Anti-Methodist Writings of 18th Century

Methodism was controversial as a new movement. The religious wars on the continent and the civil war in England during the 17th century were still fresh in people’s minds, as religious tensions remained between the different Christian traditions. Therefore, Methodism garnered much criticism in the public square as many considered it a threat to the nation and its religious order. It should be noted that Methodism in the 18th century included two branches – Wesleyan Methodism and Calvinistic Methodism – and the criticisms were aimed at both groups. The primary leader of Calvinistic Methodism was the great evangelist George Whitefield (like the Wesleys an Anglican minister). Sometimes the authors of these pamphlets were made known and sometimes they weren’t. The following list of anti-Methodist writings help to situate the Wesleys and early Methodism within the religious climate of the 18th century.

Richard Green’s bibliography is an invaluable resource to research anti-Methodist writings and their contents.
Bibliography of Anti-Methodist Publications 18th Century 1902

Josiah Barr’s classic study on the opposition, persecution, and mob violence that early Methodists experienced because of their faith.
Early Methodists Under Persecution 1916

John Wesley’s famous tract on the mob violence that Methodists faced at Wednesbury and elsewhere.
Modern Christianity Exemplified at Wednesbury 2nd ed 1745

 

Edmund Gibson 1669-1748
Gibson was bishop of London for 20 years (1728-1748), a personal adviser to the prime minister, and the most influential churchman in his day. In the Plain Account of Christian Perfection, ch. 12, John Wesley states he had appeared before the Bishop to explain his views on Christian perfection, after which Gibson encouraged him to publish them. Wesley then wrote the sermon “Christian Perfection.” However, Gibson was critical of certain excesses as he perceived in the Methodists. The following tract is attributed to him. Wesley claimed the tract was sent to all of the parishes in Gibson’s diocese (Works, Jackson, 8:59).
Observations on Conduct of Methodists 1744
Observations on Conduct of Methodists 2nd Edition 1744

Alexander Garden 1685-1756
Garden was the Anglican rector in Charleston, South Carolina, and was supportive of John Wesley during his mission in Georgia in 1736-1737. But Garden opposed Whitefield’s evangelical message of justification and new birth by faith alone. These writings offer insights into how many Anglicans saw Methodism on both sides of the Atlantic:
Six Letters to G Whitefield 1740
Two Sermons on Regeneration Response to Whitefield 1741
Response to Whitefield Concerning Justification 1742

Josiah Tucker 1713-1799
Tucker attended Oxford when the Wesleys were there and became the Vicar of All Saints Church in Bristol and Chaplain to the Bishop (Joseph Butler). Tucker was commissioned to examine the beliefs and principles of Methodism by the Archbishop of Armagh. Tucker presents an even-handed review and attributes Methodism’s principles to William Law. John Wesley responded with his tract The Principles of a Methodist.
Brief History of the Principles of Methodism 1742

Thomas Church 1707-1756
Church was Vicar of Battersea and Prebendary of St. Paul’s Cathedral, London. John Wesley publicly responded to Church’s criticisms (see Wesley’s Works, Jackson Edition, vol. 8).
Remarks on Wesley’s Last Journal 1745

Nathaniel Fletcher   n.d.
Fletcher was a layman who thought the Methodists were a group of ignorant people caught up in enthusiasm, the 18th century term for religious fanaticism. He charges the Methodists with twelve major errors in this short tract.
Methodist Errors Dissected 1749

John Roche n.d.
Though this tract was against Moravian leaders Count Zinzendorf and John Cennick, both of whom had worked with the Wesleys, the criticisms leveled against one evangelical group often spilled over toward other groups and offers further context to the opposition that evangelicals faced in the 18th century.
Moravian Heresy on Doctrine 1751

George Lavington 1684-1762  
Lavington was Bishop of Exeter and a sharp critic of Methodism. John Wesley responded to Lavington’s criticisms in a series of open letters (for these letters, see Wesley’s Works, Jackson Edition, vol. 9):
Enthusiasm of Methodists & Papists Compared Vol I 1754
Enthusiasm of Methodists & Papists Compared Vol II 1754
Enthusiasm of Methodists & Papists Compared Vols 1-3 1820

John Downes  1691-1760
Downes was Rector of St. Michael’s, Wood-Street, and Lecturer at St. Mary’s, Le-Bow. He considered Methodism as a danger to his parishioners and wrote the following tract to expose their enthusiasm (i.e. fanaticism). It is fairly lengthy and includes four parts. Three editions of the tract was published in 1759. Besides this tract he published several volumes of sermons and a work on set forms of prayers.
Methodism Examined & Exposed 1759

