Methodists are fond of quoting John Wesley - especially in sermons and on the social media.
But an American church historian is expressing concern that we are often putting words into the mouth of our venerable founder.
In 1996, the General Conference chose these “Wesleyan words” as its motto: “In essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; and in all things, charity.”
“It’s a nice saying,” said Dr. Heitzenrater. “But it’s not Wesley.”
Similarly, United Methodists can find the “Rule of Life” attributed to Wesley in the lyrics of a hymn (Worship & Song, No. 3117): “Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as you ever can.” An earlier edition of Bartlett’s Familiar Quotations credited those words to Wesley, Cokesbury stores once sold a paperweight with a short version of the quotation, and many United Methodist pastors cite this as a favorite quote on their Facebook pages. But, Dr. Heitzenrater says there’s no evidence that Wesley wrote those words.
But be reassured, Dr Heitzenrater does say that Wesley said the following popular quotes:
1. The best of it all is, God is with us.
2. I am always in haste, but never in a hurry.
3. I look on all the world as my parish.
4. Beware you be not swallowed up in books!
5. Read the most useful books, and that regularly and constantly. Steadily spend all morning in this employ, or, at least five hours in four-and-twenty.
6. A Christian abhors sloth as much as drunkenness.
7. The more labour the more blessing.
8. Fervor for opinions is not Christian zeal.
9. Can anything but love beget love?
10. Do a little at a time that you may do the more.
11. I have often repented of judging too severely, but very seldom of being too merciful.
But an American church historian is expressing concern that we are often putting words into the mouth of our venerable founder.
In 1996, the General Conference chose these “Wesleyan words” as its motto: “In essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; and in all things, charity.”
“It’s a nice saying,” said Dr. Heitzenrater. “But it’s not Wesley.”
Similarly, United Methodists can find the “Rule of Life” attributed to Wesley in the lyrics of a hymn (Worship & Song, No. 3117): “Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as you ever can.” An earlier edition of Bartlett’s Familiar Quotations credited those words to Wesley, Cokesbury stores once sold a paperweight with a short version of the quotation, and many United Methodist pastors cite this as a favorite quote on their Facebook pages. But, Dr. Heitzenrater says there’s no evidence that Wesley wrote those words.
But be reassured, Dr Heitzenrater does say that Wesley said the following popular quotes:
1. The best of it all is, God is with us.
2. I am always in haste, but never in a hurry.
3. I look on all the world as my parish.
4. Beware you be not swallowed up in books!
5. Read the most useful books, and that regularly and constantly. Steadily spend all morning in this employ, or, at least five hours in four-and-twenty.
6. A Christian abhors sloth as much as drunkenness.
7. The more labour the more blessing.
8. Fervor for opinions is not Christian zeal.
9. Can anything but love beget love?
10. Do a little at a time that you may do the more.
11. I have often repented of judging too severely, but very seldom of being too merciful.
