Wesley Corpus

A Plain Account of the People Called Methodists Source: The Works of John Wesley, Volume 8 (Zondervan) Year: 1748 Author: John Wesley --- 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 ac count, 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 ex pectation, at first, of anything 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 im pending 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 like wise, very nearly parallel thereto. I. 1. About ten years ago, 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 whom soever it pleased him,) to convince those who would hear what true Christianity was, and to persuade them to embrace it. 2.