PROHIBITION AND THE CLERGY.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XXXI, Issue 10362, 23 July 1896, Page 4

PROHIBITION AND THE CLERGY.

Bnt,— My filend the Rev. W. Colonso has sent me a copy of the Herald of tho 17th instant, containing his reply to the Rev. J. lloaldDg, and in oar public library I see papers coutalniog that Rentlenian'a rejulndor, and other letteru on the subject. The main question la ono on which Mr Colhdbo and I have long since agreed to differ ; bub he had a light task in demolishing an opponent who maintained two anch untenablo propositions as that) yai/in [always] donotea Intoxicating wine, and that its nao is always condemned or prohibited. And I was pained to ccc that in replying bo conld And no better answer than an elaborate Bnßer : •■ The Sage has epoken," &o. I would that the reverend gentleman, and other temperance speakers and writers whom I need not name, could realise how patty, how unworthy their sacred calling, and how damaging to the oause they maintain, Bach advocacy is. In this case, Mr Colenso's four score years, his long and distinguished services to the Church and the scientific world, his wide and unostentatious benevolence, should have been a protection against vulgar abuse. To a sneer thero la no answer — no refutation ; but 1b has no weight either as argument or evidence, Fortunately for the unlearned, it is not so mush profound aoholarship, us patient Btudy and impartial examination that is needed to arrive at a conclusion in cases of verbal disputation. When a word occurs 140 times in a book, in every possible variety of context, en ordinary Intelligence should have no serious difficulty in settling its meaning or meanings. And as in most oases where fierce strife has arisen over definitions, the reason has been that the debaters, giving a fundamental principle of langUßge, have insisted on limiting a word to \ one of its varied meanings. Whole scots have been founded on no better baeis than the rigid Interpretation of a word which has been treely used in a variety of senses. The Greek words oinos, haptizo, amos, are prominent examples. Wa can imagine "cranks" a thousand years hence maintaining that " tea " in English in the nineteenth century signified " beef tea " and nothing else'; this won'd bees reasonable as the contention that the ■word "wine"— the same in form and meaning in Hebrew, Latin, Greek, and English— means fermented wine and that alone. Numerous instances can be given where It bears that meaning, others can bo adduced where the meaning is impossible; the context must decide. Mr Colenso makes light of Dr. Lees- qualifications, and even appears to cast doubt on his integrity. Here Mr Golenso Is wrong. It might ba quite fair to assume a bias— few are free from that, but Dr. lees' honesty Is beyond suspicion, and his scholarship unquestioned. He was the first to scientifically and systematically investigate the subject of ancient wines. The article in the Encyclopedia Britan* nicx, queted by Dr. Hoaklng, if not actually written by Dr. Lees, embodies all hla conclusions. Here, aa in the important subject of vaccination, this great cook of reference rises above popular prejudices, and is in advance of the time. Had Dr. Hosking studied Dr. Lees' works with more care he would not have fallen so easily a victim of Mr Colenso's bow and spear. In his researches Dr. Lees has not only collated and studied every passage in the sacred text bearing on the subjept, in the original, the LXX,, and the Vulgate, bnt he has gone exhaustively through the Greek and Latin classics and the dense iorests of patrlstio literatnre. He is the ono specialist in this field, He has proved that what are commonly known as " temperance drinks " — sherbet, &o. — were among the ancient wines ; that salt entered largely into some of them ; and that fresh grape-juice, boiled down into a thick preserve or jam, was " wine." To make it potable water bad to be added— hence the custom of the "mixed chalice," to which a mythical meaning in after times attached. And his labors have borne practical fruit. It was an old argnment ' that fermentation was inevitable— that no art, especially among the unscientific anolents, could preserve the wine unfermented, But these same ancients were something like the clever Maoris of old, who could teach our scientific folk wrinkles not a few. It la trne that they did not talk aboub "microbes" and «'sterilisation," but they had practical knowledge which the Pasteur institute has not attained. It is a fast that Frank W right's nnfermented wine (used in most of the ohurohes in this city for sacramental pnr« poses) la protected from fermentation by a recipe placed on record by Pliny, and brought to light by Dr. Lses. The parable of the " New wine in old bottles ■' is unintelligible on the supposition that the new wine had begun to ferment. Your correspondent "Anglleanus" is a good example of the kind of folk who plunge into a controversy without any equipment at all. I had those same "flagons of wine flung at me in your colamns in years gone by. The learned Adam Clarke, 70 years ago, showed that there were neither flagons nor wine in the original. "Anglicanns' apparently wants his pastor or bishop to do what he ought to be able and willing to do himself. Let him. '■ search tne Scriptures " ; look up the' passage in the Kevised Version. I was sorry to see in your paper the old end' ribald .story of the man whs "searched the Scriptures through and found only one man who wanted to drink water. He was in hell." If intended for a jest, it is very poor and very profane. If for argument— well, the man lied. Of many instances two stand out promtnsntly: David, who longed for the water of the well of Bethlehem ; and our Lord, who at Jacob's well, asked water of the woman oi Samaria. Water, the emblem of Divine faith, Is throughout Scripture mentioned with honor, as one of God's chief blessings. Wine is mentioned also with honor, and again condemned &b a curse and type of Divine wrath. The wine so minutely described In the Book of Proverbs as a "mooker" is certainly intoxicating—^ all the familiar phenomena of fermentation" are set oat in detail. But we read also of wine "in the duster," and the joyous vintage song— the motto of the temperance sooieties of to-day : "Dutroy it not (0 brewer and distiller !), for a blessing is in it." But I find no warrant for Dr. Hosklng's statement) that the Scriptures forbid wine, or are "prohibitionist." Such assertions irritate me like the kindred talk about "Christ the Social Reformer," or the "Great Democrat." The Holy Scriptures are on a higher plane. They Ignore "our little systems," they are above faction and party. They supply general principles, the application of which each must discover for himself. — I am, &c, R, Coupland Harding. Wellington, July 21st, 1896.

