p. 83 | Tobacco | AdventAI

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Aug 9, 1864

Tobacco.

THE old subject of preachers' using tobacco has been stirred again. A correspondent of the Chicago Advocate, detailing the proceedings of the Arkansas and Missouri Conference, says: 'The Committee on Temperance offered a very stringent resolution on the use of tobacco by ministers of the Gospel, which called out a spirited debate.' The Conference finally passed this resolution:

'Resolved, That hereafter we will require of all young men, who apply for admission into this Conference, a pledge to abstain from the use of tobacco, except when prescribed by a physician.

'In connection with this, Bishop Ames stated that this was a subject which had interested him for twenty years, and as the result of his observation, he had long been persuaded that the Church had suffered more than many are aware from this habit on the part of ministers. Many ministers, he said, would be glad now if they had never touched tobacco. In his opinion, a very large proportion of the funds which are collected for superannuated preachers, are paid to men who, by the excessive use of tobacco, have been mentally and physically disqualified for the itinerant work.'—Western Advocate.