Samuel Foote   1720-1777
Foote was a well-known actor, author, playwright, theater manager, and satirist in London. He wrote this play to be performed in the Theatre Royal in Covent Garden, but apparently the production fell through. This play is related to an earlier play, called the Minor. Richard Green considered the second work a “foul production.”
The Methodist; a Comedy 1760
Methodist and Mimic 1766

James Clark n.d.
Clark was an Anglican presbyter in the diocese of Tuam. The book or tract is lengthy and includes a sermon and several letters. It includes a subscriber page that shows it had wide support for its publication. As the title suggests, Clark considered Methodism a revival of the second-century heresy known as Montanism that stressed the charismatic work of the Holy Spirit. At its essence, Clarke saw Methodism as pure enthusiasm.
Montanism Revived by Methodists 1760

Gilbert Boyce n.d.
Boyce was a General Baptist minister who wrote a series of letters to John Wesley to show that baptism by immersion is necessary for membership in the true church and on other matters. He was respectful in his demeanor toward Wesley.
Serious Reply to John Wesley & Methodists 1770

John MacGowen n.d.
MacGowen was a local Calvinist preacher for about two years and strongly opposed to the Methodists. He wrote this tract to slander Wesley and Walter Sellon, and the Methodists as a whole.
Foundary Budget Opened 1780

J.A. Mason n.d.
Mason was a Catholic Priest who took exceptions to Wesley’s critique of a Roman Catholic Catechism. He claimed Wesley misrepresented the Catholic faith. The following work is the first part of his response.
Strictures on John Wesley’s Roman Catechism

Andrew Hamilton n.d.
In the following tract Hamilton critiques Methodist doctrines found in Wesley’s Sermon “The Almost Christian.” Here are two editions of the work.
Objections Against Methodist Doctrine 1801
Objections Against Methodist Doctrine 1819

 

Anonymous Tracts

 

The author compares Methodism to the “heretic” John Wycliffe, the forerunner of the English Reformation. He levels 40 charges against the Methodists. The tract was first published in 1740 and other editions followed, as late as 1748.
Methodists Imposters 2nd ed 1740

The following tract includes a lengthy poem disparaging the early work of Methodism in the Bristol area. Both John Wesley and George Whitefield are named in the poem. After this follows information on Wesley’s time in Georgia that includes Captain Robert Williams Affidavit accusing Wesley of misconduct supported by a letter of Thomas Christie and an extract of a book written by a supposed eye witness to the events. Wesley’s two letters to Captain Williams are included. Richard Green believed the author was a “renegade Methodist.”
The Progress of Methodism in Bristol 1743 

Richard Green states that a contemporary manuscript attributes this tract to a Dr. Sharp. Like most tracts from the era, this one accuses Wesley of enthusiasm. The author’s tone is respectful, yet his principles differ sharply from Wesley’s.
Remarks on JW’s Earnest Appeal to Men of Religion and Reason 1743

The following tract was written by a clergyman who was irritated by Wesley’s aspersions toward some of the clergy and his incursion into the dioceses of Newcastle. He challenged the Methodist’s views of justification and regeneration. The tract was originally published in 1743. For Wesley’s comments on the tract, see Works, Jackson, 8:34 note.
Notions of Methodism on Justification & Regeneration Disproved 1744

The title is designed to draw in those who are critics of Methodism. Under the guise of writing against Methodism the author actually exposes the true nature of enthusiasm.
Methodism Displayed & Enthusiasm Detected 1756

The author writes under the pseudonym John Baptist and attacks Wesley’s “system” of teachings. The author addresses several topics including original sin and truth.
Short Examen of Wesley’s System 1757

This very short tract is written under the pseudonym Philagathus Cantabrigienus. The author addresses the people of Gravesend and warns that the Methodists are merely the blind leading the blind.
Methodist Instructed & Absurdities Exposed 1764

This work was written by a Calvinist to defend the Reformed doctrines of absolute predestination and related teachings against the Arminian beliefs of Wesley and the Methodists.
On Perfections of God – A Poem 4th ed 1770

This anonymous tract compares Methodism to Catholicism and sees both as from pagan origins.
Methodism & Popery Compared 1779

The following poem was published in defense of Rev. Gill and defends the Calvinist notion of perseverance of the saints.
Perseverance A Poem in Response to JW 1791

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