The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1884-10-22

3 TIE CLARIos.I
Fabius v. Prohibition.

Between the Old and The New Testament
the Apocrypha takes up the story. In
the book Of Esdeas we read: 20 ye.
men, how exceeding strong is wine It
causes all men to err that drink It: j.
maketh the mind of the king and of
the fatherless child to be all one: of the
bond man and of the free man, of the
poor man and of the rich. 1t Iurneth
also, every thought into jollity and
mlrth, so that a man remembereth
neither sorrow nor debt: And it maketh
every heart rich, so that man remem-
bereth neither king nor governor; and
it maketh to speak all things by talents.
And when they are in their cups, they
forget their low birth to friends and
brethren, and a little after draw out
swords. But when they are from their
wine they remember not what they
have done. "-Ch. ill.,, 1924 of first book.
When John the Baptist appeared to
herald the opening of the Christian dis
pensation he came as q Nazareth, by
the divine command. OF him it was
said: Among those born of woman,
there is not a greater prophet than John
the Baptist. Our Lord, the Christ, did
not abstain from festive or social gather
ings. We have no doubt He partook of
the good creatures" offered to Him on
such occasions and heartily enjoyed the
innocent merry-making of the people.
But it is worse than folly to deduce
from these facts the conclusion, that He
countenanced the use of Intoxicating
wines, the invariable effect of which is
to convert a pleasant feast into wild
debauch. 1t must be assumed that He
was quite able to distinguish between
those liquors which own their origin to
human invention, and the innocent bev-
erages, "the juice of the grape and the
sap of the palm tree, provided by the
hand of God" He came to fulfill the
law and the prophets. DIR. Lees pertin-
emily asks: "Was He less discriminating
than Plato, less philosopher than Ply
thagoras, less moralist than Epicurius,
less a reformer than Buddha?'
On an occasion Intoxicating wine was
offered to Him but he refused to drink
If there ever was time when such
wine would be allowable to him it was
when his body was racked with the
pains resulting from his crucifxion. 1t
would have deadened pain and relieved
agony, and yet he rejected it. There is
not a particle of evidence that our Sa-
viour ever partook of such wine, or
encouraged It's use in others, and we
challenge Fabius to show US our error
| if we are mistaken. We concede, of
course, that he changed water into wine
at the marriage feast in Cana of Cali
| lee, but it is a wicked assumption to
say that this miraculously constituted
vine was intoricating 1t is of intorica-
ting gine that we are talking.
Aside from this, the circumstances
are all against such a conclusion. The
occasion was marriage feast to which
Jesus and his disciples a0ere called The
purpose of the miracle was to manifest
the glory and benevolence of Christ.
The wine was good-not the vile, in
intoxicating wine that Knocked, deceived
and killed peOple,-for, among the moral
aneients, the street aoiaes were deemed
the best. They were in high repute
among the Jews. The governor of the
feast at once discovered, by taste and
flavor, that the wine was good. Nor
does the suggestion that those present
we're well drunk" alter the conclusion;
the proper translation is: and when they,
(the guests, have drunk to the full"
The large quantity consumed at a feast
that had, perhaps, lasted several days,
was referred to and not the drunken con-
dition Of the people. To suppose that
Jesus would grace drunken marriage
feast with his presence, and make more
wine, Intoxicating wine,-for men al
ready drunk, is at war with all his life
and teachings; it would be blasphemy.
In Tim. iii, 2, 3, abstinence is en-
joined upon bishop in the church,.
he must not be near lciRe; he must be
abstinent. He must possess these vir-
tues, not because they are to be con
fined to the bishops of the church, but
because of the example to his flock. 1t
is certainly not to be doubted that the
virtues of the pastor were intended to
be emulated by the people. In Thes.
Y. 6-8 it is said: Therefore let us not
sleep, as do others, but let us watch and
be sober,-kai neephomen-'and be alb
stinent' For they that sleep, sleep in
the night, and they that be drunken,
are drunken in the night. But let us
who are of the day be sober, neephOmen
(be abstinent), putting on the breast
plate of faith and love; aud for our
helmet the hope of salvation" So it
seems that the children of the day must
be abstinent and not drunken.
So, l Pet. iv. Z: "But the end Of all
things is at hand: Be ye therefore So
Der, sophronesate, sober minded, and
watch unto prayer" Kai Respsate els tas
proseachas, and abstinent in order to
prayers. land Peter v. s: "Be sober, be
vigilant; because your adversary, the
devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about,
seeking whom he may devour." Be
Interchangeable, be abstinent. Zeeton tenQ
kdtdpiee- seeking whom he may drink
down. DIR. Adam Clark, comment
ing on this expressive language, says:
Ii you swallow strong drink down,
the devil will swallow you down. Hear
this, ye drunkards, topers, tipplers, or
by whatsoever name We are known in
society, or among your fellow sinners;
strong drink is not only your way to
the devil, but tue devils way into you. |
Ye are such as the devil particularly |
may swallow down."
Mr.. Powell answers the bible argu- |
ment of Fabius completely and we close
this with his reply: The Bible recon- |
mends wine, it speaks of it as a good |
thing, cheering both God and man, and
ranks it among blessings which are to
be conferred upon an obedient people"
Therefore, God give thee of the dew of
heaven, and the fairness of the earth,
and plenty of corn and Wine. Gen.
xvii, %.
''He will bless the fruit of thy land,
thy corn and thy wine, original, vine
fruit.-Deut. vii, IL.
Truel but it is equally SO that in the
Bible wine is also condemned; that it is
spoken of as bad thing; that it is
Iikened unto Gods wrath; that it is de-
scribed as possessing all the deadly
properties of the adder's sting and the
serpents bite; and that many cautions
are dealt out against its use. What
hen? Does the Bible contradict it.
self? Certainly,-if the wines spoken
IF as blessing be the same in compost
ion and physiological action as the
vine prohibited and condemned. It
follows, then, either that the Bible con- /
,radicts itself, and is no longer reliable !
rude in matters of faith and practice, {
II that two totally different and dis l
met kinds Of wine are referred to; the s
NE injurious and intoxicating, there /
ore forbidden, and the other beneficial to !
he human constitution, Misunderstanding,
nd therefore recommended, for observe, t
n those passages where wine is con- 4
Iemned, no reference is made to the ?
uantity of wine. It is the quality, not p
he quantity, that is spoken Of in terms t
4 disappFoval and caution. It is iCiae, T
ot an excessive quantity of wine, that q
mocker. It IS strong drink that is il
aging. Il Is urine that biteth like the i
erpent, that stingeth like an adder; b
pom which We are not to gaze when it e
iveth its color in the cupI that kings n
nd princes are not to drink, and which o
aused both priest and prophet to err. ID
Tow this view Dir. Powell c0ncIusiveIy e
emonstrates to be the true explanation o.
the apparent contradictions upon a
L -. = =.