Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1877-12-26
Wine at the Communion.

soon after the organization of our temper.
ance union it seemed uuimportant | said
Il is well enough to use unfermented wine
if people want to do so. There is no harm
in it," and ] added, mentally, "and no
good" Discussion followed and facts of
great interest came to light. My apathy |
was replaced by lively interest, when | |
learned that member of our church had |
stated in church meeting that for four years |
he had remained away from communion be- |
cause the smell and taste of strong wine
there used reused his appetite for strong
drink to such an extent that he dared not |
be present. lie followed his confession with !
pathetic entreaty that unfermented wine
might be substituted Tor that containing
alcohol, so that he might again unite with
his Christian brothers and sisters in the
Lords Supper This was an astonishing
revelation, Tor it came from one OF our most
exemplary church members. For ten years
he had walked humbly and circumspectly
among us; we ignorant that the devil OF
drunkenness, unwllingly driven out, was
still tormentiug and seeking entrance into
the house that had been swept and gar.
nshed and made fit for the temple of the
Spirit of God
Is it not the duty of the strong to be-
ware how they put temptation before the
weak
Let us look at our Guide Book Romans
| XIV
We then that are strong ought to bear the in
nr5,tes Oh tle WeaR ana NOT 10 please ourselves
dens, and so fuiil the law of christ
But why take up needless burdens Could
not our devoted Christian friend gain
strength through prayer to resist this evil
| Let him call earnestly upon God 10 subdue
his annette and cn,,ii,,nr nr,,;ng for hal,,
no b,. rais.d th. c,,,, to Iis ~. pr la, hi,
si,nnlv vya, bis l;nI Win tho vy,us and w..
frain from s,,,ilo,,;n,r anv R.,Iiy tho
",,,,. ,a, ,n,, ,r,a;n4, r. Iii 81,
nnr tr;.,,d oo,,Ii da,,,sa so,,a ,,o, ,,,, ~ H.,
tro,hls ,,,thnu, caIIing nnon ,ha uhnls
,h,,,oL ,o ,h,no.. ,b,ir ,rai.,,oas tnr hj,,,
Onr forsf.th,.rs ,,,vnr hr,,,oh, IN, liz ho,,a
If contention Are ya User than ,hev !,
Prav lat nv Laan some If rho oood old S" cy,s
roms in these DAYS of ;nnovation and chan',,.,
Wa viii turu AGAIN IN nur enid, Rnek
and 500 how that fs,,, I,,yvar p,nI ,,o,,Ii
sa,,ln th,, Al ,,,,,,,d ,.oi,,, (I2,,,,ang ~;
dns, thn,, 40, of nu,,tt H., h,',baro ir ,, III
all stand before the Judgment seat of Christ
Let us not therefore judge another any
more but Judge tins rather tliat no man put a
stunning o,ooA VI II" "oo"Sion !" ia'I III us
E II yood Neither to eat flesh drink wilma
nor anything whereby thy brother stumbleth Oh
is offended, or is made weak
A young friend spoke OF uniting with the
church. He said | am Good Templar.
cannot break my pledge. Ii you require
me to taste OF ferinented wine at communion
shall not Join the church. Don't taste
it, then" SAID | (; put the cup To your lips
As people sometimes do Ill drinking healths,
without tasting" That would be mockery.
| cannot do it" he replied aud not until
he was assured that no Intoxicating wine
should be placed before him. did he come
into the church.
My attention was attracted to accounts OF
reformed men, who, ovt rcome by the taste
ol wine at their first communion, mad fallen
back into their besetting sin again.
Mentioning the subject under discussion
to a friend from Illinois. :. know of ,uch
a case in our church." said She A youup
man had reformed and become a Christian.
He Joined our church. and the tast. of win.
at his first communion so reused his appe-
ute that he went back to drinking as hard
as ever" ID d he ever come back z" " No.
he is still a drunkard; he has a beautiful
wife, who has prayed Tor his salvation
. through many wears" DO they use nm.
fernented wine in that church now Z" "
: do not know. | think So" Similar in.
stances are familiar to many of Won.
These things enlightened nv eyes. II
here is one solitary case like this in "A
church. is it not our duty to cousider it
la Hawaii as ia America, the great national
curse is drunkenness. There | have tasted
sweetened water at the communion. Tue
| natives are too weak to bear anything con
tanning alcohol. and while they pray. " Leac
" Look not uuuu I'm. wine. when il is red
and e Can a man take fire in his bosom an,
his clothes not be burned 2"
: 81 could never substitute sweetened watel
for wine at a comnuulon," said IL Christian
friend. I'VE must use wine in imitation OF
Christ. We must initiate the first Lord
sumner so far As possible" Then must NJ,
not also ,eciine ABOUT "A low table, leaning OF
the lett arm Must we not break breac
baked without leaven partake OF ii tull SUP
per first; assemble III an upper room; aul
wash each others feet /" Inc letter killeth
lint the snirit gi vpth life " pL,iulv tha sn;.;
= r. . '' IL ~
10 'ne important 'equ'S''e II" o"i ceieo' a''o'
p; oil the Lord supper, and notifications o
the manner in conformity TO the customs aut
necessities of the AGE admissible There ar,
: in every church those who are inherently Oh
, posed to any changes, and no amount ot rea
soning will clear their stubbornly betogge,
vision.
The subject of using fermented wine a
5 communion was discussed in a church il
our sister stale of Maine The two deacon
we're divided in opinion. Now it is wei
y known that the deacons in church simpl,
Z governed are a bower; also that deacous ar,
sometimes a triae opipionated and obstinate
So it came to pass that there was "A diyisio,
y on the matter. and amicability was brough
= about NV allowing one deacon to BASS boiie,
;, r1i,iu r1fer ON one sid. of the church. am,
The other 10 mass lerment.d wine ON his side
The congrepttion arranging themselves nc
co,diup 10 their preferences " Now this wa
all wrong" said nv informant, " for it NULL
fed IN. Communion. which sv,nbollzes unity
and brought in dismion instead" IL Oh,
NOT look 80 10 me. What need of disunioI
in heart though several kinds of drink ha,
), been used
d ra.ano ho,;o,o,,. ,ho, he m,y an, all th,r..
. nnathe' who is weak. eateth herbs Lei not hll
thar eateth despise him that eateth not; and lie
e not him which eateth not judge him that eateti
lie that eateth' eateih 70 tne Lofal Ior d
sei n,d I Se eatep6 not and si%etb God thank,
Romans xiv
Wera these tvo kinds of wine. one i,
tovica,iug and the other harmless. nsed il
R,hIe times Like wine mon the lees. thi
5, ou.stion ha, been stirred. and has moi We
$. been clearly settled