Ka Leo o ka Lahui, Volume II, Number 219, 19 June 1891 — IS STRONG DRINK GOOD? [ARTICLE]

IS STRONG DRINK GOOD?

We atlmitted for puhheaiion, a few days ago, a eommuuiealion, favoring 6trong drinks, on the ground tbat our paper has been a medium for the publication of anyi onc's viows, as far as we ean eonI scieutiou6ly admit them, although ourselvos a total abBtiiner from all liquor6, winea, and beers. Every one ie responsible for what he eats and drinks to hiraself atid to hie mnkfr, and we do not belieTe tbat laws should be mndo in the matter of its u«*e; but we believe that heavy peualtieB sbould be made against

its uee whoa I|he freedom uued bēyoud the sphere of the and detrira€i&&l to the «nd welfare iu iHe 6arfimunity. A maitrfas a perfect right' to get drunk, does not mvade the rights of others, and when he doee, the public weal d«*mnnds tharstrtngent iaws &bouid be made to punish the offender for trespassing upon other peoples rights while exercising his own, and that law should be executed upon all alike. Th§ quotations from the scripture, made by our cerrespondent, '•Erin go Braugh," was given for the poor condemn«d culprit, and the wine whieh our Lord made at th« marriage feast, is n«thing like the Malaga decoction : whieh u Erin go Braugh" probably takes for his stomach's sake. Timothy is recommended to take wine by his teacher Paul, but not the wine ihat makes a man drunk, but thē pure and unfermented juice of the grape.

There are two kiods ol wine mentioned in the Bible. One of these was the pure juice ofthe grape, and was pressed into the eup as it was needed to drink. Gen. 40:11. It is this kind that is said to cheer God and man (Judges 9:13), and is dried up when the vine is destsoyed. .Toel 1:10. 12. The other kind was that whieh had stood unlil it fermented, and aleohol had formed froin the deca}'ing substance. The kind of wine recomoierided by Paul and that made by our Saviour was that whieh represented the "pure blood of the grapeDeut. 32:14. not the impure, decaying, fer;nented wine that is reeornmeuded t#-the impenitent and condemned seoffer of temperance habits.

Let us see what tne wise mani savs, Prov. 23:31, 32, l4 Look not | upon the Wine when it is red, when ifc giveth iii» coior in the eup, when j it movetli itseif aright. At the iast it bitcth like a serpent. 1 aud stingeth like an adder, T ' That ] is ; when, in the process of lermentation, it. niay be see:i moving froui; the bc»ttom Dpvrard. The original | word here used-a r some-; thing uprip:ht. -m W.e eoukl quote scriptures innumerabJe to disprove the i<iea that intoxieating drinking was urged or taught bv the prophets. o\ir Saviour or his disciples, but on the contrary. We will teke our own visual experience r and we have evidence enough to teach us that any material, the product of deconiposition will lead to decay, — death. It is always with <4 adultery, fornicatiun, uncleanness, lasiviousness, idolatry, witchcrat\, hatred, variance, emulations, wrathi strife, seditions, here--Bies, envyings, niuniers, drunben* ne s«\ rewllings, and such like" Gal. 5:19-21. This does not show that that Paul reoommended the kind of hellish stu£f they <feal out as now-a-davs, whieh leadB man to do all these things. Now, if v, Erin go Braugh" would only Btudy Bcripture Bpiritually instead of spirituously, he will find that stroDß dr|nk is not supported as g<K>d for God } s creatur*e, but leads to a drunkards iife auddeath, and as Paui agam say& 1 C0r.6:10, ieads to a forfohure of future in* j heritanoe, u Nor thieves, nor covet«ros, nor drunkard* y nor revilers,nor extortioners, shall inherit the dom of God.** To ahow how far Paul is from reoommetiding strodg drink th«t wili make drunk t he

aays in 1 Qor, sTll, "But-niwrtL. have written unto yo» not to keep - cōmpany 7 ii auy mm thatjg call@d a brother be a formcuJtQr, or co?etof*s or an idolator, or a railer, or a drwnkard. The reference to men's action and hypocracy in their advocacv of tcmperance has no bearing what* ever to the i>rinciple of true temperance with ali its heinous vices* Our paper is always open to a disfnission on -any point or jlfincipīe that the gpod of uaan* . kind. ' J. 8.. B. r