The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1920-02-25
ATTACKS USE or VINE
FOR THE SACRAMENT
Mrs. Annette Parmelee of Enosburg
Falls Declares 1t Is Against the
Bible and Agai--. Com
mon Sense.

To the Editor of Barre Times Be
! fore national prohibition went into Ell
F.! feet symptoms of distress were exhibit
| ed by certain cergymen lest wine be
denied them for sacramental purposes
| in their churches.
Why Use Alcohol at the Lords Table2
Other organizations, societies and
clubs have discarded the use of alcohol
| ic liquors in the interest of the public
| good why cannot the churches do the
| same?
The United States government found
| that it could not obtain the best and
| most efficient service from officers, sol
diers, marines and railroad officials
| without banishing intoxicating drink.
| Can we reasonably expect to have
clergy and laity with spiritual discern
ment, strong bodies, men of high ideals
and moral backbone until a similar pol
icy is adopted in the churches?
Good and Bad Wine.
There are certain passages in the
Bible which have seemed TO commend
wine drinking and our Lord has been
made to appear as manufacturer OF
an intoxicating urlhk-
Mr.. Ferrer Fenton, an eminent Orien-
tai scholar, has carefully examined
every verse in the Bible in which ref
erenee is made to wine" and strong
drink" and he tells us that the trans
lators erred, that there is no such word
as wine" in the original, reference is
always to "a liquid" or fruit" He
| shows conclusively that where wine rs
spoken of approvingly it is either
Sweet wine," the unfermented juice OF
the grape, or other fruit. This was the
good wine" or cup OF blessing the
''pure blood of the grape
1t was this unfermented juice that
Timothy was advised to take. The
medicinal, nourishing qualities of un-
fermented grape juice are to-day recog-
nized by the medical profession, espe-
cially in cases of extreme weakness and
exhaustion, but if allowed to ferment
it is transformed into poison.
In the days of our Lord, grape juice
was the common beverage among the
Jews, much of the water being unfit
for drinking. Tea coffee and cocoa
were unknown and the people depended
upon their fruit crop for their beyer-
ages.
Their methods of preservation were
similar to those used to-day. Some
simply bottled and sealed the juice,
placing it in cold we'll or burying II
in damp ground. Others boiled the
Juice and sealed it by pouring an inch
of sweet oil over the top, then corking
tightly. Still others boiled the juice
= = ;oly 20 a ry11a a -
Jelly and diluted it as needed.
This Sweet wine" was considered
typical of the divine mercy and favor
of God and conscious pardon, which
maketh the heart glad"
Fermented or bad" Wine7
Fermented or bad wine, is referred
to in the scriptures as being symbolic
of divine wrath, an emblem Of sim
disease and death, which is in perfect
accord with scientific knowledge of to-
day.
Intoxicating wine was termed "a cup
of cursing" and of woe" "deeeiver."
In all ages fermented wine has been
regarded as "a poison" The scriptures
liken il to "the poison of dragons" and
"the cruel venom of asps" and at the
last it hiteth like serpent and sting
eth like an adder"
The intoxicating wine OF ancient
times had exactly the same effect upon
individuals as it has to-day. The BIZ
BILE tells us IL brings poverty, sorrow,
contention and causes men to become
riotous and drunken and forget the
law This was the wine that men were |
forbidden to even look upon
The distinction between good and bad |
wine is as clear and distinct as between |
good and bad men or women.
A Challenge to the Clergy.
The writer challenges any cardinal
bishop, priest or clergyman TO bring |
forth valid evidence, or show by what |
authority he uses alcoholic wine at his |
communion, and by what authority he |
asks its continuance?
In the Old Testament the priest |
Aaron and his sons were forbidden to
drink wine or strong drink under pen
atty of death IL was a statute forever |
throughout their generations that there
might be a difference between holy and
unholy, clean and unclean.
The Jewish church discipline forbade
wine being used in their
synagogues or tabernaclcs.
In the Syrian ehurch-the oldest in
the world missionaries tell us that
wine" is never used at their commun
ion, When the fresh juice of the grape
cannot be secured an infusion of raisins
is used This is also practiced by some
of the churches of the Orthodox Jews.
The Koran does not permit the Mo
to use fermented wine.
Alcohol in no way resembles blood,
as blood is always and everywhere non
alcoholic The essential constituents
of wine are vinegar and alcohol. The
constituents of the pure
blood Of the grape are sugar and albu-
men. both strongly resembling blood.
Why Should Men Be Expected to Meet
Their Greatest Enemy at the
Communion Table?