John Wesley represents an important figure for the religious world and especially for the church of England. During the 18th century he was one of the most representative figures because of his influence on the reshaping of the religious life England and the United States. This paper will assess Jon Wesley’s track in life, his major achievements as a church reformer and him as a social guide. The times in which Wesley lived were extremely difficult, especially because of the persistence for the church to find its right place in society. In other words, the church of England was the most important church of the state; however, many other territories such as the United States colonies that consisted of a mix of cultures and religions that could not be repressed by a single strict religion such as the English church. This background allowed Wesley and its Methodist preach to reach millions of people in time.
Wesley was born into a very big family and was the fifteenth child of nineteen the family had. Wesley followed a rather strict lifestyle that was enhanced with knowledge and study at Oxford University, which then opened his eyes to the teaching of Christ and the church. During his studies at the famed university he became part of the ‘holy club’ which was an association of young students who would eventually dedicate their lives to a strict and God related style of life. In exact terms while Wesley was at Oxford him and a few friends formed a club to debate scriptures and encouraged each other to seek the truth in their religious convictions. In the group each member was responsible for visiting the sick and completing a service in jail, which at this time was considered rather unusual for young collegiate men. This evidently highlights the importance education had to Wesley and how he determined his eventful pathway in life through preaching and following his beliefs.
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Throughout his journeys he established a certain way of thinking and acting, focusing on the less privileged working class in England. The church of England is one of the most conservative forums of Christianity. During the same time the industrial revolution of the 18th century represented a huge source of inspiration in terms of rebellion against current order and revolutionary thought. The Methodist church preached a much more personal type of religious worship. To be more accurate John Wesley’s character in preaching and reaching out to common people was both outstanding and unbelievable. Wesley built up an enormous following, however during the labouring poor of the new industrial areas, the people who the established Church of England had tended to neglect, and by the late eighteenth century there were hundreds of Methodist chapels, presided over by travelling lay preachers. Methodism was a religion of the poor and had a lot to do with revolution in English religion, along with several effects.
An important aspect of the Methodist church that was promoted by Wesley originated from the general principles he had put in place, regarding beliefs and guiding rules.These include, “shun evil and avoid partaking in wicked deeds at all costs; perform kind acts as much as possible, and abide by the edicts of God the Almighty Father”. These three references of guiding highlighted the base of Wesley’s beliefs and that throughout his life he would always try to put them to practice. Throughout Wesley’s pilgrims he also went to America. Wesley was able to observe all the acts of brutality that took place in terms of slaughter against the native Indians by all the other powerful nations such as the Spanish or the Portuguese. In one of his sermons he wrote about how people can hurt other people in different times of history. “even cruelty and bloodshed, how little have the Christians come behind them! And not the Spaniards or the Portuguese alone, butchering thousands in South America: not the Dutch only in the East Indies, or the French in North America, following the Spaniards step by step: our own countrymen, too, have wantoned in blood, and exterminated whole nations; plainly proving thereby what spirit it is that dwells and works in the children of disobedience. Wesley was appalled by the lack of humanity and the violence relating to the treatment of the native Americans; therefore, he would always try to supply them with a different set of religious rules, hopefully to result in bringing them closer to God and more connected with their own beliefs. This was done through sermons and teachings.
This element of the Methodist church relates to the idea of the relationship with God without any mediating factors from the church, this was most definitely a crucial time in the history of the Christian church. As a result of personal revelation, Wesley preached that people should have their sins forgotten solely through the love of God everyday and by respecting the cornerstone of the Methodist beliefs. Adding to this, Wesley strongly believed that the strict but honest rules that present good deeds and life stand for the true love of God. This is key connection between the church of England and the catholic church because they are strongly connected to the matter of repent, this often includes any financial gains for the church. Connecting to the previous point that Methodists focus on physically helping others and the society means it was essential for the way that Methodists distinguished themselves among other denominated churches.
