RELIGIOUS ENCYCLOPEDIA
Wesley
preached a sermon on Free Grace, attacking predestination as blasphemous, as representing ‘‘ God as worse than the devil,’ Whitefield besought him (1739) not to repeat or publish the discourse. He deprecated a dispute or discussion. “‘ Let us,” he said, ‘ offer salvation freely to all,” but be silent about election. Wesley’s sermon was published, and among the many replies to it was one by Whitefield. Separation followed in 1741. Wesley wrote of it, that those who held universal redemption did not desire separation, but “ those who held particular redemption would not hear of any accommodation.” Whitefield, Harris, Cennick, and others, became the founders of Calvinistic Methodism (see PRESBYTERIANS, IV., VIII., 8). Whitefield and Wesley, however, were soon again on very friendly terms, and their friendship remained thenceforth unbroken, though they traveled different paths. Occasional publications appeared on Calvinistic doctrines, by Wesley and others; but in 1770 the controversy broke out anew with violence and bitterness. Toplady, Berridge, Rowland, Richard Hill, and others were engaged on the one side, and Wesley and Fletcher chiefly on the other side. Toplady was editor of The Gospel Magazine, which was filled with the controversy. Wesley in 1778 began the publication of The Arminian Magazine, not, he said, to convince Calvinists, but to preserve Methodists; not to notice opponents, but to teach the truth that ‘“ God willeth all men to be saved.” A “lasting peace ’”’ he thought could be secured in no other way. The doctrines which Wesley revived, restated, and emphasized in his sermons and writings, are present personal salvation by faith, the 8. Doctrines. witness of the Spirit, and sanctification. The second he defined thus: “ the testimony of the Spirit is an inward impression on the soul of believers, whereby the spirit of God directly testifies to their spirit that they are the children of God.” Sanctification he spoke of (1790) as the “grand depositum which God has lodged with the people called ‘ Methodists’; and, for the sake of propagating this chiefly, he appears to have raised them up.” He taught that sanctification was obtainable instantaneously by faith, between justification and death. It was not “ sinless perfection ” that he contended for; but he believed that those who are “ perfect in love’’ feel no sin, feel nothing but love. He was very anxious that this doctrine should be constantly preached for the system of Wesleyan Arminianism, the foundations of which were laid by Wesley and Fletcher (see ARMINIUS, JACOBUS, AND ARMINIANISM). Wesley was the busiest man in England. He traveled almost constantly, generally on horseback, preaching twice or thrice a day. He 9. Person- formed societies, opened chapels, exality and amined and commissioned preachers, Activities. administered discipline, raised funds for schools, chapels, and charities, prescribed for the sick, superintended schools and orphanages, prepared commentaries and a vast amount of other religious literature, replied to attacks on Methodism, conducted controversies, and carried on a prodigious correspondence. He is believed to
Wesley Wessel
THE NEW SCHAFF-HERZOG
have traveled in the course of his itinerant ministry more than 250,000 miles, and to have preached more than 40,000 times. The number of works he wrote, translated, or edited, exceeds 200. The list includes sermons, commentaries, hymns, a Christian library of fifty volumes, and other religious literature—grammars, dictionaries, and other textbooks, as well as political tracts. He is said to have received not less than £20,000.for his publications, but he used little of it for himself. His charities were limited only by his means. He died poor. He rose at four in the morning, lived simply and methodically, and was never idle, unless by compulsion. In person he was rather under the medium height, well proportioned, strong, with a bright eye, a clear complexion, and a saintly, intellectual face. He married very unhappily, at the age of forty-eight, a widow, and had no children. He died, after a short illness in which he had great spiritual peace and joy, leaving as the result of his life-work 135,000 members, and 541 itinerant preachers, owning the name “ Methodist.” Wesley’s mind was of a logical cast. His conceptions were clear, his perceptions quick. His thought clothed itself easily and naturally in 10. Literary pure, terse, vigorous language. His Work. logical acuteness, self-control, and scholarly acquirements made him a strong controversialist. He wrote with a ready pen. His written sermons are characterized by spiritual earnestness and by simplicity. They are doctrinal, but not dogmatic; expository, argumentative, practical. His Notes on the New Testament (1755) are luminous and suggestive. Both the Sermons (of which there are about 140) and the Notes are in the Methodist course of study, and are doctrinal standards (see Mrtuopists, V., §§ 1-2). He was a fluent, impressive, persuasive, powerful preacher, producing striking effects. He preached generally extemporaneously and briefly, though