Mary Jacobs, staff writer for the UM Reporter, has written a helpful article on the misquoting of John Wesley, the founder (along with his brother, Charles) of Methodism. The misquoting of famous and influential people has always been a problem, but even more so now with the Internet and the advent of social media. Someone posts a quote on Facebook (as I often do) and everyone reading it assumes that the quote is accurate without even checking sources. Before the day is over others have posted the same quote as well, and all of a sudden someone has supposedly said something she or he never uttered. In reference to John Wesley, he never said several things that have been attributed to him for many years. Two examples are:
"Set yourself on fire with passion & people will come for miles to watch you burn."
And, "In essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; and in all things, charity."
The latter is quoted often by Methodists and was the motto of the 1996 General Conference of the United Methodist Church. But as Richard Heitzenrater, professor emeritus of church history and Wesley studies at Duke Divinity School and a leading authority on John Wesley said, "It's a nice saying, but it's not Wesley."
And, most importantly, John Wesley never spoke of a Quadrilateral, which the coiner of the term, Albert Outler, regretted he ever used because it has been so abused. As more than a few have rightly noted, the Wesley Quadrilateral is neither Wesleyan nor a Quadrilateral. More on that in a future post.
And, most importantly, John Wesley never spoke of a Quadrilateral, which the coiner of the term, Albert Outler, regretted he ever used because it has been so abused. As more than a few have rightly noted, the Wesley Quadrilateral is neither Wesleyan nor a Quadrilateral. More on that in a future post.
The article is worth a full read. At the end Jacobs adds a list of some things Father John did indeed say. Here they are:
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 labor 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.
1 comment:
The quote "In essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; and in all things, charity." may well have its origins in the Moravian church. My wife was raised Moravian and this was often quoted.
Post a Comment