THE PROHIBITION" SCHISM.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1291, 26 November 1896, Page 19

THE PROHIBITION" SCHISM.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir, —Mr R. G. Knight has had his say on my letter on the schism of Prohibition. Ho says I have been looking through gold spectacles. I will take no notice of the insinuation, but will as in duty bound return the compliment, that Mr Knight must have been looking through blue spectacles. Sir, in the first place I cannot see how Ham was to blame in seeing what he could not help and informing his brothers, who took advantage of the same to cover their father ; but I think Noah was much more to blame for cursing his youngest son for his own fault. I don't know what continent Mr K. means that has suffered such degradation from the effect of that curse. If he means Africa, I cannot see how Ham or his postetity could have anything to do with it, if Moses's account of the Creation is correct, as the black people of Africa must have been created thousands of years before Adam, as has been amply proved by all explorers. As the creation of Adam was a new creation, not six thousand years old yet, and under a new dispensation, as the words in the first chapter of Genesis imply, " for God said, Let us make maninourownimage.after our likeness, and in the image of God made He man, and breathed into him the breath of life ; and man became a living soul." This seems to me to imply that there were men on the earth who wore not possessed of this blessing. And this wii] account for this fact, that all coloured people when discovered in all parts of the earth were worshippers of evil spirits, or of images of metal, wood, or stone, or of beasts and birds. Now, it is plain that all modern researches give evidence of this fact. Moreover, it would take more than three hundred thousand years of the progress of the population of nations to form a nation equal to China, of four hundred millions. As for the matter respecting the Rechabites, the version was not spoken of in the sense teetotallars apply it, but in a far more serious one. The Children of Israel had promised to obey and keep the commandments and laws of God, and they had broken their oath. Now, the Rechabites had obeyed their earthly father Rechab when he commanded them to drink no wine and were held forth as an example of the faithfulness of the children of Rechab towards their earthly father, and of the unfaithfulness of the Children of Israel towards their heavenly Father and God. But teetotallers like perverting the Scriptures when it answers their perverted nature. It is the same respecting the marriage feast in Galilee. They say it was not intoxicating wine, as it was new wine. Was that old wine that made Noah diunk? Or was it old wine that so elevated the old man of the sea on Sinbad the Sailor's shoulders so that he got rid of the throttling fiend ? New wine will make a person drunk sooner than good old wine. Now, respecting my experience. I am now in my 85th year, and I don't remember when I did not take wine or beer when I wanted it. And yet I defy anyone in Wellington to say that I have been tipsy during the 55 years I have lived in this city. And lam still in good health. Nor have I done anything to injure my neighbour. Water may suit Mr Knight's constitution, and he is welcome to it. But I have just as much right to prohibit Mr Knight from drinking water as he has to prohibit me from wino or beer. I like a man to act with that liberality towards others which he has a right to claim for himself.—l am, &c, John Plimmer.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir, —Tt Is said again and again that the Bible sanctions'and commends the use of intoxicating drinks. It is quito true that the Holy Book does speak approvingly of wine; and if all the wines of the Bible were intoxicating, then the Bible sanctions the moderate use of intoxicating drinks as a beverage, since wine is expressly commended several times in the Scriptures. If there bo only intoxicating wine mentioned in the Bible, of course there is an end to all pleas and efforts against its moderate use, as the Bible sustains it. All uninspired arguments against a custom are flimsy as tow if the Scriptures support it. But I wish to ask those who hold this view several questions: words (Prov. xxiii., 31), "When it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup," direct reference to that sparkling clearness which follows fermentation ? And does not the expression, "Moveth itself aright," refer to the effervescence produced in fermented drinks by carbonic acid ? 2. Is it not to this fermented wine that the wise man refers when he says, " At last it biteth like a serpent and stingeth like an adder ?" 3. Is not the true meaning of the words in Prov. xxiii., 3], " Look not," &c, " Desire not the wine which is intoxicating ?" 4, Are the Proverbs of Solomon a part of the Word of God ? Are they, like the other Scriptures, " given by inspiration of God, and profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness ?" o. If so, can we disobey any part of God's Word

which is of general application, without incurring blame ? If we are commanded not to look upon (that is desire) the wine that is fermented, how can we suppose that on a festive occasion, when men had "well drunk," and had exhausted the liquor which had been provided, Christ made a large quantity of intoxicating wine for their further use ? Could He do so without disobeying His own Word ? 6. Is the Bible constructed on the principle of a puzzle or a conundrum ? Does it blow hot and cold on the same subject? Is "wine a mocker" and " defrauder," and the same kind of wine "innocent" and "a blessing"? These questions are scarcely capable of being answered except in one sense. The fact is, the Bible is most decidedly against the notions and practices of modern winedrinkers, and does not commend the use of intoxicating wine, as the following summary will show : —l. In above GO passages of Scripture referring to vine produce, it is asserted or implied to be a " blessing," but in none of those texts is it found associated with an intoxicating quality. 2. In above 50 passages wine is connected with intoxication or with " evil," but in no single instance is it associated with the Divine sanction. 3. Intoxicating wine is described as the " poison of dragons " ; is twice beside called "poison"; a " woe " is pronounced against those who srive it to their neighbours; and it is frequently used as a symbol o? the Divine wrath and fury. —I am, &c, Temperance. Carterton, November 16, 1896.