Democratic messenger., 1888-03-10
Fermented and Unfermented
Wine Again.

.Messrs Editors In your issue Of last
Saturday. the 4th inst. Ia our surprise we
found an article from ~ Churchman,
informing us what the position Of the we
suppose the Protestant Episcopal Church,
we think lie might have digniiicd that
grand old church by giving ii its correct
namc) Up. T.. Church" ON the subject Of
fermented or unfermented wine in the adj
ministratiOn Of the Holy Communion.
Assuming, Of course, that the position
of that church IL emphatically correct ON
this subject. he labors with pitiful effort
in every sentence he writes 10 impress his
readers with the idea that .tsrmeRted wine
and nothing else symbOlizcs the blood by
which lost humanity has been redeemed.
II is very sad indeed to contemplate the
narrOwness of some prOtessetl Christians
How will a Churchman" dare assert,
not outstanding the position of the II. T..
Church, (whateyer that T.. T.. may meanJ
that the wine used by Jesus aud his disci-
pies when this impressive and solemn or
linance of the Christian was instituted by
the Saviour at the Last Supper" was
ferInentcd WINE and none other! II sd,
then we must conclude that his prcsump-
iion is fully equalled by his pompous van.
ity. In the light of modern investigation
on this very subject, il appears ,n us so
very strange that men, IN order 10 main.
tain position" can make such sweeping
declarations unsupported by nothing more
than some old .fosnlism.
We ask "A Churchman" ifthc Christian
scntiment-ihc religious sentiment Of to-
lay--rcgardless of ''pOsition'--tiOes not
willingly embrace the idea that HHtsTmen-
ted wine does not just as cilectually sym.
bolize the blood Of the Lord Jesus Christ
in the administration of the Holy Com.
munion, as u wine the alcohol of which Is
much more available. Ii this Is so. which
we believe Is u true statement, which ap.
pears To he more appropriate, fermented
or unfcrmcnied wine We are willing
that our intelligent Christian readers shall
decide.
But ~ Churchman" writes almost enig-
matically, indeed would be So, did not his
almost mean inucndoes betay him. His
great effort seems 10 hc To prove that
Christ commanded the use Of .fsrmsRled
wine. "Churchman" would, II seems, mis-
lad his less informed readers by making
the impression that Christ commanded
fcrmenie,l wine when the command had
no such relation rs all Bible students very
well know. The inaugurating-thc insii.
tuiing this solemn ordinance OF the church
its spirit-its attention was the Ohjec
tive point of the Divine Command and
"Churchman" very well knows this.
We do not wish tO he understood as at.
tacking any body Of Christians, nor Of
provoking controversy with any one !;
but "a Churchman" has, by implication
AZ least, attacked the church of which We
hold aillliation and OF course selfrcspect
demands some reply.
Will "Churchman" please inform the
public which Methodist Church he means
and what Methodist conference came so
near substituting water for wine. We had
supposed churchman's education and
business had taught him 10 observe some
method In his charges. But here he is
again with his inuend0es.
Had "Churchman" allowed Bishop Ste
yens To do his own talking without any
comments by him he would not now be sO
badly In the "bushes." And if"A Church.
man" desired TO attack the Methodist
Church or Temperance enthusiasts" why
did he not come squarely To the work and
moi try 20 shoot IRON behind the brick
walls Of TAs CAureh! Come TO the front
Mr.. "ChuTchman" unfurl your col0rs and
let us read your designs" Enunclate
your principles like q man. throw away
your slurs, side hints and inuend0es, and
speak out In "meetin" like man.
DEPENcR