The Shropshire Examiner and all round the Wrekin advertiser. — 1877-05-11 (Wenlock, Shropshire, England)

THE REV. W. W. CHETTLE ON TOTAL  ABSTINENCE. On Tuesday evening last, the Rev. W. W. Chettle, vicar of St. Martin's, Bradley, delivered an address in the Darkhouse Schoolroom, on "Total Abstinence, considered in its physical, moral, and religious aspects." The Rev. B. C. Young occupied the chair, and there was a good audience.  The Rev. W. W. Chettle said the subject of Temperance was such a wide one, that he scarcely knew where to begin. When they considered the great benefits of totalabstinence in all its aspects —physically, morally, and religiously, it behoved them all to become abstainers. He was not there to speak about that of which he had no experience. He had had an experience of 29 years—(applause). He had therefore tried it well, and be was thankful to God that ever he became an abstainer: and especially as a minister was he thankful. Abstinence in its physical aspect had great advantages. It was absurd to suppose that any constitution could not do without drink, and be ridiculed the notion that if people became teetotallers they would not be able to live. Physically considered everyone would be far better without it, and the testimonies of their most eminent physicians and surgeons afforded conclusive evidence on this point. Teetotallers had been accused of being great eaters, but then they would never get drunk on eating—(laughter). He (the speaker) had a friend who was a doctor in a very good practice who said he should not have much to do if it was not for the drink, and he read the testimony of an octogenarian physician named Higginbottom, of Nottingham, in which he said he had not preseribed intoxicants for more than 40 years and had banished them from his house as "thieves and murderers." Total abstinence physically considered was one of the greatest blessings under, the sun. It was of the greatest importance that ministers of religion and members of the Christian Churches should go with them on that question. England owed a great deal to tetotallers; and that next to religion total abstinence was one of the greatest blessings in the world. In its moral aspect total abstinence had a deep interest for every one. It would harrow up their feelings if he could portray all the sights they as ministers saw in the drunkard's homes as such times as the present. Drink they found broke the bonds of love between parents and children. Let them look at their asylums and prisons, most of whose inmates would not be there but for the drink. He believed there never was a time when it was more necessary to instil the principles of temperance into the minds of the people than now. Look at the havoc that intemperance made in the Church of Christ! How many bright promises of hope are blasted; how many who had commenced very fairly in the work of God has this terrible evil laid hold upon? In some cases it has fetched the minister from the pulpit as well as the hearer from the pew. No wonder ministers are deploring more and more the blightino. influences of this evil. Among the Wesleyans in America they would not have a young minister on their plans unless he was a teetotaller, and in England the old Wesleyan body are awaking to the importance of this question. Not only were members of the Wesleyan community doing this, but the Baptists and the Independents also, and he thanked God that the Church of England was awaking to a sense of her duty, and many of her ministers are now not ashamed to stand up in their pulpits and preach the doctrine of strict sobriety. Religiously considered they owed a great deal to temperance. They had Bands of Hope at many of their places of worship, and he hoped soon to have one at his church at Bradlq—(applause). In conclusion he thanked God he had been permitted to speak to them that evening, and he hoped he had been the means of strengthening some of them in the principles of temperance. If he had he should he amply rewarded—(applause). Votes of thanks, concluded the proceedings.