THE USE OF WINE.

Press, Volume L, Issue 8488, 20 May 1893, Page 5

THE USE OF WINE.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE PRESS. Sir, —As the Bible has been very freely quoted by some of your correspondents during the last few days on the uses of wine, it seems to mc tbat one very important principle in the interpretation of the Bible has been overlooked, viz., that all the Bible is of equal value, and every sentence equally authoritative in matters of faith and practice. I am surprised that a man like the Jewish Rabbi (Rev. A. Chodowski) should fall into this snare. His Hebrew scholarship we do not for a moment question. He, with other Hebraists, certainly must look upon the Bible as a progressive revelation, therefore many of the statements given by Moses and others are not binding upon us to-day. In other words, I am disposed to regard the laws of Moses as of a threefold character. 1. There are moral laws, or those arising from the relations existing between God and man. These are, of course, clearly stated in the. Decalogue. 2. There are civil laws, or those which were enacted for the government of the ancient civil society of the Jew 3. These laws were ! especially adapted to the Jewish Theocracy, *.«., the form of government; wherein God i was acknowledged to be the King. (3) There were the " ceremonial" laws, or those relating to the various forms of worship. These were evidently intended to, as far as possible, keep the Jewish nation, or Hebrews, separate from other nations, and also to pre-figure events which were to occur under the new dispensation, to which the Hebrews looked forward. We are not under the Mosaic dispensation, but the Christian, and we take the principles of Christianity as our guide, and not the ceremonial and civil laws of the Mosaic economy. If we bring the modern liquor traffic to the bar of Christian principles we find it condemned in no sparing terms. There are only three ways, so far as I can see, by which the liquor traffic may be dealt with—Either allow everybody absolute freedom to drink what and as they like, or to regulate by wise laws the manufacture and sale of liquor, or to abolish the traffic altogether. The latter procedure seems to be the only course, as the former two have been tried and failed. Hoping yon will forgive this intrusion on your space,—l am, &c, John Hoskikg.