TABLE OF CONTENTS

    

Abbreviations vii

Preface ix

Acknowledgments xi

Dedication xiii

Introduction 1

1. His Statement of Purpose 19

2. Wesley Embraces Perfection 22

3. Thomas `a Kempis 24

End Note: Wesley's Early Views 25

4. William Law 27

5. The Imitation of Christ 28

6. The Circumcision of the Heart 30

7. Early Poems on Perfection 35

End Note: Wesley's Evangelical Conversion 37

8. Full Assurance of Faith 40

9. Hymns and Sacred Poems I 42

10. The Character of the Methodist 44

11. Early Opposition of Perfection 51

12. Christian Perfection 54

13. Hymns and Sacred Poems II - Preface 67

14. Hymns and Sacred Poems II - Selections 75

15. Hymns and Sacred Poems III - Preface 79

16. Hymns and Sacred Poems III - Selections 85

17. The Conference Minutes 1744-1747 92

End Note: Additional Conference Minutes 102

18. Hymns and Sacred Poems IV 107

19. Thoughts on Christian Perfection 113

20. The Danger of Enthusiasm-Maxfield and Bell 145

21. A Friend's Letter 149

22. The False Ideas of Enthusiasts 152

23. Questions to Critics 154

24. The Testimony of Jane Cooper 161

End Note: Testimonies of Perfect Love 169

25. Farther Thoughts on Christian Perfection 175

26. Wesley's Summary Statement on Christian Perfection 244

27. A Plea for Impartial Judgment 253

28. An Appeal to Friends of the Revival 257

End Note: An Early Methodist Definition 260

Resource Section: 261

Timeline 263

Indexes:

Scripture 268

Annotations 278

Subject 289

Synonyms in A Plain Account 302

Synonyms in Wesley's Journal 1761-1766 306

Wesley's Writings in the Annotations 309

Author 313

Essential Readings of John Wesley 314

Sermons 314

Writings 315

Letters 316

Select Bibliography on Christian Perfection 322

Primary Sources 322

John Wesley 322

Charles Wesley 323

Secondary Sources 324

John Wesley 324

Charles Wesley 326

Biographical and Historical 326

Wesleyan and Holiness 328

Differing Perspectives on Christian Perfection 330

Standard Resources 331

Upcoming Vols. II & III 333

 

 

PREFACE

 

This book was born out of passion. When I began to study

Wesley over 20 years ago, I mostly stumbled through his collected

works (Jackson edition) to find all the writings relevant

to his perfection beliefs. Since Wesley did not write a systematic

formulation of his perfection doctrine, he left it to his posterity

to organize what he believed and taught. The secondary

literature over the last several decades has contributed much to

our understanding of Wesley–his personal life and historical

context. It is out of this passion that John Wesley’s ‘A Plain

Account of Christian Perfection’ is now being offered in this

ANNOTATED EDITION.

This volume offers a wealth of information under a single

cover: The entire text has been divided into chapters and

verses, enabling detailed study and cross-referencing. The

verse by verse commentary includes 150 quotations from

Wesley, plus the insights of many Wesley scholars. Five end

notes explore Wesley’s early doctrinal development and include

other relevant material from early Methodism. The Introduction

probes into the questions of when and why Wesley

wrote A Plain Account, offering historical context. Finally, an

exhaustive resource section offers the tools for one’s own

study of A Plain Account and Wesley’s theology of perfection.

The collection on synonyms and letters are unique to Wesley

research.

Some recommendations could be helpful to the reader of

this ANNOTATED EDITION. Even if a person has studied

Wesley before, the best place to begin is with the Introduction.

Most important is the section, “Why Wesley Wrote A Plain

Account.” The survey in that section explains the larger historical

context one should keep in mind when reading A Plain

Account.

If the reader has never studied A Plain Account before, it

is recommended they first read through the text before perusing

the commentary. One can read a chapter, or better, several

chapters, and then work through the annotations. This allows

the reader to engage Wesley directly. The annotations serve

only to supplement Wesley's text.

The reader should keep in mind the inductive nature of

the commentary. The annotations move along with the text

and include comments relative to the text under discussion.

There is no attempt to systematize Wesley's views in A Plain

Account. This will be done in Volume III of the series. What

the annotations offer is historical background, explanation and

clarification, cross-references, brief summaries of specific topics,

highlights of key themes, and, most importantly, quotations

from Wesley's other writings that illuminate the text under

discussion. This means the reader is left the task of working

through the text and commentary to formulate their own

conclusions on Wesley's theology of perfection. This also allows

one to begin reading the commentary at any place. The

cross-references will notify the reader of related topics elsewhere

in the text and commentary. The reader should also

keep in mind that the annotations evolve along with the text.

