Two volumes of this edition of The Works of John Wesley present writings that describe and illumine the purpose and practice of the Methodist Societies, the particular ecclesiastical form in and through which Wesley's work and thought were embodied.

The present volume deals with the history, nature, and design of the Societies. This collection of material, though somewhat miscellaneous in nature, helps to recreate for the modern reader some sense of the goals of Wesley's Societies, as well as the structure and practices through which those goals were to be attained.