“When zealous James, unhappy sought the way, T’ establish Rome by arbitrary sway, ’Twas then the Christian priest was nobly tried, When hireling slaves embraced the stronger side, And saintly sects and sycophants complied. In vain were bribes shower’d by the guilty crown, He sought no favour as he fear’d no frown. Nor loudest storms his steady purpose broke, Firm as the beaten anvil to the stroke. Secure in faith, exempt from worldly views, He dared the declaration to refuse; Then from the sacred pulpit boldly show’d, The dauntless Hebrews true to Israel’s God, Who spake regardless of their king’s commands: ‘The God we serve can save us from thy hands; If not, O monarch, know we choose to die, Thy gods alike and threat’nings we defy. No power on earth our faith has e’er controll’d, We scorn to worship idols, though of gold.’ Resistless truth damp’d all the audience round, The base informer sicken’d at the sound; Attentive courtiers conscious stood amazed, And soldiers silent trembled as they gazed. No smallest murmur of distaste arose, Abash’d and vanquish’d seem’d the Church’s foes. So when like zeal their bosoms did inspire, The Jewish martyrs walk’d unhurt in fire!”[35] ----- Footnote 35: Poems by S. Wesley, jun., London, 1736. ----- We are not sure that even this was intended to be considered as the description of a fact actually occurring in the history of the poet’s father-in-law. It might be nothing more than a poetical and general description of the position taken by the ten thousand clergy, who refused to read King James’s declaration. Anyhow, for the reason already mentioned, it could not be true of Samuel Wesley, sen. No doubt Samuel Wesley was as brave a man as ever lived; and had he been placed in the circumstances, stated by Henry Moore, he would have had sufficient courage to act as it is alleged he did. He regarded King James as a tyrant; and his views of the king’s declaration may be fairly gathered from the following question and answer in the _Athenian Oracle_:—[36] “_Ques._ What think you of the liberty of conscience granted in the late reign? Was it procured by the Catholics out of any design, or purely for the good and peace of the subjects?