Wesley's Christianity vs. Fox's Christianity

Author: Lewis Benson

Format: 8.5" x 11" Downloadable PDF

Description: 

This letter from Lewis Benson to Ursula Windsor begins a subject that Lewis came back to in his  lecture series Recovering The Early Quaker Universal Mission And Message. Many people have  asserted that there is no essential difference between what Fox preached and what Wesley preached,  that Wesley was to the 18th Century what Fox was to the 17th. Lewis wrote: “My own attempts to find  out exactly what Methodism is in a way that can be compared with Fox’s teaching and message have  usually left me with a feeling of frustration. Fox and Wesley do not operate on the same wave length.” 

Wesley’s Methodism has had a huge impact upon Christianity. Britanica.com describes Methodists as:  “Methodists believe that people should have a very personal relationship with God that transforms their lives. They also have a concern for people in society who need help. They believe that faith in God  should lead people into service for others.” Isn’t this good enough? What can there possibly be in Fox’s message that would argue against this belief? 

These are the questions that Lewis, here and elsewhere, is grappling with.