Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1901-08-17
and Spoiled the Argument az
User % tho wend

Some years asSo, while kShua4rxs sst;
an evangelist IN Il country co1nInun-
, ltS near the city of A, ] spoke one
evening on the evil OF using tobacco.
/ While making calls among the poo
PIE the next day / visited one Of the
leading families OF the neighborhood.
expressed my pleasure at their
regularity in attending the meetings
and invited them 70 continue to
come. The man of the house re-
marked that he didn't Just know
about that, as he was offended at
my remarks about tobacco. / replied
that l would be very sorry indeed to
have him stop coming TO meeting.
lie said that he was satisfied that
tobacco was good thing, and he
could prove il 10 me, and added that
II l could successfully answer his
argument he would continue TO at
tend the meetings.
He had a large family of bows and
girls, and it being a stormy day, sew
eral of his neighbors had dropped in.
L thought, perhaps, conversation
with him on that subject might be
profitabie 10 them, so l consented to
try and meet his arguments. and
asked him TO proceed.
'Bo y6Ji 11eeil::teve teas.a5 God mads to-
bacco|' he asked. II certainly do 1
replied. Did He not say that all He
made was very good?" he continued.
II tobacco is good it IS not there
fore an evil thing and consequently
IT is not wrong for even Christians
to use it if they wanted to do So"
he said. with look of triumph.
answered; MY friend, your ar
glment is the best l ever heard in
favor of mankind using tobacco. In
fact, do not believe there is a better
one. But IL is my turn now TO ask
questions. You will kindly answer
mine as frankly as I did yours" To
this he readily consented. "Verv
well" said L, did God make wolves PSI
He did" he replied. And did He
not pronounce them with the rest of
creation, goodY' -He certainly did"
he answered Have you flock of
sheep| 1 asked. Il have" he re-
sponded well, sir, seeing that
wolves are good they must be rood
for all purposes Tell me why you
do not get one and use him as n
sheep dogY why. he would kill NV
sheep" he exclaimed. "Oh! 1 see
then that according to the nature of
the animal it is not good for IL TO act
as sheep dog. Now, sir, tell me.
do YOU think God made snakes ?" ct
believe He did" he replied. "And
they are, therefore, good?" I asked
They must be il God made them. y
ne answered. Il see you wear a
necktie- Tell me why you do not get
one OF those pretty. little streaked
snakes and make a necktie out of
ftp"
The boys laughed and the girls
shuddered, while the man, seeing the
weakness of his argument bhshed
and saidi 1T would not do to use
snakes in that way"
so then, my friend while It Is
true that God made wolves and
snakes and pronounced them good.
He did not mean that they were
good for all purposes" Il expect
you are right" answered the con-
fused man. Now, sir, while it Is a
fact that God made tobacco and saw
~ was good. do you not see that He
did not intend it for all purposes.
and that it is good only in the place
God intended it to act as a GOOD
thing. l know of few things in
which 1t seems to manifest its viz
tues. Mountain goats and ugly green
worms feed on it. 1t Is certainly
good for them 1t Is also used for
dyeing purposes and killing lice on
animals; but because It is good for
these things is no reason to suppose
1t rs good to be used in manner by
men that makes them filthy, and fire.
quently renders others uncomfort-
able. 1t is just as much out of place
IN human mouth as a wolf is out
OF place as a sheep dog or a snake
used as necktie."
After few words of prayer I bade
them cheerful good morning and
passed on my way. He came to the
remainder of the meetings.-Earnest
Christian.