Wesley Corpus

About the year 1704, Mr. Stoltius, a student at Jena, began to speak of faith in Christ ; which he continued to do, till he took his Master’s degree, and read public lectures About twelve or fifteen students were awakened and joined with him in prayer, and building up one another. At this (after various calumnies spread abroad, and divers persecutions occasioned thereby) the consistory was offended, and issued out a commission to examine him. In consequence of the report made to the consistory by these commissioners, he was forbid to read any public lectures, or to hold any meetings with his friends. Not long after an order was given, by which he was excluded from the holy communion. He was also to have been expelled the university: but this he prevented by a voluntary retirement. Yet one of the commissioners, who had been sent by the duke of Weimar, (one of the lords of Jena,) informed the duke, that according to his judgment Stoltius was an innocent and holy man. On this the duke sent for him to Weimar, and fixed him in a living there. There likewise he awakened many, and met with them to pray and read the Scriptures together. But it was not long that the city could bearhim. For he boldly rebuked all vice, and that in all persons, neither sparing the courtiers, nor the duke himself. Consequently, his enemies every where increased, and many persecutions followed. In fine, he was forbid to have any private meetings, and was to have been deposed from the ministry; when God calling him to himself, took him away from the evil to come.