76. Professor Moses Stuart

Professor Moses Stuart

Professor Moses Stuart—“My final conclusion is this, viz.: that, whenever the Scriptures speak of wine as a comfort, a blessing, or a libation to God, and rank it with such articles as corn and oil, they mean—they can mean—only such wine as contained no alcohol that could have a mischievous tendency; that wherein they denounce it, prohibit it, and connect it with drunkenness and reveling, they can mean only alcoholic or intoxicating wine.

“If I take the position that God’s Word and works entirely harmonize, I must take the position that the case before us is as I have represented it to be. Facts show that the ancients not only preserved wine unfermented, but regarded it as of a higher flavor and finer quality than fermented wine. Facts show that it was, and might be, drunk at pleasure without any inebriation whatever. On the other hand, facts show that any considerable quantity of fermented wine did and would produce inebriation; and also that a tendency towards it, or a disturbance of the fine tissues of the physical system, was and would be produced by even a small quantity of it; full surely if this was often drunk.

“What, then, is the difficulty in taking the position that the good and innocent wine is meant in all cases where it is commended and allowed; or that the alcoholic or intoxicating wine is meant in all cases of prohibition and denunciation?

“I cannot refuse to take this position without virtually impeaching the Scriptures of contradiction or inconsistency. I cannot admit that God has given liberty to persons in health to drink alcoholic wine, without admitting that His Word and His works are at variance. The law against such drinking, which he has enstamped on our nature, stands out prominently—read and assented to by all sober and thinking men—is His Word now at variance with this? Without reserve, I am prepared to answer in the negative.”

It was after an exhaustive examination, the details of which are contained in his printed letter of sixty-four pages octavo, that he gave to the world this full and unequivocal testimony we have just recited.