791 Dialogue on Smoking Tobacco. hold from them any pleasures, except those that would be injurious to their better inte rests. 792 man's being tormented by the appetite when he has not opportunity to gratify it, is only applicable to those who are destiJ. I agree with you, that the main tute of self-government, and who, it should strength of your cause is placed on this seem, absurdly seek nearly all their hapargument; but plausible as it may seem, piness in smoking. For my own part, I it is by no means invulnerable. For, first, exercise self-denial in this, as in all other you value the pleasure itself too high, and animal pleasures: but though I seldom secondly, you seem to think it diminishes, spend more than half an hour in the day or requires the sacrifice of, no other plea in smoking, yet I am visited by none of sure, which is not correct. With regard to those tormenting cravings of which you the pleasure of smoking, I must say--and speak; my resolution in this particular as a practitioner you must allow me capa- being immoveably fixed, and as my attenble of judging-that as an animal gratifi- tion is closely turned throughout the day cation, it ranks in the very lowest scale. to other matters, I snatch my pipe merely There is something naturally disagreeable in those moments of leisure at the close of in receiving the fumes of tobacco into the the day, when through fatigue I am capamouth, insomuch that some persons can ble of nothing better, and when the very never overcome their aversion to it; and act of smoking begets a certain tranquil in every case, repeated trials are necessary ruminating mood, which to some persons to render it agreeable to the palate. I ac- is highly delightful. I am led by what I knowledge that many persons are immo- have already said, to advance another readerately fond of this luxury; but this fond- son in behalf of the moderate use of ness is certainly more generated by custom tobacco, which is, that it answers the purand fancy, than by any thing really plea- pose of an innocent and relaxing amusesant in the fashionable exotic itself. The ment. But do not mistake me, I am not fancy appears to practise a similar impo- about to defend amusement as a child sition in this case, as in the case of the might be supposed to defend it; I only boy, who, bestriding his father's stick, value, and would pursue it, so far as it is fancies he enjoys the pleasure of a ride. necessary to relieve or unbend a jaded A very serious inconvenience that befals a mind. Such relief, it is well known, is person who is addicted to this indulgence, not always so effectually yielded by mere is, that, though he is almost continually rest or cessation from toil, as by some longing for his pipe, yet the proper sea- slight or relaxing employment, especially sons for enjoying it return but seldom. in the case of those whose labour tasks The desire for food is suspended after a their mental powers. Hard study often plentiful meal, but the desire for tobacco induces a certain stupor and oppression of in many persons, is insatiable; they are, the spirits, which sometimes repels sleep, therefore, in nearly the same predicament and renders rest itself unpleasant; in this as a person would be in, who is uncom- case, an innocent amusement would be fortably hungry all the day long, and who grateful and advantageous; the sound of must be either always eating, or always music or singing, cheerful company, the longing to eat. I am, therefore, almost of innocent play and prattle of children, and opinion, that the pleasure which is realized a multitude of other objects and engagein the act of smoking, is more than coun-ments, might be resorted to with advanterbalanced by the uneasiness which the want of it at other times occasions, and that consequently, admitting its perfect innocence, it adds nothing to the stock of a man's daily comfort. tage; and if I also add, that smoking will J. I readily allow it to be impossible for any person to employ every moment of his waking hours in severe mental exercise, and that to many people innocent 793 Dialogue on Smoking Tobacco. amusement is useful. But an amusement should possess the following propertiesit should be agreeable, innocent, and in some way beneficial, besides the benefit it confers in relieving the mind: but amongst such amusements, I scruple to rank smoking tobacco; for, admitting it to be an agreeable exercise, it is not, I am afraid, quite an innocent one, because it tends to foster a grovelling and unnecessary appetite; and I am equally suspicious of its utility, except as an amusement. You allow there are many other ways of obtaining agreeable relaxation, and you must also allow that a multitude of these are in every respect preferable to the one in question, that is, more pleasant, more innocent, and more beneficial. For instance, a walk in the fields on a spring day or summer's evening, when the diversified beauties of creation, the harmony of birds, and the serenity and sublimity of universal nature, are calculated to awaken the most pleasing, soothing, and devotional feelings in the bosom, is a recreation as much superior to that of smoking a dirty pipe of tobacco, as the employment of an astronomer is superior to that of a chimney sweeper. Similar remarks I might make concerning reading an entertaining book, or engaging in an agreeable conversation, and a multitude of other cheering engagements, all of which are more innocent, delightful, useful, and rational than smoking tobacco. Those pleasures which simple nature suggests, and plain reason sanctions, are certainly the most valuable, and therefore to be preferred before all others. But in smoking there is nothing of nature to be found, the appetite for the indulgence is artificial, and the arguments by which it is defended are not less so.