The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1851-03-26
For the Middcbury Register.
Thu Csc Of Wine at Weddings and on
Festive Occasions,

Ma. EpiToR:
The writer in your paper OF 9Th
inst, WHO takes the side OF your cores
por.cent T. A. NJ, although he presents
no fact, nor anything amounting to le-
climate argument, to do away the rec>
ord Of an inspired Apostle, sustained by
the concurrent historical testimony OF
eighteen centuries, gives US TO under
stand, that he is by no means convinced,
that the substance produced by the first
miracle wrought by our Lord, was, as
ST John says 1t was, literally wine, in
the true and only meaning OF that word,
which has yet been discovered. The
writer is free agent, and undeniably
can, if he will, shut his eyes to just
estimate of the weight OF testimony, and
reject the truth. This is Il matter be-
tween him and his Maker. have no
comment to make upon it, and proceed
to brief examination of some of the
more prominent considerations he has
adductd, which appear rather in the light
of excuses for his unbelief, than argus
mcnls to show that what ST. John has
written is not true. lie begius with the
intimatlon, that | am placing my self in
no enviable position, that | am ranging
myself by the side Of class of men,
who he says see "lhat their craft is in
danger" aud would glory in the down
fall of the temperance cause, that had
better look To the tendency Of my opin-
ions, and in the course or his commune
cation, reiierales suggestions of n Sims
lar character. A perusal of what | have
written on this subject will show,
think, that have advanced no opinions
of my own, aud if what has appeared
over my signature is open To the lLlu-
riuus impuiniions sought To be cast upon
II, the lmpntnilnn> strike 1T an iumens>
nrenhl, distance above and not npon me.
In no asprc, in which they can be view
ed re such cnn,ldrrltinns arguments
To prove or dl-prove anything. They want
cyen the poor merit ot originality. In
all ares Of the world, measures OF an
analogous character have been resorted
to, to put To silence, or render odious,
those who have urged upon men, the
consideration OF truths, which, because
they came in conflict with their theories
or opinions, or from some other cause
they had resolved to resist and re ect
The words used by our Lord in reProv'
ing the uubeleying Jews, as recorded il
the 33d aud 34th verses, of the 9TH chnp
Ter of the Gospel according to St. Luke
show that even he was not an exception
Iii; words are,
For John Ire Baptist came neither
eating bread, nor drinking wine, and "
, say he hath a devil"
"The son Of man is Come eating ant
, drinking; and We say, behold glutton
G Gus man. AMI wine bibber, friend O
! publicans and sinners"
: The subsequent history Of the peopl
: of whom these words are spoken, abun
{ dainty proves, that such consideration
:, were not then received as a valid eXcus
If for The resistance and rejection of tn
+ ltruth aud there is no reason 10 conclud
e that they are of any greater efficacy now
ri The consideration next urged is, tina
q the unanimous historical testimony i
AZ favor of the truth of the account give
- by 81. John, is 10 be accounted for, an
disregarded, because until recent
$. there has been no call for a special in
n vesigaiion of this subject" " But sine
n the commencement of the teTperanc
as reformation good and able men have di
C. c, covered apparent discrepancies in II
~ instructions of The Bible" which dl
J, crepancies i, is subsequently claimed tn
off 4. am bound TO reconcile. My answer
II, the obvious ole, that such discrepanci'
III are merely apparent, and imaglna
y and no, real, that the Bible, as rev
C. lation TO maj OF the will of his Make
:, on this subject as well as upon every OF
d. er, is consistent with itself, and consls
in ent with the mantle stations of the gre
Creators will. disclosed in his prov
fe, dence, and in his works. That take
e as a whole, il plainly and unequvocal
ny sanctions the temperate and modera
y, use of wine, and as plainly and uneqni
n, ocaly condemns the abuse or immod
he rate and Incorporate use. The few pi
nts sages relied upon by some as forbiddIl
ed even the moderate use, would hardly a
~ nit of such a construction standing aloI
py while taken in connection with hume
-, Gus other passages, where the use
he sanctioned both by precept and examP
nv they can only be fairly construed, as {
, / nouncing in strong terms the abuse.
! Of The "calI for special investigation
an, which has recently" and ior the Il
en' time in the history OF the world. result
o os' in bringing TO light these supposed d
mo crepancies, is found in the fact. that /
hly extreme positions espoused and inss
his on, by many temperance lecturers a
ng. others, are in conflict with the Bible,
ant it has in all times and by all men be
n.y. read aud received. and in order to 81
Use tain these positions and make them a
i; the Bible correspond, il has become n
hat essary 10 give a new reading, and n
wo, import TO The Sacred Volume. FIR
liant this fact has arisen the attempt made
are, this discussion, to show that the acco
''eu given by 81. John is not strictly and !
NM rally true.
80, The value of the historical TESTING
Id upon this point, is made manifest.
rs. " commencing at the recent period wi
The any attempt of this kind was FIRST ma