While the early chapters in A Plain Account are short, the later

chapters grow considerably in length and depth. The commentary

moves through this same process by becoming more indepth

as the book unfolds.

If the reader keeps these recommendations in mind, they

will find this ANNOTATED EDITION beneficial in their study of

A Plain Account, and Wesley's theology of perfection.

A main reason why John Wesley wrote A Plain Account

was to encourage Christians, of all varieties, to seek after holiness

of heart and life. He understood that for believers to attain

all that God's grace provides, they would need to become

seekers after holiness. It is with this same motivation that this

ANNOTATED EDITION is now being offered to the public.

 

 

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

 

Every author finds him or herself indebted to other people

when it comes to writing and publishing a book. I am no exception.

I want to thank my friend Gene Colburn for his words

of encouragement, and for the inspiration to publish the book

in the first place. I am grateful to Randy Maddox for answering

my many email questions, and doing so in a timely manner.

His openness and accessibility was a continual encouragement

in my research. I express appreciation to Rick Friedrich

and Alethea In Heart. From the moment he heard of the

book, Rick has been very supportive to see the book published,

and he gave his time generously during the editing

process. I thank my wife, Lorrie, for her support and patience

while I focused my attention to a little box and screen–we call

the computer. I further want to express gratitude to those

whom I have never met personally, but from whom I have

reaped a rich harvest from their research on John Wesley.

Last, but most importantly, I thank my Lord Jesus Christ for

his saving and perfecting grace. Though I am still a “work in

process,” I offer him my worship and undying devotion.

Mark K. Olson

July, 2005

 

INTRODUCTION

John Wesley (1703-1791) is the chief architect and source

of inspiration to the teaching commonly referred to as Christian

perfection. Among his many publications, the book that

best summarizes his views is A Plain Account of Christian

Perfection, as believed and taught by the Reverend Mr. John

Wesley, from the year 1725, to the year 1777. John Peters calls

it, “Wesley’s most comprehensive exposition of his doctrine.”1

A Plain Account was written at a critical time in Wesley’s life

when his beliefs were crystallizing into their mature position.

Wesley scholars divide his ministry into three periods: the

early years 1725-1738, the middle years 1738-1765, and the

mature years 1765-1791.2 As the subtitle indicates, A Plain

Account went through several printings during Wesley’s lifetime

(six editions). Thomas Jackson, in his edition of Wesley’s

works, includes this preface:

It is not to be understood, that Mr. Wesley's

sentiments concerning Christian Perfection were in

any measure changed after the year 1777. This tract

underwent several revisions and enlargements during

his life-time; and in every successive edition the date

of the most recent revision was specified. The last

revision appears to have been made in the year 1777;

and since that period, this date has been generally

continued on the title-page of the several editions of

the pamphlet. (Works 11:366)

 

About This Annotated Edition

My interest in John Wesley began in 1983 as I was

working through my own Christian beliefs. I found Wesley to

be expounding truths from God’s word that spoke deeply to

1 Peters, 32.

2 Maddox, Responsible Grace, 20; Rack, xi.

my own heart. My interest in A Plain Account became more

serious in the summer of 1995 as I studiously poured over its

pages. I felt at the time, and still do, that this is the book to

master if one is to understand Wesley on the subject of

Christian Perfection. My purpose in writing this annotated

edition is to aid others in their study of Wesley’s doctrine of

perfection as presented in A Plain Account. Wesley never

provided a systematic presentation of his beliefs. What he did

leave us is a large amount of sermons, tracts, essays, and

letters, along with his journals and diaries. A Plain Account is

the closest thing we have from his pen that resembles a comprehensive

presentation of his doctrine of Christian perfection.

This Annotated Edition is divided into two sections: the

text of A Plain Account with annotations, and a resource

section to empower one’s own study. In the future I plan, Lord

willing, to write two sequels that will systematically synthesize

Wesley’s perfection theology as presented in A Plain

Account, and address other relevant issues related to his

doctrine of perfect love and its proclamation today.

A Plain Account of Christian Perfection

With Annotations

The text comes from the 1872 Jackson edition of Wesley’s

works. In 1777 Wesley made his final editorial changes

to A Plain Account, and in 1789 he included it without further

revision in The Discipline of the Methodist Episcopal Church.

The Jackson edition is still the most popular, the most accessible,

and the most affordable of Wesley’s collected writings.

While the new Bicentennial Edition of the Works of John

Wesley is partly finished, and offers unsurpassed introductions

and footnotes, it is still incomplete. To date the Jackson

edition continues to be the most complete edition of Wesley’s

writings, and the only one that contains A Plain Account. For

these reasons the Jackson edition was chosen to be the primary

text used throughout this annotated edition to reference and

quote Wesley.

