Charles Wesley

1707-1788

   Some have described Charles Wesley as the "first Methodist." They point out that he was the one who first brought together a group of like-minded Christians to the "Holy Club" at Oxford. Three days before his brother John's famous experience of feeling his heart "strangely warmed," Charles had a "strange palpitation of heart."

   Richard P. Heitzenrater challenges the historicity and logic of this view. He notes that though Charles formed a small group at Oxford, it was not the one known later as the "Holy Club" First in chronology does not mean first in leadership. Charles usually deferred to John's leadership.¹

   Nevertheless Charles Wesley has not been given as much credit as he should receive. Today people are much more familiar with some of Charles Wesley's hymns than with John Wesley's sermons.

   Charles Wesley not only wrote hundreds of hymns, a number of which are still sung today, but he was also a poet. He was one of the most prolific poets in the English language.

For Further Study

• Charles Wesley's Hymns in The United Methodist Hymnal (words and midi music)
• Charles Wesley's Epitaph for Susanna (1670-1742) from J. B. Wakeley, Anecdotes of the Wesleys: Illustrative of Their Character and Personal History (19th century)
• A Collection of Hymns for the People Called Methodist, edited by John Wesley, includes many of Charles Wesley's hymns
• Grace Murray, Model Leader and John Wesley's True Love. Charles Wesley intervened and successfully prevented John from marrying Grace Murray. His action caused a significant split between the brothers for a time.
• Sarah Gwynne Wesley, musician and wife of Charles Wesley. Unlike his brother John's marriage, Charles' was a happy one.

Return: Quiz Questions

   This quiz is based on information in John Wesley: Holiness of Heart and Life copyright © 1996 Charles Yrigoyen, Jr.

   The drawing near the top of most the web pages for Holiness of Heart and Life depicts the Reverend John Wesley (1703-1791) at age 48. All of the black and white drawings have been scanned by Nancy A. Carter from public domain nineteeth century or early twentieth century Methodist history books. Please acknowledge this web site, John Wesley: Holiness of Heart and Life, http://gbgm-umc.org/umw/wesley/, if you reproduce these. Sorry, the graphics are available only in the 72 dpi resolution you see here.

E-mail: acraig@gbgm-umc.org

Note

   ¹Richard P. Heitzenrater, "Charles Wesley and the Methodist Tradition," Charles Wesley: Poet and Theologian, ed. by S T Kimbrough, Jr. (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1992), pp. 176-185.