The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1891-06-04
AN ARGUMENT FOR RUM,


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 common beverage, and it is
to-day; and triumphantly sum up their
argument by saying that because one
man cannot control his appetite and
becomes drunkard, it does not follow
that all other men, especially those
who do possess this power of self-con
troll, shall be deprived of the privilege
of drinking in moderation.
This sounds we'll, but it does not
bear close analysis. 1t would be a
fairly good argument if the intoxicants
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 it was pro-
duced by fermentation. There proba-
bly, was not a wine produced in Pales-
tine, or in any 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 it it would pass at once
from the alcoholic to the acetic stage
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, by
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.
1t 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
ence to drunkenness and drunkards.
The evidence that Bible wines were
never intoxicating is very weak, and
will not stand the test of thorough ex-
amination; though we believe it to be a
fact that the great bulk of the wine
consumed ordinarily was sweet grape
juice. preserved by boiling, with per-
haps a very small per cent. of alcohol,
and which would require the drinking
time to produce intoxication.
The difficulty with those who argue
us quoted above is that they assume
that the conditions existing at that day
regarding intoxicants were practical
ly the same as now. We have shown
that there were neither malt nor dis
titled liquors at that time; drunken
ness was by no means the prevailing
vice it is to-day; in fact, it is safe to
say that drunkenness was very rare
then as compared with the present
"a ~ -
to take the tenor of the teachings OF
the Bible, apply it to present conditions,
and see what would have been the
Judgment of the inspired penmen on
modern alcoholism.
No argument can be valid that as
sumes the modern status as prevail
ing at the time the Bible was written.
Even if the drinking of the mild wines,
the larger proportion of which were
certainly Notwithstanding, is permitted
by the inspired writer's, that by no
means gives the sanction of their au-
thority to the drinking of whisky.
brandy, beer and the other highly in
toxicating drinks of modern times
which were then unknown; nor does it
render respectable a saloon, nor give
any authority for allowing this demon
alizing institution to continue to curse
humanity. Had we in this day and
generation nothing more Intoxicating
than such wine as they made in Pales.
tine in the days of Christ, the evils OF
the drink habit would be infinitely less
than they are now.
There can be no valid argument drawn
from the Scriptures to support either
drunkenness or the occupation of max
ing men drunkards; and the latter is
the mission of the saloon. It is the
school wherein men are trained in this
debasing vice. The question of its sup
preston is not so much religious one
as it is one of morals and economies.
We do not believe that any man can,
consistently with the spirit of Chris,
| tianity, be a drinking man, even in
moderation; for his example is STUN
bling-block in the way of others, and
St. Paul gave the Christian rule when
he declared that If meat make my
brother to offend, will eat no meat
that is, if anything, even innocence it.
self, were bling block to an.
other, he would avoid it. And as so:
cial and economic question, there is NO
doubt that the abolition Of the saloon
would be of enormous benefit to the en-
tire community, as we'll as to the indi-
viduals who are slaves of the drink
| habit.-TOledo Blade
COFFEE HOUSE AND SALOON.
Reason Why the Coffee House Has Not
Been Success In This Country.
The New York Christian at Work
contains symposium of opinions on a
scheme outlined by Robert Graham fol-
the establishment of coffee houses in
this country. The opinions come from
clergymen, philanthropists, temperance
workers and public men, and are all
favorable to the undertaking of such an
enterprise. They claim that the coffee
house is the most efficient instrument