A Short History Of The Methodists... - Media Sabda Org

put into the harbour, and come to an anchor. He went on shore, and was soon found out by the young
converts and invited to preach: and after preaching among them a few times, and directing them
where they might find more of our preachers, he left them. Soon after some of them came up to
Boston and begged us to go down and preach among them. We consented to do so as soon as we
could conveniently.
When we went to Province Town to preach, we were gladly received by those who had lately
embraced religion; and a great many of the other people attended our ministry, and were highly
gratified with our manner of preaching. In a short time we formed a society; and from that time the
work began to increase much more than it had done before, and several souls were converted to God.
This society was formed in the beginning of the summer 1795. After the society began to increase
considerably, the brethren concluded to build themselves a meeting-house. The plan was laid, and
the timber procured at a distance, and brought to town by water, and then hauled together in order
to begin to frame the house. By this time persecution began to spread through the town, and many
things were said against the building. And on the 25th of August, 1795, in the night time, the mob
collected privately, and took the greater part of the timbers, and carrying it over a large hill into a
bottom, they cut it to pieces and built a large pen of it. Then getting a sailor's old hat, coat, and
trousers, and stuffing them so as to make them resemble a man, they fastened the image on the top
of the pen, and tarred and feathered it.
This conduct was the most violent opposition that we had met with in that part of New England.
But the brethren were not discouraged by this opposition. They laid their plan, and procured more
timber, and built themselves a comfortable meeting-house in the latter part of that same year; and
it was ready for use by the next January.
The first time that the Methodists preached in New Bedford was on the 30th day of January, 1795.
And it was a good many years afterwards, before we had a society formed in that place.
The first of our going on to Martha's Vineyard to preach, was on the 5th day of February, 1795.
Some of our preachers had preached on that Island before, having put in there as they were passing
and repassing from New York to Nova Scotia. But this was the first time that a Methodist preacher
ever went to the Island with express intention to preach to the inhabitants. Some time after we had
a preacher stationed there, a small society was raised, and things went on well for a season. But at
last there was an unfavorable change, and we gave up the Island, and have not sent them a preacher
since.
It was on the 6th day of April, 1797, that the Methodists preached the first sermon on the Island
of Nantucket. Some of the inhabitants had heard our preachers in other places, but they were never
visited on the Island until that time. At the first visit I staid on the Island eighteen days, and preached
sixteen sermons. Some of the people were very much awakened at that time, and many were very
desirous that some of our preachers should be sent among them.
In 1799, we took Nantucket on our minutes, and gave the people a stationed preacher; and have
continued to do so ever since. A society was formed, and a large meeting house was built. At present
they have a large congregation, and 166 members in society on the Island. The male inhabitants