The Progress. (Shreveport, La.) 1892-1900, 1892-09-24
THE WINE OF THE BIBLE.
why Farmer Newberry Gave Up Taking
Drop Now and Then.

the heart OF man. and give strong drink
10 the heavy hearted and use little
wine fer yer stoJuach's sake and give
strong drink to him that is ready to per-
ish,' and more of the same kind, which
I'd find fer We if wasn't in such hurry
to git that hay in from the south med
der"
That evening the weekly paper ar
rived, and Bill-otherwise William IL.
Newberry, aged twenty-five, graduate
of the State Normal school, son of Farm
or Newberry, studying to fit himself for
teacEing-came upon Il notice of lee
ture by a woman, entitled The Bible
on Wine" 10 be given at the village,
four miles distant, n few evenings later.
When the time arrived he rode to the
village on horseback, provided with pa
Der and pencil, and determined to take
full notes.
The lecture was just what such lee
lures ale almost sure to be since the
women came to the front with their
sharp wits and mountains of argument.
That is. it was quiet and graceful i'll de-
livery, intensely earnest and unanswer-
able in the positions taken. William
was entranced. He learned in one hour
more than he could have collected for
himself IN week. Being a rapid writer,
he noted every main point and many OF
the details. He also spoke to the lady
after the meeting, readily obtaining per-
mission to copy her lists of Bible refer
ences, and when he returned home felt
that he could do more than "offset" his
fathers verses.
The next day proved to be rainy, and
as the "south medder" was cleared of
hay and the other work well in hand,
Farmer Newberry was very willing to
hear Williams account of the lecture.
After breakfast and drop OF gin he
seated himself in broad armed rocker
on the verarda and said: "Now, Bill,
sail in and tell us what she said. Lem'me
hear how she got over the wine fer yer
stomach's sake and about the wine at
the wedding"
The word used in the Dible is kalon,
and it is the same word that Jesus used
when speaking of the tree that brought
forth good fruit" said William. And
lie never said wine, but always fruit OF
the vine. But even if we admit that
the words-well, admitting that the
words used leave the case evenly bal
anced as TO fresh grape juice and intox-
;cating liquor, the scale is easily turned
by asking whether Jesus would be like
~ to furnish liquor TO make the peo-
ple drunk instead Of a delicious and
healthgiving beverage, such rs he is
making in all the grapes as they grow;
and | do not think any one would be
long IN
"Bill. that's enough! After this, when
hear of Bible wine, III first find out
what kind is meant before think of d
lot OF drunken, sprawling patriarchs
But how about the other kind of wine
the kind that makes folks drunk?-i1
they take too much, which don't"
There's plenty of condemnation fol-
that. as we all know; seventy-one text.
against it in the Hebrew Scriptures, five
Of them requiring total abstinence; ter
rible denunciations everywhere, and wos
pronounced upon those who make Others
drunk: but there was not time to con
slider both sides in one lecture.
"And then, the principal reason thes'
women have for looking up this ques
is to show that the word wine, wheI
used with bread for communion, does no
necessarily mean intoxicating liquor"
Look a-here, Bill, do they use regula
liquor in churches?
Nearly al churches did use Torment
ed wine until the last fow years. Nov
that the women have taken up the mat
ter. many have abolished it, and tn
prospect is that very soon nearly all vii
follow"
IL declared never thought before o
liquor in the church.! Why, they'd b
wanting drink up in heaven! l ain
no church member. but il l wanted Z
be one wouldn't go where they'd bol
liquor under my nose. Why, il u MAJ
should swear off and get taste il
church it might knock his new lea
resolutions higher'n kite"
"Yes. that is precisely what has oc
CURED in many cases, and is what tn
women are trying to prevent"
Let EN- do it? And I'd help 'em il