"a Methodist is one that lives according to the method laid down in the Bible".Which is all well and good, the Ten Commandments are easy enough to understand, but they are hardly a method, there isn't any method in the bible as far as I can see.
The answer is surely to be in the man's diary.
In it I find that John Wesley believed his Christianity to be a return to the original, his was a 'back to basics' agenda.
Sunday, 16.—I preached at Moorfields to about ten thousand, and at Kennington Common to, I believe, nearly twenty thousand, on those words of the calmer Jews to St. Paul, “We desire to hear of thee what thou thinkest: for as concerning this sect, we know that everywhere it is spoken against” [Acts 28:22]. At both places I described the real difference between what is generally called Christianity and the true old Christianity, which, under the new name of Methodism, is now also everywhere spoken against.I also see that he was keen on electrifying ill people:
Tuesday, November 9.—Having procured an apparatus on purpose, I ordered several persons to be electrified who were ill of various disorders; some of whom found an immediate, some a gradual, cure. From this time I appointed, first some hours in every week and afterward an hour in every day, wherein any that desired it might try the virture of this surprising medicine. Two or three years after, our patients were so numerous that we were obliged to divide them: so part were electrified in Southwark, part at the Foundry, others near St. Paul’s, and the rest near the Seven Dials. The same method we have taken ever since; and to this day, while hundreds, perhaps thousands, have received unspeakable good, I have not known one man, woman, or child, who has received any hurt thereby: so that when I hear any talk of the danger of being electrified (especially if they are medical men who talk so), I cannot but impute it to great want either of sense or honesty.Nothing about methods, though. I supose I can assume that getting up early and praying was a 'foundation practice' as Wesley recomended starting at 5 AM.
As soon as I set foot in Georgia, I began preaching at five in the morning; and every communicant, that is, every serious person in the town, constantly attended throughout the year: I mean, every morning, winter and summer, unless in the case of sickness. They did so till I left the province.
Perhaps there was a pamphlet that contained the method?
William Stukeley, the first antiquarian (or was that John Aubrey?) was around at the same time. Both men were doing their best to undo what they percieved as centuries of errors and misunderstandings, to reveal the 'true' face of religion. William Stukely, was a Freemason who took to calling himself a Druid. He had evidence to beleive that the Druids had once spoken Hebrew and had been taught the True religion.
A part of that evidence is that Welsh is related to Hebrew.
It isn't.
Anyway, Stukeley interpreted Avebury as a serpent and circle shaped earthwork. People have been reinterpreting it ever since.
The snake and circle idea probebly came to him via Kircher (forever a favorite of mine for asking to be lowered into an erupting vulcano) who in Oedipus Aegyptiacus (1652-1654) wrote about the works of Plato and the Neoplatonists, basically Plotinus and Iamblichus. Because it was Kircher who identified the hieroglyph of the globe, serpent and wings as a form of the divine trinity...why oh why is another kettle of red herrings!
Anyway, back to Wesley and The Method.
Seems that The Method really began in The Oxford Holy Club started by John Wesley and his brother Charles. The bible studied there was the Novum Testamentum Graece, a translation deemed necasary by Erasmus in 1514. The King James bible was printed in 1611, but was, I assume, not complete enough for the Wesley brothers.
Finally I've found it-The Method- from http://christianperfection.com/page3.html
It starts as all the best stories do, with an old manuscript found in a library and a code..
What follows comes from the word doc' downloaded from Christian Perfection. It begins with: in July of 1969 Richard Heitzenrater was looking through an old library in England and there he found a diary written in code that he recognized. The code had been created by John Wesley, and Wesley had taught it to Benjamin Ingham.
But why use code?
The code was used for privacy and efficiency and served as a written conscious.
But you don't need code for that? Code so only other Methodists could read it, is that the reason?
Every hour of the day the Oxford Methodist would update the diary.
Tweets!
The significance of this “Method of Holiness” is the diary served as a tool for self examination, and included blessings, sins, detailed accounts of daily activities, books read, conversations with other Oxford Methodist, means of grace observed, including prayer time, and devotions, including an intensity gauge for many of the entries.
Source: Diary of an Oxford Methodist: Benjamin Ingham,
1733-1734 edited by Richard P. Heitzenrater
Duke Univ. Press 1985
Method 1: is continuous diaries. If John Wesley kept a diary, so should everyone else.
Method 2: is to compare diaries to provide a high degree of accountability.
Method 3: "One on One Discipling" .
The significance of this method of holiness showed both the dedication that Wesley had for each person in his care and the time invested in each and every one so I am told.
