positive one respecting the abuse, and dreadful denunciations against
the drunkard. Then in respect to the prohibition, the false prophet
has, in the Koran, forbidden his followers to use wine at all. Now,
which do we profess to follow,--the precepts of Jesus Christ, or those
of Mahomet? But some will say, if your brother offends by his
intemperate habits, you should abstain altogether, that you may become
a good example to him. By the same rule, if my brother is a glutton, I
should abstain from food also. Now, I believe with the Apostle, "that
all the creatures of God are good," and lawful for us to use; but we
are not to abuse them, "but to be temperate in all things," thus acting
up to the rule of scripture, and setting a better example than if we
wholly abstained from fermented drink. Any other rule, excepting in
cases of notorious drunkenness, is, in my opinion, anti-scriptural, and
therefore wrong.

The new American society, "The Sons of Temperance," which now takes the
lead of all other temperance or tee-total societies, is a secret and
benefit society, having its signs and pass-words. In the hands of
clever leaders and designing men, may not a society of this kind become
a great political engine?

Sometimes very ludicrous scenes occur at temperance meetings. A few
years ago, when this question was first agitated in Canada, a meeting
was held in a school-house on the English line, in the township of
Dummer. The lecturer, on that occasion, was an itinerant preacher of
the Methodist persuasion. After descanting some time in a very fluent
manner, on the evils arising from intemperance, and the great numbers
who had lost their lives by violent means, "for my part," said the
lecturer, "I have known nearly three hundred cases of this kind
myself."