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.
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40 SUSANNA WESLEY.<br />
(tithe?); and when that's in, to rebuild my house,<br />
having at last crowded my family into what's left,<br />
and not missing many of my goods."<br />
There is a story concerning this part of Mrs. <strong>Wesley</strong>'s<br />
life which, though it rests on the authority of<br />
her son John, must be either a mistake or an exaggeration;<br />
and, as the circumstance related occurred<br />
before his birth, he, of course, repeated<br />
it<br />
only from<br />
hearsay, and not of his own personal knowledge. It<br />
is to the effect<br />
that Mrs. <strong>Wesley</strong>, never having viewed<br />
William of Orange as the rightful Sovereign of<br />
England, did not respond to the prayer for the King<br />
as read by her husband at their family worship.<br />
He asked the reason why, and was favoured with a<br />
plain but full exposition of her political views ;<br />
whereupon<br />
he retorted " hotly, Sukey, if that be the case,<br />
you and I must part for if we have two kings we<br />
;<br />
must have two beds," and declared that unless she<br />
renounced her opinions he would not continue to<br />
live with her. So much, runs the story, did he take<br />
her contumacy to heart that he left the room without<br />
another word, retired to his study, and in the course<br />
of the day rode off to Convocation without taking<br />
leave or holding any further communication with her.<br />
He remained in London for a year without corresponding,<br />
and only returned after Queen Anne's accession.<br />
There could be no dispute between the pair as<br />
to her right to reign, so the ordinary habits of life<br />
were resumed, and John <strong>Wesley</strong> was the first child<br />
born afterwards. So the story goes ;<br />
but it is manifestly<br />
wrong, for in the first place<br />
neither the dates<br />
given nor the events mentioned fit in ;<br />
and in the<br />
second place, John <strong>Wesley</strong> was born on the 17th of<br />
June Old Style, or the 28th New Style, 1703, when
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