-A. I simply recommend the moderate use of tobacco as one, amongst many other innocent and beneficial relaxations; and I deny not that some of those you have named may, in certain circumstances, be more improving, and, if you please, more dignified, than that against which you are arguing: but that one has the advantage of being often accessible when others are out of the reach. With some people, it is almost the only luxury of amusement they either do, or can avail themselves of; and those who are more agreeably situated, may frequently be debarred by circumstances, or unfitted by fatigue, for any other. J. Vastly important, I confess, does smoking appear in conjunction with your doctrine of recreations. Whoever may approve or disapprove of your arguments, one part of the community must feel them 794 selves under lasting obligations to you; but, unfortunately, they are the most worthless part, the idle, sottish visitors of the tavern. If these were present, they would shake hands with you as a champion of their grovelling pleasure.-A. I am surprised to hear you substitute ridicule for argument; it is extremely unfair to make the use of a thing bear the odium which is due to its abuse. I own that the article in question is greatly abused; but perhaps not more so than many other earthly comforts. By a degrading association, the most innocent pleasure, or the most honourable employment, may be made to look ridiculous; and a more mischievous and despicable practice cannot be followed. To represent smoking as the idle and dirty employment of the sot, is, I confess, a very convenient way to hold it up to contempt; but is it equitable that the industrious, the learned, and the pious, should be debarred from the moderate use of tobacco, because it is abused by the sottish and the idle? You delight to represent smoking as an idle employment; but with little more reason than you would call eating and sleeping idle employments: idle indeed they all are in comparison with the real blessings of life; but if they are necessary to fit us for the vigorous prosecution of business, they are not to be despised. But smoking is exceedingly favourable to meditation and close thinking; a circumstance which, if true, must completely exempt it from the charge of uselessness. And that it is true, I am satisfied from my own experience; the agreeing testimony of many others, as well as the reason of the case. Every student knows, that there are occasions when he finds it impossible to pursue any intricate subject with facility and success; this usually happens when he is under the influence of some emotion, either strongly pleasing or painful; but it is sometimes the result of an undefinable uneasiness, a consciousness, not so much of the existence of any known or positive evil, as of the want of some unassignable pleasure. Now, it is in such circumstances, that smoking is found to facilitate the exercises of thought; it is an amusement which of itself demands no anxious attention, but which furnishes just that moderate, soothing pleasure, which allays any fretting feeling, and permits the mind to be at leisure to attend to any particular point of study. The study of an abstract subject requires a sort of forgetfulness of other things, which smoking is remarkably adapted to produce. J. I am inclined to believe this to be 795 Dialogue on Smoking Тобассо. 796 the most misleading argument you have | about to unchristianize any smoker; but I yet advanced in favour of smoking: I say must express my belief, that the practice misleading, because it exhibits an impos- is unfriendly to the spirit of piety. It is ing solidity in prima facia; and yet it no where, I own, forbidden in scripture; may easily be shewn to be founded on a but the spirit of it appears to be at varigrand mistake. The truth is, you ascribe ance with the spirit of many scriptural dean effect to the use of tobacco, which may, clarations, in the number of which, take I think, be nearly accounted for on the the following of St. Peter, 1 Epist. ii. 11. ground of habit. I need not expatiate to "Dearly beloved, I beseech you, as stranyou on the astonishing power of habit; gers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, you may have heard of an eminent which war against the soul." In what divine, who accustomed himself to study manner such "fleshly desires," as the desire in the streets of London, until at length, for tobacco, "wars against the soul," may he could do so, in that strange situation, easily be evinced. If piety exists at all, with extreme facility. Some can study it must exist as the controlling principle the best in their closets; others while walk- of the mind; for the very nature of piety ing in the fields; and some, forsooth, stands in supreme love to God, and an while smoking. Now, this diversity unreserved preference of his favour and proves, that more is to be attributed to image as our sovereign good. Now, habit, than to any natural fitness of situa- though it does not require the extermination. Every thing is easy that we are tion of the inferior passions, yet, as the regularly accustomed to do; and often the ascendant affection, it will subject them all very furniture, and other objects that we to a limited and dependent operation. are accustomed to behold when engaged Thus the attachment which a pious mind in study, become, by some mysterious law will feel to the most valuable of all finite of association, helpful to our memories blessings, will be entirely of a subordinate and associations.-A. I beg to say, that description; he will love it, not merely for you have misrepresented my observations its own sake, but for the sake of its giver; on this point. I simply said, or meant to he will regard it as an expression of divine say, that on certain occasions smoking is beneficence, and, regarding it as such, it really and naturally friendly to meditation. will awaken and cherish his grateful and As it regards myself, though I can gene- devotional feelings. In a word, his earthly rally study perfectly well without a pipe; attachments will partake largely of a sacred yet at other times, I am perfectly con- character; they will be seasoned throughvinced I can do better with it.