Methodists

Methodists, Wesleyan.—The early history of this remarkable body will be more fully given in the biographies of its founders, John and Charles Wesley (q. vf. “The first rise of Methodism,” says John Wesley, “was in November, 1729, when four of us met together at Oxford.” Their object in meeting was to deepen their spiritual life by prayer and study of the Scriptures. They were called “methodists” first in a taunting spirit, because they were unusually precise and “methodic” in the observance of their religious duties, and in the regularity of their lives. Very soon they were joined by other Oxford men, including George Whitefield. On his return from America, in 1738, John Wesley began to organize those who attended his devotional meetings into a Society. The members met regularly once a week, at least, in some private house for spiritual exercises, and were constant in their attendance at the services of the parish church; for Wesley’s aim was to rekindle a spirit of piety within the Church of England, and not to set up a sect in opposition to her. Hence the meetings of his society were not held during the hours of Divine Service, his object being to supplement the work of the clergy, and not to provide a substitute for such work. His teaching on this point is most emphatic. He says, “We hold communion with the Church for conscience’ sake, by constantly attending both the Word preached and the Sacraments administered therein.” Again, he bade his lay-preachers, whom he had appointed to minister to his followers in different parts of the country, “in every place to exhort those who are brought up in the [Established ]Church constantly to attend its services.” And he wrote even in 1790, the year before his death, “I fear that when the Methodists leave the [Established] Church, God will leave them.” Circumstances were, however, too strong for him. The spiritual deadness, which had of itself stimulated his movement, was unable to endure it, and in 1740 this intolerance was displayed by the clergy repelling Methodists from the Lord’s Supper at Bristol — an example widely followed elsewhere. The brothers were thus driven into administering the sacrament to their own people at their own meetings, but it was not till 17S8 that Wesley ordained preachers to assist in administering the sacraments in England, and not till his death in 1791 was the last link severed which bound the [Established] Church to Methodism, the gradual severance having been against his own will at every stage of the process. The Methodists were equally excluded from many of the Dissenting meeting-houses, and by this want of sympathy on the part of others was largely developed that wonderful system of open-air preaching, which did so much to bring the neglected populace of England within the reach of the gospel.