Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1860-04-25
For the Sp rit Of the Age.
ON WINES OF THE SCRIPTURES.
NO. BY REV. PETER DngB, D. d.


Having demonstrated in Tract No. l, the
innocency of the unfermented Juice of the
grape, and the right guaranteed to man to
use the same freely as beverage, and also
that the fermented juice is excepted against
by the Bible, and its use interdicted, because
of its disastrous consequences; | shall in
this, pursue the investigation still in anoth-
er aspect, and demonstrate still farther that
the use of the fermented juice of the grape
is only evil, in any and all the aspects in
which it can be viewed.
In the farther investigation of this very
important subject, the Scripturai doctrine
will be subjected to minute and candid
examination. It will be the aim of the vri.
ter to furnish such view of the testimony
of the Bible as will at once place before the
readers of these Tracts, the great principles
of Divine revelation on the subject Of the use
OF wine as beverage, both as it regards its
use as allowed or prohibited. On each of
these points the Bible speaks boldly and
without preUGric0tlOn. It's doctrines on these
points are free from ambiguity on the one
hand, and definite and direct on the other
| The only ground, as the writer conceives, of
| misapprehension, is careful and close clas-
| sifcation of what the Bible teaches This
have done in the former Tract. In doing
of which, [ have examined again and again,
every passage of each to ascertain if possible
the true position of each, and the proper
class to which each appropriately belongs
In pursuing this subject, therefore, in this,
its most comprehensive view, I shall consid.
er the doctrines of the Bible as these are de-
veloped in the previous, chasing the texts ap-
propriate to each No. This course will bring
the aohole of the testimony on this point in
one comprehensive view, and show such a
consistency in this whole structure, as will
at once impress the mind, not only of its
truthfulness but also of its divine original
To this view, now, therefore, invite serious
and unprejudiced investigation.
l. CLASSES |, II, III ", comprehending in
all SO passages, we find wine re- garded by Di-
vine inspiration as suitable in its quality to
be used as beverage, and for other impor,
tant purposes. In all these passages, its use
and the objects of its use, clearly demon
strate it to have been the unfermented Juice
Of the grape; and therefore, in It's nature in
nocent and nourishing. In this view, wine il
seen to occupy very important position
both as it regards its use as wholesome bev
erage, and as an instrument of moral in
struction. That this is so, and to make thi
appear, the following considerations will full
ly demonstrate.
l. This is proved by its physical nature a
demonstrated,
a. By CHASING it with wheat, corn, oil
&C." Neither wheat, corn or oil" are rep
resented in the Bible as having undergon
any change in the nature of their substan
ces from their natural qualities, as prepar
tive to their use as food for the support @
man, nor can we suppose or allow sfor mo
ment that the juice of the grape did underg
r1ah 0ho l..
hand, its true nourishing qualities, and O.
the other, create quality utterly unlike it
natural character and in its altered state
operate only, and always deleteriously upo
the human system and upon the moral chal
acter of man.
To suppose, therefore, that God as the Crt
ator and common Father of mankind, did, i
the provisions of his providence, intend tha
the juice OF the grape should undergo
change IN Its entire nature by the progress
fermentation, so as to produce q subseanc
%hlcn In Its new form, must necessarily
destructive OF the health and life of man. is
reflection Immensely unkind upon the wi
: dom, justice, goodness and love of God II
terly lrreconcileable with His character ;
: revealed in the Bible, and must. therefor
be repudIated by every rejecting and hone
mind The character, then, given of &C
n the Bible as the Creator and commc
Father OF mankind, must forever stand O
posed to any and every arrangements of h
4 Providence by which any ofthe Z" fruits of I'll
field" are or can be so changed as an art
Gle OF diet, whose natural tendency in j
:. changed condition was only of a destructi
e character. Alcohol. it is known, is one
: the most virulent poisons, and calculate
0 when used, to destroy the health and life
/ man, and can, therefore, not be a proper su
g stance to enter into the class OF articles
g the daily use as diet for man; but Il
+; Rh8lne recognized in this classification of ii