THE PROHIBITIONISTS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXII, Issue 9774, 22 March 1895, Page 3

THE PROHIBITIONISTS.

TO THE EDITOR.

Sir,—Your impartial arguments on the question of Prohibition when discussing the Rev. S. Lawry's views,are, very commendable. It seems strange that those who deprecate the taking of even a glass of wine are not found endeavouring to lessen other evils in the community. Why not organise a crusade against rice, betting, gambling, etc. Mr. Lawry says in effect that if Christ were now on the earth he would not make wine because of the bad use men make of such* things. Such a view would lead to' very unsound conclusions, for the Lord* must have seen and known the end as well as the beginning, and all he said or did was done with the knowledge of the abuse men would make of one of God's gifts today. Wherever man enjoys privilege his re' sponßibility comes sn also. , The Scriptures ! are written, and for all time, and if Chrisfl I on earth to-day were to deviate from what! ! he said and once did it would bo an admis* sion of former failure, and His divinity i could thereby be questioned. Some tee-i totalers go so far as to insist that the wine' of Scripture was unfermented, and only the) juice of the grape ; but if that was true why call it wine, which means the fer--1 mented juice, and why the admonitions in the Bible against drunkenness, which show that intoxicating wines existed and were abused by some of old. lam a teetotaler, bub not belonging to any society that would deprive us of our liberties. St. Paul says, " The love of money is the root of all evil." He does uot say so much against wine.. Why not organise a society to correct this inordinate love!" "Amor nummi ere cis quantum ipsa pecuniacrescib."—l and, etc., ; March 18,1895. Veritas.