THE IDOLATRY OF BRITAIN: ADDRESSED PARTICULARLY TO THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH. "Keep yourselves from idols."-1 John v. 21. BY W. R. BAKER, AUTHOR OF THE CURSE OF BRITAIN, ETC. LONDON: PUBLISHED BY J. PASCO, 90, BARTHOLOMEW CLOSE; AND SOLD AT THE OFFICE OF THE NEW BRITISH AND FOREIGN TEMPERANCE SOCIETY, 14, TOKEN- BOOKSELLERS. TABLE OF CONTENTS. Page Chap. II. Intemperance possesses all the essential Chap. III. The Intemperance of Britain distinguished by all the external characters, which have ever marked the most imposing, or offensive forms of Idolatry.-I. By its Temples. II. Its Priesthood. III. Its Rites, Ceremonies, and Symbols. IV, Its costly Sacrifices. V. The Crimes it produces Chap. IV. The duties of the Christian Church in reference to the Subject.-I. To awake to a just sense of her responsibilities. II. To free HERSELF from this Idolatry. 1. By wholly abstaining from Intoxicating Drink, as a beverage. 2. By refusing to admit to her Communion those who make and sell intoxicating liquors, for ordinary beverages. III. To employ the most effective means, for de- stroying the influence of intoxicating drinks over mankind at large. IV. To COMBINE her efforts utterly to destroy intemperance. V. To make the Page Moderate use of intoxicating drinks înjurious to health 143 Drinking "usages" powerful causes of Intemperance 150 Opium eating, and tobacco smoking PREFACE. THE following little work has grown out of the text which stands at the head of it, from which the writer originally intended to prepare a discourse for the pulpit. In presenting it, in its present form, he has been influenced by a desire to place the subject of Intemperance, before the Christian reader, in such a point of view, as may lead him to see, that while he is commiserating the condition of the heathen world, there is a state of things, at HOME, which is calling loudly for the exercise of all those feelings, which are now prompting him to display so much benevolence and zeal on behalf of distant nations. It is far from his wish, to divert the attention of the Church from Missionary Societies, to Temperance Societies; nor can he believe that Christians, who, in supporting the former, are really anxious to promote the glory of God, and the happiness of their fellow-men, would contribute one farthing less to their funds, on becoming Total Abstainers from intoxicating liquors :-on the contrary, he knows that both Missionary, and other benevolent institutions, have been benefitted by contributions, saved by the disuse of such liquors. |