Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1891-06-18
A BIBLICAL ARGUMENT.

How Defenders of the Rum Power Con
tort Scripture to Help Their Cause.
1t has long been one of the favorite
arguments of those who support and
defend the rum power and the saloon,
to say that if the use of intoxicants had
been considered sinful, it would have
Scriptures. They point to the fact
that the denunciations of the Bible are
against those who abuse intoxicants;
that woes are denounced upon drunk
ards, but nothing is said about those
who use wine in moderation. They
also point to the miracle at Cana of
Galilee. the first of the wondrous works
of Christ. where He turned water into
wine for the wedding feast, and they
claim that if the use of wine were
wrong. He certainly would not have ex-
ercised His miraculous power to furnish
it. Again, they point to the historic
fact that wine in all those countries
was then a common beverage, and ii is
to-day; and trinmphantly sum up their
argument by saying that because one
man cannot control his appetite AMI
becomes drunkard, it does not follow
that all other men, especially those
who do possess this power of self-eon-
trol. shall be deprived of the privilege
of drinking in moderation.
This sounds well, but it does not
bear close analysis. 1t would be a
fairly good argument If the intoxicants
of Biblical days were the same as those
we have now: but they were not. The
ancients knew neither the art of brew
ing or of distilling; they knew nothing
OF alcohol; it had never been separated
from the wine in which ii was pro-
duced by fermentation. There proba-
bly, was not wine produced in Pales-
tine, or in anv of the warm countries
of the ancient world, which contained
over twelve per cent. of alcohol, and it
is more than probable that the usual
proportion was but five or six per cent.
They had nothing of the nature of
whisky or brandy, or any other dis
titled liquors, in those days.
The argument has been made, and it
has much probability. that in the hot
summers of Palestine-and the grape
ripens there during very warm
weather-to express the juice and at
tempt TO ferment tilt would pass at once
from the alcoholic to the aeetic stage 4
of fermentation with the result of pro-
ducing vinegar instead of alcohol |
Hence it is probable that after the
grape juice was expressed it was
boiled. and then inclosed in skins or
earthen jars. and the air shut out. bv /
which means it was preserved sweet.
Such wine would probably ferment but
very slowly; and if the boiling were
continued to the point of sirup, this
Of itself would prevent fermentation,
and the sirup would have to be diluted
with water before the process could
begin.
II is undoubtedly true that in the
ancient world wine was fermented,
and possessed Intoxicating qualities
when drank to excess. This needs no
argument. for the Bible is full of refer
snce to drunkenness and drunkards.
The evidence that Bible wines were
never Intoxicating is very weak, and
will not stand the test of thorough ex-
though we believe it to be
act that the great bulk of the wine
consumed ordinarily was sweet grape
uice, preserved by boiling, with per-
laps very small per cent of alcohol,
md which would require the drinking
# immense quantities within short
ime to produce intoxication.
The difficulty with those who argue
5 quoted above is that they assume
hat the conditions existing at that day
egarding intoxicants were practical
Y the same as now. We have shown
hat there were neither malt nor dis
lied liquors at that time; drunken
ess was by no meaas the prevailing
ice it is to-day; in fact, it is safe to
ay that drunkenness was very rare
hen as compared with the present
me. The only safe way of Judging is
, take the tenor of the teachings of
ne Bible, apply it to present conditions,
nd see what would have been the
idgment of the inspired penmen on :
lodern alcoholism.
No argument can be valid that as
lmes the modern status as prevail :
X at she time the Bible was written. J
ven II the drinking of the mild wines, {
he la ser proportion of which were
srtaii,ly Misunderstanding. is permitted I
y the inspired writer's, that by nc
eans gives the sanction of their au-
lority to the drinking of whisky. n
randy, beer and the other highly in c
'xicating drinks of modern times a
hich were then unknown: nor does it
nder respectable a saloon. nor give /
~ authority for allowing this demon t
izing institution to continue to curse 1
Had we in this dav and Il
'neration nothing more Intoxicating W
an such wine as they made in Pales- v
ne in the days of Christ. the evils of G
e drink habit would be infinitely less 4
an they are now. c.
There can be no valid argument drawn 1
ON the Scriptures to support either j.
or the occupation Of max OF
men drunkards; and the latter Is fe