Pastor John Wright

Wesley's sermon the "Catholic Spirit" was an attempt to keep his Methodist Societies together. These were not congregations and not a 'denomination.' Wesley encouraged the Methodists to stay involved in the local congregations that gave them faith. In many ways, they remind me of the "new religious movements" within Roman Catholicism.

The Catholic Spirit was thus to help keep peace in his Methodist societies, while at the same time providing a convictional and behavioral core for the unity of these groups. It it thus important to see how Wesley envisioned his groups renewing the church catholic found in various types of local congregations. He saw church order and forms of worship (to a degree) as open to differences. Yet he saw catholicity as a means of expressing Christian love and mutual care for each other, an embodied unity that overcame distinctions between congregations. It is a powerful vision for working together to heal the rifts in the body of Christ, both within our own selves and across congregational lines.

II. 2. 'If your heart is as my heart,' if you love God and all humanity, I ask no more: 'give me your hand.'

3. I mean, first, love me: and that not only as you love all humanity; not only as you love your enemies or the enemies of God, those that hate you, that 'despitefully use you and persecute you'; not only as a stranger, as one of whom you know neither good nor evil. I am not satisfied with this, no. 'If your heart be right, as mine with your heart,' then love me with a tender affection, as a friend that is closer than a brother; as a brother in Christ, a fellow citizen of the New Jerusalem, a fellow soldier engaged in the same warfare, under the same Captain of our salvation. Love me as a companion in the kingdom and patience of Jesus, and a joint heir of His glory.

4. Love me (but in a higher degree than you love the bulk of humanity) with the love that is long-suffering and kind; that is patient-- if I am ignorant or out of the way, bearing and not increasing my burden; and is tender, soft, and compassionate still; that envies not, if at any time it please God to prosper me in His work even more then you. Love me with the love that is not provoked, either at my follies or infirmities, or even at my acting (if it should sometimes so appear to you) not according to the will of God. Love me so as to think no evil of me; to put away all jealousy and evil-surmising. Love me with the love that covers all things, that never reveals either my faults or infirmities -- that believes all things; is always willing to thing the best, to put the fairest construction on all my words and actions -- that hopes all things; either that the thing related was never done, or not done with such circumstances as are related; or, at least that it was done with a good intention or in a sudden stress of temptation. And hope to the end, that whatever is amiss will, by the grace of God, be corrected; and whatever is wanting, supplied, through the riches of His mercy in Christ Jesus.

5. I mean, secondly, commend me to God in all your prayers . . . beg of Him who is then very present with you that my heart may be more as your heart, more right both toward God and toward humans . . . Pray that the love of God and of all humanity may be poured into my heart; and I may be more fervent and active in doing the will of my Father which is in heaven; more zealous of good works and more careful to abstain from all appearance of evil.

6. I mean, thirdly, provoke me to love and to good works. Second your prayer as you have opportunity by speaking to me in love, whatever you believe to be for my soul's health. Quicken me in the work which God has given me to do and instruct me how to do it more perfectly. Yes, 'smite me friendly and reprove me' when I appear to you to be doing rather my own will than the will of Him that sent me. O speak and spare not whatever you believe may conduce, either to the amending my faults, the strengthening of my weakness, the building me up in love or the making me more fit in any kind for the Master's use.