SMOKING IN CHURCH

Thames Star, Volume LII, Issue 13932, 10 July 1919, Page 3

SMOKING IN CHURCH

REVIVAL OF OLD CUSTOM ADVOCATED. :> Tho war bias softened the amtdparthy.' of maaiy ipeoplei-ix> the sanokin^ habiit; who previously reg'airded 'ib with soins- ! thing, ailum to horix>r. Buib the limiiit in '■ ■the way of concessions to .popular taste has ipreKumaibly been exceeded by 11 mieanibeais of ai London oowgre-' gfetion aissooiaitied with St.'.' James's Church, Bwrmondsey- Their 1 |«iropi6sa.l' ig ithat smokingl should be allowed in church. Tli© G'uggtestion will ha.ye shocked tho aiveiyagß .semse of ■ rever- , 'enoe,. yet. there was a'ttme in' Eng-1 Ifwsd whfiii smoking in. church was 1 quite a. coimitnon practico. i As fai* back as. 1615, prior to. a. 1 visit) prvid by Ja.mes I. to 'Cambi"idq;e Uniivcrsiity, the Vice-Oliancelloi- issued : a nodiice itio the sitiidenits enijo'lmiin^ that "Tnoe- gradumte. soliollo'r 1, or sltiudent of this Unrtversitie preismme' to take tobacco .in Saint Marie's Chitirche iTOtpoin pf.yne of fina.ll eflpTtlVv.tys the Uimversi'tß©'.- M Sir Wa.lfe»* SDr.tt., in, the -'Heart of Midlothia.n" rAifers to .an- iniipor'tainib ■•personage "who . smoked' dim.tii2 -tihoi 'whole of t.be sermram tabaeco- borrfiiwed from oithei woa-'shiippers. In 1861, a visl'tor to am Essex chufdh wiaig.shown, stowed away in vatriioiiisi nooks of itihlel gallery piipea i^imioked by the ciomgtrqgiaitcC'n diiiricef the services. In WftJe®, to«i>, a.s kti^ an 1850 the start o>f' the sen-wnoui \>>vr&k tohe sii'gnaj for 1 the lig'htinsr of the • ipipew of the male pfl.rt, of th© coai;•pregSLtflom. Other itiijnes other mannere, but congregaitnomg to-day are not likely to cCTncede^thmfc tobacco smiO'ke miigh* prove a reverent sfubßt'Aute for inoemiss, or aoceipt ait-as in any degree ao imcttutive Itb holiaese. ■ • ■ ■■■'•.■„■