BAPTIST MINISTER'S APPEAL

New Zealand Times, Volume XLV, Issue 10450, 1 December 1919, Page 2

BAPTIST MINISTER'S APPEAL

MAN'S MORAL NATURE VIOLATED. PROHIBITION DENOUNCED. ■ 20, Sherborne road, Mt. Eden, •Auckland, November 20, 1819. Allow me to congratulate you for the etand taken by your paper on the question of Prohibition. lam satisfied that you are right in opposing Prohibition, for several reasons; First, the purchase, sale and beverage use of wine and strong drink are authorised in the Law of God i "And thou shalt bestow the money for whatsoever thy soul desireth, for oxen, or for isheep, or for wine, or for strong drink, ox for whaitesoever thy soul asketh of thee: and thou shalt eat these before the Lord thy God, and.thou shalt rejoice, thou and thine household."—Deuteronomy 14:26. ■ No subsequent writer in Holy Writ has gainsaid this law, given through Moses. Christ repeatedly endorsed it, and himself made, used and dispensed wine; and, in oomparinn old wine and new, he said: "The old Is better."—Luke 5:39. Paul wrote to ;Timothy (5:23): "Be no longer a drinker of water, but use a little wine for thy [Btomach's sake and thine often infirmities." I challenge any man to show warrant for Prohibition from the Bible. Again, PROHIBITION IS AN ATTEMPT TO VIOLATE MAN'S MORAL NATURE. In the Scriptures we learn that man was created a free, moral agont. He is endowed by nature with the power of contrary choice. God respects the freedom of the human will, and in nothing does he coerce man: he reasons, appeals, commands, but ho does not force oven to do what is right. We are commanded to be imitators of God,' as dear ohildren; but the Prohibitionist would force others to go his way regardless of what may be their conscientious convictions. This is an act of..tyranny which no true man will endure. FurtheTmoro, Prohibition is a violation of the great law of love and of the golden rule. Because Ido not desire alcoholic beverages is no reason for denying them to those who do. It is untrue and unchristian to hold that because a man drinks at all therefore he cannot, like Christ, drink to the glory of God. Christ was a moderate drinker, but the bigots of his day dubbed him a as though he drank to excess. By all moans let us have Christian Temperance, but may wo bo delivered from the bigotry, fanaticism and intolerance which masquerade under that name.—l am, etc.) J. G. HUGHES, Th.D., Baptist Minister. (Published by Arrangement.)