AN APPEAL TO THE CLERGY.

Press, Volume LVI, Issue 10484, 24 October 1899, Page 2

AN APPEAL TO THE CLERGY.

Published by arrangement. I would again earnestly appeal to the clergy of the Church of England in this diocese. Within tbe last few days at a village I hare known for many years, I asked one of the oldest and most respectable residents, • who has known the place well for fifty or sixty years, to teH mc who, to his knowledge, had suffered through intemperance during the last thirty yean. We sat down together, and carefully went throughout the whole parish, house by house, and out of eightoy-six families we found that ninetyseven persons had visibly suffered through intemperance; some ruined, others brought to premature graves, one killed while drunk. One poor woman, the wife of a fanner, said in her dying hour, "My life Las been a life of sorrow and trouble." Yee, God only knows the agony of that woman's soul, and the floods of 'bitter tears she shed during tike loog number of years she was tied to that husband, with her six or seven children. During the thirty yean above mentioned, there had been four Mioumbente in die p&rteh, bat not one of them had taken any steps to inform the people of the nature, effects, and character of alcoholic drink*, or used any special means to stay its ravages. And is not this paneh, both ac regard** the evil effects of drink and the neglect of the Church, but a sample of thousands of others throughout the country? I would earnestly ask those clergy, who have hitherto stood aloof from, or in the way of, temperance work, to stand in the way no longer, but, at leaet, to give the people an opportunity- of understanding this question by sennom, lectures, literature, etc. I believe that myriads of the working classes would be thankful to be delivered from the heavy burdens caused by the drink, if they had the opportunity and needful assistance given them. I am justified in saying this, by the tena of thou- , sands that have lately joined , the Salvation . and Bhie Ribbon Armies in various parts of , the country, which is the stones crying out. The upper cla«es and employers generally , gave the movement the cold shoulder. The • Press, to its shame, till lately opposed their efforts. Tl>e doctors, as a rule, opposed it, and did much harm by ordering their patients , drink right and left; and, above all, the \ Church of God gave » deaf ear to the cry ) for help; but, thank God, a brighter day i appears to be breaking upon us at last. The 1

a body, at the summons of the J*te venerated Primate, have awakened to a a*nae of their duty in the matter, and an increasing number of the clergy are manfully grappling foe doctors axe yielding to the force of truth, and tl« edu- ! ca ted classes are giving serious attention to I this movement. The Press is also realising its importance. The otd proverb is again being verified, "Great is the truth, and it Jhl prevail," but the battle will be fierce aod difficult. The enemy will *? bard; we shall need to " work with all our might, and p»y with all our heart that God will be pleased to give the nation a speedy deliverance. I would therefore invite the* Bishop of this diocese, all the clergy and members of the Church of England, to use the following prayer, as used by the members of the Church of England Temperance Society, viz.:— "O God. Whose blessed Son was manifested thafc He might destroy the works of the devil, and make i» the children of God and heirs of everlasting life, look down in mercy upon all those who are engaged in Thy name in combating the deadly sin of intemperance. We confess, 0 Lord, that in the time past of our lives we have sinned against Heaven and before Thee, in the indifference we have shown to the progress of this terrible evil amongst us. We own, with deep shame and humiliation, tliafc by reason of the unbounding drunkenness in our land, cruelties have been perpetrated in countless numbers, and of the deepest dye; the sacred love of family has been torn and riven asunder; the sorrowful sighing of women and children, by thousands and tens of thousands, has gone up and entered into Thine ear; even now the land is defiled with the blood which, the diink is constantly shedding; and while in our own lands-souls are kept in bondage and are perishing with none to help, through our fault the name of Christ has come to be largely blasphemed among the heathen. O Lord, we pray Tliee to give true repentance to ourselves, and all whom Thou hast called by Thy name. And now that we are associating in Thy name, to meet the evil with special remedies, grant that Thy Holy Spirit may be with us to direct and prosper us. Be to us, O Lord, a Spirit of wisdom in all our counsel, a Spirit of unity and brofherly love in our several associations; may we triumph over all the opposing work of the enemy. Give us the grace of patience under trial, of perseverance under every seeming want of success, of meekness under reproach, of endurance under temptations, whether of the flesh or spirit, and above all, of singleness of aim and motive, that in all we do we may seek Thy glory and the good of our fellow-men. Shed abroad in our hearts the love for our periehing brethren, and because the hearts of men are in Thy control to turn them ac it seemeth best unto Thy godly wisdom, take away from among us, 0 Lord, all blindness and prejudice, and whatever else may hinder the advance of the cause we have at' heart, so that the number of faithful hands and earnest hearts, being continually increased, we may at length be permitted to attain to the end at which wo aim, a Temperance Reformation in our beloved land; grant-this, 0 Heavenly Father, for Jesus sake, our only Lard and Saviour. Amen." IS^L