John Wesley's Rules About Money
The Methodist Church Taught Christians How to Handle Money
As Europe moved from an agrarian model of society to industrialized, urban communities, the use of money became more widespread. In England, the strong saving ethic taught by the Methodist movement is sometimes seen as one of the causes for the rapid rise of a middle class.
The Surprising Birth of a New Reason for Riches
John Wesley was a priest in the Church of England and he didn’t intend to start a new religion. He only wanted to help those around him and he inspired others to do the same. The primary difference between early Methodist beliefs and those of the official church can be attributed to Wesley’s ideas of holiness. He broke it down into two categories, personal holiness and social holiness.
These two doctrines were interwoven in the personal and communal lives of the early Methodists. Wesley’s goal was to supplement the Biblical teaching that was provided by the Church of England, emphasizing hands-on social work. Over time, he had come to believe that as a Christian, meeting the needs of the people around him was a Godly thing to do, a Christian way of being. It didn’t matter if the people were Christians or heathens; or, if their needs were the result of sin, illness, poverty or a lack of knowledge. He understood that caring for people required a holistic approach long before such a method was popular.
Wesley Teaches There’s No Holiness but Social Holiness
In the Preface to Hymns and Sacred Poems that Wesley wrote with his brother, Charles Wesley, John wrote, “The Gospel of Christ knows of no religion but social; no holiness but social holiness.” What he meant was that a Christian’s vertical relationship with God had to be lived out in horizontal relationships with the people around him or her.
Prayer, church services, and other personal spiritual pursuits had to be balanced with reaching out to those in heed. Caring for sick neighbors, feeding the impoverished, visiting those in jail, and teaching children – all of these activities required time and money. It was this love in action that was the hallmark of the Methodist followers.
Wesley believed that God would provide the money needed to fund such charitable works. He preached about tithing, telling believers that the Bible taught that God expected them to give ten per cent of their income back to God. He then told them how to increase their ability to give.
Frugal Living is More Important Than Increased Earnings
Wesley wasn’t opposed to his followers earning a lot of money. On the contrary, he taught that it was good within certain limitations. But he also taught that economical living and responsible spending was a duty. In his sermon, “The Use of Money,” Wesley preached that a believer should “Gain all you can, save all you can,” so that he or she could “give all you can.” He went on to give an example of such a life without ever mentioning that the person being described was himself.
"[He] had thirty pounds a year. He lived on twenty-eight and gave away forty shillings. The next year receiving sixty pounds, he still lived on twenty-eight, and gave away two-and-thirty. The third year, he received ninety pounds, and gave away sixty-two. The fourth year he received a hundred and twenty pounds."
For four years, Wesley lived on the same amount, twenty-eight pounds. As his income increased, he gave the surplus away, regardless of how much it amounted to or what percentage of his income it was.
As the Methodist movement grew, so did their charitable works. None, not even the founder, were exempt from the expectation to tithe or to help others on a regular basis. Gaining, saving and giving became a hallmark of all pious Methodists.
For more information on Biblical money management, read about Historical Tithing.
Christians Should Gain as Much Money as They Can
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John Wesley Earned, Saved and Gave
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