The Birkenhead News and Wirral General Advertiser. — 1888-10-13 (Birkenhead, Merseyside, England)

DEAKIN AND THE BISHOPS.  TO THE EDITOR OF THE BIRKENHEAD NEWS. i Sin,—Mr. Deakin, in his speech to the assembled licensed victuallers, reported in your issue of the 29th tilt., having indirectly alluded to the previous correspondence which appeared in your paper on the question of aufermented wine at tha Lord's Supper, I feel I should be wanting in my duty to those who Ire at one with me on the subject if I do not, With your kind permission, take some notice of his remarks on the subject. He boasts that 145 Anglican Bishops conErm what he formerly advanced. His boast is a foolish one, for authority can never change truth. 1 put the testimony of the Bishop against his 145, viz., the ordinance of the Lord's Sapper was instituted during the days of unleavened (unfermented) bread when nothing fermented was allowed to be used by the Jews; Jesus therefore could not then, without br,saking His Father's commandments, have used fermented wine. Singularly the word wine is never mentioned in connection With the Lord's Supper. Matthew 26 chap. and 29th verse, says only "Fruit of the vine." 'leave it therefore to the judgment of the pablic which position is more in accord with truth. But to those who have studied Chnrch history, Mr Deakin's reference to the Bishops h most unfortunate. There has been no Council of Bishops from New Testament times till now the result of whose deliberations has not been either some violation of truth or the forcing of some human creed on the conscience of their fellow men. History records that Bishops were the instigators of MI), bloody religious pereecntion. From them emanated the stake and faggot, the rack, the prison, the Holy Inquisition' and every trsecution for conscience sake, Roman and Episcopal alike. Even in later days tire Five Mile Act, the Test Acts, iStc., were the outcomes of the same ePtscopal mind, while the abolition of the Blue Trade, the passing of the Ist Reform ttl, and every measure of religious freedom kW received the most bitter opposition from them. The cry of "Beer and the Bible' is tot 10 old one, and out of the agitation of that Period came the following episcopal utterance: "I'd rather see England free than ZnShuld sober," meaning free to get drunk rather than freedom from that sobriety which would follow the downfall of the liquor traffic through legislative enactment. I once heard 11005101 student of history say "that if half the charges against bishops were true they 'that to have a chamber of horrors all to ,theroselvi.s." We value not the authority of +45 bishops with such a record against their ctlue (there were always honourable excel). me) when we have God's truth on our side. Ile- Deakin also speaks sneeringly of a certain ij" among the early Christians. Would to art such a sect existed to-day; they would thm wipe out the reproach so long cast upon ristians that they take the Gospel to the heathen in one hand and the rum bottle in the other. If such a sect existed to-day they tro.tild have one remarkable adherent in the Niter of the Times, who defined intoxicating liPlot as the "Devil in solution." That old bad wonderful discernment when they W ine was a creature of Satan's. e_read to-day the account of the WhitePel horrors; and one writer has col:a-rmed into one terse sentence the cause of the He says, "The highest ambition of Poor unfortunate creatures is to get the rource.;3f a pint of beer." Yes, if it were not existence of this humble devil in t 14,2 opportunity ;,o) do such deeds exist, The vine is a good gift of cent c i reator, but it s changed by the Th....qPidity of man into a soul destroying instru-4417,111%, ahtdare an he God has more to do with its hes to do with the WI/Itecile•Pel murders.  Again, I leave Mr. Deakins statement to the judgment of the public which position is the right, his own or the early sect he sneers at. Your space will not allow me to deal with his sneer at Babbatarianism, bet Moses, Daniel, and Jesus Christ were all Babbatmiens.  As to bogus clubs, I shall be happy, at some future date—if opportunity offer—to discuss with Mr. Deakin whether it is the clubs or the drink sold in the clubs which does the evil he deplores, and see if the same arguments will not meet the case of the licensed victuallers. —Thanking you in anticipation, I am, yours truly, M. Comma.