Method 4: Temperance
The Holy Club practiced this method of holiness
The Oxford Methodists would practice temperance when eating. A list of ten rules to follow from Wesley’s Oxford Diary IV [viii]: "As to Temperance, I resolve in eating,
1. Taste only of two flesh dishes.
2. Only one slice of each.
3. At each [ meal ], fix your quantity before you taste.
4. If possible help yourself last.
5. When I have port, only port and water.
6. Before you sit at full table, pray for help.
7. In C[company], only a Cheese and Roots.
8. After any excess, abridge the next meal.
9. Only three dishes of tea in the afternoon, never but six.
10. When sugar or cream in afternoon, no bread and butter."
Method 5: Spiritual Pulse Taking:
Daily examination of conscience was a method of holiness practiced by the Oxford Methodist a sample of the questions one would ask oneself;
1. Did I in the morning plan the business of the day?
2. Have I been simple and recollected in everything?
3. Have I been or seem angry?
4. Have I used the ejaculations (prayers) once an hour?
Method 6: Holy Club Small Group
The Oxford Methodist would practice their religion in small groups using Dr. Horneck’s Rules for Religious Societies
The significance of this method of holiness was the spiritual fellowship bond that can only come from small groups and was something practiced by Christians since the first century.
Method 7: Religious Society
The General Rules
Continue to be the general rules today. Designed to "Flee the Wrath to Come" by watching over one another under the direction of a group leader. The group leader reports to his superiors the condition of his group members.
A code of conduct is provided so members can give an account of their obedience.
A code of conduct is provided so members can give an account of their obedience.
Method 8: Weekly Home Visits.
The Group leader would visit each member in their home for the purpose of instruction, prayer, Bible reading and to provide the member the opportunity to practice confession, repentance, and accountability. Because of interference from family members, this Method of Holiness was replaced with meeting in groups, with other members of the "Class" society.
Method 9: Group and Individual Society Meeting
The members of a Methodist Class Society would come together with their group leader once a week for worship, prayer, Bible reading, and instruction, then each member would meet with the group leader separately for confession, repentance, and accountability.
Method 10: Accountability with a group leader.
Each member of this method of holiness would give his or her account of that week with a reply from the group leader to each in turn. This was the entry point to Methodism that comes from the General Rules of the Societies. Usually a group of 12 persons, men and women various ages and stages in life.
Prevenient grace was the spiritual level these persons were primarily ministered to, however in later years of Methodism, they were blended with those who had received justifying grace.
John Atkinson in his work "The Class Leader His Work and How To Do It" says the group leader would reply to each group member, but does not say others would reply, so evidently a "no crosstalk format", to use a more modern term, was employed. This would mean that there would not be conversation between group members. Which was a more user friendly way to conduct a group meeting for beginners. This eases the tension that may arise from dreading questions or comments from others (not qualified to ask) that might embarrass.
An example we could easily relate to would be’ prayer circle where each person prays in turn but others do not respond by asking questions of the person who prayed. So with this method each person would offer his or her state of mind and the group leader would reply, because the accountability is being directed through the group leader The significance of this method of holiness is that a spiritually mature Christian appointed by the pastor directed the spiritual development. The Methodist Class Society observed the General Rules.
Method 11: Accountability with a group leader
"a variable format".
Each week the format varies with this accountability with a group leader. The weeks break down as follows:
One evening devoted to prayer and singing exclusively.
"One to an experience meeting with voluntary or solicited with an occasional word of encouragement, reproof, or advice as may seem best adapted, interspersed, of course with appropriate songs."
"Two evenings to Scripture recitations, bearing on some subject previously announced, ..."
Method 12: Accountability with a group leader
"the conversational plan".
The group leader opens the meeting and announces the topic of conversation. Then the group leader gives his or her own experience concerning it, and the asks volunteers to do the same, all the while making all they say come out in the form of natural conversation.
"There was no discussion nothing but experience".
Method 13: Accountability with a group leader
"free talk"
Arose from "Disliking the old method of a brief testimony from each person, and a reply from the leader, ..." [ evidently they though no crosstalk was boring ] avoiding rambling and unprofitable conversation "...the Leader gives out a scripture promise at the close of a meeting for the succeeding one. Something of system of texts, beginning with the Christian life, and then expressing different stages of advancement". Evidently crosstalk was encouraged, members observed the general rules.
Method 14: Accountability with a Group Leader
The Method of Holiness for this class is unknown, but it probably followed closely one of the 3 "older methods" of the class society. It is being listed as a separate method because the class was offered to those who were on a probationary status, and after satisfactory completion they would move onto a regular Methodist Class Society. Some societies had a 3 month probationary period.
Some societies allowed two visits to a Methodist class society to check it out, some societies staggered the visiting meetings to one every other week, to protect the sensitivities of the current members. Evidently the probationary period was sometimes served as a part of a Class Society meeting and sometimes the probationary period was served as a separate meeting from the class. These were ministered to as those with convincing or convicting grace.
Method 15: Group Accountability.
Where the Methodist Class Society was focused to be an entry point to Methodism, the Methodist Band Society was for those who experienced justifying grace, sought sanctification and wanted to maximize James 5:16.
"Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed".
This was a small group that practiced one method of holiness, (The Rules of the Band Societies), without an appointed group leader, crosstalk throughout, divided by sex, age, and marital status usually 4-6 members. This was a closed meeting.
Method 16: Group Accountability
No specific method of holiness.
No group leader.
Members "selected" by John Wesley or another official with senior ranking in the Methodist Societies.
usually a group of 4-6 who observed the "General Rules" and the Directions given to the select society. Practiced accountability for sanctification and for their gifts of the spirit.
Method 17: Accountability with a Group Leader
This group was comprised of persons who were backsliders from either the class or maybe the band societies. The method is unknown. Meetings usually conducted on Saturday evening to separate them from the Class and Band Society meetings usually held on Thursday evening. John Wesley presided over many of these meetings with the no one left behind approach for those who wanted to repent and come back. Practiced accountability for their convicting grace.
Method 18: General Rules for Employing time from John Wesley’s diary:
1. Begin and end every day with God; sleep not immoderately.
2. Be diligent in your calling.
3. Employ all spare hours in religion, as able.
4. All holidays (holy days ).
5. Avoid drunkards and busybodies.
6. Avoid curiosity, and all useless employments and knowledge.
7. Examine yourself every night.
8. Never on any account pass a day without setting aside at least an hour for devotion.
9. Avoid all manner of passion.
Friday, March 26. I found a great many unclean thoughts arise in prayer (or devotion), and discovered these temptations to it:
a. Too much addicting myself to light behavior at all times.
b. Listening too much to idle talk, or reading vain plays or books.
c. Idleness, and lastly want of devotion...from which I perceive it is necessary:
a. To labor for grave and modest carriage;
b. To avoid vain and light company; and
c. To entertain awful apprehensions of the presence of God.
d. To avoid idleness, freedom with women and high seasoned meats;
e. To resist the very beginnings of lust, not by arguing with, but by thinking no more of it or by immediately going into company; lastly
F. To use frequent and fervent prayer.
Method 19: General Rules as to Intention from John Wesley’s diary:
1. In every act reflect on the end.
2. Begin every action in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost.
3. Begin every important work with prayer.
4. Do not leave off a duty because you are tempted to do it.
Method 20: A General Rule in All Actions of Life, from John Wesley’s diary
Whenever you are to do an action, consider how God did or would do the like, and do you imitate His example.
Method 21: Accountability According to Grace Received .
To better understand how these methods of holiness worked together, let’s start with where they started.
The entry point to the Methodist Societies was the Methodist Class Society. This was an open meeting and if someone was drawn to Methodism by prevenient grace one would start by visiting a "class". Historically, on average after 2.3 years of meeting in a class society people would experience justifying grace and would desire to move onward.
This next accountability step was the Methodist Band Society. This was a small circle of 4-6 people grouped according to age, marital status, and sex. These groups were designed to draw people close to one another and though accountability and prayer bring healing from the consequences of sin. The design of this meeting was based on James 5:16 "Confess your faults to one another and pray for one another that you may be healed..."
Those who became leaders and would desire to go on to perfection in sanctifying grace might also be "selected" by John Wesley to enter the "Select Society". This was a group that John Wesley would himself attend till at least the age of 85.
Backsliders also had a place. The no one left behind attitude produced a special meeting called the Penitent Society, conducted on Saturday nights, apart from the Class and Band meetings (usually held on Thursday nights).
The question is what to do about this?
The answer is to receive the grace of God while it is available.
Recognized ways to make yourself available to the grace of God or the "means of grace" would include:
1. Prayer
2. Bible reading
3. Communion
4. worship
5. service
6. practice a method of holiness
Having a pure love of God is the basis for Christian perfection which John Wesley taught. Putting faith into practice is the follow through .
-
So if you want to start a new religion...there's the framework or rather it looks very familiar to me, it reminds me a lot of school. I think that the core concept within 'The Method' of each person being responsible for their own and each other's conduct and more specifically the struggle against greed or licentiousness and general 'backsliding' makes the whole bad behavior thing a much more exciting activity.
It explains binge drinking (quick drink as much as you can before they see and stop you!) and a newspaper culture of pointing out the consequences of 'bad behavior'...
I wasn't brought up that way you see, I was simply expected to work stuff out...so I find it fascinating.
So if you want to start a new religion...there's the framework or rather it looks very familiar to me, it reminds me a lot of school. I think that the core concept within 'The Method' of each person being responsible for their own and each other's conduct and more specifically the struggle against greed or licentiousness and general 'backsliding' makes the whole bad behavior thing a much more exciting activity.
It explains binge drinking (quick drink as much as you can before they see and stop you!) and a newspaper culture of pointing out the consequences of 'bad behavior'...
I wasn't brought up that way you see, I was simply expected to work stuff out...so I find it fascinating.
