TAKING NOTES OF A SERMON.

Evening Star, Issue 3256, 28 July 1873, Page 3

TAKING NOTES OF A SERMON.

One evening lately at Holy Trinity, Shaftesbury, the Rev. Mr Morrow was preaching against drunkenness, when a Mr Webb took notes of the sermon. The preacher exclaimed, “ Clerk, turn that man out of the church that is writing behind there; it’s against the law !” This startling interruption was followed by dead silence, lasting a few seconds, when the preacher, pointing to the floor of the church immediately in front of the pulpit, added, “ Or bring him up here.” Strange to say, two men —Gatehouse, the clerk, and Haskell, the sexton —hastened to obey this mandate of the clergyman, and, leaving their seats, advanced to Mr Webb, who bad not up to this point uttered a word. He now said quietly, all eyes being directed towards him, “Don’t lay your hands on me.” Gatehouse said, “ Come and sit in front then,” when Mr Webb replied, “ No, I will sit where 1 am.’ This extraordinary scene having lasted some minutes, the clerk and sexton standing up in front of Mr Webb, while he quietly kept his seat, Mr Morrow than exclaimed, “ Then I shall close the service,” and having uttered a rather long and significant he forthwith pronounced the benediction, and dismissed the congregation. The sermon thus brought to an untimely end, lasted, we are credibly informed, not more than five minutes, —John Bull.