Then again, is it possible that, on that occasion, a kind of wine was made
of which the Lord has never created a single drop in the fruit of the vine?
Fermented wine is a product of leaven or ferment and of man's ingenuity;
and its chief and essential constituent, alcohol, for which men drink it,
is an effete product, and holds a similar relation to the leaven that urine
does to the animal body. As Pasteur says, "ferment eats, as it were," or
consumes the nourishing and useful ingredients in the juice of the grapes,
decomposes them, and casts out excretions, as man does when he eats grapes.
Consequently, fermented wine is an utterly unclean fluid, and it fills man,
when he drinks it, with all manner of uncleanness, mentally and physically,
from the crown of his head to the soles of his feet, as we well know. It is
preeminently a leavened substance, for it is never purified by heat, as is
leavened bread. We have an abundance of testimony, which the reverend
writer of the article ignores, that the Orthodox Jews have regarded, in all
ages, and do to-day as a rule regard, fermented wine as coming under the
restrictions placed upon leavened things.
The celebrated Jewish Rabbi, S. M. Isaacs, said in 1869: "The Jews do not
use in their feasts for sacred purposes fermented drinks of any kind. The
marriage feast is a sacrament with us."
In a recent work (1879) written by a Jewish Rabbi, the Rev. E. M. Myers,
entitled "The Jews, their Customs and Ceremonies, with a full account of
all their Religious Observances from the Cradle to the Grave," we read that
among the strictly orthodox Jews, "During the entire festival (of the
Passover) no leavened food nor fermented liquors are permitted to be used,
in accordance with Scriptural injunctions." (Ex. xii, 15, 19, 20; Deut.
xvii, 3, 4.) This, we think, settles the question so far as the Orthodox
Jews are concerned; and their customs, without much question, represent
those prevailing at the time of our Lord's advent.
The editor of the London _Methodist Times_ lately witnessed the
celebration of the Jewish Passover in that city, and at the close of the
services said to the Rabbi: "May I ask with what _kind_ of wine you
have celebrated the Passover this evening?" The answer promptly given
was:--
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account