_December 18, 1745_.
A Plain ACCOUNT of the _People_ called METHODISTS.
In a LETTER to the
Reverend Mr. _PERRONET_ VICAR of _Shoreham_, in KENT.
[Written in the YEAR 1748.]
_Rev. and dear_ SIR,
1. SOME time since you desired an account of the _whole œconomy_ of the people commonly called METHODISTS. And you received a true, (as far as it went) but not a full account. To supply what I think was wanting in that, I send you this account: that you may know not only their _practice_, on every head, but likewise the _reasons_ whereon it is grounded, the _occasion_ of every step they have taken, and the _advantages_ reaped thereby.
2. But I must premise, That as they had not the least expectation at first, of any thing like what has since followed, so they had no previous design or plan at all, but every thing arose just as the occasion offered. They saw or felt some impending or pressing evil, or some good end necessary to be pursued. And many times they fell unawares on the very thing, which secured the good, or removed the evil. At other times they consulted on the most probable means, following only _common sense_ and _scripture_: Tho’ they generally found, in looking back, some thing in _Christian antiquity_ likewise, very nearly parallel thereto.
I. 1. About ten years ago, my brother and I where desired to preach, in many parts of _London_. We had no view therein, but so far as we were able (and we knew God _could_ work by whomsoever it pleased him) to _convince_ those who would hear, what true Christianity was, and to _persuade_ them to embrace it.
2. The points we chiefly insisted upon were four: First, That _orthodoxy_ or _right opinions_ is, at best, but a very slender _part_ of religion, if it can be allowed to be any part of it at all: that neither does religion consist in _negatives_, in bare harmlessness of any kind; nor merely in _externals_, or doing good, or using the means of grace, in works of piety (so called) or of charity: that it is nothing short of, or different from _The mind that was in_ Christ, The _image of_ God stampt upon the heart, Inward _righteousness_ attended with the _peace_ of God, and, _Joy in the Holy Ghost_. Secondly, That the only way under heaven to this religion, is to _repent and believe the gospel_, or (as the apostle words it) _Repentance towards_ God, _and faith in our_ Lord Jesus Christ. Thirdly, That by this faith, _He that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly_, is justified _freely by his grace, through the redemption which is in_ Jesus Christ. And lastly, That _being justified by faith_, we taste of the heaven to which we are going: we are holy and happy: we tread down sin and fear, and _sit in heavenly places_ with Christ Jesus.
3. Many of those who heard this, began to cry out, that we brought _strange things to their ears_: that this was doctrine which they never heard before, or, at least, never regarded. They _searched the scriptures, whether these things were so_, and acknowledged _the truth as it is in_ Jesus. Their hearts also were influenced as well as their understandings, and they determined to follow Jesus Christ, _and him crucified_.
4. Immediately they were surrounded with difficulties: all the world rose up against them: neighbours, strangers, acquaintance, relations, friends, began to cry out amain; “_Be not righteous overmuch: why shouldst thou destroy thyself?_ Let not _much religion make thee mad_.”
5. One and another and another came to us, asking, What they should do? Being distressed on every side, as every one strove to weaken, and none to strengthen their hands in God. We advised them, “Strengthen you one another. Talk together as often as you can. And pray earnestly, with and for one another, that you may _endure to the end, and be saved_.” Against this advice we presumed there could be no objection; as being grounded on the plainest reason, and on so many scriptures, both of the old Testament and new, that it would be tedious to recite them.
6. They said, “But we want _you_ likewise to talk with us often, to direct and quicken us in our way, to give us the advices which you well know we need, and to pray with us, as well as for us.” I asked, Which of you desire this? Let me know your names and places of abode. They did so. But I soon found, they were too many for me to talk with severally so often as they wanted it. So I told them, “If you will all of you come together, every _Thursday_, in the evening, I will gladly spend some time with you in prayer, and give you the best advice I can.”