The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1901-02-24
USE OF GRAPE JUICE. IN
COMMUNION SERVICE
Ladies Of Richmond VIII Urge Its Substitu-
ton for m the Churches Of All
Denominations.
APPEAL TO EACH CITY PASTOR.

The ladies of tho Richmond Woman.s
Christian Temperance Union, lar from
being discouraged by the refusal Oh the
baptist and Episcopal ministers OF the
ci,y 10 adopt their suggestion and SUD
s;i,,Its, unfcrmented srape-jutcc for the
VINE used in the administration of the
Lords Supper arc advancing with all
the moro caSerncss To the fray. The
Episcopalians have declared that the can
ons of the Church forbid it: but the
ladies arc determined 10 try 10 convince
them that they do not. The BaptiStS
have said IL is not 4 practical question;
but the Womans Christian Temperance
Union is trying TO argue them into the
belief that it is. Churches of other
denominations which have not agreed
With the ladies will also come in for
fair share of the argument.
A copy OF the following article. written
b. Euclid Phillips, of Brooklyn, n. Y,
and printed in The Union Signal. Of Chi
cago. accompanied by a letter urging him
10 withdraw his objections to the use of
The srape-juice. will be sent TO each pas
.or IN the city who has not already come
orcr 10 the ladies' side.
The article is headed Communion
Wine, and is reprduced in full:
Can you prove from Scripture that
wife SiJpul0 ItS USeu 1oI t1lt
Lords SUPPER" This was one Of the
queries put before n Young Peoples con-
rcntion. The question is important, not
simply for temperance advocates, but for
conscientious communicates. We do not
know who raised The question, but we
believe that it ought to be answered. If
we cannot answer it from Scripture let
admit frankly our inability to do SO.
rho question is not new The subject
reached a controversy in 4 Scotch church
where it was necessary to provide two
tables and two sets OF elements. The
result caused scism in the kirk and scam
dial outside. Then the members appointed
a committee. who solved the difficulty by
sending to Syria for the common wine
of the country.
There is no need Of such difficulty. The
word wine is never used in connection
with the Lords Supper. The term used
is either 1.-THE cup or fruit OF the vine
Matthew XVI. q. 20
THE FIRSE CELEBRATION.
But you say That does not answer the
question. No. but it prevents the advo-
cate of the fermented from claiming too
much. Perhaps we can get at the root
of the matter in anoth-r way: Where
was it first celebrated and what was the
occasion? The place was Jerusalem and
The occasion was the Feast of the Pass
over, the Lord Himself presiding. What
was the purpose of this feast? Exodus
xii. tells us that it was to be perpetual
memorial. zikaron. OF the Jews deliver
ance from Egypt. Now. the Lord gave
US memorial of our redemption when
lie said: This do in remembrance
(zikaron. same word in Hebrew. New
TestamesD OF Me- This memorial was
celebrated by the use OF wine. What
kind of wine2 Only that which was
prescribed for the Passover. In Exodus
xii, is. read: -.V.hosoever eateth
learened bread that soul shcll be cut off
from Israel Now, it is strange that
the word bread in this verse is not in the
original Hebrew text. The verb is
channels. A better translation would be:
whatsoever consumes fermentation that
soul shall be cut of from Israeli And,
lest there should be mistake about this,
the Spirit makes it apply to both meat
and drink in the twentieth verse: .AH
era1 tranSlation).
If this be true, if nothing fermented was
allowed at the Passover, are we to sup
pose that our Lord dishonored His own
Word by putting fer1nented wine before
His disciples? The only desire He was
known to express was to keep this Pass
over, and are we to suppose that He
broke the Law when He kept this feast2
The wine of the Passover was typical
of His precious blood, which He shed on
the cross, and to iypify that blood it
must be pure
Some theologlans have shown us proofs
OF sour wine in Jewish feasts, but this
proves nothing for its use at the paschal
feast, except "a violation of the law.
If we believe that our Lord came to fulfill
the law we must. as His disciples, believe
that he carried it out to the letter Is
it to be supposed He introduced an inno-
aation? Can one think that He used
fermenteA wine2
CORINTHIANS KNEW NO BETTER.
But some one tells US that such wine
was in use at Corinth, for some of the
people were drunken at the Lords Sup
per. Quite true, but those Corinthians
used Grecian Wines. They knew no bet
ter. II they had used the pure, infer
rnented juice of the grape they would not
have disgraced themselves or stretched
forth their drunken hands to the chalice
OF the Lord The Apostle rebuked them
for It.
1t may be asked: eff the wine question
Was to be a subject of much discussion,
why does not the Bible make the distinc-
ton plain for the kind of wine to be
used?" The Bible does make it plain.
The Holy Spirit tells us not only the
kind. hut also the color. AS regards the
kind. strong drink was not to be taken
into His house Lerit:cus *, GIL. AS
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