The Nature of Enthusiasm · §32 · John Wesley

No peculiar favorite

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If it is said, The charge lies here: when you impute this to providence, you imagine yourself the peculiar favorite of heaven. I answer: you have forgotten some of the last words I spoke — he presides over all as over each one. His providence is over all men in the universe as much as over any single person. Do you not see that he who, believing this, imputes anything which befalls him to providence does not in this make himself any more the favorite of heaven than he supposes every man under heaven to be? Therefore you have no pretense, upon this ground, to charge him with enthusiasm.

1771 text

29. *If it be said, The charge lies here: “when you impute this to providence, you imagine yourself the peculiar favourite of heaven.” I answer, you have forgot some of the last words I spoke, Præsidet universis tanquam singulis. His providence is over all men in the universe, as much as over any single person. Don’t you see, that he who believing this, imputes any thing which befalls him to providence, does not therein make himself any more the favourite of heaven, than he supposes every man under heaven to be? Therefore you have no pretence, upon this ground, to charge him with Enthusiasm.

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About this text

On Acts 26:24: what enthusiasm, or religious madness, is, the forms it takes, and how to avoid it without losing true religion.

EditionPrinted in Wesley's 1771 Works, which do not say when he preached it

Wesley's own sermon in updated English wording. The 1771 panel is the text of the Works Wesley himself had printed in 1771. It is public domain.

Reference

Sermon 37 in the 1771 Works. Acts 26:24.

We have not yet re-checked this work against its source. We put this English text into updated wording with AI help. No scholar has yet certified it as faithful and complete. Open the 1771 text under any part to compare.

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