The Cannock Chase Examiner. — 1877-05-11 (Cannock, Staffordshire, England)

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, i.f.nd there was a good audience.  The Rev. W. W. Chettle said the snbject of Temperance was such a wide one, that hescarcely 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 he was thankful : to God that ever he became qn abstainer; and especially as a minister was he ihankful. Abstinence in its physical aspect had great advantages. It was absurd to suppose that any constitution could not do without drink, and he 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 testimonyof an octogenarian physician named Higgin- ; bottom, of Nottingham, in which he said he had not proscribed 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 hies- ' sings 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 proud* 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 blighting influences of this evil. Among the Wesleyans in .A.merica they would not have a young minister on their plane 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 thili, but the Baptists and the Independents al*, and he thanked God that the Church of England was awaking to a sense of he duty, and many of her ministers are now not ashamed to stand up in their pulpits and preach the doctrine pi, Arid sobrkity. Belusly _considered they , tiecr a //mat fleitil to thmpemlee. -They had Bands of Hope at many of their places of worship, .11114 be hoped soon to have one at his church at Bradley—(applause). In conclusion he thanked God ho had been 'permitted to speak to them that evening, anti he hoped be had been the means of strengthening some Of them in the principles of temperance; If he had be should be amply re, , warded—(applatise). Votes of thanks, concluded the proceedings.  WONDERVEL DISCOVERY In