DUNEDIN TOTAL ABSTINENCE SOCIETY.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 304, 10 December 1862, Page 5

DUNEDIN TOTAL ABSTINENCE SOCIETY.

[Communicated;] The forinightly public meeting of the Dunedin Total Abstinence Society was held last night in Khox Church, ¥m Purdie, Esq., M.D., in the chair.

The Chairman said cold water was generally conaleredacold subject, and many people thought it it was necessary to quality it with some fiery mixture. He hoped, however, men were now getting wiser, and were beginning to think more favorably on cold water. : • • • _ Mr Cook on^ being, introduced, said, his presence there was a sufficient proof of th* interest he felt in the objects of the Abstinence Society. His beintr brougnt forward as a speaker was a mistake, as his gitts certainly were not those of a public speaker. However, .he felt deeply interested in the move ment. and rejoiced in -every opportunity of promoting it, .He was not a recent convert to total abstinence, but some fifteen or twenty years ago witnessed a scene which determined hii£ never to have connection directly or indirectly with string drinks or the traffic in them ; and he rejoiced now for the determination thee taken, aart that he had eva- since strictly observed it. Mr Cook rda c t several stnkmg in-tances oi the'evils of drinkin^ ' which, coming under his own observation, confirmed nun in his opinion of the-soundness of the principles and practice of total abstinence; and closed a very interesting and instructive address by an earnest recommendation of Juvenile Temperance Societies and Bands of Hope. jpYTr Kiddell spoke on the subject of " Temperance tor Onmtians. ' By temperance he here meant total abstinence from mtoxicatingdrinks, as that was true temperancein relation to them. Hestronglyurgedtheclaims ot abstinence on professing Christians, as he believed the success or non-succe-s of the movement depended on them. He mv.l the first record of intemperance we had was that of Noah, and the effects on society were then as now—shame to the father, and cur 6 ine i to the children.

Mr Jago,-agent of the Society, then addressed the meeting, seeking to meet the objection that temperance was a higher morality than abstinence He said that the doctrines of the objection were that there was danger m using drink even moderately, and that it was right to expose oneself to the danger, in order to prove the strength of character in resisting or overcoming it. Mr Jago quoted Thomas Binney Dr Owen, and several passages of Scripture, to show that it was man's duty to shuti evil and not to enter into temptation; ana that, therefore, the objection thus urged against the abstinence movement was not valid At the ; close of the meeting a number of parties enrolled as members of the society.