THE WOMEN AROUND JOHN WESLEY AT HOME ... - Kristoffersen

can imagine the meeting between the vicar and hisdisobedient daughter. Here you meet the Priest whofollowed the system of rules in the 18 th century. The ruleswere strengthened by his puritan education. In addition tohis actions, came his lack of understanding and sympathyfor his daughter and her behaviour. She had qualifiedherself to be shut out from her home. Samuel wouldimmediately have closed the doors for her at the home inEpworth, if it had not been for Susanna Wesley, his wife,who prayed for their adult daughter. From our way ofthinking today, I feel that Samuel did not show Christianlove for his daughter who needed help and support. Oneextra child and Hetty, in that big family would not havebeen noticed.There were certainly many factors that played apart in Samuel Wesley´ s decision. Samuel and Susannabelonged to highly respected families; Wesley andAnnesley, and in addition Samuel was a respected Priest inthe Anglican Church. Further it was a hard blow in hispatriarchal pride that his beloved daughter with herintellectual capacity and literal education should oppose hiscommand, and show her disobedient to her father´ sdecision that she should give up resign the proposed man.THE FEELINGS CONQUER REASONThe conflict between father and daughter was apity, because reason overcame emotions and in thissituation one often does things that one later repents.Samuel could not see the pain and the psychological43