A FALSE BIBLE LESSON?

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 46, 19 March 1909, Page 4

A FALSE BIBLE LESSON?

To till! Editor. Sir.—Mr. Jin roth's Jcttiu- 011 this coition in your issue of the Kith inst. is mainly an attempt to discredit teetotaller,s and their "ism," ami in thai direcli"i! J will leave teetotallers to defend themselves, as ] think they can. I merely, as a, teacher, wish to defend the Sunday School .lesson, I do not know nhal notes on Wie lessons are reproduced in the magazine ifiv Kiirofh refers (to, hut I luive before me 'Teloiilict's Select Notes" oil the lesson for 2!ltli -November lii«st, and soe nothing there that any one could object to unless lie be a very anient, defender of the drink appetite and habit. llorco'Vcr, I w ou!d a<hl that I'eloube.t's notes are largely Used in Xcw Zealand, and in at least two Sunday .Schools hi Nctv Plynioulh. Vow what do they say: "The" city of Samaria, the capital, was revelling in riotous living ami drunkenness, oppressing (he poor, -tl is honest in their dealings." Then further it gives ''The heart, of tile lesion" thus: "As Cod had pin lined for Israel and .Tudali to become a •rlorions kingdom of righteousness. an exam'ple to all the world, so everyone who conies into this world Is created 'for great tilings. to become a kingdom of frond. JO very dnnikanl was once an innocent child. Intemperance is like n barbarian army ravaging a fertile and prosperous country. Nike a. tempest . . . . it destroys life, prosperity, virtue. character, haippinctw, usefulness, the souls niiide for glory." a:ul so 011. Nothing wrong here. But ..Mr. Kniotli condemns the history of the lesson and denies that drunkenness was the civi'.ig evil of Israel. On this 1 will let others speak. Dr. (leiki.e, in "Hours with tike Bible," vol. JV., ipagc 308, says: ''Widespread druiikeniiuKS had destroyed Samaria,'' Again on page 1!W: " "The drunkards of Jipliraim' became a phrase frvesi in Jerusalem." And much more to the same cll'cct. Then I look uji l'rofessor (leorge Adam .SniHh-a name second to mine 011 Ifible criticism ami interpretation -who in his work, "The Book ol' i Isaiah," vol. 1., page, 152, says: "They 'had always been hard drinkers in North Israel. Fifty years before, Ainois flashed judgment 011 (those who trusted in the mount of Samaria, 'lolling on their couches .a7i<l gulping their wine out of basins,' women as well as men." I would also .refer your readers to pages ■ll and -l."i of the same volume, where the whole question is more fully deulti with. .Now, 1 think 1 have set the history in a better light, for I «im sure you will 'prefer my authorities to the mere ipse dixit of Mr. Enroth. The next tiling that is charged against the lesson is thatipride is not condemned as well as initeuiporancr. Well! there lire only four temperance lessons in the year tmd surely that is not too much; and there is ample room during the remaining forly-eigflill lessons to show the evils of .pride aw well ns other wins. Here I lihiv -ar tliat in glancing over 111 j' Concordance I do not find that pride receives as much attention in the Bible as drunkenness does; but I do not pro-j fess to lie exact; let others rend Bible for themselves and then delorn the proportion of ini.piity atfachiii' cacli of 'these sins. One thing I do and that is.thai pride i* not aiiior sins that shall keep a man from i

I ing Hie kingdom of lienven. but -the | drunkard 'is.absolutely barred out by bis vice; as is also "'every one that l".\-elh and maketh a- lie/' I should like to deal with Mr. Kiirotli's objection to Jlabaklvitk's Woe. onlv your Sir. 1 I'eav. would not permit. If you are so kind as to print this T may take up that Scripture in another letter. It is a very sad word: "Woo unto him that givethi bits neighbor drink/' In conclusion. 1 am very glad Mr. Enroth has read the twenty-sixth chapter of Tisaiah; he knows that the Kible does say, "Woe 2 11 • .drunkard.'' .and. on the othc while he sav,s that ''not one p« Scripture, honestly given, supp tntallers," be cannot iWtd any! such words as "Woe to tee Thanking von in anticipti' etc., •A -SUNDAY SCHOOL T MAC HER. I