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They were not allowed to cry aloud, play or
talk loudly, or converse with the servants or other children. "Break
the will, if you will not damn the child," was his mother's
principle.
He was always devout and obedient, but when he was at Oxford University
he started to take his faith more seriously. He kept a diary recording
his struggle to be a better Christian, where he wrote himself rules
about who to spend time with and how to talk. His general rule was
"Whenever you are to do an action, consider how Christ did
or would do the like and you are to imitate his example."
He was ordained and became an Oxford tutor. While his brother Charles
was a student, and John was 26, they formed the Holy Club. This
was a little circle dedicated to conscientious study, prayer, and
holiness. They reported to each other their daily successes and
failures and encouraged each other to do better. They also visited
prisoners and collected money for the poor.
They were called all kinds of things – "the Holy Club",
"the Bible Moths", "the Saints" – and because
of their methodical way of life, "the Methodists". That's
where the name comes from.
Wesley's spirituality became increasingly obsessive and angst-ridden.
Enemies "continually assault me", he said. He updated
his diary hourly, giving himself a score out of nine for how good
his life was. He cut off his former friends outside the Holy Club.
Then in 1737 he went with Charles to the new American colony of
Georgia as a missionary pastor. He hoped to recreate the life of
the early church of Jesus and the apostles in the New World, and
also to put behind him a number of romantic entanglements. It was
a disaster.
He failed to make any real contact with the natives. The flock increasingly
resented his strict rule – he expected them all to attend his
5.00am service every day, confiscated spirits and had a man locked
up for hunting during church hours. His principles were extreme
enough in a university club, but trying to impose them on hard frontier
life was futile.
And he again got romantically entangled with a girl he couldn't
bring himself to marry, which led to him fleeing the colony at night
pursued by lawsuits. He sailed home a broken man.
Next: "Strangely
warmed"
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