-J. And as out with the pure odour of piety. It is it regards myself, though I do not deny that evident, then, that the grand secret of holy some weight is attached to your remarks, living, is to maintain the decided predoI must avow, that smoking often tends to minance of the spiritual affections, by lull me into a kind of lazy mood, in which maintaining a prayerful, vigilant, and beI make nearer approaches to insensibility, lieving fellowship with God, and by keepthan to that vigour, penetration, and con- ing the "carnal mind," in a chastened and centration of mind, which the fumes of proper subjection. But, circumstanced as tobacco are, oddly enough, said to pro. man is, with passions all lusting to excess, duce.-A. I begin to think it is need- and held under a restraint, from which less to prolong our unprofitable controversy they are continually struggling to be free, any farther, when there appears to be no such a spiritual state of mind is not to be prospect of a mutual agreement. preserved, without the exercise of a vigilant self-government; an equilibrium of the affections, so nicely balanced, may easily be deranged. Now, as the intemperate use of lawful things is calculated to cherish the carnal mind, and damp the fire of our piety, so the very same effects will follow from indulgence in useless luxuries. On the use of all natural blessings, we ought to be able to implore the blessing of Heaven, and to feel that using them was glorifying God: and surely "whatever is more than this, cometh of evil," yea, and leads to evil. Now, if tobacco be a useless luxury, uncalled for by any natural appetite, and unproductive of any real benefit, then no J. I presume you have exhausted your stock of arguments.-A. Be that as it may, I am willing to trouble you no more. -J. Well, sir, I must bespeak your candour and patience, while I trouble you with a remark or two farther on our question. Hitherto I have opposed smoking merely as a contemptible indulgence; and on that ground, not worth the tax it levies on a man's time and money; but I am afraid it taxes a man's virtue also.-A. Nay, then it seems our controversy is likely to turn out a serious affair; pray, let me admonish you not set up for a "maker of new morals to mankind."-J. I am not 797 Dialogue on Smoking Tobacco. man can use it to the glory of God, nor, of course, without injuring his piety. To say the best of it, it wil be an incumbrance to him in running his spiritual race, by the encouragement it will give to his natural carnality. In a word, to indulge a fondness for tobacco, will be to release from its proper confinement a "fleshly desire," which will, by this means, have the power of doing you mischief, without the ability of doing you any good. All worldly desires are naturally enemies to piety; but the support and comfort of our physical frames require that some be retained, yet these are to be watched as enemies, and every useless one is to be excluded as carefully as you would exclude a serpent from your bosom. A. I acknowledge the propriety of your sentiments in their general application, if they have any fault, they are too good for the occasion; the point of their application is too diminutive, if not altogether impalpable, and hence they "resemble ocean into tempest wrought, to waft a feather, or to drown a fly." The only supposed vulnerable point of the luxury you are combating, is its uselessness; but if you will allow me to have proved, that smoking, with regard to myself at least, is not useless, then, sir, your ponderous argument slides harmlessly by me. To self-denial, scripturally understood, I allow its full bulk of importance: but your idea of it appears to partake of some ambiguity, if not of unscriptural refinement. A luxury may be useless in your view, which is not altogether so in mine. If a luxury that is cheap, and inoffensive both to the individual himself and to public opinion, supersede others of a more suspicious and objectionable character, it is not to be pronounced entirely useless, although nothing more could be advanced in its favour. If every thing merely pleasurable to one sense is to be rescinded, then every thing merely pleasurable to all the senses is to be rescinded, and delightful music, and beautiful scenes, must be as carefully avoided, as delicious, though needless relishes. Your principles must be hostile to every thing in the shape of mere ornament: but who, sir, hath required this at your hands? Who is the architect of this splendid world? To despise every thing merely ornamental, is to reflect on that Being who has invested most of his works with degrees of beauty that have no apparent adaptation or design, except the gratification of the sight of man, to whom he has also given the taste and the susceptibility of being by this means de 798 lighted. Again, if in all other respects the work of retrenchment is never to stop, until it have annihilated every accommodation and pleasure, except those which simple nature, nature dissevered from all customs and partialities, imperiously demands for its sustentation; then pray, sir, would you like to be tried, and would you like to live, by this severe rule? I am afraid if I were to weigh you in this balance, I should find you wanting. On this ascetic principle, I could, I think, detect superfluities in your food, and in your dress, which you have been accustomed to deem innocent, and with which you would be unwilling to part. But, that you may not accuse me of dealing in untangible generalities, I will apply my reasoning in a familiar instance. Suppose, then, that you and I have both spent a day in laborious study, and being both fatigued, we are alike willing to seek some recreation. You are disposed to ride on horse-back a few miles into the