What Put My Pipe Out, Or, Incidents in the Life of a Clergyman

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1862. Excerpt: ... CHAPTER XIV. PUT TO THE TEST--THE BALANCE SHEET--FURTHER ARGUMENT--JOHN WESLEY--THE PIPE PUT OUT--PLIGHT BRINGS ABOUT A HAPPY FINALE. Knowing I should not have liked any one to say to me, Sir, you are devoid of sense, you are without reason, you do not consult your conscience, or your profession of religion is not sincere, I was resolved to put this question about tobacco-smoking to the test, by an appeal to the sense, reason, conscience, and religion I possessed. In doing this, I took pen and paper, and wrote on one piece the reasons why I should continue the habit, and on another the reasons why I should abandon it. In short, I made a debtor and creditor affair of it, and then struck the balance. On the side which contained reasons against my smoking were these: --, 1st. It is a practice borrowed from savages. 2nd. It is a practice which generally begins with us in youth, when reason is not matured. 3rd. It is an offence against the natural instincts of society, especially against ladies, who have not been vitiated by its use. 4th. Disinterested medical men say it is productive of many physical and mental diseases. 5th. The growth of it uses up valuable land in its cultivation, which might be better employed for corn, &c. 6th. Our natural tastes, which are usually good judges in such cases, reject it at first, until overcome by habit. 7th. Many philanthropists say smoking leads to drinking. 8th. Tobacco costs money. On the side of reasons for continuing smoking, I found the following: --1st. I am not aware it does me any harm. 2nd. If I am obliged to go without it, I feel very uncomfortable. 3rd. I like it. 4th. Helps to study. Each of these two lists passed under serious consideration, when, with regard to the supposition that it did me no harm, I had...