The Bloomfield times. [volume] (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1867-187?, 1874-09-08
0be 0tnres, Ntw 5oIOuu6elO, ]la.
John Wesley's Wife-Scandal Against a
Great Preacher Hundred Years, Since.

John Wesley's Wife-ScandaI Against a
Great Preacher Hundred Years,SinOe.
HNHE assault upon the name and fame of
il Henry Ward Beecher recalls the story
of an attack upon the apostolic and sanity
man, John Wesley. The charges were
similar and groundless beyond the shadow
of doubt. They were occasioned by the
senseless jealousy of Wesley's, ignorant
wife, and were caught up by rival sectaries
and even entertained by the public press.
Wesley disdained to notice the SANDERS,
notwithstanding the agitation and distress.
of his brother Charles Wesley, and of other
members of the family, and of the digni-
taries of the church. We find our narra-
tive in the "Life and Times of the Rev.
John Wesley" by the Rev. l.. Tyerman,
published by Harper s. Brothers in. 1872,
in three volumes, and reprint it for the
purpose of showing that men of spotless
lives and the most exaulted character are
liable to the same abuse and SANDERS as
have befallen the pastor of the Plymouth
Church. Sarah Ryan, who is mentioned
in the narrative, was housekeeper in one of
Wesley's denominational asylums. She
had been married to three men successive
ly, who in turn abused and deserted her.
Her station in life was low, her education
limited, and at times the obligations of
duty lay loosely upon her. Under the
preaching of the Methodists she became
convert and won the gpeat preachers
confidence. Wesley was undoubtedly inn
prudent to conflde his domestic troubles to
her as he did, but there is not the least
atom of evidence of any other indiscretion
on his part.
In February, 1855, Wesley wrote to
Sarah Ryan, as follows
"Your last letter was seasonable indeed.
l was growing faint in my mind. The be-
ing continually watched over for evil the
having every word spoke, every action l
did, small and great, watched with no
friendly eye; the having thousand little
tart, unkind reflections in return for the
kindest words could devise
Like drops Of eating water on the marble,
nv iShSVh ho'S "O'h my othsihS SPltlts uOMu"
"Yet 1 could not, Take thy plague
away from me > but only, Let me be
purified, not consumed.
In another letter to Sarah Ryan he writes
as follows
January 81, 1853.
My Dear Sister !: last Friday, after many
severe words, my wife left me- vowing she
would see me no more.
Wesley and his wife, however, were
again united, but were far from being nap
by. So things proceeded till 1771 "On
one occasion she seized his letters and
other papers and put them into the hands.
of such as sheYknew to be his enemies, that
they might be printed as presumptive
proofs of Illicit connections" She even
interpolated letters which she had inter-
cepted, so as to make them bear bad
construction, and then TO read them to
different persons in private for the purpose
of defaming him. In one or two instances
she published interpolated or forged letters
in the public prints. She accused Charles
Wesley of idleness, and declared that for
years his dearest Sally had been John
Wesley's mistress. Charles danced with
rage at this imputation cast upon his wife
but his Sally smiled and said, "Who will
believe my sister now?" Frequently she
would drive hundred miles to see who
was in the carriage with her husband on
his entering town. Sometimes her pas
sions hurried her into outrage and indie
cency. More than once she laid violent
hands upon his person and tore his hair.