The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1851-02-26
For the Middlcbury Register.
The use of Wine at Weddings and on
Festive Occasions.
Mn. EDfroR

| he writer IN NOur last manor " lO nttnnptg
to show thati one very essential pnrticular.
the portion of the second chapler of the Cos
pei according to ST. John. TO which the ot.
icnion of your readers was directed. in n
communication published in vonr nrerel;no
paper, is not sirictly and Hferally rue has
fallen into n most singular mistake. Nc IN n
part of the contents of that communication.
He snpposes that the selections crom Tao
" Comprehensive Commentary" are .imnlv
the opinions of the editor of thai worl In
stead Of being. as they in fact are. selections
made by him, from the writings of devon,
and learned men. who have male the study
of the Sacred Volume the business of their
lives; and under the influence of this crro-
ncon4 IMPRESSION. Goes on 10 show that the
opinions upon the question at issue. Of "A
certain CONGREGATIONAL clcrgyman." O, any
other man. exprcsscd 80 or / years AGO or NJ
an, other time. are of li,tle or no value Such
opinions arc most obviously of no wejgbt or
inheritance. On This noin. we are fnpv
agreed.
The commentary referred 10. REGARDED as
merely expressing the ooiaisns of The several
men. whose wriiinc, have contributed IN
form it, is also OF trivial consequence. Lu, rs
historical evidence OF fact. the conncnt,rv
has consequence ana Importance If an cs-
,enlial if not conclu.iye character. as will
| thirk hc made Sufficiently manifest hv a brief
recarituiaiion.
An insured ADostlo. ST John. writca .ba,
a, a marriage at Cana in G,.ilo.. oar lo,1
and Savior ,Tesus Chris, was rroson, yy,.l
his ,h.r;plcs. ard Ly thc cxnrci a. or D;.i,n
Power G,rnjsLcJ an additional SUNNY of
wine for the usc Of The ones,s ,sserli,d a.,
The marriage. ST. John kncw the innor, or
| The LANGUAGE he used and whether The s,b.
stance produced by the miracle was actually
wine. or something else under the ruidanc,.
of Insriration he has written without any
qualification. that it was wine. The Cover
nor Of the feast. the other disciples. and all
who were present at the marriage, (and in
| all probability hundred, and thousands of
other persons, )also knew what was produced
| bv the miracle. and if it had been any Thing
| but wine. the means were abundant. ana tb,
| disposition certainly not wanting. TO show
| that in so inluortant n particular the account
niycn of our Lords first miracle was nm
true. The historical evidence furnished bv
the commentary il that m snch him, has
ever been done: that from the time che mir.
| 1cle was wrouuLt. unto ID 1874. M con
mcntaior. or writer on the Holy Srrioiu~es
rxhibitinr the uicty and learninu reouisi,o r.,
1--WE rcspectabilitv to his prodncti6ns. ha,
called i'm question the Eier1l ,r,.b .-ne;tber
more nor iess-of tbe o.cn,,,,t ,,;yor of :,
John. or imuuoned Ike l..son oh,;,,l,,
taught in il. for the guidance of all rrnrra.
tons of men. The evidence is of the same
character with that which forms an innor.
tout mart OF the t.s,imony rehea r,on 70
rroye the authenticity of The several bool.
Of the old and new Testament. and fortified
As il now is. hv the filnrc Of yout ror,rsoon.
dent. to nro,uce ooainsl it any thinr Of an
Authoritative character. it very nearly ,.
mounts 10 moral demonstration
The .ynnl or nuihorirv. loes rot deter vonr
corrrspondenl from aiieu,iin,. rye, at This
late ,lav. 10 show that in the account oiycn
bv $. John. the whole truth +, no, tod HI,
makes this attopp,. by ns.n,,ina no.iiion.
which. gathered from his cyn l,nonlo. md
from that which he has made nj. T., oYotD,
il. amounts TO This; That the ror Twin,
means two ,l;ilerc,,, si,b.,.rc,a. tha an. ,h..
ern.ntcd iui,r of the crane r,n,s.ni,..
ntoxirn,iu% qualities the u.e IF ..i,b !.
therefore sinful. anl forbidden. the other the
uniernlrntcd Juice Of the grape. destitute of
Intoxicating Gual:iirs. the use ol wA..t l..
consequently innocent and slowed. aua bat
the latter was the liud furnished 20, our
Lord. The position !, surely most ezra
ordinary one. Can 70 be- possible jh.., in ti.e
Sacred Volume. which reveals to u1n .h.
will Of his Maker "a ,anfcru unto his Zee,
4 ligh, to h,i NTH" 81, main ti., h., vba
runs may read and ne. err tho,rin." q word
Is used. withou, qualification. which. uaon a
point involving The ali-inporisnt question
OF Guilt or innocence. has two directly np
uo,itc meanings? II minht reasonably be
cNpccted. that the announcement Of such a
o,iton would be accompanied wi'h author
i;y to sustain it, of he highest and mos: un-
couivocal character; but no such authority
appears, and for the hes, of all reasons, thai
none such exists, or from the nature O
the case can exist. The wor wine" ha.
from necessity, but one meaning. The iuic,
of the crane does not Lecome ,cine. until III,
fermentation which evolves iis intoxicain.
properties has taken place. In every 9th
or state. it is as district from wine, in it,
qualities. properties, and name, as sugar
cane moasses is from New England rum
The authority adduced, ia as frivolous ant
unsulstanlial as the position is exiraordna
ry. 1t is al derived from men Of this Gene
ration, and is made up solely Of the opinions
and arguments oi hea!ed paf.zans' z'alons''
witch vonr rorresnondrnt is lnbourino /,
sustain. Ii consists of an cquivocal inclina
, ion Of opinion of DR.. Nott.in which MIR Del
, cyan is said 10 concur. mart of letter ad
-. lrcssc5 70 Nlr noleven an1 ,Lrae extr,..t
,;ro,,, =, ,o,n,,,lo, ~ a. no,,ns he pro, SIN
'o"! -
"i'' III WIZ" NV 'o''sso' ma o'0us"' q.
ms power as phHo'o- Isl 10 pear oh lni
SUBJECT. Ihe Itpha ana ONegd oil th'
whole matter are DIR. Mott, MIR, DeleYan th'
! man who wrote Mr.. Drevan a letter, an,