John Wesley (1703–1791), the son of an Anglican clergyman, was himself trained to the ministry. He found little solace in the Anglicanism of his youth, however, and endured years of spiritual yearning until, in 1738, he had a religious awakening. His resulting theological message was quite simple: salvation was possible for all. The appeal of Wesley’s message, coupled with his tireless preaching, often to huge crowds outdoors, quickly brought him a large following. These followers became known as “Methodists,” after a Bible study group Wesley attended while at Oxford University.

The Nature, Design, and General Rules of the United Societies

1. About ten years ago my brother [Charles Wesley] 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 whomsoever it pleased Him) to convince those who would hear, what true Christianity was, and to persuade them to embrace it.

2. The points we chiefly insisted upon were four: First, that orthodoxy or right opinions is, at best, but a very slender part of religion, if it can be allowed to be any part of it at all; that neither does religion consist in negatives, in bare harmlessness of any kind, nor merely in externals in doing good or using the means of grace, in works of piety (so called) or of charity: that it is nothing short of or different from the mind that was in Christ, the image of God stamped upon the heart, inward righteousness attended with the peace of God and joy in the Holy Ghost.

Secondly, that the only way under heaven to this religion is to repent and believe the gospel, of (as the apostle words it) repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.

Thirdly, that by this faith, he that worketh not, but believeth in Him that justifieth the ungodly, is justified freely by His grace, through the redemption which is in Jesus Christ.

And lastly, that being justified by faith we taste of the heaven to which we are going; we are holy and happy; we tread down sin and fear, and sit in heavenly places with Christ Jesus.

3. Many of those who heard this, began to cry out, that we brought strange things to their ears: that this was doctrine which they never heard before, or, at least, never regarded. They searched the scriptures, whether these things were so, and acknowledged the truth as it is in Jesus. Their hearts also were influenced as well as their understandings, and they determined to follow Jesus Christ and Him crucified.

4. Immediately [those who accepted this new way] were surrounded with difficulties. All the world rose up against them; neighbors, strangers, acquaintances, relations, friends began to cry out amain, “Be not righteous overmuch: why shouldst thou destroy thyself? Let not much religion make thee mad.” . . .

Directions Given to the Band Societies

You are supposed to have the faith that “overcometh the world.” To you, therefore, it is not grievous:

From John Wesley, “A Plain Account of the People Called Methodists” (1749), in The Past Speaks, 2d ed., ed. Walter Arnstein (Lexington, Mass.: D. C. Heath, 1993), 2:87–89.