Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1861-05-27

OF inc OCTlptufeti ~ ehIntsttg ohIOinoVf
means to find in them what you are expected
to, or else TO be called some disreputable
name, such, for instance, as Free thinker"
which signifies that you think outside the
traces, collar and breeching, and is enough
in some circles TO damn a man or woman
morally and socially. Yet people talk Of
ffee-,houeht as q blessed right. Singular
that free thought should be Heavenly, and
fee -thinbing d%amnablel
But this is not the tack we started on.
Our attention was attracted to an article in
the New York Christian ADVOCATE, pretend
! ing to prove that the Bible forbids the use
| Of wine. The way this is done is TO assume
that all the passages referring to wine as a
blessing, mean u%nfermented wine, which
would not intoxicste. II lays down the
scripture position as this:
"Unfermented, uuintoxicating wine is ale
lowed and approved fermented aud intoxi-
eating liquors always condemned except in
one case, possibly two, allowed incidentally"
In interpreting Scripture people are ex-
pected to part with their wits. Unfermented
wine in goat skin bottles would be about as
safe property as the innkeeper's wine stores
under Don Quixotte's terrible assault.
Would insipid uufermented wine "cheer
both God and man" as the Bible says wine
does2 1t would not cheer a beast.
The AdUoeate goes into the scripture evil
dence in the following style:
1.-THE new wine is found in the cluster, and
one saith Destroy it not; for a blessing is
in it, IsaiahLxv, 8. Look not thou upon the
wine when it is red, when it giveth its color
in the cup, when it moveth itself Alright.
AT the last il biteth like a serpent, aud
stiDeeth like an adder Prov. XIII, 1892.
Give strong drink unto him that is ready to
perish Prov. Xxx, 6. Here is new wine
approved, fermented wine forbidden, strong
dfink-perhsps alcoholic, perhaps not-me-
dicinally allowed"
A more amusing specimen of the common
style of Scripture Interpretation could hardly
be given. Because a warning is given against
wine, "when it is red, and giveth its color
to the cup" the Advocate gobbles it up as
testimony against old wine, when he ought,
before writing on the subject, to know that
the older the wine the less color it has, and
that it is only new wine, the thick, infer
mented, unwholesome stuff which the AdUo-
cate and DIR. Mott talk about, that settles in
the cup.
This was probably what Isaiah warned
against, and the internal disturbance and
gripping likely to epsue from its use, may not
insptly be described, in the strong oriental
imagery of the Scriptures, as the biting of a
serpent.
Many simple. minded people have been
convinced that it would be improper for
God to make wine, so they conclude that
the water turned into wine at the marriage
in Cana of Gallilee was turned into infer
mented, unintoxicating wine. We doubt if
such stuff would have answered the expecta-
tons of the guests, or would have been re-
| gaIded as worthy of a miracle. But there
were certain conditions which the wine full
| filled. The ruler of the feast said it was
customary ia give the good wine first, and
when the guests were we'll drunk, to palm
an inferior article on them. This shows that
the ~favorite people of God had the virtue
which John Gilpin so admired in his loving
wife:
Though on pleasure she was bent,
one nao q frugal mlnn''
Would unfermented wine so befuddle the
wits of so sharp a people that an inferior
wine could be passed on them2 This shows,
beyond a question, that the wine ordinarily
used was expected to obfuscate the percep-
ions of the guests. Of course it could moi
be unfermented wine. But would insipid,
unfermented wine satisfy guests who had
we'll drunk of old wine2 They must have
been very drunk if it would; aud either
horn of the dilemma shows that the horn
which it was customary to exslt contained
wine, rosy wine, fermented wine, jolly wine,
"tbat cheereth both God and man"
DR.. Mott thinks the Hebre VS. boiled their
wine into a syrup to prevent its fermenting.
DR.. Mott would boil the Scriptures into o
jelly SO as to mold them after his. OWL
image.
Wine is universally spoken of in the Scrip
lures as one of the great blessings provided
for man. 1t is promised to the righteous
that their wine and oil shall increase. The
token chosen by God to encourage the He
brews to overcome the heather nations ani
take possession of the promised land, was
cluster of grapes, which Joshua's spies Gu
down, and two of them carried on a pole II
the camp. Christ's first e~xertion of divin,
power on earth was to create wine for
feast, even after the guests had so vel
drunk, that the ruler of the feast thought i
a want of economy to supply them with 81
good an article. Christ drank wine accord
- a.. Al o,,oAoro nf the onuDfru DbaHfaaa
at that day reproached Hin as a win
bibbsr. At His last supper, which in respec
TO the provision made, was not diferen
from that IN ordinary occasions, He DRAM
wine with His disciples, and made it the oc
cssion of some remarks, the significance @
which was not fully understood until after
ward.
All this may be a stumbling block to thos
who would be wiser than what is written
but if 60, it must remain a stumbling-blocl
There are many who make the sacrament
the Lords Supper a reproach to Christ, b
their purism in regard to the use of wine, O
fermented wine, in that ceremony. Wins
will such do when, as they continually praJ
they sit down to His table in HeaVen2 Wi
they carp at the wine2
The Bible encourages the use of wine. q
that denies that is IN infdel. That is tn
strongest religious logic that we know o
If people are not willing TO accept til
fact, why do they pretend that th
Bible is their whole rule Of faith an
practioe2 The use of wine is at present tn
best autidote to tho use Of alcoholic drink
The time may come when the people wi
cheer their hearts with q glass of sugAre
water, but it has not yet. As st. Paul sal
of matrimony, those who are able to contai
without the use Of any stimulAnt do vel
hut a many will mot wina Il nrnhahlu Il