Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1874-07-16

gan TO be Il hu,bandman, ard he planted
vineyard, and he crank OF The wine and was
dlnnken,' etc. The Bishop condemned IN
strong lcrmSir getting drunk. Tie proceeded
to mention the various illusions To wine in the
Cd Testament aEi >u,nucu up the cpnc.u>Iun
10 bc irawH lrJG! them: IL was thai the Use Of
wIIc was nowI,crt forbidden, but everywhere
co:.:lncDdcd, except 10 the priest, Its USE WAS
forbidden when in tn" performance oi his ofljclal
duties. 1t wl> used in the administration nt
the sacritcia! ordinance. But the Bishop went
further: The Bible PENN ted the use Of strong
drink. The lSracIlGes were permitted 10 use
these in their great ea<ts. There strong drink
were equal III alcoholic quality to whskey or
brandy. The Old Testament, he declared, 20
where presented wue as anything else than
'onc Of G"d's best gifts to the world. Vine,
he said, 'makes glad tie heart of man. that it
was rctreshment and hospi' atty" iu another
place. God 10 where bars it, DOR prolibl,s
it 10 any onc except the priest, while 10 the
discharge OF his duty on the altar or pulpit.
He Grxl turned to the New Testament: Wine
had been common beverage with the Jew in
the Did Scripture times, he said, aud Christ
had eXamped lts;usc IN one of his earliest prom.
lncnt public acts; Christ had used it for Sucla
mental purposes; turned water into wine Tor
the company to drink ut the marriage; in this
tie beginning Of miracles did Jesus in Cana oI
Galilec, and He had employed it on the oc-
caSlon Of the Lass Supper. Tie Bishop then
declared thai wine vas not a dcte,tahlc pOtd-
ton since it was used in offerings to Jehovah.
God say nothing IN 1t offensive or impure.
The Old Testament was full of evidence that.
God approved Of the Use OF w!uc anon. the
people. But good gifts were susceptible OF
abuse. ! his was The truth 10 regard TO the
use OF vine and strong driok. The drunkord
wa to bv treated under Gods law a. the mur
dctrr and ali other great criminals He that
sci! strong driuk to a drunken man WAS an nc
ces>ory IL the crime. lie then raised the qucs
r!on Of the prOprctr OF selling wlncS ami
liquors, which, he affirmed, was not money
to use nor no. money 10 make aud to sell. y on
must not attempt to carry your virtue beyond
the law. OF God. sud the Bishop. He mann
tanned the right to sell wine AID strong drink
and threw the responsibility Of the abuse Of the
sale AID IL use upoa the veodcr AMI the drink
cr. \ man vas not 4 free agent unless lie was
a. free to do evil as to do good. He he'd to
tic opinion of Do Lewis that ''moral sua>ion
vas GuI : own means Of restraining inlcmper-
aucc. He held also that every man should be
allowed 10 cutlive and to make his own ndi-
Hluiai''! W cAciElS!ue Ills o"u Jug ucnl d. "
what is iitiug conduct In his case, and as 70
what he shall drink aud how much.
The Bishop Is an Independents man, and has
the moral courage to utter his opinions, though
they NAY be at varlaLcn with The popular mind.
He planted himself >qnarely on Bible state
mcp!>, and drew his conclusions without fear
or hesitation. i}ut few men would have cX-
pressed themselves, holding the opinions he does
n this time. ~ it is, he has thrown highly
irtamahc matter iuto this total abstinence cx-
element. already intensified 10 white heat.
CAUTION.