Susanna Wesley
This is the story of Susanna Wesley, 1669-1742 Mother of Charles and John Wesley, who were founders of the Methodist Church. Susanna and her husband, Samuel, had nineteen children, ten of whom survived to adulthood. Her son Charles became a well-known hymn writer and her son John became the found of Methodism.
Susanna was brought up in a Puritan home as the youngest of twenty-five children. As a teenager, she became a member of the Church of England. She became the wife of a chronically debt-ridden parish rector in an English village. She said, "I have had a large experience of what the world calls adverse fortune." Nonetheless, Susanna managed to pass down to her children Christian principles that stayed with them.
This is the story of Susanna Wesley, 1669-1742 Mother of Charles and John Wesley, who were founders of the Methodist Church. Susanna and her husband, Samuel, had nineteen children, ten of whom survived to adulthood. Her son Charles became a well-known hymn writer and her son John became the found of Methodism.
Susanna was brought up in a Puritan home as the youngest of twenty-five children. As a teenager, she became a member of the Church of England. She became the wife of a chronically debt-ridden parish rector in an English village. She said, "I have had a large experience of what the world calls adverse fortune." Nonetheless, Susanna managed to pass down to her children Christian principles that stayed with them.
30 SUSANNA WESLEY. was my principal intention, however unskilfully and unsuccessfully managed." Happily she did ultimately allow herself to be persuaded, and wrote to her son John as follows : " DEAR SON, " Epworth, July 24th, 1732. " According to your desire, I have collected the principal rules I observed in educating my family. " The children were always put into a regular method of living, in such things as they were capable of, from their birth ; as in dressing and undressing, changing their linen, &c. The first quarter commonly passes in sleep. After that they were, if possible, laid into their
TEACHING AND TRAINING. 31 fork they were set to our table. They were never suffered to choose their meat, but always made to eat such things as were provided for the family. Mornings they always had spoon meat ; sometimes at nights. But whatever they had, they were never permitted at those meals to eat 'of more than one thing, and of that sparingly enough. Drinking or eating between meals was never allowed, unless in case of sickness, which seldom happened. Nor were they suffered to go into the kitchen to ask anything of the servants when they were at meat : if it was known they did so, they were certainly beat, and the servants severely reprimanded. At six, as soon as family prayer was over, they had their supper at seven the maid washed ; them, and, beginning at the youngest, she undressed and got them all to bed by eight, at which time she left them in their several rooms awake, for there was no such thing allowed of in our house as sitting by a child till it fell asleep. " They were so constantly used to eat and drink what was given them that when any of them was ill there was no difficulty in making them take the most unpleasant medicine; for they durst not refuse it, though some of them would presently throw it up. This I mention to show that a person may be taught to take anything, though it be never so much against his stomach. " In order to form the minds of children, the first thing to be done is to conquer their will and bring them to an obedient temper. To inform the understanding is a work of time, and must with children proceed by slow degrees, as they are able to bear it ; but the subjecting the will is a thing that must be done at once, and the sooner the better, for by neglect-
- Page 2 and 3: Ex Libris C. K. OGDEN
- Page 5: Eminent Woinen Series EDITED BY JOH
- Page 8 and 9: LONDON : PBIXTED BY W. H. ALLEN AND
- Page 10 and 11: vi PREFACE. of what they wrote, and
- Page 12 and 13: LIST OF AUTHORITIES. Memorials of t
- Page 14 and 15: 2 SUSANNA WESLEY. with a spice of s
- Page 16 and 17: 4 SUSANNA WESLEY. a saintly grandmo
- Page 18 and 19: 6 SUSANNA WESLEY. possibly being tu
- Page 20 and 21: 8 SUSANNA WESLEY. of figure to old
- Page 22 and 23: 10 SUSANNA WESLEY. Perhaps he sympa
- Page 24 and 25: 12 SUSANNA WESLEY. for he was engag
- Page 26 and 27: 14 SUSANNA WESLEY. read in their ch
- Page 28 and 29: 16 SUSANNA WESLEY. Fathers, but als
- Page 30 and 31: 18 SUSANNA WESLEY. his mother was d
- Page 32 and 33: 20 SUSANNA WESLEY. St. Dunstan's Ch
- Page 34 and 35: 22 SUSANNA WESLEY. CHAPTER IV. LATE
- Page 36 and 37: 24 SUSANNA WESLEY. in her own gener
- Page 38 and 39: 26 SUSANNA WESLEY. It was a rapid a
- Page 40 and 41: 28 SUSANNA WESLEY. How patiently sh
- Page 44 and 45: 32 SUSANNA WESLEY. ing timely corre
- Page 46 and 47: 34 SUSANNA WESLEY.
