The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1886-05-29
TEMPERANCE.
WHERE is THE AReuMeNTq


on the Wine Questionable True Issue
In the Drink Problem.
The following paragraph, originally
printed in New York paper, is being
eagerly copied far and wide, in various
forms, by papers which are the Great
ures of the rum power, and which
truckle to it on all occasions:.
The Prohbitionists received knock-down
blow from the pulpit when Rev. Lyman Alb
bott, himself almost an ascetic, wrote that al
though in the time of the New Testament
there was sect of Prohibtionists in the
church they we're not conntenanced by Jesus,
Tor He was moderate drinker, and by max
ing wine and by His example encouraged
Others to drink. But the Prohibitionists have
TINS TO fall back upon-wine il not what the
majority of men are thinking of when they
demand that tae liquor trade shall not be in
terfered with"
Whatever Rev. Lyman Abbot may
say, and with all due reference to his
learning, there is not one iota of proof
that our Saviour ever was "a moder-
ate drinker" We do not intend to go
into a discussion of the time-worn
question as to whether the wine which
Christ made, at the wedding feast in
Cana of Galilee, was fermented or I'M
fermented, and hence whether it was
intoxicating, or simply the harmless
juice of the grape, freshly pressed from
the fruit. The opinion of those who have
gone furtherest into the necessary his
torical research to elucidate this ques-
ton is that it was Notwithstanding, be-
cause unfermented. For ourselves, we
are not willing to believe that the
trrl.f 1o,, rs Is,
the Son of God Himself clothed with
humanity, either countenanced or per-
mitted, during his sojourn upon earth,
the habit of drinking-even moderate"
drinking.
No, we do not believe Lyman Alb
bott nor his assertions. He may be
sincere in them, but sincerity of belief
does not make whatever he may be-
lieve the truth. But, for the purpose
of argument, let us assume that his
statements may be true; what then?
We, as Christians, are bound to OBJ
serve the commands that have been
laid upon us by Jesus. Are we COM
manded to drink WINE, save in COM
munion of the death of our Saviour, at
the solemn celebration of the Lords
OuppCl! W.
The assumption in the paragraph
above quoted is that, as Christ, accord
ing to Lyman Abbott's belief, drank
wine in moderation, therefore it is not
wrong for ali men of the present day
to DE moderate drinkers; nay, more
than this-that the example of Our
Saviour is to be followed
This latter assumption does not fol-
low. Christ was a jew, and He fol
lowed strictly all the observances of
the ceremonial law of Moses. Shall
we Go the same? Are we to under
stand that we must avoid eating pork,
in any form, because Christ never used
it? That we must eat only the food
recognized as clean by the great
lsraelitish lawgiyer, because our Saw
Jour did so? The argument is absurd.
What, then, shall be said of the argu-
ment involved in the assumption that
because Christ did not in so many
words prohibit drinking, that it is per-
Missile to us? This is common
argument with the upholders of the
rum power, as the Scriptural argument
Cursed be Canaan was, thirty years
ago, one of the sheet-anchors of the de-
Tenders of the accursed system. of
human slavery.
The plain fact in the matter is, that
it is not of the slightest moment to us
of this latter day whether Christ drank
wine, or made wine by miracle at
Cana, or permitted His disciples to
drink wine. The only ques-
ton that is presented to us in the drink
,Arahln,,, 80 hnf i, 4
citizen, as good a son, as good a hus-
band, as good father, when he drinks
as when he does not.
Drinking wine made from the pure
Juice of the grape in the days of Christ
is one thing, and drinking rum, and
gin, and whisky, and brandy, and beer
all of which were then unknown-is
quite another. wine is a mocker,"
and at the best sit biteth like serpent
and stingeth like an adder" says Holy
Writ. What form of words is strong
enough to formulate the awful con-
sequences of drinking the hell-broths
that are prepared by the brewers, and
distillers, and rectitiers of to-day, with
drugs and poisons added to them to in
crease tenfold the evil of the alcohol
anu OUner CONSTITUENTS OF the liquors
themselves? With all the warnings
scattered through the Scriptures, of
prophets and apostles, who can say
that Christianity countenances drink.
ingP
The true rule for mankind as to any
given line of conduct should be: what
are its effects upon the person-upon
his physical system, upon his moral
naturep What are they upon his
standing as useful citizen and men,
Der of the commonwealth And what
are its effects upon the community at
large and the Nation? Measure rum
drinking by these standards, and what
do we findp
We find that all drinking is danger
ous-even moderate drinking There
is no habit that so insensibly steals
upon man, and makes him its slave
The grave has uncounted thousands of
moderate" drinkers who died of rum
base, abject victims of the terrible
thirst which overpowered them.
To the body it is a poison. 1t ruins
the nerves, it enfeebles the brain, it
destroys the stomach and Dispositions;
it poisons the liver, it destroys the