The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1878-01-17
NO. Is



wine spoken of IN the Bible is AS con-
elusive as any fact need be, ana ths
foremost theologians OF he age are
promulgatng this most important
truth. Important because many profes-
sedly religious men endeayor to make
the Bible counteANnce the moderate
use of intoxicating drinks. We read
that in olden times the most highly
esteemed wines were the unintoxlcat-
ing, pure blood of the grape. Plutarch,
speaks of ''wines frequently filtered as
being the most valasble''-wines from
which the strength was excluded, and
which neither inhsmad the head nor
infected the mind and passions. Piny,
who lived IN the days of Christ, speak.
ing of the most valued wines of the
dsy, says: This is :he most useful
VINE whose strength is utterly broken
or destroyed by the filter" Other au-
cient writers speak O. their most valua-
bic wines as being totally deprived #
every particle of thSt which cen IntOxi-
cate. We believe it was this pure, nn-
intoxicating wine thst the Divine Re-
deemer produced st Cana, aud il is
this ''good wine" that is commended
in the Bible, and not the WINE which
Intoxicates and is "a mocker." The
Bible presents wine to US as blessing,
then as a curse; as occasioning Joy and
gladness, and as occasioning woe and
sorrow. Now, can wines presented in
such different aspects aud in such
frightful contrasts be one and the same
articlel Certainly not. The Bible not
only condemns the excessive use of
wine, but II condemns the wine itself.
''WIne is mocker; whosoeVer 10 de-
ceived thereby is not wise.n Not the
excessive use is here pronounced q
mocker; it is the wine itself. Again,
Look not thou upon the wine when
it is red, when it giveth its color in the
cup" II is not The immoderate use
that is here forbidden, but you must
not look on the wine. You must abb
stain from it, touch it not, for Eat last
it biteth like a serpent and stingeth
like an adder" We infer from this
that the moderate use oil vino is sinful.
That the act OF partakipg of strong
drink constitutes the crime and the sin,
and not the effect produced by exees-
sive use. ''Be not among WINE bib
bers," is another divine command.
You are not to visit saloons, as many
church members in this city do, nor are
you to voluntarily mingle in assemblies
where you know strong drink will be
dispensed. To do so Is to authorize
the use of that which you know will
intoxicate and lebsse man. 'sBe not
ye, therefore, partakers with them, but
rather reprove them, "else you sanction
the use of strong drink, and to sanction
Its use is to share in Ithe guilt that in
evitably flows from it. Neither must
you "drink wine, nor anything where
by thy brother stnmbleth." No man
can drink, ever so moderately, with
out influencing Others to drink, and if
they drink 50 as TO be ruined, you
whose example was the occasion OF
their drinking must be and are held
accountable for the results OF your ex-
ample. HGveyou ever seriously thought
Of thisP Have you ever seriously
thonght of the fact that he who drinks
two or three glasses OF whisky and,
because of his peculiar Temperament,
shows ne anterior effect, is, IN the
sight of heaven, every whit as guilty
as he who drinks TIVE or three glasses
and is overcome and is carted of to
the station housel Wine and strong
drink are recognized in the Bible as
being powerful agents, and he who SIS
deceived thereby IS not wise." The
influence of the Bible is obstructed by
no one obstacle so much as by strong
drink. -Deism, atheism and iniidelily
have hurled their poisoned shafts at it,
bat they have not produced as great
and as baIeful an impression upon it a.
strong drink. Hence, it is the bounden
duty of every man, particularly OF
every Christian man, TO totally abstain
from its use. The Temperance cause
has got beyond the waverngs OF itE
youth. 1t has come OF age. 1t hai
re1ched. the point where no power ol
men or devils can turn il back, or placc
it undcr permautn n. check. II belongs
to Christianity and If il can be KEEP
there it viii certainly be he'd TO a tri
umphant cUnsummation. Then, in
deed, will there be an era OF peace
Brighter Shall roll the everlasting ages
and the very earth, radiant with more
than natural sunshine. speedily ente
INTO and epjhy milleniai rest and glory
HARD BRICK.