AVesley's mind was constructive in all its tendencies. Had it been destructive, he would have spent much of his force in efforts to pull down the National Church, which was nearly "dead in trespasses and sins" when, he began his itinerant career. He did not do this, be- cause his genius moved him to build, not to destroj'. So strong was this tendency that it restrained his nat- ural combativeness, which was large, limiting it to such vigorous defences of what he believed to be vital truth as he deemed absolutely needful to prevent his work from being hindered by the attacks of his many adver- saries. This constructive instinct moved him to give organic form to a novel system of itinerant preaching; it led him to organize the fruits of his labor into soci- eties, by which he hoped not to supersede or rival the Episcopal Church, but to fan its expiring spiritual life back to healthful action. But circumstances were stronger than his hopes, and the structure he erected became the Wesleyan Church.
Wesley's character was remarkable for its perfect unity and coherence. He was governed in all he thought, felt, and did by that single purpose which he avowed at the beginning of his evangelical career, when he affirmed his belief that God had called him "to de- clare unto all that are willing to hear the glad tidings of salvation," This conviction shaped his life. It dwelt in his conscience ; it absorbed his affections ; it govern- ed his will ; it flowed into all the activities of his life ; it sustained him under hardships and trials ; it accounts for the peculiarities of his career. The most scrutiniz- ing search finds nothing contrary to it, either in his pri- vate, social, or public life. Such absolute coherence is rarely found in human character. In Wesley it is so obvious that it goes far towards accounting for that marvellous degree of personal power by which he ruled so absolutely and yet so peacefully over his societies. Men submitted to his rule because they saw that he ruled not for himself, but for the triumph of a great principle ; that he held on to his great power, not be- cause he was ambitious or loved power for its own sake, but because he believed the spiritual welfare of thou- sands re([uired him to keep the reins in his own hands. That this belief amounted to a sincere conviction is evi- dent from the fact that in 1773 he wrote to the saintly Fletcher begging him to prepare to succeed him, be- cause he was sure that, after his death, liis societies could be held together only by placing supreme power in the hands of one leader. But Fletcher's death led him, at a later period, to change his mind. Seeing no other man whom he could safely trust with his supreme power, he began to train the "Yearly Conference" to govern both itself and the connection. This he did, not by surrendering his power while living, but by per- mitting the conference to direct affairs under his su- pervision. When satisfied by this experiment that it would be safe to convey his power to that body, he ex- ecuted a " Deed of Declaration," to take effect after his death, by which the government of his societies, the appointing power, and the use of his chapels and their properties, were placed in perpetuity in the hands of
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one hundred preaehers, and their successors in office to be chosen from the body of Wesleyan preachers. Had Wesley deemed it safe to make this legal transfer of his power during his lifetime, he would, no doubt, have done so. The fact that he permitted his conference to exercise both legislative and executive powers for several years before his death is proof enough that he did not cling to power for its own sake. His aim was not his own honor, but the good of his beloved societies.
XH. Wesk'ii's Wriliiir/s. — Wesley's writings and compilations were important factors in his evangelistic Avork. Knowing ignorance to be a sturdy foe to godli- ness, he used the press as an auxiliary of the pulpit from the very beginning of his itinerant career to the day of his death. He consecrated his pen to the great purpose of his life. He had the ability to win a high reputation as an elegant writer; but, despising the mere praise of men, he wrote, as he preached, in the style and manner he believed best adapted to win men to Christ. His most important productions were his Sermons, num- bering one hundred and forty-one. They are remark- able for the terseness and purity of their style, in which not a -.vord is wasted ; the transparency and compact- ness of their thoughts; and a logical force which is not subtle, but the fruit of a " keen, clear insight." A first series of his Sermons was published in 1771: — his Translation of the New Testament, tvith N'otes (Lond. 1755), which won approval from many eminent schol- ars; the text for "many happy corrections of the Au- thorized Version ;"' the notes for conciseness, spirituali- ty, acuteness, and soundness of opinion: — his Journals, which portray, as in a mirror, the course of his remark- able life, and are exceedingly curious and entertaining. The first part was issued in 1739 ; nineteen more parts at irregular intervals : — his appeals, entitled An Earnest Appeal to Men oj' Reason and Relif/ion (written in 17i4), and A Further Appeal to Men oj' Reason and Religion (published 1744-45, 3 pts.). These masterlj' appeals are acute, searching, and powerful in thought, forcible in style, and singidarly tender in spirit: — his Treatise on Original Sin, in reply to Dr. Taylor, of Norwich, which was so conclusive that the doctor never attempted to an- swer it, though he promptly replied to every other wri- ter who controverted his opinions. Besides these works, Wesley wrote many controversial articles, which were published separately. In 1778 he began a monthly magazine (The Arminian Magazine), which he contin- ued to the end of his life. He also wrote a Church Ilis- fonj (in 4 vols.) : — a History of England (in 4 vols.) : — a Cotnpendium of Natural Philosophy : — a Diciiananj of the English Language: — separate Grammars of the English, French, Latin, Greek, and Hebrew languages: — a Compendium of Logic, etc. His original prose works filled fourteen closely printed volumes ; his commenta- ries, compilations, and abridgments form a list of one hundred and nineteen publications in prose, one of which, entitled A Christian Library, contained fifty volumes. Besides these prose works, he published fifty-two sepa- rate works in poetry, the joint productions of himself and his brother Charles; and, lastly, five publications on music, and collections of tunes. That all this literary \vork should have been accomplished by a man whose life, for half a century, was a series of journeys, is an as- tonishing fact. " Looking at his travelling," remarks Tyerman, "the marvel is how he found time to write; and, looking at his books, the marvel is how he found time to preach." An edition of his principal prose works is published by the Methodist Book Concern (N. Y.) in seven octavo volumes.