Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1883-02-23

Editor Sentinel. In animadverting in your
paper of last week on the inequality in the
operation of the present so-called Local
Option" law, as we'll as its interference with
our natural rights, intimated my intention
to say something of the morality which, it
is claimed, it will advance, and to show
land which | do in all reverence) that it was
not such as advanced by our Saviour and
his disciples. Let US see:
If we turn 10 the New Testament we will
there find that on a certain occasion our
Saviour, in addressing the multitude, the
most of whom were Scribes and Pharisees,
said, among other things, that John 1.-THE
BaptisD came among them neither eating
bread nor drinking wine, and We say he
hath devil; but the Son of Man (meaning
HIMSELF is come, eating dread and drink
ing (wine) and We say behold glutton
and a wine-bbber. See Luke, Chap. VII
33 and "a.
Now here is the declaration of our Saw
Jour himself that he was in the habit of
drinking wine-an intoxicating drink, and
perhaps the only one known in that day
for il, as he said, he came among them
drinking wine, IT shows that he must have
been accustomed to its use. 1t follows,
therefore, as matter of course, that if a
prohibitory law, such as ours, had prevailed
there at the time, our Saviour would have
had to go without his wine, for, like other
poor men, he had not the means of sending
abroad aud getting it by the gallon.
Again, ON another occasion, when at a
great feast given by Levi, Zone of his Disci-
ples,) various interrogatores were put to
him by the Scribes and Pharisees, among
which was to know why it was that the
disciples Of John tasted often, while his
tour Saviour's) ate and drank? To which he
speaking paraboically-replied, among
other things, that mo man putteth new wine
into old bottles, (the bottles Of that day be.
ing made OF skins) lest the new will burst
the bottles and the wine be spilled but new
wine must be put into new bottles, that both
may be preserved :" also, that mo man hav-
Ing drunk old wine straightway desireth
new, for the old is better,"-See Luke, Chap.
y.-37, 30, 49,
Now here is the instruction of our Saw
Jour how 10 manage wine TO keep it from
wasting, while our immaculate prohibition
lists of the present day would have it all
spilled out on the ground.
Again, at the marriage feast in Cana of
Galilee, at which oar Saviour, his mother,
and his disciples were present, when they
wanted wine, his mother said unto him /:
"They have no wine," and told the servants
to do whatever he four Saviour command
ed them. Accordingly they set before him
six waterpots OF stone, containing two or
three firkins apiece tirkin, according to
our best English photographers, holding
about nine gallons. Our Saviour then told
them o"hll the waterpots with water" and
they filled them up TO the brim. He then
said, draw out now and bear 10 the ruler
OF the feast" and they did so. And when
the ruler OF the feast had tasted the water
that was made wine, he said to the bride.
groom: Every man at the beginning (of his
ieast) doth set out his good wine, and when
men have well drunk, then that which is
worse, but thou hast kept the good wine
until now."-See John, Chap. 2.
So we see IL, was good, strong, we'll fer
mented wine into which our Saviour had
changed the water. And as each of the water.
pots held at least eighteen gallons, they must
have contained, in all, considerably over a
hundred gallons--enongh, we should think,
10 make all hands happy, unless, indeed,
there were few Local Optionists present,
which is not very likely.
Again, at the last supper our Saviour took
with his disciples, and just previous TO his
crucifiction, he took bread, and after giving
thanks, brake it and gave to his disciples,
saying "Take, eat" and in like manner he
took the cup, Containing wine, an intoxi.
eating drink and after partaking of IL him.
self, handed it TO his diciples, saying, "Al
of you drink Of it"-See LIST Corinthians.
Chap. xI-25
Again, Paul, an Apostle of oar Saviour,
in writing TO Timothy, another of the Apos.
ties, land who 1t appears was always little
complaining in the bowels) told him to
drink no longer water, but use a little wine
for thy stomach's sake and for thy often in
tlrmties. See Panl's lst Epistle 10 Timothy
Chap y-23. And in another letter 10 him,
setting forth the necessary qualifications OF
the deacons OF the church, he said; "Phey
must be grave, not double-tongued nor given
10 much wine, See Chap Ills. Moth.
ing said here against their drinking wine
ian intoxicating drink IN moderation, but
only not 10 drink II in excess
Now have ne doubt that other portions
OF the New Testament can be adduced
seemingly at variance with those above re.
ported TO; but there they stand, and there
they will ever stand irrevocable, all the Local
Optionists IN the land % the contrary not
withstanding.
But, above all, let us see what the Great
jehovah himself did, bearing ON this cues.
non OF intoxicating liquor. III we turn 10
the Book Of Genesis, beginning at chapter
VI, we will there find that when God de.
termined to destroy the world for its wicked.
ness, he held old Noah in such high esteem