GOSPEL TEMPERANCE.

Evening Star, Issue 6913, 28 May 1885, Page 2

GOSPEL TEMPERANCE.

TO THE EDITOB. Sir,— Noticing that meetings are announced under the above heading, I should like to understand what the conveners mean by this term. The signification of the word “ temperance ” is given in the dictionary as “moderate indulgence of the appetites.” De they therefore desire to see this moderate indulgence carried out in everything ? Should they mean only a temperate indulgence in the Gospel itself, I should imagine it is hardly necessary to preach the doctrine in Dunedin. Or is it a new gospel of temperance ? I am so accustomed to use the word “gospel” in connection with the Bible, that it appears synonymous to me with the New Testament, and no doubt it is the same with many others. However, as “ Blue Ribbon ” precedes the heading, it may be presumed they moan “total abstinence from alcoholic beverages.” But why drag the Bible into the matter ? Twist and turn the Bible as they will, whilst drunkenness is denounced, nowhere is moderate drinking of wine prohibited, utterly destroying the argument that wine in use in the East in those days was unfennented. Christ came eating and drinking, and admits himself to have been a winebibber; whilst Paul says “Take a little wine for your stomach’s sake.” Had It been unfennented, Paul, who was no doubt one of the cleverest men of his day, would surely have said “ Avoid wine for your stomach’s sake,” as most people have, when young, experienced the effects of fruit juioe on their digestive organs. By all means let us fight the demon Drink but why not call a spade a spade, and not introduce the Bible into the subject, where in such cases of recorded drunkenness as Noah’s it was not the drunkard who was punished, but the person who mocked Noah whilst he was drunk. I trust not to offend the religious feelings of any denomination, but have a great dislike to seeing the Bible introduced m such cases, where it can be of no value os an argument, except with those unacquainted with its teaching.—l am, etc., Nemo. Dunedin, May 28.