[The Grammarian]

This is likely clear from the rule you have quoted from John Wesley. But I have a question. I assume that Wesley did not think he was creating an entirely new and previously unheard of religion when Methodism was established. If I am correct, it appears that your 14th Article is in direct contradiction to the decision of the 7th Ecumenical Council, which was a council of the entire One Church, cited earlier. It would seem to be the enactment in your 25 Articles of a point of positive heresy. Far from being a "Romish" doctrine, this was a statement of dogma of the One Church in the persons of mostly Eastern bishops and the Empress. Would John Wesley have been aware of this (I assume he was as he was an educated man) and how did he deal with this apparent heresy? If he knowingly rejected this dogma proclaimed by the council, why and what other dogmas did he reject and on what basis. Thanks.

The Methodist 25 Articles of Religion are the direct descendant of the Anglican Thirty-Nine Articles of Religion. Wesley was an Anglican priest who never wanted Methodists--originally a sort of 'religious society' within the Church of England--to separate. In America, the situation changed after the Revolutionary War enough that he believed the Methodists in America were not being spiritually shepherded by the often-hostile Anglican priests in the country. So he drew up the 25 Articles from the Anglican 39, and sent Rev. Dr. Thomas Coke to America to form a new church with Francis Asbury out of the existing Methodists--the Methodist Episcopal Church, from which the present-day United Methodist Church traces its lineage.

So the better question is, why did the Anglicans come up with Article 14 (the numbers of indivudal articles may be different between the 25 Articles and the 39 Articles, but you get what I mean)? I don't have an in-depth answer, but suffice it to say that Protestants as a rule (including Anglicans) don't accept the Ecumenical Councils past the 4th, if even that many.

[Kolokotronis]

Thanks for the response. I have pinged sinnosar for a response to my question. Thank-you also for prompting me to finally read the Anglican Articles. Sionnsar, please take a look at my post 140 and Grammarian's reply. Thanks.

"I don't have an in-depth answer, but suffice it to say that Protestants as a rule (including Anglicans) don't accept the Ecumenical Councils past the 4th, if even that many."

Do you know why this is?