The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-07-10
A NEW RELIGIOUS SECT.
THE DOCTRINES OF THE BOYLE.
TIES IN SOUTH CAROLINA.

The Regular Ministry Made Powerless
Among the Converts Bya Claim That
1t is an objectionable Sin for .AGiniss
ters to Receive Pay-Ths Old Testa-
ment Rejected.
COLUMBIA, S. c. July "A corresponds
ent of the Southern Christian Advocate
gives the following particulars Of "a new
rellgious community developing in the
eastern part of South Carolina:
1t may not be entirely uninteresting to
hear something of new sect that has
sprung up in Sumter and some Of the adj
joining counties. Some years ago a man
named Boyle who had been a Methodist
and who resided near Lynchburg, in Sumter
county, conceived tho idea Of founding
new sect. His followers were at first called
True Light Baptists," but they are COM
monty known as "Boyleites."
THE TERRITORY THEY COVER.
They have spread I'D both sides of I.vnch,s
river through Sumter, Darlington, Ker-
shaw and Chesterfield counties, and per-
maps farther, taking hold Of the lowest and
most ignorant classes. 1t is not large de-
nomination, and thanks to the intelligence
Oh our land never can be; but its followers
are very stubborn in their belief, so that ID
Is almost impossible TO reclaim one of them.
THEIR DOCTRINES.
The most prominent and popular doc
trlnes are that it is an unpardonable sin for
a preacher to receive pay for his work. and
this closes their ears to the efforts of the
regular ministry. They have no regular
ministers, but claim that every member of
thelr church is inspired by God to interpret
the scriptures, thus making every one of
both sexes minister Of the gospel. 1t is not
uncommon for women to preach among
them.
GODS ONLY TRUE FOLLOWERS.
Another favorite dogma is that they COM
stitute the only true followers Of God, aud
that all other denominations are heading
straight for the devil. They believe in i'm
mersion, of course. but with this distinction.
that 1t must be administered by one Of their
communion 70 be Of any avail. They reject
the Old Testament entirely and receive only
such portions of the New Testament as suiu
their purpose, rejecting any passages that
are opposed to their peculiar beliefs as un-
inspired.
SUNDAY IGNORED.
They claim that the observance of the
Sabbath was abrogated along with the
levltlcal law, and hence reject Sunday as a
day TO be observed in tho worship of God.
They perform ordinary work on Sunday,
VI eukdge III any Sports THAT they desire,
and have been seen dancing on that day.
They believe in the damnation of the
infants of unbelieving non-Boyleite)
parents who die in infancy. They believe
IN The social equality of the races. Just
what else they believe in, l am unable to
say. They flourish around Marshalps
church in east Kershaw circuit, and have
churches Of their own in some portions OF
Kershaw county.
THE IGNORANT THE CONVERTS
AS rule dense ignorance prevails where
they flourish. heard man say not long
since that he once taught school in a neigh
borhood where they now claim a majority
of the people as their adherents, and that
only two out Of sixty pupils in his school
knew their letters when they first came to
him. Generally they will not permit a
minister of the gospel to read the scriptures
or engage in prayer in their houses; and if
they concede that much to him, they laugh
and talk while he prays and pay no atten-
ton whatever to him.