In July 1845, he entered the Methodist ministry as probationer, and being ordained on 1 August 1849, served in successive circuits at Worcester, Guernsey, Brentford, Stockport, Manchester, Folkestone, and Tottenham.
Contributing to the first number of the London Quarterly Review, a Wesleyan Methodist periodical, in September 1853, he soon joined its editorial staff (1868), was co-editor with Dr. William Burt Pope (1883–6), and ultimately sole editor (1886–98).
In 1866, Rigg republished many periodical articles as Essays for the Times on Ecclesiastical and Social Subjects, and in 1869 he issued Churchmanship of John Wesley (new edit.
When the first elementary education act was passed in 1870, Rigg took the traditional Wesleyan view, opposing secularism and favouring denominational schools, although without sympathy for sectarian exclusiveness.
Subsequently he was a member of the royal commission on elementary education (1886-8), over which Sir Richard Cross presided and which reported in favour of the school board management as against the voluntary system.
[1] In the general administration of Wesleyan affairs Rigg was recognised to be a statesmanlike leader of liberal-conservative temper.
The compromise lasted till 1901, when the liberal section prevailed and conference was opened by ministers and laymen together, though the pastoral session still retained the privilege of electing the president.
The unauthorised publication of the letter in Purcell's Life of the cardinal (1895) led to reprisals by Hughes, who wrote in the Methodist Times an article on "The Self-Revelation of Dr.
[1] Rigg, whose somewhat rough manner caused even friendly admirers to liken him to Dr. Johnson, never abated his literary energies amid his varied activities.
The elder daughter, Caroline Edith Rigg, was head-mistress of the Mary Datchelor School and Training College, Camberwell ; and the son, James McMullen, was a barrister-at-law.
[1] The chief publications of his later life were : There followed Reminiscences sixty Years ago (1904), and Jabez Bunting, a short Biography (1905).