Temperance by Editor

Seventh-day Adventist Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Jul 13, 1882

Temperance.

By Editor

Good and Bad Wine.

A CORRESPONDENT of the Sunday-school Times writes as follows:—

"A question has arisen here, and is helping to keep some from signing the temperance pledge; 'tis this: Did Jesus make fermented or intoxicating wine at the marriage feast in Cana? Also, were there any wines in use at that day that were not intoxicating? Please give us your judgment and authority on the subject."

To all of which that excellent paper answers in the following judicious manner:—

"To be frank with our correspondent, we have no positive information about that miracle, outside of the Bible text. The text says that that wine was made of water, and that it was drawn off from the stone pots as soon as it was poured into them. Not much time for fermentation there. If any man wants to limit his abstinence pledges to the fair bounds of that miracle, he can safely pledge himself against all liquors—except wine that is made exclusively of water which has not been allowed to stand over night. Why wouldn't that be a good compromise for our Indiana friends? Whether there were any wines in that day—not made exclusively of water—which were non-intoxicating, is a much-disputed point. For our part, we see no special importance in the controversy, whichever way it were settled. One thing is very sure; there were wines in that day which were intoxicating, and Jesus never commanded his disciples to drink them. He even commended John the Baptist—who was an out and out total abstinence man—as the greatest man of all time up to that day. There are wines at the present day which are intoxicating; and we do not know of a single commandment in the Bible, or of any fair inference from the Bible, which forbids our letting them wholly and absolutely alone. In the absence of any positive commandment to drink wine, we think that all such wines—all intoxicating drinks whatsoever—ought to be let alone. But if one of our Indiana friends feels bound by the example of the miracle at Cana of Galilee, why, then, let him follow it to the letter. Let him set six water-pots of stone, containing two or three firkins apiece; fill them with water up to the brim; then draw off and drink to the last drop. Having done this, he would certainly be inclined to swear off from farther drinking. And this would be a great deal more sensible than his refusal to sign a pledge before doing this."