Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1896-12-18
THE METHODIST CHURCH.
AN ORIGINAL. COPY OF THE FIRST
PRINTED RULES OF THE
CHURCH.

and as it was published by John
and Charles Wesley over their
own signatures, in 1913, and
contains the first neucius of the
literature Of the Methodist
Church, which now numbers
over 100000 members in the
United States, worshipping in
$4,000 religious edihces of their
own, it is most interesting doc
ument, not only to followers OF
that faith, bnt to students of re-
1igious history.
The circular is of tour pages,
and is falling to pieces with age
and handling. The paper is
yellow and the print unreliable
i'll places from the stains of time.
The first paragraphs are as fol-
lows:
"In the latter end of the year
1889 eight or ten persons came
to London, who appeared to be
deeply convinced of sin, and
earnestly grooming for redemp-
ton. They desired (as did two
or three more the next day that
I would spend some time with
them in prayer, and advise them
how to flee from the wrath to
come, which they saw continu-
ally hanging over their heads.
That we might have more time
for this great work, I appointed
a day when they might all come
together, which from thencefor~
ward they did every week, viz:
On Thursday in the evening. To
these, and as many as desired to
ioin with themfor their number
increased daily I gave those
advices from time to time which
I judged most needful for them,
and always concluded our meet
ing with prayer suitable to their
several necessities.
"Second-This was the rise of
the United Society. First in
London and then in other places.
Such a society is none other than
a company of men having the
form and seeking the power of
Godliness; united in order to
pray together, to receive the
word of exhortation, and to
watch over one another in love,
that they may help each other to
work out their salvation"
"Third-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, according to their
respective places of their abode.
There are about twelve persons
in every class, one of whom is
styled the leader
The rules for the use of these
leaders are then set forth, togeth-
er with list of the occasions of
temptation that beset mankind.
Prominent among the latter is
drunkenness; buying or selling
spurious liquors, or drinking
them, unless in cases of extreme
necessity" and further on its
quaint verbiage the exhortant
warns the members Of the So
ciety against "doing what we
know is not for the glory of
God; as the putting on of gold
or costly apparel; the singing
that do not tend to the knowl>
edge or love of God; softness and
needless self-indulgence; laying
up treasures on earth; borrowing
withouta probability of paying
Although most of the pronouns
III the document are in the first
person singular it is signed J.
and c.. Wesley, the date is May
Ist, I743, and. at the bottom is
the imprint: "Printed by Corr
deaux, ID City Road, London.
1t was just about this date
that the "Soc-ety of People
Called Methodists' obtained pos
session of their first house of
worship. 1t was an old cannon
foundry, near the present site Of
Finsbury Square in London, and
the Wesiey's lived in an old
house at the rear. They con-
Quoted a sort of a religious book
store also in one Of the rooms of
the foundry. The church was
always known as "the Foundry 81