new light, n.¹ — Green’s Dictionary of Slang

new light n.¹

[16C SE new light, novel religious views or doctrines; the term covered a variety of 18C Protestant sects in the UK and US]

a Methodist.

1743		J. Hempstead Diary 407: All come to settle the disorders that are subsisting among those called New Lights which follow Mr. Davenport [DA].
c.1786		Grose Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue ms. additions n.p.: New Light. The Methodists.
1788, 1796		Grose Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue (2nd, 3rd edn) n.p.: One of the new light; a methodist.
1807		R. McNemar Kentucky Revival 29: These [...] taught as an important truth, that the will of God, was made to manifest to each individual [...] by an inward light, which shone into the heart.—Hence they received the name of ‘New-Lights’ [DA].
1811		Lex. Balatronicum.
1856		P. Cartwright Autobiog. 219: Arianism was rife through all that country [Kentucky], although they called themselves ‘Christians,’ and were called by the world, New Lights, Marshallites, or Stoneites [DA].
1871		E. Eggleston Hoosier School-Master (1892) 158: I don’t know whether you’re a Hardshell [...] or a Campbellite, or a New Light, or a United Brother.
1949		William and Mary Quarterly Jan. 43: The New Brunswick group, the ‘new lights,’ wished to give eloquence in preaching precedence over formal knowledge [DA].