Charles Wesley est un chef de file du mouvement méthodiste, fils du pasteur et poète anglican Samuel Wesley, frère cadet du pasteur anglican John Wesley et de Samuel Wesley , et père du musicien Samuel Wesley, et grand-père de Samuel Sebastian Wesley.
Malgré leur proximité, Charles et son frère John n'ont pas toujours été d'accord sur les questions relatives à leurs convictions. En particulier, Charles s'est fermement opposé à l'idée d'une rupture avec l'Église d'Angleterre dans laquelle ils avaient été ordonnés. Charles Wesley est surtout connu pour les nombreux hymnes, qu'il a écrit. Il a notamment fondé la « Wesley Chapel », dans le village de Brayton, au sud de Selby. Sa maison, située à proximité, peut encore être visitée aujourd'hui.
“Come, Desire of nations, come,
Fix in us thy humble home”
"Hymn for Christmas-Day"
Hymns and Sacred Poems (1739)
Contexte: Come, Desire of nations, come,
Fix in us thy humble home;
Rise, the woman's conquering Seed,
Bruise in us the serpent's head....
Adam's likeness, Lord, efface;
Stamp thine image in its place.
Second Adam from above,
Reinstate us in thy love.
“Hail the heavenly Prince of Peace!
Hail the Sun of Righteousness!”
"Hymn for Christmas-Day"
Hymns and Sacred Poems (1739)
Contexte: Hail the heavenly Prince of Peace!
Hail the Sun of Righteousness!
Light and life to all he brings,
Risen with healing in his wings.
Mild he lays his glory by,
Born that man no more may die,
Born to raise the sons of earth,
Born to give them second birth.
"Jesus, Lover of My Soul"
Hymns and Sacred Poems (1739)
Osborn G (1868), "The poetical works of John and Charles Wesley. Vol 4.", London: Wesleyan-Methodist Conference Office. Page 219, at archive.org. https://archive.org/details/poeticalworksofj04wesl
“Why should the Devil have all the best tunes?”
Attributed to Wesley in America Over the Water (2004) by Shirley Collins, p. 113, it is earlier attributed to his brother John, in The English Poets: Addison to Blake (1880) by Thomas Humphry Ward, and even earlier to George Whitefield, in The Monthly Review, or, Literary Journal, Vol. 49 (June 1773 - January 1774), p. 430; this has also been reported as a remark made by Rowland Hill, when he arranged an Easter hymn to the tune of "Pretty, Pretty Polly Hopkins, in The Rambler, Vol. 9 (1858), p. 191; as well as to William Booth, who popularized it as an addage in promoting The Salvation Army.
Disputed
Source: Dictionary of Burning Words of Brilliant Writers (1895), P. 591.
"Hymn for Christmas-Day" (Full text online)
Hymns and Sacred Poems (1739)
Source: Dictionary of Burning Words of Brilliant Writers (1895), P. 273.
Source: Dictionary of Burning Words of Brilliant Writers (1895), P. 150.
Wesley J and Wesley C (1743), "Hymns and Sacred Poems", 4th edition, page 144, at archive.org. https://archive.org/details/hymnsandsacredpo00wesliala <br class="br">Hymns and Sacred Poems (1739)
“God buries his workmen, but carries on his work.”
As quoted in Cyclopaedia of Biblical, Theological, and Ecclesiastical Literature (1889). This appears with two quotes of John Wesley on the monument to both men in Westminster Abbey, and is commonly attributed to John.
Wesley J and Wesley C (1743), "Hymns and Sacred Poems", 4th edition, page 78, at archive.org. https://archive.org/details/hymnsandsacredpo00wesliala Wikisource Full text. <br class="br">Hymns and Sacred Poems (1739)
"Hymn for Christmas-Day"
Hymns and Sacred Poems (1739)
"Hymn for Christmas-Day"
Hymns and Sacred Poems (1739)
Joyful, all ye nations, rise.
Join the triumph of the skies.
Universal nature say
"Christ is born today!"
"Hymn for Christmas-Day"; these opening lines were revised by Wesley's co-worker George Whitefield in 1754, along with lesser alterations to subsequent lines, to produce the more familiar "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing" (alternate versions at Wikisource):
Hark! the herald angels sing,
"Glory to the new-born King;
Peace on earth and mercy mild,
God and sinners reconciled!"
Joyful, all ye nations, rise.
Join the triumph of the skies.
With th'angelic hosts proclaim
"Christ is born in Bethlehem!"
Hark! the herald angels sing,
Glory to the new-born King!
Hymns and Sacred Poems (1739)
