GOOD TEMPLARY AND RELIGION.

Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 2578, 12 April 1877, Page 3

GOOD TEMPLARY AND RELIGION.

.(To-the Editor of the Evening Star.)

Sib, —Mr Hinton, the Baptist minister, preached the Good Templar anniversary sermon at the Good Templar Hall lastSunday. He said some good things, but one thing he said that I, with others, think that it would tend to do Good Templarism harm, that was, that Good Templarism ought to have more religion intermixed with it". It ought to be understood that it is not a religious society, ! and was not set on foot for that' object. The great idea in it is sobriety. We know men may be irreligious and bad other ways besides being intemperate; but no one can be religious without bein^ sober. In this sense it is a part of religion. Our main work is to make and keep men sober, and that cannot do any harm to any religious body, whether Jew or Gentile, Catholic or Protestant; but if religion as generally taught be mixed up with Good Templarism it could not- stand six months. The first question that would arise would be, what isi religion ? When the various sects of religion cannot agree what it is, nor yet two men, is it likely that Good Templars would ? We are very well agreed now about what is sobriety and what is intemperance, but to agree about what religion is would be a rock that would split up the good < ship of Good Templarism. Only just imagine the Good Templars meeting to discuss a few of the knotty points of theology, say that one is three, and at the same time three is ©ne. Then the other doctrines—whether the finished _ righteousness that you can have by faith, or the one you work out yourself by doing right is the most acceptable to God ? The market is glutted with such like religion, but there is a great demand for integrity and sterling worth—for goodness, kindness, and purity. This is the genuine artiple and not spurious. When the public meet with this they are satisfied, arid never ask for their creed, nor what churci| they go to; but those men that say they have got their natures changed, und are by that superior beings to others,

for thejf have got Christ in their hearts, and have been washed in his blood, and know the very time and place where they obtained salvation, and having that knowledge they appear to think that gives them a license to be the most disagreeable, --selfish, unkind and unprincipled. What does it mutter when they are converted, siaa psalms, go to church, and make long prayers P Poor Burns saw all'this cant and hypocrisy, when he wrote Holy Willie Praire. If people want to avoid the common struggles that most poor mortals have in every step they take in the path of virtue, they must go to one of Moody's meetings, and come to Jesus—" only believe, and heaven is yours for ever,"—nothing could be more easy ; but according to this the great battle of life in subduing the passions and conquering sin is altogether unnecessary. The battle is fought and the victory won, and we only have to believe. As this is the religion that is so common, if it was introduced into Good Templary it would cause nothing but contention.—-1 am, &c,

J. Horn. Upper Albert street, April 11th, 77.