FALSE DOCTRINAIRES.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1295, 25 November 1911, Page 6

FALSE DOCTRINAIRES.

MOLTEN CALVES AND BRAZEN IMAGES, A NEW' HERESY. On Thursday, last week, The DojiinioS published a resume of the address of tho Moderator, of the N.Z. Presbytemn Church, the closing sentences of which were as follow:—"There is no other milgion (than Christianity) that has siie.h a high moral standard, and none that Inspires men with the same noblo ambition to live soberly, righteously, nnd godly in this present evil world. Tracj the onward movement of the Gospel down through the centuries, and wherever it lias been received in faith and love it has acted as a mighty moral regeneration." This is tho ideal conception oj Christianity and Christian teaching and practice. There is in these latter dayn, however, a great falling away from the pursuit of this ideal by tho Prohibition parson, for he has abandoned—it is to be hoped only for a time—the Gospel of "faith and love" to quoto tho Moderator, for his particular nostrum tne gospel of "force and halo" to compel men to "live soberly." Many of those gentlemen—the Prohibition parsons—have virtually discarded tho religion that . has that "high moral standard," which inspires men and woiucd, ab tho Presby. terian Moderator (tho Rev. Georgo Lindsay) says, with the noblo t« live soberly and righteously, for the pro. paganda of a politicul puwer—tho poivor of a three-fifths' majority— lo compel mo» and women to give up the'use of alcoholic beverages, and Tiy that power, OS they imagine, to force them to live soberly, righteously, aud godly in this present evil world. Wo hold, in oil reverence, that vi as not the method of the Master. Had He sought to establish a kingdom hy force, Ho had borne a sword and not a cross.

To-day religion is being travestied by Prohibition parsons, the.Church and the pulpit of Christendom "is being degraded by. these fetish-enthralled "medicine men." They have becomo as modern Aarons, and are holding up the moltea calves of Prohibition and No-License to the gaze and for the satisfaction of a soul-starved world; and they arc destroying their usefulness as clergymen by call, ing upon their hearers to worship those molten calves by asking them to testify their faith in the power of Prohibition and No-License to compel men "to live soberly and righteously in this present evil world." This is tho heresy of tho Prohibition movement. It requires the "God-giveri eloquence" of a Kuns, a Spurgeon, or a Chalmers to denounce and overthrow this false religion of force and halo, and to rehabilitate the gospel of faith and love—the mighty healer of the nations—for those modern Aarone will all enjoin their peoplo to-morrow to become as they are—worshippers nf the brazen, images of Prohibition and NoLicense. ■''.-. It is a- sad and sorry spectacle to we these Prohibition parsons so enamoured of this species of heterodoxy; and it in little wonder that ebod living men and women, who use temperately every good creature provided for them, will quietly, and, '.by their votes. at the ballot-boses, help, to overthrow this false religion of force that tho Prohibition parson is making it his especial business to engraft upon tho true. The striking out of the bottom lines an tho ballot-papers by the vast majority of tho people will teach the Prohibition parson that ho cannot win men and women ,to-soberness anil righteousness by force of votes and the power of majorities,' but by what the great Dr. Chalmers eloquently described as "tho expulsive power of a new conviction." . •'...■.

If you striks out the bottom lino.you .will show your determination to be free to live soberly and righteously with re. spoct to alcoholic beverages. Tho Pro. hlbitionists, as Lincoln said, are mnkini? a, crimo of that which is no crime, ami they havo had their way so far already that if Prohibition is carried all ron moderate men and women maj be finnol .£IOO for having liquor iu your houses, and the police may. at tho instigation of spying' Prohibitionists, mako a raid on your homo, and search it from ceiUug to floor at any hour ot (.he <!av or night. A distinguished Anglican clnrg.vin.in line said: "If Prohibition is carried, 1 for ono will leave the country: 1 tso bitter beer every day instead of toa, and how am I to get it unless I make niysulf a criminal ■" There are maiiy religiousminded men and women moderate users of alcoholic liquors, and why should this innocent habit of living bs inado a crime by tho majority of votes?"