I remember once, while yet a local
preacher, going round with Mr. Etchells, a new minister in my native
town, on his first pastoral visits, to show him where the principal
members of the church lived. He was invited to drink at every house, and
never failed to comply with the invitations. I saw him drink sixteen
glasses of beer, wine and spirits, on that one round, occupying only two
or three hours. This same minister prosecuted Mr. Farrar, his
superintendent, for drunkenness, and got him suspended. Whether his
superintendent drank more than he or not, I do not know, but he did not
keep up appearances so well. He showed himself drunk in the pulpit,--so
drunk, on one or two occasions, that he was unable to speak plainly, or
even to stand steadily. He also fell down in the streets sometimes, and
had to be carried home. His colleague did not commit himself in such
ways, though he drank enough at times in one day to make half a dozen
sober people drunk.
The leading member in the Methodist church, Richard Wilson, opened the
first wine and spirit store at Bramley, and corrupted the whole country
round with his wares, doing far more for the devil and sin than the
preachers could do for God and holiness. Yet no one seemed to think
there was anything dishonorable or diabolical in the business.
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