- Page 48 and 49: 36 SUSANNA WESLEY. should be always
- Page 50 and 51: 38 SUSANNA WESLEY. hardly have been
- Page 52 and 53: 40 SUSANNA WESLEY. (tithe?); and wh
- Page 54 and 55: 42 SUSANNA WESLEY. heir. Whether th
- Page 56 and 57: 44 SUSANNA WESLEY. CHAPTER VI. TRIA
- Page 58 and 59: 46 SUSANNA WESLEY. riding before hi
- Page 60 and 61: 48 SUSANNA WESLEY. authority, howev
- Page 62 and 63: 50 SUSANNA WESLEY. was the hero of
- Page 64 and 65: 52 SUSANNA WESLEY. Epworth, June 7t
- Page 66 and 67: 54 SUSANNA WESLEY. I thank God, my
- Page 68 and 69: 56 SUSANNA WESLEY. bring him in not
- Page 70 and 71: 58 SUSANNA WESLEY. 1 find I walk a
- Page 72 and 73: '60 SUSANNA WESLEY. never intoxicat
- Page 74 and 75: 2 SUSANNA WESLEY. of duty towards a
- Page 76 and 77: 64 SUSANNA WESLEY. will not), and d
- Page 78 and 79: 66 SUSANNA WESLEY. " The eternal, e
- Page 80 and 81: 68 SUSANNA WESLEY. " Epworth, " DEA
- Page 82 and 83: 70 SUSANNA WESLEY. CHAPTER VIII. FI
- Page 84 and 85: 72 SUSANNA WESLEY. One can imagine
- Page 86 and 87: 74 SUSANNA WESLEY. and asked her fo
- Page 88 and 89: 76 SUSANNA WESLEY. to his window, w
- Page 90 and 91: 78 SUSANNA WESLEY. as one of the ha
TEACHING AND TRAINING. 31<br />
fork they were set to our table. They were never suffered<br />
to choose their meat, but always made to eat<br />
such things as were provided for the family. Mornings<br />
they always had spoon meat ;<br />
sometimes at nights.<br />
But whatever they had, they were never permitted at<br />
those meals to eat 'of more than one thing, and of that<br />
sparingly enough. Drinking or eating between meals<br />
was never allowed, unless in case of sickness, which<br />
seldom happened. Nor were they suffered to go into<br />
the kitchen to ask anything of the servants when<br />
they were at meat : if it was known they did so,<br />
they were certainly beat, and the servants severely<br />
reprimanded. At six, as soon as family prayer was<br />
over, they had their supper at seven the maid washed<br />
;<br />
them, and, beginning at the youngest, she undressed<br />
and got them all to bed by eight, at which time she<br />
left them in their several rooms awake, for there was<br />
no such thing allowed of in our house as sitting by a<br />
child till it fell asleep.<br />
" They were so constantly used to eat and drink<br />
what was given them that when any of them was ill<br />
there was no difficulty in making them take the most<br />
unpleasant medicine; for they durst not refuse it,<br />
though some of them would presently throw it up.<br />
This I mention to show that a person may be taught<br />
to take anything, though<br />
it be never so much against<br />
his stomach.<br />
" In order to form the minds of children, the first<br />
thing to be done is to conquer their will and bring<br />
them to an obedient temper. To inform the understanding<br />
is a work of time, and must with children<br />
proceed by slow degrees, as they are able to bear<br />
it ;<br />
but the subjecting the will is a thing that must be<br />
done at once, and the sooner the better, for by neglect-
Change language