Reported On This Day 280 Years Ago (May 26 1739): Methodists draw up confession questions for women

From the Belfast News Letter of May 15 1739 (May 26 in the modern calendar):
The front page of the Belfast News Letter of May 15 1739 (which is May 26 in the modern calendar)The front page of the Belfast News Letter of May 15 1739 (which is May 26 in the modern calendar)
The front page of the Belfast News Letter of May 15 1739 (which is May 26 in the modern calendar)

A method of confession drawn up by Mr. Whitefield, for the use of the women belonging to the religious societies. Taken from the original, under Mr. Whitefield’s own hand.

THE design of our meeting together is to obey the command of God; confess your faults one to another, and pray one for the other, that ye may be healed.

To this end we intend to meet twice a week.

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To come punctually at the hour appointed, without some extraordinary reason.

To begin (those of us who are present) exactly at the hour with singing and prayer.

To speak each of us in order, plainly and freely, the true state of our hearts, with the faults of thought, word, and deed, and the temptations we have been in since our last meeting.

To end every meeting with singing and prayer, suited to the state of each person present.

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To desire some person among us to speak her own state first, and then to ask the next in order, as many and as searching questions as may be, concerning their state, sins, and temptations.

Some of those Questions proposed to everyone before she is admitted among us, may be to this effect.

Have you the witness of God’s spirit with your spirit, that you are a child of God?

Have you joy in the Holy Ghost?

Is the love of God shed abroad in your heart?

if not, Have you the forgiveness of your sins?

Has no sin, inward or outward, dominion over you?

Have you peace, with God through Jesus Christ?

if not, Do you see yourself a lost sinner?

Do you know you deserve to be damn’d?

Do you despair of being sav’d, either by your own works, or by your own righteousness, and hope for forgiveness of sins and justification, only through a living faith in Christ Jesus?

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Do you desire to be told of your faults, and that plain and home?

Do you desire that we should tell you whatever we think, whatever we fear, whatever we heard concerning you?

Do you desire that in doing this, we should come as close as possible, that we should cut to the quick, and search your heart to the bottom.

Is it your desire and design to be on this and on all occasions entirely open, so as to speak every thing that is in your heart, without exception, without disguise, and without exception, without disguise, and without reserve?

Are you in love?

Do you take more pleasure in any body than in God?

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Whom do you love just now, better than any other person in the world?

Is not the person an idol?

Does he not (especially in publick prayer) steal in between God and your soul?

Does any court you?

Is there anyone whom you suspect to have any such design?

Is there any one who shews you more respect than to other women?

Are you pleas’d with that?

How do you like him?

How do you feel yourself when he comes, when he stays, when he goes away?

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The last ten questions may be ask’d as often as occasion offers. These four following at every meeting.

What known sin have you committed since our last meeting?

What have you said, thought, or done, of which you doubt whether it may be sin?

What temptations have you felt? how was you delivered from them?

What comforts or communications have you had from God since our last meeting?

[George Whitefield was a founder of Methodism and much in the news at the time]