52 THE TOBACCO NUISANCE. 



Possibly you may point me to tlie Rev. INIr. Blank, who is a 

 personal friend of mine, a man of unquestioned piety and 

 undoubted ability, and ask me how T am to account for his 

 conduct. Has ho not read about this matter, and is he not 

 competent to reach right conclusions concerning it 1 Is he not 

 conscientious, is ho not seeking to do good, and \vould he 

 indulge in any practice that would weaken his influence over 

 those to whom ho preaches the gospel of Christ? Dees he not 

 faithfullv warn his hearers to avoid not only evil, but even the 

 a})pearance of evil, and if the use of Tobacco is what you 

 represent it to be, can it be possible he would be a l)arty to the 

 countenancinji such a wrong 1 jNIv dear friend, T cannot Ix-lii've 

 you are sincere in putting forth such an excuse, for you know 

 as well as I do that such an argument amounts to nothing. 

 Practices you admit to be wrong could be defended in this way ; 

 therefore T hardly think you will press it. T know the geiitle- 

 man vou refer to, know something of his antecedents, and 

 know, too, what his own private oi)inions about the practice 

 are, as well as the opinions of several others who unfortunately 

 for themselves, as well as for those who may be led astray by 

 their example, and there is not a man of them who would 

 reconnnend it as a right and jiropcr course to be pursued by 

 our youth, 



I was delii'hted to hear some time since that vou had con- 

 nected yourself with the church, and had ]»ublicly announced 

 yourself a disciph^ of the (!reat Teacher. Having done so^ 

 your i)Osition is one of not only ijigh honor and exalted pri\i- 

 lege, but also of grav(^ responsibility. Implied in your pro- 

 fession is a })ledge to "renounce the devil and all his works, the 

 poin})S and vanities of tin* world, with all covetous desires of 

 the sanu^, and the carnal desires of the Mesh, so that tho\i wilt 

 not follow nor be led by them." As far as it Mould be possibh' 

 for you to do so, you engaged to be a follower or an imitator 

 of the Haviour, to do what Jfc; would have done or avoid what 

 Ho would have avoided had He been in your place. All this 



