The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1881-09-09

to strengten bis weakness and 10 re.
claim the erring to the truth.
''St. Paul in his charity abstained, -.
but did not NUKE q ron 10 abstai1t- at
certain times and places. from meats
which bis weak brother thought TO be
unclean. But In case Of the vow sup
posed, persons are called OF 20 abstain
from vine, not because others regard
it as a0,cLean but because others aLnse
il or i,idttgc in it to excess. The cases
therefore are not similar. And il the
principle Of the vow is allowed, there il
nothing 30 good which may not be
utterly prescribed under vow. Not
wine only but every creature Of God
is often abused by men. Religion it
self Is abused; 1t has les excess in'super.
stition. Fasting sometimes 10 abused
to excess. Prayer is abused. The
Holy Scripture is abused Ivy those who
quote il amiss. IL was abused by
Satan into weapon against Christ
Matt. ~. g. The principle Of the
vow generally adopted would rob US Of
God best gifts, which Satan tempts
men To abuse, and temps them even to
abuse more eagerly ia proportion to
their goodness Christianity does not
say Of Gods good gifts, but it says,
"Be temperate in all things"
Again in /. Cor. Will Is. Where
fore il meat make my brother TO offend
I will eat no nesh while the world
standeth." ''It has also been alleged
on the ground Of this declaration that
men ought 70 abstain from wine be.
cause some are tempted TO abuse it;
and that men ought to resolve, and
even TO make VOWS, not TO drink wine
or other fermcnted drinks in order that
they may not, by their use Of them,
give occasion - others 70 use them.
est Pauls assertion is that he would
abstain entirely from meats, II his eat
ing chem were the cause Of sin too
any
lis does not say, tlnt il IL or can be
the cause Of sin o any. but If IL was
the cause or I'm he would even abstain
from meat forever. So, If our drink.
ing wine be the cnUse Of Bin TO any, we
ought 10 abstain from IL, bat otherwise
we arc not obliged TO do 10. And to
bind ourselves or others TO abstain
from ii il to bc guilty of sin.
at Is not enough TO say that some
persons may take occasion from our
drinking 10 abuse wine. There is u
great difference between scaluiaL takea
and scandal given. Many were Of
Tended at Christ himself Mathew XI
O; Ky II; XXVI 3l) Men take occa-
sion from the preaching Of the Cross TO
blaspbemc the cross. IL baa been well
said that good things offend none but
evil men. II the thing il COOL let them
acknowledge the evil which they them
selves do in being offended by IT,"
DIR. Ceike in his Life Of Christ, the
most beautiful and scholarly work Of
the kind in the English language, says,
"Nor did he require ascetic restrictions
at table, iorwe find him permitting
tho use Of wine, bread and honey, and
Of flesh, fish aui fowl" In describing
the daily life OF Christ and his twelve
apostles, he does not transport them
into tho nineteenth century, but shows
him as one of the people and living as
they did in that age. AS ihe father
and heal Of the circle, he would doubt
less, use the form OF thanks and bless
Ing hallowed by the custom of His
nation opening the meal by the bread
and wine passed round 20 be tasted by
each after acknowledgements Of the
bounty Of God and Ills gifts.'
These quotations, which any one can
verify by calling On me If they have
not the authors referred 20, could l,e
multiplisd, without number, and arc n
sufficient answer 10 the charge that
was expressing n personal opinion, and
will not render IL 80 "amusing 10 see
men" pervert scripture, anil il might
possibly show thst total abstnenee is
not only not taught hut coademnel by
scripture. By Mr: Harris own meth
od Of interpreting scripture, TO forbid
the use of wine, is departure from
the faith; for he says, "What is this
but the most rigii total abstinence. -
"But if thy brother be grieved with
thy meat, (Sine) nov waliSest thou
not charitabIy." Ii M. Harris has
the right TO Substitute the wor,l wine
for "meot" he will not deny a Chris
tian brother the privilege OF doing the
same TO "A text that illustrates orr view
OF Christian temparance. In | limo
~ l.3, "Now the spirit speaketh ex-
pressly that in the latter times some
shall depart from the faith, forbidding
to marry aud cnmmanding Co abstain
from meats (Sines) which the Lord
hath commanded 10 be received with
thanksgivingof them " hieh believe and
know the truth" We ha,l better take
the scripture as il *, or we may be lei
to make statements which involve our
selves, for.it the text he quotes proves
total abstipenee, the one we quot
proves it to be- denial of the faith.
/ have nothing to say to that kind
of reasoning, which would make me
assume to believe the accusations Of
the Pharigces, because l quoted what
they said about our Lord. His mod
crate drinking of wine furnished the
ground for false accusation. As the
advocates Of total abstinence will not
permit the use, sale ar nlannfaoture- of
wine whether fe4nontea or unfer-
mented, | have hui this to say con-
cerning its character. When drunk to
excess it made Noah, Lot, the priests
and people drunk, that il, it was in
toxicating The excessive use Of both