In 1743, 393 livings within the gift of the Archbishop of York were occupied by clergymen who did not live within that diocese and another 335 incumbents held plural livings. One bishop of Winchester distributed 30 incumbencies among his family. The Church of England was corrupt and slumbered.
The facts of John Wesley’s life and of his ‘Great Awakening’ which disturbed the slumbers are clear. Born in 1703, he was ordained and died a priest in the Church of England. Influenced both by High Church and non-juror, by Taylor, A Kempis and Law and by Puritan traditions, by the classics of spirituality and the Counter-Reformation, and by the disciplined spirituality of his home at Epworth Rectory, he formulated both a personal creed and public mission ‘to spread scriptural holiness throughout the land’. At Oxford, the Holy Club he developed with its daily spiritual diary, self- and other examination, strict fasting and intense piety set the rigorous standards which became part of the mission.
The mission was characterised above all by energy and intensity both spiritual and organisational.
Comments
Join the debate for just $5 for 3 months
Be part of the conversation with other Spectator readers by getting your first three months for $5.
UNLOCK ACCESS Just $5 for 3 monthsAlready a subscriber? Log in