Fly Sheets
Until 1847 he continued in harmony with the Wesleyan Methodists, but at that date he was accused of having, in conjunction with James Everett and the Rev. William Griffith, Jun., taken part in the publication of the 'Fly Sheets.
The pamphlets so called advocated reforms in the Wesleyan governing body, reflected on the proceedings of the conference and its committees in unmeasured terms, and complained of the personal ambition of Jabez Bunting and Robert Newton, two of the past presidents of the association. What part the three ministers had taken, if any, in the Fly Sheets has never been discovered, as on being questioned with others on the matter they declined to reply. It is certain, however, that in 1849 Dunn started publishing a monthly magazine called the Wesley Banner and Revival Record, which, following the example set by the ‘Fly Sheets,’ continuously pointed out the errors of Methodism and suggested reforms. At the conference held at Manchester in 1849 the three ministers were desired to discontinue the Wesley Banner, and to give up attacking Methodism. They, however, refused to make any promises and were expelled on 25 July. Their expulsion gave them a wide popularity. Many meetings of sympathy with them were held, more particularly one in Exeter Hall on 31 August 1849. These expulsions were very damaging to the Wesleyan Methodist connexion, as between 1850 and 1855 upwards of a hundred thousand members were lost, and it was not until 1855 that it began to recover from this disruption.
The literature connected with these events is very extensive, and the interest taken in the matter was so general that in a short time twenty thousand copies were sold of a small pamphlet entitled Remarks on the Expulsion of the Messrs. Everett, Dunn, and Griffith. By the William Horton. From this time forward Dunn led a very peaceful life; for some time he itinerated and preached in the pulpits of various denominations. From 1855 to 1864 he lived at Camborne in Cornwall, where he ministered to the Free Church Methodists.
Having written very numerous articles in many American publications he was in course of time created a D.D. degree of one of the United States universities, and after that event called himself minister of the Methodist Episcopal Church of America.
He died at 2 St. James's Road, St. Mary Usk, Hastings, 24 January 1882.
Read more about this topic: Samuel Dunn (minister)
Famous quotes containing the words fly and/or sheets:
“The fly sat upon the axel-tree of the chariot-wheel and said, What a dust do I raise!”
—Aesop (6th century B.C.)
“The difference is wide that the sheets will not decide.”
—English proverb, collected in John Ray, English Proverbs (1670)