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74 THE HISTORY OF HERESIES,
exchanges his material body, of which there is no resurrection,
for a substantial one, and can immediately enjoy all the pleasures
of this life, oven the most gross, just as if he were still in tho
flesh. In fact, a man frequently does not well know whether ho
is living or dead. Jesus Christ is God himself, in human form,
who existed from all eternity, but became incarnate in time to
bring the hells, or evil spirits, into subjection. Ho admitted a
Trinity of his own, consisting of the Divinity, tho Humanity, and
tho Operation. This Trinity commenced only at tho Incarnation.
He travelled through a great part of Europe, disseminating his
doctrines, and finally died in London, in 1772, and was buried
in tho Swedish Church, Katclift c Highway. His followers have
increased since his death, but they still only form small and
obscuro congregations. They style themselves
tho New Jerusalem."
"
tho Church of
5. The Patriarch of Methodism was John Wesley, who was
born in 1703, at Epworth, in Lincolnshire, of which place his
father was rector. At the ago of seventeen ho was sent to tho
University of Oxford, and being more seriously inclined than the
generality of young men there, applied himself diligently to his
studies. One of his favourite books at that period was the famous
Imitation of Christ." During
The work of Thomas a Kcmpis,
"
his long and varied life this golden work was his manual, and he
published even an edition of it himself in 1735, but, as should bo
expected, corrupted and mutilated. His brother Charles, a stu
dent like himself, at Oxford, and a few other young men, formed
themselves into a Society for Scripture reading and practices of
piety, and, as the state of morals was peculiarly lax in that scat
of learning, they were jeered by their fellow-students, called the
Godly Club, and, on account of their methodical manner of
living, were nicknamed
"
Methodists," which afterwards became
tho general designation of tho whole sect or society
in all its
numerous subdivisions. Wesley was ordained in the Anglican
Church, and assisted his father for a while as curate, till an ap
pointment was offered him in Georgia. Ho sailed, accordingly,
for America, in company with his brother and two others. He
led quite an ascetic life at this period, slept frequently on tho
bare boards, and continually practised mortiiication. He re,
maincd in America till 1738, and then returned to England. Ho