The Four Pillars of Temperance

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1873. Excerpt: ... especially when preconceived notions occupy their minds. This will not, however, by any means alter the operation of the unerring law of cause and effect. On the contrary, a man may incur the deepest guilt by the disbelief of truths which he has failed to examine with the care which is due to them.'l) If men have the means of knowing and do not embrace them, they deserve to suffer, and, according to the doctrine laid down by St. Paul in his Epistle to the Eomans, will be completely without excuse in the great day of reckoning. Dr. Lankester admits that Man advances only as he knows and applies the laws by which God governs the world in which he lives.(2) And yet with the perversity which distinguishes those who believe in singing, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, he persists in advising people to take a little drink, furnishing another instance of the importance of not taking authority for truth--but rather having truth for authority. Even Dr. Cumming teaches that, in the natural world the blackbird, thrush, canary, and nightingale drink nothing but water, and smoke nothing but (1) Abererombie. (2) Popular Lectures on Food. fresh air. A grove or wood in spring echoes with feathered musicians, each a teetotaler, ever singing and never dry; and in another place, when lecturing to the young men, advises as follows: --If you feel dull, sleepy and exhausted, a lively tune will rouse your nerves and restore them to harmony. Do not have recourse to wine or alcohol, these will aggravate, not cure. Try music, it is essentially teetotal and yet inspiriting. On the contrary: Drunkenness, says Augustine, is a flattering devil, a sweet poison, a pleasant sin, which whosoever hath, hath not himself;--which whosoever doth commit, c...