ed, (we had almost said to their shame,) are not, in general, in the front rank in the army of temperance. Judges, and statesmen, and lawyers, and physicians, and in many instances, farmers, mechanics and merchants, advance before them. But we are happy to say that many ministers of the gospel, belonging to the various denominations of christians, do exert their influence in promoting this good cause, the cause of temperance. It appears then that temperance is priestcraft, and judge-craft, and governor-craft, and statesman-craft, and lawyer-craft, and doctorcraft, and farmer-craft, and mechanic-craft, and merchant-craft, and indeed the craft of all those who engage in promoting its cause. But no man who regards the truth, will call it infidel-craft, or deist-craft, or universalist-craft. These persons hate the temperance cause almost as sincerely as they do vital piety. May temperance which is the craft of all good men and the bane of most bad ones, soon extend over our now intemperate world.

It may be remarked here, that in modern infidel phrase, priestcraft is almost universally used to denote what is truly excellent. In the hackneyed phraseology of infidelity, it means to be engaged in promoting the cause of vital piety, to favor sabbath-schools, missions, missionary societies, bible societies, the temperance cause; in short, to be engaged in any cause which is truly good

and benevolent, is what infidels, &c. call priestcraft. The more such craft we have the better. May it flourish to the eternal overthrow of every species of infidel-craft which strikes at the root of all that is dear and valuable to man in time or eternity.

We

2. "But temperance will unite church and state," insinuates the crafty enemy of the cause. He fears to show his cloven foot, lest he should be confronted by men of sterling integrity. His enmity however, is so great that he finds it impossible to conceal it wholly. He therefore shields himself behind this mock patriotism, and raises the pitiful cry of "church and state." But rum and state make no part of his lamentation. dismiss this sorry objection with the single remark, that if to lay aside the bottle will unite church and state, then let them be united. But we must confess that we can discover no connection between entire abstinence and that infidel scarecrow, the union of church and state. What redundant credulity that man must have who can believe that to refuse to drink ardent spirits, will unite church and state!

But upon what evidence is this charge of a design to unite church and state, which is, so often and with so much assurance, brought against Christians, founded? It is an acknowledged fact that Christianity has often reluctantly formed au

was.

unholy alliance with different political governments. But by whom was this union formed? No one acquainted with history will say that true Christians were ever efficient actors in forming this union which always has been and always will be fatal to vital piety. Constantine the Great who first united church and state, was not a member of the Christian church till many years after the union was consummated; perhaps he never The various other political or military leaders who have formed a union between the church and the state, have been either opposers of vital godliness or perfectly indifferent on the subject of religion. The only apparent exception to this sweeping statement, is that of Oliver Cromwell; and infidels will not maintain that he was a pious man. The few pious monarchs that have lived since the Christian Church was first made the religion of the Roman empire, found this union existing, but did not form it. Our own Washington, the father of his country, a professed, and no doubt, a true follower of the Lord Jesus Christ, discountenanced wholly this unnatural union. When none whom even the infidel would be willing to call a true Christian has ever yet united or attempted to unite church and state, how inconceivably credulous he must be to imagine that a design is now or ever has been or ever will be formed by Christians to unite church and

state? But it may be asked, why should the enemies of religion form this union? We answer, to accomplish political purposes; not with a design to promote the cause of religion. Church and state always have been united by the enemies of religion. We may therefore reasonably conclude, that if this union is ever formed in this country, it will be by those who hate Christianity.

VI. Of Misers.

1. Avarice with its griping hand and heart of steel, steps forward to plead the cause of intemperance. And this it does, strange to tell, though it feels that drunkards squander more money. than all other vicious characters together. It solemnly avers, "That if all men ceased to drink ardent spirits, then produce would not command so high a price as it now does; because distillers would then be compelled to discontinue their operations, to relinquish their nefarious employment." The secret spring that throws out this argument in favor of intemperance, is this; The avaricious are convinced that they can, perhaps with ease, wring that shilling from the hand of the drunkard when intoxicated, which they could not, by any means, obtain when he is sober. We know that intemperance increases our taxes, our poverty, our misery, our crimes, our diseases, our deaths. That it does all this evil, and much more,

we have fearful evidence in the examples which we see on every hand almost daily. But where have we the evidence that drinking liquor increases the price of produce? How much more will a drunkard obtain for a bushel of corn, than can be obtained by a sober man? Does the farmer who never becomes intoxicated, who is perhaps even a cold-water-man, and whose neighbors are all temperate, find, when he goes to market, that the merchant prefers the drunkard's wheat to his? Will the merchant in fact give the intemperate the highest price? Does not the sober man generally make the safest bargains? Does he not usually take home with him the largest sum of money for a given quantity of produce disposed of? These questions are easily answered.

We know that if there was no intoxicating liquor drank, men would be more industrious, more wealthy, more happy, more healthy. They would raise more produce and perform more labor of every kind. And it is very probable that the various articles which the farmer might expose for sale, would then command a better price than they do at present. Because then the drunkard's family that is now almost starved, would be fed. His children who are now almost naked, would be clothed. The drunkard's house which is now a mere hovel, would be repaired and furnished. Its thousand crevices through which the