Fourthly. The amount expended by the church, in intoxicating liquors, compared with what she devotes to the cause of Christ, proves her to be infected with the Idolatry of Intemperance.

Here it must be observed, that the church has nothing she can call her own. Her very existence is the result of pure benevolence, and unmerited mercy, on the part of her glorious Head and Redeemer. In addition to this, she has been redeemed, regenerated, and sanctified, in order that she may become the means of bringing a lost world to a participation of her own invaluable rights and privileges. "Ye are bought with à price," says the Apostle, therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit which are God's. And we read, that "Christ gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself, a peculiar people, zealous of good works.”↑

Now, we do not complain, that the church has done nothing, in the way of advancing the cause of Christ. We do not complain, that she has drank wine, we may lawfully and consistently drink what is not wine. If the liquors called port, sherry, &c., must be drunk, let them be used for their own specific qualities; but let them not be compared with the wines spoken of, with approbation, by holy and inspired men; nor even with the wines now in use in wine-drinking countries. See appendix F.

* 1 Cor. vi. 20.

+ Tit. ii. 14.

been wholly indifferent to that great duty which has been imposed upon her, namely, the duty of securing to the world the greatest amount of happiness, she has it in her power to bestow; but we do say, that that proportion of her property, which she devotes to works of Christian benevolence, is but a worthless fraction, compared with what she expends, in sanctioning the unnecessary use of intoxicating drinks. It is no uncommon thing, for more money to be expended, on the wine and spirits, consumed in one day, at the dinner-table of a religious professor, than is given, by the same individual, in a whole year, for the support of all the institutions, by which the church is carrying on her aggressive warfare, against human misery, and guilt! To obtain money, even in pence, and sixpences, for the most holy enterprises, it is requisite that the pleading eloquence of the most popular advocates should be secured; and that various contrivances should be set on foot, by which that, which cordial and spontaneous liberality ought to bestow, may be obtained through some far less worthy motive.

The brewer, and the wine and spirit merchant, have no such difficulties to contend with, in disposing of their intoxicating liquors, in exchange for the silver, and the gold, with which God has entrusted his church, for his own glory, as the

conductors of every religious institution have to surmount, in sustaining those efforts, by which Iwe believe the salvation of the world is to be secured.

We justly regard our Bible and Missionary Societies, as constituting the brightest evidences of the church's liberality and zeal; but after the almost innumerable sermons, and speeches, which are delivered for the purpose of exciting our benevolent feelings, on behalf of those Societies, and after the most indefatigable exertions of some thousands of collectors, with their cards, and boxes, and bazaars, the amount raised for their support, is little better than a splendid exhibition of the church's covetousness, when compared with what she expends, in gratifying an unnatural, and dangerous appetite, for intoxicating drinks.*

Not more than half a million sterling, per annum, is contributed to the support of all the religious institutions of the present day, which are designed to make an aggressive movement upon the empire of darkness and of sin. This is about a sixth part of what the inhabitants of

* In the year 1830, the aggregate sum given to all the religious institutions put together, averaged but sixpence a year, for each individual! The bare duties on British and foreign spirits amounted to thirteen times as much!"– Rev. E. Bickersteth.

London expend in gin—a sixteenth of what Ireland expends in whiskey; and not more than half of what the inhabitants of Edinburgh, Glasgow, and Greenock, alone, devote to the same body and soul destroying poison!

There is not a more important institution than the Religious Tract Society; nor one which has been more honoured by God, as a means of blessing the inhabitants of both this, and other countries. There is hardly a cottage in the land, in which may not be found some traces of its beneficial influence but, during the last year, the free contributions to this Society, amounted to a little more than half the sum, which is sometimes expended, in the fitting up and embellishments of a single gin-palace.*

The Home Missionary Society is intended to furnish the destitute, or ill-supplied towns and villages of England, with that religious instruction, without which a nation can be neither happy, nor truly powerful, and hence it has peculiar claims on the Christian patriot. But how have these claims been met? During the year, ending in April 1838, the amount, contributed to its support, did not reach six thousand pounds, exclusive of legacies. The writer is much mis

* Exclusive of legacies the sum contributed was £5,741. 48. 6d.

taken, if there are not many congregations, in London, which, singly, spend a far larger sum in intoxicating drinks.

We are told, that, in London, " 640,000 persons are criminally and totally neglecting public worship; living entirely without God, and without Christ!"* This state of practical heathenism is mainly owing to the want of churches and chapels, and of a suitable Gospel ministry, and not to the want of ability, on the part of professing Christians, to supply the deficiency. To say nothing of churchmen, who are by far the wealthiest part of the community, and whose expenditure on luxuries, is, generally, in proportion to their wealth, there are, at least, a hundred congregations of dissenters, in and about London, every one of which, annually expends, in intoxicating liquor, more than would erect a commodious and substantial sanctuary.†

* Sermon by the Rev. R. Ainslie.

This calculation supposes, that each individual takes

but a little more than half a pint of strong beer a day, to say nothing of wine and spirits.