"ADaniel.Btlllßayl; a second Daniel !— I thank thee; Jew, (or teaching me that word." Shaksp., Mercht. o£ Venice, Act IV. scene 1. Sib,— Max Muller has very naturally and truly observed in bis Gifford Lectures : — " Every kind of evidence is made to tell by writer, who have a theory to defend." Now I had quite intended that I, in my letter of last week in reply to "John Hosklng," having said my say, should not wrlto again. And I should not now do so, were It not for his own closing and (as he no doubt supposed) olinching sentence from the New Testament, in his reply letter in yesterday's Herald, viz., "A Bishop maat be— sober, not given to wine" (the italics, as usual are " J.H.s,") and it is just this one little well-known and plain English word " given " that has prompted me to wtite again; for, verily, "John Hosklng" shows, he does nob understand its mean< Ing ! and has also led me to choose my Shakespearian motto, at the same time not intending to say that " John Hosk* ing" is a "Jew." i "Not given to wine." Of course, the ■ meaning of this word is— addioted to, a lovei of, &o. Now, had John Husking deigned to look into the Revised Version of the New Testament, he would have found the true meaning of the Greek better rendered, thus :—" A bishop mnst be— no brawler," or (as in the margin) " not quarrelsome over wine,'' and co it is in' Titus, i., B— the only other place ■ Jn the New Testament containing that word. " Paroinon"— the Greek word in question, there need by St. Paul — is also farther rendered by Dean Alford in his Greek Testament thus—" not a brawler (properly, ' one In hia cups,' a man rendered petnlant by much wine), and perhaps, 1 ' Alford says, "the literal meaning should not be lost Bight of." To which I wonld add a further testimony from Parkhnrst (Gk, Lex.)-" A tippler, one who sits long at the wine ; " with his apt quotation from Luclan " methyson Jcai paroinos, &a. — a person drinking and tippling not only till he eings and dances, but till he becomes abusive and enraged." Schrevalins (Gk. Lex.) renders the word — " a tippler, drunken, intoxicated," Conyfceara and Howboq also render the term— " not given to wine or brawls." Those verses alone, rightly considered, respecting the ace of wine In the Uhilatlan Church, have ever been with me sniHclout to decide all controversy concerning fermented drinks. How '' John Hosking " conld reasonably addnca that word and sentence In support of Teetotallam or Prohibition is beyond my comprehension ! It is mine iv support of Temperance. Ido not know " John Hosklng," neither < Jjave I spoken with any person who knows

