Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1863-04-10

used exclusively with appreciation. Yayir
the chief generic term for wine, is used 81 time
where it is evidently restricted to wine in it
nniermented state, as it exists 10 the press ant
the vat, and in every one such instance it i
used with appreciation. It is used SO time
clearly TO denote ieFmented, Intoxicating wine
and in every case it is used with disapprOba-
tiOn. 1t is also used 80 times where there i,
nothing by which to tell 10 what sense it ii
used. Sheckar, denoting sweet drink from
other sources than the vine, is used % times
uniformly with disapprobation. Sobhe, whicl
wine is used times, always with disapproba
ton. SIeseeh. mixed wine, is used 6 tines
twice with appreciation, referring to mixture
with water and four times with disanoroba
lion, referring 10 mixture with drugs. Whai
now is the conclusion from this short analysis
The general term meaning originally wine il
its widest sense, IS Yayin. It is occasionally
used in a good sense, but always, mark, in such
cases, so as clearly TO limit it's meaning to wine
as it is in the vineyard, the vat and the press
Its general and by far lis most frequent use is
for bad notwithstanding wine. 1t may be
asked why the original aud general term is lost
to the good wine aDd appropriated by the bal.
The reason is clear. Il follows the usual course
Of human depravity Words, like other things
degenerate. Evil bears sway in this world
1t is precisely SO in the use of our English term
wine. Originally meaning simply the juice OF
the grape. il has come at last 10 mean that
juice fermented and even drugged. Unless one
qualities himself in some way when he speaks
Of wine, he is never supposed to mean nelv acine,
bat tIf and .fermented 1rine. So it is also
with the term Yayin, when used of new wine
it must be qualified, and We find il is, as already
noted-but It's general and distinguishing sense
is for .fermeHted Intoxicating wine. The spe-
cial terms denoting bad wine, as Sheckar trans
lated strong drink, and Sobhe thick wine which
is supped, and Mesech, wine mingled with
drngs, are uniformly condemned.
To denote the good wine we have AusiS,
wine flowing from the press, always used with
appreciation. Mesech, when it denotes mix
ture with water, is used with appreciation, as
also Hhama, when it refers simply TO the red
color of the hew wine. But by far The most
general term is Tirosh, used, beyond all dis
pute, to denote The wine as it exists in the
press, the vat and the vineyard. We find il
uniformly Except in the single case explained)
used with appreciation. and sometimes with
blessing. 1t is never used to denote intoxica-
Ting wine; nor Is il ever used as a symbli ol
wrath; Gor is it ever associated with Yayin or
Sheckar tn denote drunkenness; nor is it ever
anywhere condemned On the contrary where
ever wine is denounced, Yayin Tor as in
tew instances some of The specific terms de
s r;ptive of some special quality of the wine)
is uniformly used, and whenever any other
term is associated with Sheckar to denote
that term is uniformly Yayin
fhe conclusion then is clear. The Bible
docs speak of difftreEt kinds of wine and il
does use different terms to designate these DIFF
ferent kinds, one set to designate the good
wine and one the bad. Ii may be said per-
haps that this distinction in terms is not uni
form-lbat some of the terms for intoxicating
wire are in few cases used with appreciation
But what if they are? These are exceptions,
rare exceptions, which prove rather than dis
approve the rule. l venture nothing in asser-
ting, that every one such case may be clearly
marked as medicinal. We claim prohibition
of Intoxicating wine, only as beverage We
say nothing about any sin per se No doubt
Intoxicating might be given to him who was
ready to die, or was sad of heart, i. e, to him
who was condemned 10 death, or to him who
laboring under an overpowering depression of
body or mind. Such exceptions only serve to
establish the dist striminating use of the terms,
and the general moral prohibition of intoxiea-
ting wine as beverage Dissatisfied aud in
terested critics may muster objections and pre-
tended exceptions, but the general fact, that
the scriptures do make o distinction in the
terms they use when commencing or condem.
ing wine, remains and WILL I am assured, be
more and more established as ripened aud en-
lightened scholarship is applied to it.
To sum up-the main point, that scripture
concentrations of wine refer to Misunderstanding
wine, and scripture condemnations to intoxica-
ting wine is established -estab lished in two
ways, first By comparison of texts, and sec
ond by an examination of terms Owing to
the necessary brevity of single sermon the
proofs have only been indicated and the re-
suits stated If the argument therefore, does
not appear conclusive let it be attributed to
this, not to any inherent weakness. The PC
sition have taken, cau be, and has been sue
cessfully and triumphantly maintained against
all opposers and l rest assured that at no dis
tant day it will command itself to the univer-
sal belief aud acceptance of the christian
Church
note Two inferences from This subject 1st
If the concentrations of scriptures all refer
TO unfermented. unintoxication wine, then is
it not manifesHy unfair to quote them and
and claim them as Communications of the
spiritnous liquors of I7odern use? Nay it is
not only unfair, it is dishonest and unchris-
tian, betraying a total want of reverence for
the word of God. 1t is in fact a downright
and most injurious perverIion of the truth,
tending to bring dshonor on the sacred scrip
lures, as well as to give license to a great aud
crying evil. If any one of you my hearers
has been and is accustomed thus to use the
word of God, call upon you, as you regard
the truth and reverence the inspired word OF
God, to Go SO NO more or at least first care
fully and copscienliously, as before God, to ex
anime the matter.
2. If, when the scriptures speak of fermen-
ted and intoxicating wine, they uniformly
condemn, reprobate and curse it, is il not dis
tnctly in the face oil Gods word to drink, in
any way OF TO any degree the intoxicating
liquors of modern times? Most assuredly it
is, And this is the very point wish to make,
That the Bible not only sanctions but positi
vely enjons total abstinence. This may be
thought by some to be two strong ground
1t may alarm some Of those men-those petri-
fed specimens-who the highest virtue con-
sists in reverence for the past and who count
it proiane TO disturb the stereotype opinions
and preIudices of our forefaihsrs. But is not
this legitimate conclusion from the position
established If the Bible condemns, and only
condemns, the use of intoxicating drink how
can it be otherwise than wrong to use it. 1t
may be said perhaps that the arguments