‘my Jack is fellow of Lincoln.’ The development of his poetical powers is shown in a paraphrase of part of Psalm civ, begun (19 Aug.) at Epworth. On 7 Nov. he was chosen Greek lecturer and moderator of the classes. He graduated M.A. on 9 Feb. 1726–1727 (Foster; Whitehead, from Wesley's ‘private diary,’ gives 14 Feb.; Stevenson gives 15 Feb.). Long afterwards he gave curious proof of the soundness of his scholarship. Warburton, who attacked him in 1762, sent the manuscript of his work to Wesley, who corrected the classical quotations and returned it (Everett, Adam Clarke, 1843, i. 244).
In August 1727 he became his father's curate, living and officiating mainly at Wroot, paying visits to Oxford, where he was ordained priest (22 Sept. 1728) by Bishop Potter. He was much impressed by a saying of Thomas Haywood (d. 1746), who examined him, to the effect that entering the priesthood was ‘bidding defiance to all mankind’ (Hampson, i. 113). He paid a visit to Staunton, Worcestershire, the home of Betty Kirkham (whom Martha Wesley, writing on 7 Feb. 1727–8, calls his ‘Varanese’), sister of Robert Kirkham. About this time he read the ‘Christian Perfection’ (1726) of William Law [q. v.], followed by his ‘Serious Call’ (1729). These writings aided him by setting a higher standard for the religious life, and ‘everything appeared in a new view.’ Wesley, in July 1732, made Law's personal acquaintance at Putney, and was by him introduced to the ‘Theologia Germanica’ and other books of the same class. His break with the mystics in after life was complete. Jacob Boehme he treated as ‘fustian’ (Journal, 4 June 1742), and Swedenborg as a madman (ib. 28 March 1770). His severe ‘Letter’ (1756) to Law has never been reprinted in full.
A kindly letter from Morley (21 Oct. 1729) recalled him from his curacy to fulfil the statutory obligations of his fellowship. He returned to residence at Lincoln College on 22 Nov., and was at once placed in charge of eleven pupils. He found his brother Charles [q. v.] associated with two other undergraduates, William Morgan (1712–1732), of Christ Church, an Irishman, and Kirkham (above-mentioned) of Merton; the three were already labelled as ‘methodists’ [see Wesley, Charles] from their strict rules of study and religious observance, including the practice of weekly communion. On joining these young methodists John Wesley naturally became their head, and directed their plans, getting the nickname of ‘curator of the holy club,’ a Merton witticism. The company of Oxford methodists never reached large proportions. Two or three of John Wesley's pupils were admitted to their meetings in 1730, and one pupil of Charles; Benjamin Ingham [q. v.] of Queen's, and Thomas Broughton (1712–1777) [q. v.] of Exeter were admitted in 1732; at later periods of the same year John Clayton (1709–1773) [q. v.] of Brasenose, with two or three of his pupils, was admitted, and James Hervey (1715–1758) [q. v.] of Lincoln; George Whitefield [q. v.] of Pembroke was not admitted till 1735 (see Tyerman, Oxford Methodists, 1873). Their proceedings were attacked in ‘Fog's Weekly Journal’ of 9 Dec. 1732, and a defensive pamphlet was issued by an outsider, ‘The Oxford Methodists’ (1732; 2nd edit. 1738). Samuel Wesley, the father, visited Oxford in January 1732–3 to learn ‘what his sons were doing,’ encouraged them to persevere, and helped them from time to time by his advice. Bishop Potter was friendly to them; though ‘irregular,’ he affirmed that they had ‘done good.’ The Oxford methodists were assiduous in study (in 1731 John and Charles Wesley began a lifelong practice of conversing with each other in Latin); every night they met for consultation before supper; they relieved the poor, and looked after the clothing and training of school children; they daily visited the prisoners in the castle, read prayers there on Wednesdays and Fridays, preached there on Sundays, and administered the communion once a month. Their religion was formed on the prayer-book; next to the bible in point of doctrine they valued the books of homilies. Nor did they deny themselves recreation; it would be unjust to charge their temper as morbid; their philanthropy kept them in touch with real life; Wesley's strong sense, his cheerfulness (he did not disdain a game of cards, as his private accounts show), and his knowledge of human nature, gave a manly tone to their zeal. The marked divergence of their subsequent careers, while showing reaction in some cases from an ideal overstrained, proves also that the discipline of strictness was not ruinous to the independence of individual minds. Wesley himself was little of an ascetic; to be methodical and exact was with him an essential part of happiness. He rose at four to cure himself of lying awake at night. At five, morning and evening, he spent an hour in private prayer. His diary and accounts were kept with constant precision. One day a week he allowed for friendly correspondence. His first publication was a small collection of daily prayers (1733) for the
