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

pretty generally follow the sea for a living; and many of them are engaged in the whale fishery; and
of course they have not so good an opportunity of being religious as many other people.
Having taken a short view of the spread of our societies, and the progress of religion among us
in Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts states, we will in the next place take a view of the
difficulties and divisions that took place among our societies in the south.
I have already observed, that at the general conference held in the latter part of the year 1792, Mr.
O'Kelly, and several other preachers with him, left the conference and returned to Virginia. One of
them, however, came to the Manchester conference, and agreed to take his circuit as usual. Another
shortly after met the bishop, and agreed to take his circuit also. We soon found that there would be
but few of the traveling preachers that would leave us to follow the disaffected party. Rice Haggard
was the only traveling preacher that went off with O'Kelly, and continued to travel. Some of the local
preachers became warmly attached to the old man, and fell in with him, and with his plan. They then
held conference after conference, and other meetings, in order to make arrangements and consult
measures for establishing some plan that might insure them success in their undertakings; and to
establish themselves on a better plan, (as they expressed it) than that adopted by the Methodists.
They formed many rules for governing the church; but when they were compared with our
regulations, they were found to be defective. At last they renounced all rules of church government,
and took, (as they said) the New Testament for their rule and government. They then agreed that all
the rules and plans which they had formed at their conference, should not be binding, but merely
advisory.
At that time there were great struggles and contentions about politics. In Virginia republican
principles prevailed, and it was considered advantageous to a man to be a republican. The divisive
party, with O'Kelly at the head, therefore called themselves Republican Methodists.
In the latter part of this year (1793) they began to form some societies, and to establish them on
a kind of a leveling plan. All were to be on an equal footing. One preacher was not to be above
another; nor higher in office or in power, than the other preacher. No superiority, or subordination,
was to be known among them. They promised to the lay members of the church, greater liberties than
they had formerly enjoyed among us. And prevailed with a good many of our people to leave us and
join with them. In some places they took off from us whole societies together, and in many places
they drew off a part. Others they threw into confusion; and in some places they scattered the flock
and separated the people one from the other, without securing them to their own party. They took
a few meeting-houses from us, and preached in them themselves. And some houses we left and
would not preach in them, in order to avoid contentions.
The disaffected party then began to pour out a flood of abuse against us, to ridicule us, and to say
all manner of evil against us; and with all, they took unjustifiable steps in order to set our members
against the preachers. The bishop was more despised by them, than any other man. The name of
bishop they abhorred. They acknowledged that the word Bishop, and the word Elder in the scriptures
meant the same thing; yet they shewed great indignation against the word bishop, and were well
pleased with the word elder. In this case they shewed their weakness, or their wickedness, in
condemning a word, which in substance they approved of.