Kansas City daily journal., 1896-12-07
FIRST PRINTED RULES UNEARTHED
IN ST. LOUIS.
PUBLISHED BY THE WESLEYS.
FOUR PAGE CIRCULAR, YELLOW
WITH AGE.
Tells of the Beginnings of the so
ciety of People Called Method
i>ts"-LayS Down Rules for
the Use of Class
Leaders.

St Louis, Dec. 6.-An original copy OF
the first printed rules for the society Of
the people called MethodiSts'' was un-
eartked to-day in this city, and. a. It
was Published by John and Charles Wes-
ley. over their own signatures. in IlSS. ana
contains the first nucleus OF the literature
of the Methodist church, which now NUM-
bars over 5oco.0OO members IN the United
States worshiping in $500 religious ed
ltices of their own. it IS a most interest
irg document. not only to followers OF
that faith, but to students of religious his
tory.
The circular is OF four pages, and is fall
ing to pieces with age and handling. The
paper is yellow and the print unreadahle
in places from the stains of time The
first paragraphs are as follows:
In the latter end OF the year 17Ss eight
or ten persons came TO London. who sp-
peared TO be deeply convinced of sin and
earnestly groanIng for redemption. They
desired tds did two or three more the next
day) that I would spend some time with
them in prayer. and advise hem how to
flee from the wrath to come. which they
saw continually hanging over their heads.
great work, I appointed day when they
might all come together, which from
thenceforward they did every week, viz,
on Thursday in the evening. To these
and many as desired to jon with them.
for their number increased daily, 1 gave
those advices from time to time which
judged most needful to them, and we al
ways concluded our meetings with prayer
suitable their several necessities
This was the rise of the United Society.
First in London and then in other places.
Such a society is none other than com
pany of men having the form and seeking
the power of godliness; united in order TO
pray together, TO receive the word of eN-
kortatioR. and 10 watch over one another
in love, that they may help eas,h other 10
work out their salvation.
That it may be more easily diScerned
whether they are indeed working out their
own salvation, each society is divided into
smaller companies, called classes. accord
ing to their respective places of abode.
There are about twelve persons in every
class. one of whom is styled the Isadsr''
The rules for the use of tnese leaders are
then set forth. together with list Of the
occasions of temptation that beset man.
kind
Prominent among the latter is drunk
cnness buying or selling spirituous liquors,
or drinking them, unless in cases of ex-
treme necessity" and further on in its
quaint Verhiage the exhortation warns
members of the society against doing
v hat We know is not for the glory OF
God: as the putting on of gold or costly
APPAREL; the singing of those songs or
reading those books that do not tend to
the knowledge or love of God; softness and
needless self-indulgence; laying up treas
uTes on earth; borrowing without a proba-
bility of paying"
Although most of the pronouns in the
document are in the first person singular.
it is signed ]. and c. Wesley
The date is May 1, 1913, and at the bot
tom is the imprint: Printed by T. Cor
deauX, II City Road, London"
1t was just about this date that the $50
ciety of people called Methodists' obtained
possession of their first house of wor-
ship. 1t was an old cannon foundry, near
the present site of Finsbury square, in
London. and the Wesleys lived in an old
house at the rear. They conducted a sort
of a religious book store, also. in one OF
the rooms of the foundry The church
was always known as The Foundry" and
was never more pretentious than a bare
walled. comfortless room. with rough
wooden benches, upon which sat the con-
gregaticn in separate groups of men and
women.
The exact regularity of their lives"
says a Chronicler ''occaSioned "A young
gentleman of Christs Church college to
say: Here is a new set of Methodists
sprung up, alluding. ii is said, to some
ancient physicians who were so called
And in this manner the church was
founded and the immense organization OF
united worshipers which We have to-day
came to be called "Methodists''