And why take ye thought for raiment?  Consider the lilies of the field; how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin; And yet I say unto you, that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.  Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?

Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone?  Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent?  If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?

15.  Make five original syllogisms[26] on the following models: 

    MAJOR PREMISE:  He who administers arsenic gives poison. 
    MINOR PREMISE:  The prisoner administered arsenic to the victim. 
    CONCLUSION:  Therefore the prisoner is a poisoner.

    MAJOR PREMISE:  All dogs are quadrupeds. 
    MINOR PREMISE:  This animal is a biped. 
    CONCLUSION:  Therefore this animal is not a dog.

16.  Prepare either the positive or the negative side of the following question for debate:  The recall of judges should be adopted as a national principle.

17.  Is this question debatable? Benedict Arnold was a gentleman. Give reasons for your answer.

18.  Criticise any street or dinner-table argument you have heard recently.

19.  Test the reasoning of any of the speeches given in this volume.

20.  Make a short speech arguing in favor of instruction in public speaking in the public evening schools.

21. (a) Clip a newspaper editorial in which the reasoning is weak. (b) Criticise it. (c) Correct it.

22.  Make a list of three subjects for debate, selected from the monthly magazines.

23.  Do the same from the newspapers.

24.  Choosing your own question and side, prepare a brief suitable for a ten-minute debating argument.  The following models of briefs may help you: 

DEBATE

RESOLVED:  That armed intervention is not justifiable on the part of any nation to collect, on behalf of private individuals, financial claims against any American nation.[27]

BRIEF OF AFFIRMATIVE ARGUMENT

        First speaker—­Chafee

Armed intervention for collection of private claims from any American nation is not justifiable, for

  1. It is wrong in principle, because

(a) It violates the fundamental principles of international law for a very slight cause

    (b) It is contrary to the proper function of the State, and

    (c) It is contrary to justice, since claims are exaggerated.