him, and therefore I am iguorant as to his age, &0,, bnt sappoaa him to be an inefcpeilenced young man — this from , hia hasty, irrelevant writing ; bo stiltlfied, ton ! (if I may nse that term) concsrntng himself. If "JohnHosking" would condescend to accept advice from on agod veteran in the Army (uob an enemy to tha great cause of Temperance), I would suggest to him to be more thoughtfnl, considerate, and modest in hia statements, particularly in his public writings. (2 Tim. 11., 24). And as I shall not write again to your paper on this subjecb ; and as I have again seen in your columns the aged Panl's advice to hia son Timothy respecting the use of wine, once more twiated and travestied in quotation, I am inclined to glvo the new and plainer rendering of that sentence from the .Revised Version, viz,, "Be no longer a drinker of water, bnt nse a little wine for thy stomach's sake, nnd thine often Infirmities."— l am, Sc. William Colenso. Napier, July 21st, 1596.

Sir,— "Angllcanus" in yesterday's issne of your valuable paper does me an inn justice by constructing a syllogism, which is moat assuredly fallacious, and then fathering it on to me. ." Ib aeems to me," he siys, " that Mr Hoaklng'a argument really runs aa follows, though he doesn't know it himself :— First, he thinks he ia sure Prohibition is light ; second, be knows the Bible ia right ; conclusion, the Bible teaches Prohibition." I am glad "Angllcanne" Baves me from such sophistry by sayiog "he doesn't knov) it Jiimself." I don't know It. If I put my argument in (syllogistic form it would run like this:— Major promise, the Bible is en authoritative standard on all qnestlona of a moral nature; minor premise, intemperance 1b a question of a moral nature ; conclusion, therefore the Bible ia an authoritative standard on intemperance. I challenge " Anglicanns " to point oat a single fallacy in tbia syllogism, But) when he constructs his own he must please abide by them. I could easily point out the fallacies of " Anglicanus's " syllogism, if it were worth while. lam reminded of Howell, an author of the elxteenth century, who was vory enthaeinstlc in his efforts to uphold Canary wine. He went further than " William ColenBO." He Bald that good wine leads to heaven, and he proved [sic) it by this piece of sophistry : — " Good wine creates good blood ; good blood creates good humor ; good humor inspires men with good thoughts ; good thoughts lead to good actions ; good actions lead to heaven. Therefore good wine leads to heaven." One other point remains to be noticed. " Angllcanus " In his letter refers me to other questions in the Bible, whloh are not seriously thought of to-day. Let me point out that there are three classes of lawß In the Bible. 1. There are moral laws, which arise from the immutable relations existing between God and man. 2, There are civil laws, or those enacted for the government of civil life ; adapted especially to the Jewish Theocracy. 3. There are ceremonial laws, or thO96 which were intended to keep the Jews separate from other nations as well as to prefigure events which were to take place under a new dispensation. Common sense must be exercised in quoting ceremonial laws as if they are moral, I was charged by " W illiam Colenso " recently with quoting a passage bearing on a ceremony, as if the words had all the authority of a moral law. I did nothing of the kind, I merely quoted a passage showing that wine was forbidden. I hope that this distinction will make matters clear to yonr correspondents.— l am, &0,, JonN Hoskikg. Wesleynn Parsonage, * Hastings, July 21st, 1896.