Wesley Corpus

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 before. Meanwhile 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 * See the Rules of the United Societies. earliest times, those whom God had sent forth “preached the gospel to every creature.” And the ou akpoatat, “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 immediately joined them together, took an account of their names, advised them to watch over each other, and met these karmyovuevot," cate chumens,” (as they were then called,) apart from the great con gregation, 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 thought:--“Is not this making a schism? Is not the joining these people together, gathering Churches out of Churches?” It was easily answered, If you mean only gathering people out of buildings called churches, it is. But if you mean, divid ing 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 sup pose 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 Mala barians term them. (3.) Neither are they divided any more than they were before, even from these wretched devil Chris tians. They are as ready as ever to assist them, and to perform every office of real kindness towards them.