Relating to how Wesley became so popular, his preaching was a vital memory in the history of the church. This is because through his preaching he was able to provide a different solution for sin, which is shown in one of the most important sermons he wrote called, “Christian perfection” where he points out the way Christians become perfect. The main theme of the sermon is Christian perfection and how it is seen from the eyes of the church and Wesley’s eyes. Both the Methodists and Wesley believed that the love of God transforms the individual and as a result he Wesley make the connection between the world of the soul and the world of the living. On the other hand, the church believes there is no reflection of perfection, Wesley moves this belief in a different direction and considers what Christ said in the Bible, “perfection is attainable.” Wesley highlights this fact by connecting the humanly actions registered by good deeds and the honest way of life with perfection, meaning a Christian becomes perfect when they have attained the complete love for God. This is due to his belief a d forgiveness of sins, resulting in return to the original state of birth. The final aspect is important because it provides the connections between the knowledge and sermons shared by Wesley throughout his life and his travelling. Wesley is one of the most important people of the church because he provided and new and unique perspective of the relationship between the human being, the common individual and God. There is no intermediary connection within the church, meaning the belief that man cannot be saved unless the love of God transforms him towards perfection.
John Wesley uses four different sources in order to come to a theological conclusion. The four sources are referred to as the Wesleyan quadrilateral. The four sources in the Wesleyan quadrilateral include; scripture, tradition, reason and experience. Scripture is considered the primary source and standard for Christian doctrine. Wesley would always interpret the bible as the written word of God in all matters of faith and conduct. The importance of scripture in the time of Wesley’s theology is evident through the statement, “All Scripture is given by the inspiration of God, and herein distinguished from the Jews, Turks, and Infidels. We believe the written word of God to be the only and sufficient rule both of Christian faith and practice.” Wesley also expressed his high level of respect for scripture through a letter he wrote to his friend in which he stated, If by Catholic principles, you mean any other than scriptural, they weigh nothing with me. “I allow no other rule, whether of faith or practice, than the Holy Scriptures.” Tradition is the experience and the witness of the development and growth of faith over the century’s and throughout many countries and nations. Tradition in Wesley’s theology was a lower ranking standard when determining importance of doctrine. He expressed his view for the patristic period when he wrote, “I regard no authorities but those of the ante-Nicene Fathers; not any of them in opposition to Scripture” (Letters, VII: 106, February 22, 1782).
Reason is a gift that is naturally received in the image of God. Reason is very important to Wesley and he refers to it as “this precious gift of God” and he claims that the apostles and Christ “never failed to prove every doctrine that was taught by clear Scripture and cogent reason.” (“A Farther Appeal”, Works, VIII: 235). Finally, experience comes from scripture tradition and reason because by these things being put in place humans are prepared to experience the presence and reality of Gods love. Experience is most valuable to Wesley and his theological understanding. In his work, The Spirit of Methodism, Henry Bett goes so far to say: At the Reformation, Catholicism took its final stand on the authority of the Church, and Protestantism took its first stand on the authority of the Bible. Methodism, without altogether realizing what it was doing, shifted the ultimate authority in religion to the last place and the right place—to religious experience (35).
Wesley’s social concern comes from the twin doctrines which are creation and redemption. This means all people are made in the imago Dei and that through Christ and the act of salvation for others and no human falls outside of the Christian concern and responsibility, also known as grace. The relationship between the order of creation and the order of grace for Christian’s concern for all people, however demeaning is evident through Wesley’s statement that, A poor wretch cries to me for alms: I look, and see him covered with dirt and rags. But through these I see one that has an immortal spirit, made to know, and love, and dwell with God to eternity. I honour him for his Creator’s sake. I see through all these rags, that he is purpled over with the blood of Christ. I love him for the sake of his Redeemer. The courtesy, therefore, which I feel and show toward him is a mixture of the honour and love which I bear to the offspring of God; the purchase of his Son’s blood, and the candidate for immortality. This courtesy let us feel and show toward all and we shall please all men to their edification” (“On Pleasing All Men”, Works, VII: 145). Also, in “these outcasts of men”, Wesley’s prayer for slaves he highlight his concern regarding the concepts of creation and redemption.
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