Saturday press. [volume] (Honolulu, H.I.) 1880-1885, 1882-06-10
SATURDAY PRESS.
Moderation y Reviewed.
JUNE 10, 1882.

EprroR SATURDAY PRTss In your issue
Of May 9th, communication over the
signature of Moderation states as q
fact what seems so doubtful, that a careful
consideration of IL is certainly due TO a
subject of SO much Importance.
Your correspondent says, " 1t [wine]
Was indeed chosen by him the Savior Of
men, rs symbol of his blood, and pass
ed to his disciples by his own hand, and
they were hidden to drink in commemora-
ton Of the last Passover"
Now, with reference to the above, will
you kindly give place to the following
from circular" issued by the "Woman's
National Christian Temperance Union"
in 1881, when discussing tho Sc of INTER
mented wine, and recommending its use
alone 40 tho emblem Christs blood shed
for the remission of sin.
Ffrst--The use of alcoholic wine at
the communion rests entirely upon an
assumption. The word ,oine or its repre-
sentative, is not used by any of the sacred
writers in connection with the Lords sup
per. Nine times this is alluded to in the
New Testament, and each time it is called
simply "tho cup" Our Saviors own
descriptive term is " the fruit of the vine, "
Matt. IIvi:29; Mark xiv:25; Luke xxi;
10. But alcohol is not the spirit of the
vine; nor is it produced by any living pro-
cess; it is always and everywhere the fruit
of decay; the symbol of death, not life.
,Scona-The Lords Supper was insti-
tuted at the Passover feast, from which
every species of ferment was vigorously
excluded, hence Christ could not have
used fsrmsnted wine without beraking the
law he came to fulfill.
7hird-The Bible makes sharp dis.
elimination between different kinds OF
wine. One is spoken of as the cause Of
intoxication, violence and woe, Prov. xiii
90, 80. Isaiah Ill, %. The other a,
the cause of comfort and peace, Psalm
civ:l5.
Tho one the symbol of wrath, Rev. xiv
10. The other the type of spiritual bless
ings, Isaiah lv:l.
The use of the one is positively forbid
den, Prov. xxiii:3l, 80 Eph. v:l8
Tho use of the other allowed and rank
cd with corn and oil.
This strong contrast in language indi
Gates Enthusiastically marked differenc,
in the things to which it is applied. His
tory, both sacred and profaue, sustans thi
position by proving that in :" Bible land
and Bible times two kinds of wine were il
use; the pure, unfermented juice of tn,
grape, referred to approvingly in the on
class Of passages and alcoholic wine, de
nounced ia the other class. Is it no
reasonable to suppose Christ chose the pure
nutritious blood of the grape, as the sym
Dol Of this life giving blood?
F6,nh-Even did tho letter of tn
Bible give color to the use of fermente,
wine At the Lords table, which it does no
its spirit forbids it. LEAD us not int
temptation" is Christ's own model for on
prayers. No fact is better attested tha
that many have been tempted to thei
destruction by wine offered as tie emblem
Of Christ's rsdeeming blood. Reforme
men touch it only at their deadly peril
and after it has awakened an inheren
appetite in those who, except at the Lord
table, would never have tasted wine. Oar
We, rs Christians, lay such n stumbling
block in the way of even the weakest on
for whom Christ died?"
TRUST, Mr.. Editor, your correspondent
10 seeker after truth, and has his min
SO unbiased as to allow the facts to hav
their proper effect upon him, howevt
custom or education may have apparent
settled his opinions. And on the subjet
of +" Moderation in the use of alcohol
drinks, ! earnestly hope he may see tn,
al immoderate drinking comes from IL
moderate use of what is only noxious an
dangerous. And beseech him to beaca
how be, by precept and example, may lea
some poor, weak soul to a drunkard
grave and drunkard's partition "N
drukard shall inherit the Kingdom
heaven" Frightful possibility for tt
moderate drinker to fail to reach Il
Kingdom of heaven. Yours,
LAYMAN.