HISTORY OF THE FREE METHODIST CHURCH the official meeting, and in another, with preaching in a remote neighborhood when forbidden to do so by his pastor. There appears to have been an effort on Mr. Chapin's part to cut the people of that neighborhood off from preaching services as a punishment for their contumacy. But Mr. Bacon refused to be a party to this work of proscription, greatly to the chagrin of his pastor. The following exciting episode in connection with one of the trials is thus described: During the trial of Dewey Tefft, Mr. Chapin was so arrogant and overbearing that the manhood of one who came to the trial as one of his adherents revolted. Rising to his feet greatly excited, in thundering tones, Mr. Scott demanded, addressing Mr. Chapin: "Who are you?" "The grandson of Ethan Allen," replied Chapin, rising to his feet. "How mightily the race has degenerated," replied Scott. "You may be a smart man, but you are not smart enough to be judge, jury, prosecutor, and all, in one case. Now take your proper place and keep it. I want to see fair play." For a time the wildest excitement prevailed.
Like all the other cases we have considered, and which were very clearly predetermined, these trials resulted in the expulsion of all the accused persons from the Church. In pronouncing sentence, however, the preacher in charge took special care to state that they were not expelled for any breach of the rules of morality and religion, but for "a violation of our rules." The action of the Brockport Conference thus began to bear fruit in the extermination of so-called "Nazarites" and "Nazaritism'' from the Methodist Episcopal Church in Western New York. But the end was not yet. Similar work of expulsion was vigorously prosecuted at Asbury Church, near LeRoy, by the Rev. S. M. Hopkins. Cyrus Sperry, Martin Seekins, Hiram Husted, and Sylvester Near-all reliable laymen and noble Christians, were expelled as a result of the most farcical trials. Mr. [258]