THE BEVEREND MR SPURGEON ON TEETOTALISM.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 13, Issue 663, 11 March 1869, Page 4

THE BEVEREND MR SPURGEON ON TEETOTALISM.

Theee has lately been published an extract from a speech of the Rev. Mr Spurgeon on Total Abstinence; since fthen we have seen the following answer, which embodies nearly the whole of the original, and will no doubt interest our readers:— A few days ago we read the above quotation with other statements in the Birmingham Daily Post, and the writer who does not appear to be very friendly to the temperance question, went on to say that " Mr Spurgeon [alluding to the brother of the celebrated preacher] is quite apostolic in his opinion as to the necessity of tak ing a little wiae for the sake of one's often infirmities." To this statement we reply by saying, give, us the same conditions, viz., the state of Timothy's stomach, and the same often infirmities, and the wisdom of an inspired apostle to prescribe, with the exact nature of the wine he commended, and how much is meant by a little, and if necessary we will gladly avail ourselves of the apostolic injunction, but if neither of these things can be done, and while we cannot avoid the conclu sion that the little, wine recommended by Paul was good and nutritious, and that it was indeed the fruit of the vme, we cannot but demur at the illogical, adventurous, and absurd practice of using the modern adulterated alccholic compounds because Paul told Timothy to take a little wine. Certainly the apostle did not recommend Timothy to take port or sherry, or any other brandied compound. We frequently take a little of the pure unfermented wine, which is the blood of the grape and the fruit of the vine, and of which it can be truly said, " Wisdom has mingled her wine," and we respctfully submit that this inspired phrase cannot be used in relation to the varied mixtures which are sold as intoxicating drinks. The rev. gentleman tinues that his brother, the Eev Charles Spurgeon, was after a trial of teetotalism, " brought to the verge of the grave." None would regret such a circumstance more than ourselves, yet we cannot help but think it very strange, that a man who could preach on the Lord's day, and attend to other duties should have been so near to death, and we think it stranger still, that the country never heard of it. But supposing he had been brought to the verge of the grave, what reflecting man would charge teetotalism with having brought him there ? The fact of men being brought to the verge of the grave proves neither one thing nor the other, for a week never passes without some one being brought thither, and would it not have been more noble and generous to have said that the gentleman referred to has for some time had bodily afflictions, which neither wine drinking nor abstinence has caused or cured ? While thus speaking of his brother* Mr Spurgeon is reported to have said—» Young man, there was one man who went to heaven in a chariot of fire, but that is no reason why you should go to heaven in a chariot of water. Through all his life, we believe but this we knowi that when he lived on God's special providence, he was a teetotaller, and just before he ascended to heaven, he drank cold water. But cold water did not send him there, and when we believe that breathing of pure air will kill a man, then we may believe that cold water, ad a beverage may do so too, but not until then. We are not aware that cold water pure and simple, was the beverage 01 him who is said to have been brought to the verge of the grave. The rev. gentleman continues: — I went myself and fetched him a glass of wine which enabled him to finish his day's work. What a singular thing that a man who had been brought to the verge ol the grave should be found doing a day's work. How many days' work had been finished before without the aid of a'glass of wine, and what proof is there that that day's work would not have been finished as well, or even better than it was if the glass 'of wine had not been taken. Is it jot clear that, so far as the medicinal properties of intoxicating drinks are concerned, we may quite dispense with the doctors, for now almost everybody feels himself competent not only to recommend it, but to administer it also ? If there be

any science required in prescribing intoxicants, the doctors ought at once to protest against such popular empiricism. We notice one other paragraph,— I tried conscientiously to be a teetotaller for nine months, but I found I was obliged to give it up, at least I thought so, and determined to take, what I did take in secret. I bought some wine and some medicine glasses, and I think for a year I drank no wine but out of a medicine glass and with a locked door. We do not doubt the rev. gentleman's conscientiousness, though we demur to his conclusions, for after saying he was obliged to give it up, he modifies the statement by saying, at least I thought so. We would like to ask a few plain questions. 1st —Did the congregation perceive, during the nine months of abstinence, an altered condition of constitution? 2nd —Was it generally perceived by parties not knowing that during the twelve mouths it was taken secretly, that there was an evident improvement of the health ? 3rd —What wine was it, and what guarantee was there of its purity or of its suitableness to the physical constitution ? 4th—ls the health now good, and has it been so since the wine was takeu secretly ? 5th —If the health be restored, has the medicine been continued, and if so, ifpr what? 6th —Is it not an unheard of prac tice that persons should take mediciut when they are well ? 7th—ls it, like other medicines, taken in prescribed quantities, and at certain times, or not; or is this pecu liar medicine taken in the parlor or the drawing-room ; or is it found on the dinner and supper-table and freely offered to strong and healthy friends ? Should it be affirmed that the health was restored, we should demur to the conclusion that the taking of wine had been the cause of it, as we know several who havo been more afflicted than ei ther of the gentlemen referred to, and they have quite recovered without tak ing a single drop of intoxicating drink. We know enough of alcoholic to know that as beverages they are utterly useless, and we have yet to learn that it forms any part of science for medical men to recommend that which, from the very nature of things, they have neither analysed nor com pounded.