The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1881-09-30

Reply 60 new. n. q. hfeveas second
Article en- ..chFisiian Temperance.

Editor Democrat
Fearing that ! had already trespass.
ed upon your space by the length Of a
former article. l did not intend TO
trouble you or your readers, further.
But another article from Mr.. Stevens
in your issue of three weeks ago il 30
remarkable for what il covers up, mixes
up, ignores and assumes, ani IL 20 mis-
leading in lis influence, that Il deserves
further notice.
He started out 10 show that the
work of the "Women's Christian Ten
perance Union" Is anti Christian, and,
that total abstinence from wine AZ a
beverage, Is contary to the example Of
Christ. And yet, not scrap Of evi-
denca has been presented, nor cCm be,
to show that Christ ever tasted vine,
OF that he commanded its use aa a
beverage, or, that he ever forbade alb.
sfinence from Il. This being so, IL IL
difficult to see wherein the work Of The
w. @. T. u. In in conflict with Christi.
anity. Who il hindered In mmyfhing
good By the work Of that socisty1 Ii
u also difficult 10 see how total abati-
nencc from Intoxicating drinks Is con-
trary 20 the example aud teachings Of
Christ. Who Is ever made worse, or
kept back from anything manly an
noble, by abstinence from Intoxicating
drinksl Not word from the lips Of
the Savior, and only one net OF
biz life can be- taken as encouraging
the use of wine Of any kind, for any
purpose, except sacraInental. Trua he
did turn water is.to wine, at Cana.
But the reason Of that act was undoubt.
edIy, TO show forth bis Almighty pow
or, and not merely 10 produce wine.
'erLIs beginning Of miracles did Jesus
in Cana Of Galilee, and manifested
forth bis glory" in. 2. IL. Having
almighty, creative power, this was a
Ct occasion TO show It forth. And, if
he could change the water into wine
he could make it as good as the best
aud still prevent it's having a particle
of intoxicating properties. Ills whole
character, life, and teaching, clearly
show that he would bc opposed 70 any.
thing dangerous to men.
Great stress Is laid by Mr.. Stevens
on the fact that the Bible commands
wine, and he writes as though the
word wherever found in the English
Bible, always meant the same thing
and that it Is The same Ut the present
day. / cannot read the Hebrew, but
turning to Young's Analytical Concor-
dance, one of the best and latest works
of the age, and one which gives almost
every passage in the Bible in which the
word wine occurs, / End eleven or
twelve words in the original, all trans
lated wine in the Bible. Mr.. Young
defines these words as follows: "a
thick, sticky syrup," "what is pressed
out, grape juice" "a vat or trough"
Anything Mixed" "Anything suck
in or up, ""A (ripe or round grape, grape
cake" "Anything pressed on, mead,
"What aatiates, pleases,f "What is pos
sessed, mead, new wine." have not
given bis definition of all the words
used, but enough TO shew that the
words Ia the original Of the Bible from
shioh our word wine comes, often
means something very different from
the wines Of our day. Some Of the
best Bible scholars of the world have
gene through it, verse by verse, taken
every passage in which the word wine
occurs, and found the meaning Of the
original word. They tell US that in
almost, II not ia everv instance, where
wine Is commended, it Is not anything
that could intoxicate, but is either tie
grape IN It's natural state, or its Juice as
dropping from u, or IN the vat schere
pressed. Among the men who hold
this position ! might mention Moses
Stuart OF Andover, DIR. Mott Of Union
College, Taylor Lewis, and many
others. If / understand him, Joseph
Cook who is second to no man of our
day 10 this department Of study, holds
tho same view. Probably no man has
given this subject more study, or
brought better nbility to,iis investiga-
tion. than DR. Mott. submit q few
lines from him. After an exhaustive
examination Of this question continued
throueht many years,he says: I'm the
proceeding analysis we have found as
it might have been expected we should,
one generic term (yagin) expressive of
vinous beverage Of every description,
We have also found term (ti,osh) ex-
p,essive Of the fruit Of the vine as il
exists ii the cluster Ia the vineyard, or
ii ess or vat,--a term (ausio) expressive
Of it a. Il exists dropping or expressed
from tbs cluster A term (sobhe) ex-
rressiYe Of it az inspissated or boiled