The life and times of the Rev. John Wesley, M.A., founder of the Methodists. Vol. 1 (of 3)Tyerman, L. (Luke)
History
The life and times of the Rev. John Wesley, M.A., founder of the Methodists. Vol. 1 (of 3)
Tyerman, L. (Luke)
Methodism; Wesley, John, 1703-1791
Meanwhile, Causton desired Mr. Burnside, the trustees’ secretary, to
sign a certificate to the effect that Mrs. Williamson had been for
ten months past as constant a communicant as any other, and that she
had been of unblamable behaviour. Mr. Burnside said he could not sign
it with a safe conscience, knowing it to be false. Upon which Causton
severely reproached him, and discharged him from his employment.
However, a number of names were procured to the certificate, though,
Wesley adds, the first part of it was shamefully untrue, for Mrs.
Williamson had omitted communicating nine times in three months; in
other words, had only communicated once a month instead of once a
week.[206]
The Savannah court was to sit on August 22, a fortnight after
Wesley’s arrest; and Causton employed his utmost power, and art, and
application, in prejudicing the persons who were to form the grand
jury. His table was free to the whole of them. Whatever they desired
from the public stores was delivered to them. Old misunderstandings
were forgotten, and nothing was too much to be done or promised for men
who, a week before, were unable, from such a source, to procure even a
crust of bread.
Six days previous to the opening of the court, Wesley, at the request
of several of his communicants, read a short statement of the case,
after the evening prayers, in the open congregation.[207]
At length the great day of trial, in this Lilliputian kingdom, came.
The grand jury consisted of forty-four of the illustrious inhabitants,
about a fifth part of the adult male population of Savannah. One was
a Frenchman, ignorant of the English language; one a papist; one a
professed infidel; three were Baptists; sixteen or seventeen others
were Dissenters; and of the rest, several had personal quarrels against
Wesley, and had openly vowed revenge.
Causton gave a long and earnest charge to the jury, “to beware of
spiritual tyranny, and to oppose the new, illegal authority which was
usurped over their consciences.” Mrs. Williamson’s affidavit was read,
the substance of which has been already given, with the exception that,
after her marriage, Wesley took every opportunity to force upon her
his private discourse, and terrified her by telling her that her soul
would be in danger, if she did not spend her time, and converse with
him, in the same manner, as she did before her marriage.[208]
Causton then delivered to the grand jury a paper, entitled “A List of
Grievances,” pretending to show that the Rev. John Wesley “deviates
from the principles and regulations of the Established Church in many
particulars inconsistent with the happiness and prosperity of this
colony,” as:—
“1. By inverting the order and method of the liturgy.
“2. By altering such passages as he thinks proper in the
version of the psalms, publicly authorised to be sung in the
church.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account