THE ORIGIN AND RISE OF METHODISM; THE NATIONAL CHURCH OF ENGLAND: THE MISSION OF JOHN WESLEY AND HIS FOLLOWERS; THE WESLEYAN METHODIST; THE METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH, IN THE UNITED STATES, AFTER THE WAR OF INDEPENDENCE; A SPLIT IN 1830; THE METHODIST PROTESTANT CHURCH OR REFORMERS; THE CHURCH QUARREL, ITS AIDERS

Methodist, the name originally given, about the year, 1729, to the brothers Wesley, and several other young men of a serious turn of mind who used to assembly together of particular nights of the week chiefly for religious conversation. The term selected, it is believed, in allusion to the exact methodical manner in which they performed the various engagements which a sense of Christian duty induced them to undertake, such as studying the scripture, visiting the poor, and prisoners in Oxford jail at regular intervals. Subsequently it came to be applied to the followers of Wesley and his coadjutors when these had acquired the magnitude of a new sect; yet the founder himself wished the very name never to be mentioned more, but it finally come to be accepted by most of the denominations who trace their origin to the religious movement commenced by John Wesley.

The methods of Wesley and his followers in their Christian effort to evangelize the neglected masses of England, met with remarkable success both at home and in her American colonies. Wesley nor his followers desired to consider themselves a "sect" but was warmly attached to the old National Church. The agitations preceding the war of Independence which soon afterward broke out, interrupted the labor of the Wesleyan Methodist preachers who had come to this country, all of which, with the exception of Asbury returned home before the close of 1777; but their places were filled by natives, so they continued to prosper and at the end of the Revolutionary struggle they numbered forty three preachers and 13,740 members. Up to this time the American Wesleyan Methodist had laid no claim to being a distinct religious organization. Like Wesley himself, they regarded themselves as members of the English Episcopal church. But the recognition of the United States as an independent country, the difference of feelings and interests that necessarily sprang up between the congregations at home and those in America rendered the formation of an independent society inevitable. Wesley became conscious of this, and met the emergency in a manner as bold as unexpected. He himself was only a presbyter of the Church of England but having persuaded himself that in the primitive church a presbyter and a bishop were one and the same, and he presumed the office of a bishop and ordained Rev. Thomas Coke bishop and he came over and was recognized as such in the Baltimore Conference December 25th, 1784, and Coke in turn ordained Asbury bishop. Wesley also granted the preachers permission to organize a separate and independent Episcopal Church, under the Episcopal form of government; hence arose the Methodist Episcopal Church in the United States of America.

The membership of this church became very numerous in the United States as every one in this country now knows. But fate had decreeed that this church should not be freer from dissensions and splitting issues than many other sects. Wesley having established this church under the Episcopal form of government, there were a few that were dissatisfied with this Episcopacy for anything about this time tinged with English sentiment was repugnant to many of the people of the United States even in matters pertaining to religion.

This feeling grew stronger and stronger, until, in 1830, a secession took place, and a new ecclesiastical organization was formed, called the Methodist Protestant Church. The ministers who withdrew or seceded from the M. E. church to establish this new one, from what I have been told and seen of them, were a very intelligent class of preachers. They called themselves Reformers. Soon there were several churches of this denomination established in Princess Anne and Norfolk counties, with a membership composed of some of the best families of their respective sections: Burroughs, Hunter, Wright, James, Woodhouse, Berryman and many others.

There were two preachers in the Berryman family, father and son, John and Edward. They lived in Bear Quarter in Norfolk County. John J. Burrough, who, a long time was Clerk of Princess Anne County Court, was a member of this new church and had a son (Edgar) who was a preacher in the same.

The membership of this reform movement were very enthusiastic in its democratic doctrine and whenever they saw a chance to plant a church they did so. These people had heard of dissension on the Island and being encouraged by some of its people on they came with their preachers. This church at this time about 1840, being in its infancy, had, perhaps more preachers than churches.

The ministers preach in the woods, a place prepared for them. The first time the doors of the church was opened for membership, it booked forty members and these were mostly, if not all, from the membership of the M. E. Church, then arose another tumult, second only to that of the roads.

