There was still a big gap between local parsons and
bishops, who were educated, well-off, and related to the
aristocracy. On the whole, preachers talked about morality and
Christian belief. They stressed good works and benevolence. But
many Protestant clergy were more concerned with their own livings
than with their parishioners. They were indolent and did not set a
good example of moral living.
From 1715, Freemasonry spread and swiftly provided a spiritual
haven for those who believed in God and desired ritual and
mysticism.
About 1744, John Wesley became the leader of the Methodist
religious movement for the mining and industrial laborers. He lead
an aesthetic life, eating bread and sleeping on boards. The
movement was called Methodist because of its methodical regularity
of living. It was characterized by an evangelical revival and a
promise of individual salvation. The person to be saved from the
horrors of eternal damnation in hell was to discipline himself to
regular prayer, self-criticism, and hard work and to forsake
worldly pleasures such as drinking, overeating, and even frivolous
talk. Wesley believed in witchcraft and in magic. He opined that
bodily diseases and insanity could be caused by devils and some
dreams are caused by occult powers of evil. With the Methodist
movement, there was a concomitant growth of philanthropic
activities by the Methodists.
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