Carolina, and consisted of
seceders from the Methodists. At first, there were about one thousand
communicants.

The northern branch of this denomination sprung up in New England. It
commenced by the formation of several new churches, under the
administration of a few ministers who had separated themselves from the
Baptists, who were soon joined by several other ministers, and nearly
whole churches, from the same denomination.

The western branch arose in Kentucky, and was composed of seceders from
the Presbyterians. Some of their ministers were men of strong and
well-cultivated minds, who urged forward the reform they had undertaken,
till they have spread over most of the Western States.

In all these different sections, their leading purpose, at first, appears
to have been, not so much to establish any peculiar or distinctive
doctrine, as to assert for individuals and churches more liberty and
independence in relation to matters of faith and practice; to shake off
the authority of human creeds, and the shackles of prescribed modes and
forms; to make the Bible their only guide, claiming for every man the
right to judge for himself what is its doctrine, and what are its
requirements; and in practice to follow more strictly the simplicity of
the apostles and primitive Christians.

This class of believers recognize no individual as a leader or founder,
and no man claims this high eminence, although several persons were
instrumental in giving rise and progress to the society. They point all to
Christ as the Leader and Founder, and professedly labor to bring all to
the first principles of original, apostolic Christianity.

Seceding, as the first ministers did, from different denominations, they
necessarily brought with them some of the peculiarities of faith and usage
in which they had been educated. But the two prominent sentiments that led
them out, both kept them together, by rendering them tolerant toward each
other, and gradually brought them to be very similar both in faith and
practice. These two sentiments were, that the Scriptures _only_ should be
consulted as a rule of faith and duty, and that all Christians should
enjoy universal toleration. Hence scarcely any churches have written
creeds, although nearly all record their principles of action. Very few
are Trinitarians, though nearly all believe in the preexistence and proper
Sonship of Christ. Perhaps not any believe in or practise sprinkling, but
almost al