occasionally at great length, using manuscript only for special occasions. As an organizer, an ecclesiastical general, and a statesman he was eminent. He knew well how to marshal and control men, how to achieve purposes. He had in his hands the powers of a despot; yet he so used them as not only not to provoke rebellion, but toinspire love. His mission was to spread ‘Scriptural holiness”; his means and plans were such as Providence indicated. The course thus marked out for him he pursued with a determination, a fidelity, from which nothing could swerve him. Wesley’s prose Works were first collected by himself (32 vols., Bristol, 1771-74, frequently reprinted in editions varying greatly in the number of volumes). His chief prose works are a standard publication in seven octavo volumes of the Methodist Book Concern, New York. The Poetical Works of John and Charles, ed. G. Osborn, appeared 13 vols., London, 1868-72. Besides his Sermons and Notes already referred to, are his Journals (originally published in twenty parts, London, 1740-89; new ed. by N. Curnock, is to contain notes from unpublished diaries, 6 vols., vols. i—i., London and New York, 1909-11, which are of great interest; The Doctrine of Original Sin (Bristol, 1757; in reply to Dr. John Taylor of Norwich); an Appeal
to Men of Reason and Religion (originally published in three parts; 2d ed., Bristol, 1743), an elaborate defense of Methodism, describing with great vigor the evils of the times in society and the church; a Plain Account of Christian Perfection (1766). H. K. CaRrRrouu. BrptiocRaruy: A considerable amount of pertinent literature will be found under Mrtuoptsts, especially that dealing with the early yhistory of the movement. For a bibliography of the works of John and Charles, consult the work of R. Green named under WrsLEY, CHARLES; also note the same author’s Books against John Wesley, London, 1902. The best biography of John is that by Luke Tyerman, 3 vols., London, 1870, often reissued (full, impartial); the earliest, aside from mere pamphlets, is by J. Hampson, 3 vols, ib. 1791. Others are: T. Coke and H. Moore, London, 1792 (popular); J. Whitehead, 2 vols., ib. 1793-96 (deficient); R. Southey, 2 vols., ib. 1820, ed. Curry, New York, 1847 (inadequate and misleading); Adam Clarke, The Wesley Family, London, 1823; H. Moore, 2 vols., ib. 1824 (faithful, trustworthy); R. Watson, ib. 1831 (clear and compact, intended for general readers); W. Jones, ib. 1833 (from the Calvinistic point of view); T. Jackson, ib. 1839 (unsatisfactory); I. Taylor, Wesley and Methodism, ib. 1851 (may be disregarded); R. Bickersteth, ib. 1856 (acceptable, from the Anglican point of view); M. Leliévre, Paris, 1868, 3d ed., 1891, Eng. transl., London, 1871 (reliable, but lacking in breadth); Julia Wedgwood, London, 1870 (Unitarian); R. D. Urlin, ib. 1870; G. J. Stevenson, Memorials of the Wesley Family, ib. 1876 (excellent in abundance of materials); J. H. Rigg, The Churchmanship of John Wesley, ib. 1879 and 1887; F. Bevan, ib. 1891; J. Telford, ib. 1899; G. H. Pike. ib, 1903; F. Banfield, ib. 1900; R. Green, new ed., ib. 1905; John Wesley, the Methodist, New York, 1903 (useful and condensed); W. H. Fitchett, Wesley and his Century, London, 1906 (discriminating, luminous); E. Miller, ib. 1906; C. T. Winchester, New York, 1906 (impartial and judicial). Excellent sketches will be found in W. Walker, Greatest Men of the Christian Church, Chicago, 1908; H. M. Butler, Ten Great and Good Men, New York, 1909; L. P. Powell, Heavenly Heretics, ib. 1909; A. Leger, L’ Angleterre religieuse et les origines du Méthodisme . Le Jeunesse de Wesley, Paris, 1910; DNB, lx. 303-314; and his work is estimated in Cambridge Modern History, vi. 81 sqq., 1909.
WESLEY, SAMUEL, SR.: Father of John and Charles Wesley; b. at Winterbourne-Whitchurch (28 m. w. of Southampton) Nov. (baptized Dec. 17), 1662; d. at Epworth (23 m. n.w. of Lincoln) Apr. 22, 1735. His early education was received among the dissenters; but in 1683 he renounced non-conformity, and entered Exeter College, Oxford (B.A., 1688). He was ordained deacon that year, and priest Feb. 24, 1689-90, and held various preferments, including a chaplaincy on a man-of-war, and the rectory of South Ormsby, Lincolnshire (1690), until Queen Mary gave him the living of Epworth in Lincolnshire (1695), in return for the compliment of his dedication to her of his Life of our Blessed Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, an Heroic Poem (1693; ed. T. Coke, 2 vols., 1809). He was a man of learning, benevolence, devotional habits, and liberal sentiments. He wrote largely, and by this means eked out his salary, which was insufficient to support his large family. He had nineteen children, of whom, however, nine died in infancy. Of his poetical works mention may be made of: The History of the New Testament Attempted in Verse, 1701; The History of the Old Testament in Verse, 1704. His learned Latin Commentary on the Book of Job, Dissertationes in librum Jobi, in which he was, however, aided by others, appeared posthumously (1736). Other prose works are: The Pious Communicant rightly Prepared