country; but I, being in a different mood, take up my pipe, and muse an hour in my own corner, or converse with my friend, as it may happen. You accost me on the impropriety and uselessness of my luxury, asking me if I cannot be equally happy without it, as with it: but, seeing you mount a horse, I say, And why, sir, cannot you take a short excursion into the country, or the fields, without the useless luxury of riding on horse-back? In reply, you think it quite sufficient to say, "Riding will be more agreeable to me at the present time, than walking; it will better facilitate reflection, and make my excursion more pleasant." Why, then, I would say, for these very reasons, I prefer at present to smoke a pipe of tobacco, rather than to sit without one. Perhaps I might also add, "You are in circumstances to command the luxury of a horse to ride upon, and a servant to wait upon it, whereas I can do neither, if I were ever so desirous. Now, as I am not disposed to quarrel with you, because you avail yourself of these superfluous conveniences, pray don't frown upon me, for availing myself of the trivial luxury of a pipe." Now, sir, by all this, I wish to shew you how irrational it is to strain even a virtue to an extreme, and how proper to allow some latitude to a man's innocent tastes and partialities. J. I admire the ingeniousness, but greatly suspect the real integrity of your arguments. Under the apology you have set up for smoking, a variety of other amusements might shelter themselves. The card player, the admirers of the turf, the f 799 Dialogue on Smoking Tobacco. chase, and the theatre, might all think themselves entitle to plead their tastes and partialities, the necessity and utility of recreation, &c. as a sufficient justification of their attachment to these follies.-A. By no means. None of those amusements are entitled to the same apology as smoking. For they are all of them calculated to foster bad passions; they are adverse to serious reflection, and improving conversation, and the anxiety and hurry with which they are connected, unfit them for the purpose of recreation. Besides, on these, and many other amusements, public opinion has stamped an odium, and it regards them as incompatible with the christian character; none of which objections lie against smoking. J. But you have a wife, children, and servants. Now, if you consider smoking as so great a privilege, why do you not invite each and all of them to partake with you in the enjoyment?-A. I should object to my wife, children, and servants smoking, for three separate reasons; the obviousness of which vacates the necessity of repeating them.-J. Still no man can rationally hope to succeed in dissuading others from a practice which he himself follows. The lower branches of your family may believe themselves as much entitled to the gratification as yourself, being totally ignorant of the refined reasons by which you are induced to indulge in it; and as the mere love of the pleasure would probably be their only motive, they would naturally imagine it to be your only one also, and your character would thereby be impaired in their estimation. On this ground, therefore, I must object to its expediency, though I should concede its lawfulness. A parallel question to ours was, that of eating meats offered in sacrifice to idols, referred to by St. Paul, in his first epistle to the Corinthians. The apostle acknowledges that the action was completely indifferent in itself. "Howbeit," says he, "there is not in every man that knowledge for some, with conscience of the idol unto this hour, eat it as a thing offered unto an idol; and their conscience being weak is defiled." And he proceeds to say, "If any man see thee, which hast knowledge, sit at meat in the idol's temple, shall not the conscience of him which is weak be emboldened to eat those things which are offered to idols. And through thy knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Christ died? But when ye sin so against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, ye sin against Christ. Wherefore, if meat make my brother to : 800 offend, I will eat no flesh while the world standeth, lest I make my brother to offend," 1 Cr viii. 7-13. Now, so far as there exists an analogy between this case, and that of smoking tobacco, so far is my opposition to it sanctioned by the authority of scripture. Ministers of the gospel especially, and other public religious characters, whose conduct is often regarded, by the young and the ignorant, as the standard of rectitude, may do much mischief by their attachment to this foolish custom. A. I see by the clock it is time to break up our conversation.-J. I believe it is. But I beg to trepass a few moments longer on your patience, while I ask you two questions relative to our subject. The first is, If a person addicted to smoking should have strong and troublesome doubts upon his mind respecting the propriety of the practice, what ought he in that case to do?— A. If he cannot banish these doubts, he ought to relinquish the practice; for the existence of these doubts will make him wretched, and will make the practice itself sinful. "He that doubteth is condemned if he eat; for whatsoever is not of faith is sin."-J. I ask you farther, If a pious man discover, after repeated trials, that the use of tobacco hurts his soul, ought he not in that case to relinquish it?-4. By all means. For no temporal pleasure can compensate for the loss of the smallest measure of virtue, much less for the loss of the soul. "Therefore," says our Lord, "if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee, for it is better for thee to enter into life with one eye, rather than with two eyes to be cast into hell fire."-J. I thank you for your candid concession. Allow me to close the debate by quoting a few lines from Cowper's Progress of Error. "None sends his arrow to the mark in view, "With caution taste the sweet Circean cup, |