The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-10-21
BREACHES ON
 PROHIBITION Rev. Henry M. Edmonds Talks on Subject. SERMON QUIET IN ITS TONE Against the Saloon, But Lacks the
 Invective of Many. Says The Bible Nowhere Declares For Total Abstinesee. Though strongly Against Drunke.ne..--Dr.
 Anderson Breaches on
 Subject.
SERMON QUIET IN ITS TONE

Feeling that the question of prohibit ton, which is at present, being agitated in this city. needed an explanation from the pulpit of the First Presby- terian church. Rev. Henry M. Edmonds. the pastor preached upon that subject at the morning services yesterday.
 His sermon was notable in that 1t lacked the invective which has charac- terized the sermons of other pastors and speakers in the city.
 While fayoring prohibition. Mir. Ed n1onds' sermon was quiet in it's tone. He explained why he stood for prohibi- tion and also corrected certain errors in quotations of the Bible by other speakers on prohibition in the city within the past few weeks.
 Certain Of his congregation, hearing these speakers on the liquor traffic question came to him asking his advice and the sermon of yesterday morning was in answer to their questions.
 MT. Edmonds began his sermon with the statement that he is in favor or prohibition. "The question, however" he said," is one of politics and not of the pulpit. There is tendency in Montgomery. as there has been in oth or cities in which the question has been agitated, to make the question of pro. hibition one of morals. and it Is in this connection that wish to correct TOTS in which the Bible has been quoted"
 Mr. Edmonds took his text from Hab- bakkuk ii:15 Woe unto him that giveth his neighbor drink, that puttest thy bottle to him. and makest him Drunken also, that thou mayest look on their nakedness." He commented on "A ft1a rxas n< hA text, saying that 1t may be construed in the sense of poison.
 There is no Bible for total absti- nence," said Mir. Ednonds. There is no sin in taking a drink: it Is In drunken ness that lies the fault.
 There is no Bible for prohibition ,' continued the preacher. "In no place does the book express itself either for or against 1t. It is a book of great principles and not book of rules" Under this head came the explicit prohibittory commands contained in the ten commandments. with especial refer ence to the last five. There is con- tained in these six commandments pro- hibition of covetousness. disrespect of parents. lying. theft, adultery, and uiur- der. And these commandments are ena- bodied in the statutes of the present day. But we cannot find any com nland about prohibition Of the liquor traffic."
 Some say that they are in favor of the liquor traffic because of the wine which Christ made at Cana and on account of Paurs advice to Tim othy. in which the Apostle says in First Timothy, V. 23: Drink no longer wa ter, but use a little wine for thy stom- achs sake and thine often infirIni- ties"
 "The Bible does not command about customs of the times, but lays down principles which will cover those cus- toms whatever they are."
 He then gave the arguments which prohibitionists sometimes use. saying that the wine which Christ made at Cana was not fermented. The kind of wine which the Savior made was the kind which was in use during that time, the kind which Alexander drank and became drunken. The Creek word used in the original text Is the word for the fermented wine of the Greeks at that time"
 It has been claimed that the wine which the Savior gave his Apostles at the Last Supper was unfermented, but here also the original Greek word shows that 1t was fermented. In this connection he called attention to the W. c. T. U., which is devoting some of its efforts toward the abolition of wine at the communion table, saying that they were in error In basing their ap- peal on the Bible.
 Some say they are against the sale of liquor because of the injunction con- tained in the text, and again because the Bible. in another place, says that no drunxard shall enter the kingdom of heaven. But in neither of these passages is there a prohibitory com mand on the use of wine; it is only on drunkenness.
 "You cannot, therefore, send the ad- vocates of the sale of liquor and those who vote for it's continuance to hell, saying that the Bible names this as the punishment.
 "Why, then, should not engage in the business?'' continued Mir. Edmonds Tt is because 1t is a business in which there is the greatest temptation to do eviI--a temptation which do not care to light. There is also the reason that the saloons have violated the law, to a great extent, to such an extent that they deserve to be wiped out by the people.
 "The saloons have not observed the laws for their regulation. prescribed by the statutes on the books of the State; and since they have not and will not, ] am in favor of wiping them out.
 MT, Edmonds then touched upon the moral questions involved under three heads: mercenary considerations. lack of love and intolerance of other views upon the question.
 ."rhe liquor trafflc.' he said, cannot he made a matter of dollars and cents Some men are going to lose money perhaps. If prohibition Is carried In the County, but they should think Of the right, and do the right for rights sake.
 '"There will. too. probably be less of love for your neighbor during the cam naign." The advice which the preach CT gave was ito hate the sin with all your venom. but love the sinner with all your heart"
 And lastly continued MT. Edmonds. do not be intolerant of your neighbors views upon the question. He has a right to think out the question for himself and follow his own conclusions. just as much as you have.
 ANOTHER SERMON.
 pr. Neal l.. Anderson Breaches on Pro-
 hibitiOn From Same Text.
 aaryiraa of the Central