Wesley Corpus

To John Valton Date: NORWICH, November 12, 1771. Source: The Letters of John Wesley (1771) Author: John Wesley --- MY DEAR BROTHER,--Many of our brethren have begun to assist their neighbours on the principles of the Primitive Physick. At first they prescribed only simple things, and God gave a blessing to their labours. But they seldom continued as they began; they grew more and more complex in their prescriptions. Beware of this; keep to the simple scheme. One thing will almost always do better than two. I think there is a small tract of the kind you mention among those given away by the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge. If so, I can easily abridge it into a penny pamphlet. Dr. Tissot wrote for Swiss constitutions: we must make allowance for English, which are generally less robust. In every place there is a remarkable blessing attending the meetings for prayer. A revival of the work of God is generally the consequence of them. The most prevailing fault among the Methodists is to be too outward in religion. We are continually forgetting that the kingdom of God is within us, and that our fundamental principle is, We are saved by faith, producing all inward holiness, not by works, by any externals whatever.--I am Your affectionate brother.