Wesley originally never had an y chapters in A Plain

Account ; he just numbered each new section at the beginning

of the paragraph. This annotated edition follows the example

of J. Fred Parker and Beacon Hill Press in making each

numbered section a chapter. Each chapter title reflects the

sermon or writing Wesley uses in that chapter, or the ke y

person or thought that the chapter focuses on. I also decided to

go through the entire text and place verse numbers in the text.

This allows for more exact cross-referencing and detailed

commentary. The verse numbers are in a normal roman font

style to distinguish them from Wesley’s own numbering,

which he uses frequently.

The reader will find the annotations to be very complete.

My decision to no t have meager notes is driven by m y purpose:

to help you, the reader, better understand Wesley’s doctrine

of perfection as presented in A Plain Account . Background

information, definitions, scholarly explanations, and many

quotes from Wesley’s other writings are included in the commentary.

A few comments about the annotations might be

helpful. The reader will find that the commentary develops

along with the book. In A Plain Account, Wesley’s views go

through an ever-deepening evolution, reflecting his own

growth in understanding. I have tried to let the commentary

develop along with the book. Therefore, it pays to keep

pressing on. I also sought to minimize cross-referencing in the

early chapters to the later chapters. In a book of this nature

where the same ideas and themes are often repeated, it would

be easy to load up the front of the book with the developed

ideas of later chapters. This robs the reader of experiencing the

evolution of Wesley’s thought. The reader will then miss

understanding John Wesley, which is the purpose of this

annotated edition. The reader should know that summary

statements on key terms and ideas are presented when first

introduced, but these summaries are not meant to be exhaustive

in nature. Five endnotes are included in chapters 3, 7, 17,

24 and 28. The first two endnotes address Wesley’s early

perfection views, and the importance his evangelical experience

at Aldersgate had in shaping his perfection doctrine. The

last three endnotes include the 1744-1747 conference minutes

left out of A Plain Account, several testimonies of perfect

love, and a definition of Christian perfection from an early

Methodist lay leader. This additional material helps the reader

to grasp the full range of Wesley’s perfection theology.

Another idea incorporated into this annotated edition was

to identify synonyms for Christian perfection in bold type.

This alerts the reader to key terms Wesley uses to communicate

his perfection doctrine. Two indexes are included in the

resource section that exhaustively list all the synonyms found

in A Plain Account and in Wesley’s Journal 1761-1766.

The Resource Section

The resource section is designed to empower one’s own

study of A Plain Account and Wesley’s doctrine of Christian

perfection. Included is a timeline, several indexes, an essential

readings list from Wesley’s collected works, and a select

bibliography:

Timeline: Covers every event relevant to A Plain Account in

Wesley’s lifetime.

Index Section:

Scripture: Quotations and allusions to nearly five hundred

scripture passages.

Annotations: All annotations in the commentary section

are listed.

Subject: Topics are located by chapter and verse and are

cross-referenced.

Synonyms: From A Plain Account and Wesley’s Journal

1761-1766.

Wesley’s Writings: Citations from Wesley’s writings in

the commentary section.

Author: Everyone quoted in the annotations are listed.

Essential Readings Section:

This section aids those less familiar with Wesley’s overall

perfection theology to know where to search and find his

relevant writings on the subject in The Works of John Wesley.

Included are twenty sermons, several writings, and an exhaustive

listing of relevant letters.

Select Bibliography on Christian Perfection:

I have listed primary and secondary literature. I have chosen

not to compile an exhaustive bibliography for two reasons.

First, there are an endless number of sources on Wesley.

Second, it is often more helpful to list those sources which

have proven most useful. Also included is a section listing

sources that offer a contrasting perspective on the subject.

 

When Did Wesley Write A Plain Account?

There is general agreement Wesley published A Plain

Account in the year 1766.3 Timothy Smith dates it February

1766.4 Clues as to when Wesley wrote A Plain Account can be

found within the book and from other sources. From the book

itself we can learn the following.

In chapter 26, Wesley begins by stating that in 1764 he

took time to review the “whole subject.” While this comment

points to the gathering of his thoughts and ideas in an

organized way, it also could indicate he was considering the

idea of writing a book on the subject. In chapter 27, he

mentions the year 1765 (27:13), so we know he had not began

writing anything of substance before that year. Also, the first

published edition of A Plain Account included the subtitle,

“from the year 1725, to the year 1765.” This is a clear state-

3 Collins, Scripture way, 172; Heitzenrater, 228; Peters, 32.

4 Smith, A Chronological List, 103.

ment he wrote A Plain Account in 1765. This is what we can

learn from the book itself.

A more precise time of his actual writing can be discerned

from his Journal and from the annual conference in 1765. W.

Stephen Gunter notes that at the conference in August Wesley

read