The temperance reformation movement in the Church of England / [Henry John Ellison].
- Ellison, Henry John, 1813-1898.
- Date:
- 1878
Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: The temperance reformation movement in the Church of England / [Henry John Ellison]. Source: Wellcome Collection.
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![.(when, having taken him out of the sty of his unclean living, you 'can now cast your pearls before him, showing him that God is jstill waiting to be gracious, that there is pardon, strength, hope ]pf the inheritance in the world to come. The religious element, then, must with us be in the forefront of the whole movement, not in the dim background. The Asso- ciation must be a distinct branch of our pastoral work. So far as the mere physical question is concerned, or the general benefit of pledged association, we can take part with all the good and zealous men who are urging the question on. In my own experience, few of its incidental results have been more grateful than the in- troduction it has given me to some of the leading members of the Society of Friends, and foremost among them the noble-hearted President of the National Temperance League. But immediately that we come to the work in detail in our parishes, the pastor must take his place as President of the Association, the society must be his own. •If it be objected to this, that we may thus possibly exclude some who dissent from us, and that we are thus covering a smaller extent of ground than we might do if we were to waive the distinctive position, I answer, first, in all religious matters extent of surface which is gained at the expense of depth is utterly I worthless. If I am to be the religious teacher of my people, : nothing must prevent my presenting the truth to them as I have been taught it by God the Holy Ghost. But I say, besides this, that there is really no diminution of extent. Agreed as we are in all the preliminaries of the question, it by no means follows that the Dissenter will separate himself from the Parochial Asso- ciation because of its religious element. But if he must do so, it will probably be only that he ma}' have his own society in con- nection with his own religious body. And it is better far that it should be so. If, as we may charitably hope will be the case, there is definite religious teaching there, as there certainly will be](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b20389048_0072.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
