Beaumont brought with him a protection from the
government, neither Morgan nor Priggins could prevent him from residing
in the parish as long as he conducted himself in an inoffensive manner.
As to Davis, since his induction into the Rectory, he had gradually
carnalized (to use one of his own favourite expressions); and, being
grown sleek and contented, he preferred reposing in his arm-chair to
storming in the pulpit, congratulating himself with having reformed the
church, which he effected by removing every ornament as superstitious,
stripping public worship of every decency, publicly burning the Common
Prayer books, and denying the sacraments to all who were not
Covenanters. Having done all this, he thought it time to rest from his
labours, and devoted his days to those gross indulgences of appetite
which are not unfrequently the solaces of men who consider the
enjoyments of mental taste as criminal, permitting his neglected flock
to be collected by Priggins, or any other hungry itinerant who was
training himself as a theological tyro, previous to his being settled in
an incumbency.
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