Show nn Smoking in Churches Excites London Clergy gy By Forbes IF 11 Fairbairn Ser tn h I London June 7 i. Should Should smoking I liS' liS be permitted In church Would smoking mok- mok ln In ing flows lows or a gallery add to the popularity of oC the Church of ln England service These novel cl questions aro Ire asked In nil all seriousness by 11 many Church of oC England clergymen who ho hoc lin c viewed 11 with alarm tho the Increasing number of or empty pews paws during the Sunday e evening services Many Ian ministers min ar ara ally In favor or a of In Introducing introducing In- In Lady Nicotine Into their churches and co nb absolutely no harm m harmIn hamIn In tho the use of uC the thC weed while the tho they aro arc endeavoring to st Inton-st their congregations congregations In scriptural texts One clergyman n the Rov Ilov G. G Il H R. R Hal Bal vicar fear of St. St a. a James church Bermondsey Bor- Bor lr- lr mon scy a t Ix London suburb ha has CV e MI gone ns s far as to lake take a straw ballot ballot ballot bal bal- lot among amon the male members of oC his congregation on tho subject lie Ho was nag 9 ono one of those who noticed 1 tho the decreasing ing hig popularity of the evening services sen services ices and asked alke 1 his parishioners Cor r suggestions to make malee them more at at- at t- t Elf Eleven Elfen en men declared In InCUr favor Ur of reserving part of oC the church either cither the gallery or tho back pews Jows for smokers ors I Theoretically I am nm quite in C favor Cor or orI or of I f smoking in church said sallI the Rev nO I Mr Balleine Not lot during the first part of uC the limo sore service ser Ice of oC course courne tt St it is Incongruous to pray with a a. In ones one's mouth but mouth but it might be permitted pe during the sermon l I 1 suppose lIppO C I 1 lun am m somewhat us il to tn the tho th Idea of oC smoking In church as 9 at SL St Hellers In the Island of or Jersey there thoro Li Is I a pew for Cor Inthe in inthe n the parish church And that IW w I T ed ed was always filled with men lien Interested tnt rt tell In what tin tho preacher Is 1151 talking about A pipe 1110 in ones one's mouth seems to have hl the power of I making ln ono a asgood good listener I can cnn see no harm harmin in it and do not think I would object If such an innovation was Avas made Tho suggestion however Is ia not eo so revolutionary rc as It may seem Sir EJr h Walter Waltor Scott records how farmers s rs in inthe the tho country districts of Scotland lId were accustomed to lo light up as soon SOlin as time the minister announced l the time text Time The Idea would uhl have e horrified M. M Andre twelve twel years ears ago IlSO published ll a n. work entitled Ought a L Christian Smoke moke ant answering cring the most emphatically in the negative ner Ho lie admitted that smoking Is la not expressly forbidden in the hOI holy writ But nut neither is absinthe drinking or card playing which practices are aro ad admittedly ad- ad sinful With sorrow be hI it confessed two lenders leaders of Christianity Vinct an and Spurgeon Indulged erl in Iu to to- to bacco but the latter repented ere It was too late I have hate the tho ver very best authority I for asserting that Spurgeon on his deathbed expressed deep contrition contrition con con- for tor having ing smoked durIn during ns his life liCe because his doing so had hall I many Christians to follow follo his example But If Ie gentlemen are allowed to puff their seductive pipes nu and cigars in church how about the the- women Wont Won't ont the they demand equal rights Wont Won't thc they demand seats scats In ht Inthe Inthe the smokers smoker's pew where tho they also can enjoy a n during time the sermon sermon These questions have o been asked but so far Car no authoritative c answer hl has been Leen forthcoming from Crom tho the pulpit Smoking L by both sexes is now the accepted ac aC- opted copied custom In the greater r lter number of London's th theatres t tearooms A and nd restaurants rc anti and one cannot help wondel won del dor If in the natural course e of ot things the English family faintly |