The people who came from Virginia with their preachers were mostly wealthy people, or appeared so to be, and they said to this membership: "We will furnish the money to build a church if you members will erect it." This was readily aceded to and it was not long before there was a church dedicated to the Methodist Protestants on Knotts Island. While preaching in the woods at this first meeting there were at least five preachers, McGwiggan, the two Berrymans, Tom Jennings and a small-built, red-headed young man by the name of Jones. In those days loud preaching and great gesticulations in the pulpit, austerely presenting Hell with all its horrors, and Heaven with all its glory were the order-of the day; indeed, the ability to preach well was somewhat measured by such demonstrations but the most of these preachers mentioned were mild and persuasive, except this red-headed young man Jones; and as to him, he could be heard one and half miles away. Mr. David Jones who lived at the southend of the Island, while sitting in his yard one calm night heard this man Jones preaching, that is to say, he heard the noise, a mile and a half away on a straight line.

This church was erected near the writer's home, and his Uncle Cabe Ansell, living near by, generally entertained its preachers; thus he had a chance to hear a good deal about their church government from them. It was said by the knowing Reformers of Princess Anne, who appeared to be well acquainted with this secession, that the cream of the Methodist preachers had seceded; as to that I cannot say, but those that came on the Island were educated, very intelligent and bright; besides preaching well could unravel in detail any and all matters pertaining to Church history from the far past to the present. Large congregations poured out to hear them preach, the Methodists as well as others.

These preachers, at first especially, would explain the difference between the old side and new side Methodist with energy unparalleled. In soliciting members, they would give the reasons why, the democracy of the new side Methodist should take solid hold of the minds of the masses of the free people of these United States in America. They would expound in a descriptive way the difference between the two respective churches in substance thus: Did not our colonies rebel against old England on account of being taxed without being represented in Parliament? Don't you recollect the great noise about the Stamp Act? Don't you know the Episcopal Church is the Church of England, supported by the government, and that we had a tax laid on us to help to pay for that church? Is not that church of England a child of the Roman Catholic church? Don't you know the great John Wesley saw the many wrongs in his church (Episcopalian) which had the taint of Popery? Didn't he create a reformation that culminated in a church in the United States named by him The Methodist Episcopal Church? While this was a great reform, did it not hang on to many principles of the Episcopal church as the Episcopalians did to the Roman Catholicism? The Methodist Episcopal has its bishops, its elders, its preachers; and are not these officials the governing power of that church today, and are not they laymen of that church compelled to do their bidding without a voice in conducting the affairs of the church other than to gingle their pockets, and hold still tongues.

Now on account of this English-like government, we have split off from that church and formed one without any Eposcopacy; one, my friends, based on democratic principles like the government of the United States which was obtained by suffering, bleeding, dying in the Revolution; while the government of the Methodist Episcopal church is precisely analogous to that of Great Britain.

Our church, you can see, has a president like the United States; and each member, equally with the preacher, has a vote in all things that pertain to the welfare of the church; besides each church elects delegates to go to our conference, who can select, their preacher for the coming year; and the president, as he is bound to do, sends to that circuit the one selected, unless another circuit should want the same preacher, in which case, the president hears the claims of each and decides the matter by "a casting" vote.

Now the War of the Revolution had not completely died out; the war of 1812 was still fresher, and anything English was still thoroughly repugnant. Therefore, these argumentatives discourses found reasonable lodgment in the minds of the people who came to hear them; especially so, with the reform members, those of the Baptist persuasion, and scores of outsiders. Though there had never been a Baptist Church erected on the the Island, yet there was quite a number of families of that belief as good and influential as any of the Island.

So the Reformers, with influence of the Baptist element and a fair sprinkling of outsiders, joined in aiding the church dissension on the Island, and the war was on!

There is no doubt but that many encouraged this secession as a diversion in order to change and mitigate the previous excitement in the road squabble, which had not as yet totally died out; and others did so for the mere fun of it. But as it turned out afterward it was not all fun, nor was it altogether successful in mitigating the road broil as we shall presently see.

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