A

PLAIN ACCOUNT

OF THE

PEOPLE CALLED METHODISTS,

IN A LETTER TO

THE REV. MR. PERRONET,

Vicar of Shoreham, Kent.

Rev, and Dear Sir,

1. SOME time since you desired an account of the whole economy 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: though they generally found, in looking back, something in Christian antiquity likewise, very nearly parallel thereto,

I. 1. About ten years ago, (this was written in the year 1748), my brother and I were 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 stamped 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 justified 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 shouldest 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 the 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."

7. Thus arose, without any previous design on either side, what was afterwards called, "A Society:" a very innocent name, and very common in London, for any number of people associating themselves together. The thing proposed in their associating themselves together was obvious to every one. They wanted to flee from the wrath to come, and to assist each other in so doing. They therefore united themselves, "in order to pray together, to receive the word of exhortation, and to watch over one another in love, that they might help each other to work out their sal

vation."

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8. "There is one only condition previously required, in those who desire admission into this society, A desire to flee from the wrath to come, to be saved from their sins." "

They now likewise agreed, that as many of them as had an opportunity, would meet together every Friday, and spend the dinner hour in crying to God, both for each other,

and for all mankind.

9. It quickly appeared, that their thus uniting together, answered the end proposed therein. In a few months the far greater part of those who had begun to fear God, and work righteousness, but were not united together, grew faint in their minds, and fell back into what they were be fore. Mean while the far greater part of those, who were thus united together, continued "striving to enter in at the strait gate, and to lay hold on eternal life."

10. Upon reflection, I could not but observe, this is the very thing which was from the beginning of Christianity. In the earliest times, those whom God had sent forth, preached the gospel to every creature. And the oi angoarai, the body of hearers, were mostly either Jews or Heathens. But as soon as any of these were so convinced of the truth, as to forsake sin and seek the gospel salvation, they imme diately joined them together, took an account of their names, advised them to watch over each other, and met these xarnxsuɛvo (Catechumens, as they were then called) apart from the great congregation, that they might instruct, rebuke, exhort, and pray with them, and for them, according to their several necessities.

11. But it was not long before an objection was made to this, which had not once entered into my thoughts. Is not this making a schism? Is not the joining these people toge ther, gathering churches out of churches?

It was easily answered; if you mean only gathering peo ple out of buildings called churches, it is. But if you mean, dividing Christians from Christians, and so destroying Christian fellowship, it is not. For, 1, These were not Christians before they were thus joined. Most of them were barefaced Heathens. 2, Neither are they Christians from whom you suppose them to be divided. You will not look me in the face and say they are. What! Drunken Christians? Cursing and swearing Christians? Lying Christians? Cheating

Christians? If these are Christians at all, they are devil Christians, as the poor Malabarians term them. 3, Neither are they divided any more than they were before, even from these wretched devil Christians: they are as ready as ever to assist them, and to perform every office of real kindness toward them. 4, If it be said, "But there are some true Christians in the parish, and you destroy the Christian fellowship between these and them." I answer, that which never existed cannot be destroyed: but the fellowship you speak of never existed, therefore it cannot be destroyed. Which of those true Christians had any such fellowship with these? Who watched over them in love? Who marked their growth in grace? Who advised and exhorted them from time to time? Who prayed with them and for them as they had need? This, and this alone, is Christian fellowship: but, alas! Where is it to be found? Look east or west, north or south: name what parish you please. Is this Christian fellowship there? Rather, are not the bulk of the parishioners a mere rope of sand? What Christian connexion is there between them? What intercourse in spiritual things? What watching over each other's souls? What bearing of one another's burdens? What a mere jest is it then to talk so gravely of destroying what never was! The real truth is just the reverse of this: we introduced Christian fellowship where it was utterly destroyed. And the fruits of it have been peace, joy, love, and zeal for every good word and work.

II. 1. But as much as we endeavoured to watch over each other, we soon found some who did not live the gospel. I do not know that any hypocrites were crept in; for, indeed, there was no temptation: but several grew cold, and gave way to the sins which had long easily beset them: we quickly perceived, there were many ill consequences of suffering these to remain among us; it was dangerous to others, inasmuch as all sin is of an infectious nature; it brought such a scandal on their brethren, as exposed them to what was not properly the reproach of Christ; it laid a stumbབ ཉེན