Cleanliness/Godliness

[DrSuze]

Where does the old adage, cleanliness is next to Godliness come from/originate?

[Quizmonster]

It's from John Wesley's 93rd Sermon, entitled 'On Dress'. He founded Methodism and felt neatness in clothing was a duty, not a sin.

[DrSuze]

Thank you Quizmonster, but unfortunately the answer is older than this text, as I have this as a reference already.

[Quizmonster]

Wesley did, in fact, say: "Cleanliness is indeed next to godliness", which would suggest someone had said as much earlier. Perhaps it was this: "For cleanness of body was ever esteemed to proceed from a due reverence to God, to society, and to ourselves." That comes from Francis Bacon's 'Advancement of Learning' published in 1605. It seems to say very much the same thing. I hope that's the one you're after, Dr S, though Wesley was almost certainly the first to express the idea in the words you originally offered. Cheers

[DrSuze]

That's more like it Quizmonster - Thank you, I had a suspicion it was such - I'm looking for the earliest useage, but as you say Wesley was the first to put it this way, Cheers Dr S x

[BadlyHungBoy]

And, of course, in the language of the time, what he meant was Cleanlines comes after Godliness: or First be Godly, then be Clean - not the modern interpretation which suggests that they have equal importance.