Waterbury evening Democrat., 1889-07-11
A NEW RELIGIOUS SECT.

man. There is something wrong.
 A NEW RELIGIOUS SECT.
 The newest religious community to at tract public attention is that which has de- veloped in the eastern part of South Caro lima and of which particulars are furnished by e correspondent of the Southern Chris tian Advocate.
 According to the facts as given by this correspondent, some years ago man by the name of Boyle, who had been d Metho- dist, and who resided near Lynchburg in Sumter county, conceived the idea of founding new sect. His followers were st first called "True Light Baptists," but they are commonly known as "Boyleites." :" They have spread up both sides of Lynch's river, through Sumter, Darling ton, Kershaw and Chesterfield counties, and perhaps farther, taking hold of the lowest and most ignorant classes. Their most prominent and popular doctrine is that it is an unpardonabls sin for a preacher to receive pay for his work. They claim that every member of their church is inspired of God to interpret the | scriptures, thus making every one of both sexes ministers of the gospel. AnotLer favorite dogma is that they COIL l stitute the only true followers of God and | that all other denominations are heading | straight for the devil. They believe in inn mersion of course, but with this dis tinction, that it must be administered by one of tbeir communion to be of any avail. They eejsct the Old Testament entirely, and receive only such portions of the New Testament as suit their purpose, rejecting any pas sages that are opposed to their peculiar beliefs as uninspired. They claim that the observance of the Sabbath was abrogated along with the Levitical law, and hence reject Sunday as Q day to be observed in t heworship of God. They perform ordi nary work on Sunday, or engage in any sports that they desire, and have beer seen fddling and dancing on that day. They believe in the damnation of the in fants of unbelieving non-Boyleite parent- who die in infancy, and in the social equal ity of the races. They flourish around | circuit and have churches of their own ir some portions of Kershaw county. Ae 8 rule, where dense ignorance prevails they 1 flourish.
 l We haven't much idea that the new sect will grow very rapidly or find it's way into many new communities. The most prom, inent doctrine of the sect is likely to form the most insuperable barrier to it's prog | ress. Preachers in the age take little in forest in any work for which it is re- garded an unpardonable sin to collect pay and we do not suspect that the Boyleites will be any more fortunate than other sects in discovering pulpit pounders and mis sionaries who are wholly unselfish. Hu- man nature isn't built that way. As every Boyleite is regarded as inspired of God tc interpret the scriptures there is likely to be among those who spread the light a consensus of opinion as to the meaning o1 the text that the laborer is worthy of hif hire. And as the members of the sect re- ceive only such portions of the scripture, as suit their purpose, it is quite likely that before long every mothers son of them will have doctrine of his own and the whole scot will be running on sort of go Lt you please gospel plan. It may even be that some of them will tie up to creed
 that may bring them in disagreement witt
 the human law, and then they will bt
 called on to stop short in their seotaria1 notions.
 %We don't think the Boyleites will evel cut very serious figure in the religion,
 world, not even if they should secure fo,
 8 priestess the yelled prophecies of Oak
 vile who finds desnltory occupation if
 inditing rambling and incoherent day o judgment postal cards to the edito, of tn, IDEMocRAr.