ARE THE PROHIBITIONISTS CHRISTIANS?

Press, Volume LII, Issue 9014, 29 January 1895, Page 3

ARE THE PROHIBITIONISTS CHRISTIANS?

TO THE EDITOR OF THE' PKESS. Sm,—l fear that we shall have to come to the concluaion that when prohibitionists condemn th* moderate use of wine* , they are not Christians. I think a Christian may be defined as 'a parson who believes in the divinity of the founder of Christianity, and that that founder could not, and did not ever commit any sin. This being allowed, ■we have ChrLst (St. John, chap, ii.) when at the marriage in Cana of Galilee, turning six large water pots full 1 of water into wine ; and saying to the servants at that feast, " Draw oat now, and bear unto the Governor of the feast." The prohibitionists, if they are Christians, must believe this; and that Christ not only sanctioned the use of wine, hat inado it, and gave it toothers to drink. Again, I would aak, are prohibitionists Christians, and do they hope to go to heaven 1 " If so, how do they interpret Matthew, chap, xxvi., verses 27 and 29, ".&rid He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them; saying, drink ye all of it. But I aay unto you, I will not drink henceforth of the fruit ot the vine, until that day when I drink it new with yotf in my Father's ' kingdom." Here we have the founder of Christianity not only giving his disciples wine, bnt ordering it to be considered as hia. blood, and directing it to. be drunk as a token of the remission of sins. He also telle bis followers: he will, drink it with them in heaven. Do the prohibitionists intend away with the taking ;of Wine at the Holy Communion of • .the Christian church, in defiance of the orders of the great founder of the, Christian faith f . j I take it that the prohibitionists in con- I demning their fellowmen for the moderate use. of wine, also censure the founder of Christianity, and accuse him of committing sin; in that he not only drank wine himself, but sanctioned his followers doing so. Should they, therefore, be considered members of the Christian church P Are the prohibitionists men and sinners like the rest of mankind, or are they perfect 1 I presume they are only men, who have .their pet sine and* weaknesses like their brethren. I think they might study Matthew, chap, vii., verses 1 to 5, which commences, "Judge not that ye be not judged." lam a very moderate drinker, seldom taking anything, but I strongly object to not being allowed to drink the little.ldo.be-

cause a small percentage of the population get drunk, and commit excesses. Let;those who commit excesses be dealt 1 with according to the laws of the land ; bub do nob stop the moderate drinking of wine and spirits for everybody, on account of the faults of the few. That is net right or juab. W.B.