John Wesley had visited Savannah, and travelled through the different
settlements then in embryo, teaching the tenets and introducing the
simple worship of the church of his founding, after a method
established by himself, and which gave name and form to the sect, now,
and almost from its incipiency known as Methodist. This organization
and the tenets of its faith were admirably suited to a rude people, and
none perhaps could have been more efficient in forming and improving
such morals. Unpretending, simple in form, devoid of show or ceremony,
it appealed directly to the purer emotions of our nature, and through
the natural devotion of the heart lifted the mind to the contemplation
and inspired the soul with the love of God. Its doctrines, based upon
the purest morality, easily comprehensible, and promising salvation to
all who would believe, inspiring an enthusiasm for a pure life, were
natural, and naturally soon became wide-spread, and as the writer
believes, has done more in breaking away the shackles of ignorance and
debasing superstition from the mind, than any other system of worship
or doctrine of faith taught by man; and to this, in a great degree, is
due the freedom of thought, independence of feeling and action,
chivalrous bearing, and high honor of the Southern people.
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