solicited to unite with them; and our refusal may be taken as a sign that we do not favor temperance principles; but we can say that we are united with an Association founded for the express purpose of promoting these principles, and we are laboring specially to extend these principles, and thus save men from the evil and degradation of intemperance. Many of these temperance associations are oath-bound, secret societies. Into these a Christian, who realizes his obligation of loyalty to his Master, cannot enter. And the meetings of many of them are absolutely a public nuisance in the neighborhood, demoralizing the youth and leading them into evil habits, well calculated to lead them to ruin. They get together to spend their evenings in idle and demoralizing conversation, and the fumes of tobacco, from its juice on the floor and sundry cigar stumps, attest the next day to their temperance and purity. I do not say this of all; but it is a sad fact in some places. Now we have a means to show our hand on temperance, and at the same time avoid the evils to which I have referred. I believe the present organization will do much good. We, as a people, cannot object to the good it will do us as individuals, by bringing us up to a higher degree of advancement, in a reform which we acknowledge to be an essential part of our work in preparation for our coming King. There has been retrograding, though it is sad to say it, instead of advancement. Some have back-slidden, while others have hardly taken the first step from which to backslide. Let us come up to the help of the Lord in this, a thing which has been taught by the Spirit of God, and prove that we believe that God is leading in this work, and the consequence will be a genuine revival of religion among us.