This was neither true nor
courteous, and though I made no answer, it left an impression on my mind
by no means favorable to the wisdom and piety of those who, at that
time, were placed over me as my teachers and guides.
4. Though I met with such poor encouragement in my early efforts to
reform or check abuses among my brethren, I still persisted in my
course, even after I became a travelling preacher. It was the custom of
the richer members of society to have large parties, to which they
invited each other and the preachers and their families. At many of
these parties there was a good deal of drinking, and a serious waste of
money on many things that were not only useless but injurious. And each
family tried to outdo the rest in the costliness of their parties. I
regarded this custom as anti-Christian, and tried to get it changed for
something better. I thought the money wasted on drink and hurtful
luxuries would be better spent in doing good. In some cases I referred
to the words of Christ about making feasts, recorded in Luke xiv. 12-14;
but no one seemed to think Christ's rule to be binding on professing
Christians now. Even my brother ministers thought me needlessly
particular, and helped to render my efforts for reform both
unsuccessful, and productive of disagreeable results.
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