The Savannah morning news., 1903-06-25
WESLEY WAS ONE
OF 19 CHILDREN
Escape from Tragic
Death at the Age of
Six - Hard Work at
School His Making.

| development and career are be ing
brought forward for the students of
religious history.
The following extracts in regard to
John Wesley and his ancestors are
taken from an article by DIR. ]. NJ.
Buckley. in the June number Of the
Review of Reviews:
Bartholomew Wesley John Wes-
| ley's great-grandfat was born in
the last days of Queen Elizabeth. He
married the daughter of Sir Henry
! Colley of Kildare, Ireland After his
marriage, not much is known Of him
until 1910, when he was installed as
rector of Catherston. He lived through
the reigns of James l and Charles /,
and was not disturbed in his success
| sive parishes during all the wars of
the Commonwealth, the career of Oil
yer Cromwell as protector, and the
brief period during which his son,
Richard, held power, nor until the
third year of the reign of Charles ii.
But, as he opposed that Kings dis
solute life and his sympathies with Ro-
man Catholicism, he was one of the
1000 ministers elected, in 1862, under
the act of uniformity.
Bartholomew Wesley had one son,
John, student of marked proficiency
at oxford, who took the degree of mas
ter of arts at the age of % This John
| Wesley was installed clergyman four
months before Cromwell died. AL
| ba he IF OLE of. 90.
J to Charles II, he could not sympathize
with the later developments, and, like
his father, was expelled under the act
of uniformity. Four months after this
event, his son, Samuel Wesley, was
born. John White. the father of John
| Wesleys wife, was one of the three
assessors of the Westminster Assem-
bly,, rector of Trinity Church in Dor
chester, England. Samuel Wesley vas
| also an alumnus of Oxford, a man of
unusual ability and an accomplished
scholar. He married Susannah, the
youngest daughter and twenty fifth
child of DR.. Samuel Annesley, whose
| wife was the daughter of John White,
a Puritan lawyer, member of the House
of Commons and of the Westminster
Assembly.
John Wesley's Birth.
Both Samuel and Susannah Wesley
were self willed to an unusual degree,
and had infexible consciences. They
were the parents of nineteen children;
but when the Epworth Rectory was
burned the parochal registers were
lost George James Stevenson, most
painstaking genealogist after years OF
research, found the names of eighteen,
with the months and years of their
births and deaths. The tenth was
John, and the eleventh, Benjamin; each
of these died in the year of his birth
The fifteenth child. born June II (old
style) 1908, was the next son born aft
err the death of Benjamin. The love
of Mrs. Wesley for those whose deaths
she still mourned prompted her to
name this son John Benjamin, and by
that name was the founder of Metho-
dism baptized by his father.
Narrowly Escaped Death.
when the rectory at Epworth, in
which Samuel Wesley resided through
out the greater part of his life, was
| burned, in 1909, John. who was Their
| about six years old, narrowly escaped
death. Just before the roof fell in, he
was rescued by means of a human
ladder.
ITO the training of John, because OF
| his providentia1 preservation, Mrs
| Wesley devoted special pains. After
being taught by his mother until near
| ly nine years of age. he entered Char
terhouse School in London. The food
| furnished to the pupils was neither
abundant nor appetizing, and the Older
boys took the meat from the younger
| so that most of the time John Wesley
was there he lived on nothing but
bread; yet, obeying his fathers COM
mand to run around the Charterhouse
grounds every morning, he preserve
| his health"
Baptized mt Ten Years.
"e thought that he was converted
when baptized, at the age of about Il
| years, but acknowledges that he sinned
away in the Charterhouse the grace
received at that time. Nevertheless
he hoped to be saved because he was
not as bad as other people, went to
church, and said his prayers At It, he
passed under the tuition of his brother
Samuel, then head usher at Westmin-
ster School, and year later entered
Christ Church College, Oxford, where
he remained five years.
At the age of 10, he EXPIRE ssed a de-
sire to become minister, which was
approved by his mother. who wished
him to be ordained deacon as soon as
possible; but his father recommended
the protracted pursuit of critical learn
ing. Later, however, he pressed him
to enter into holy orders. When he
began in earnest the study of prac-
teal divinity, the books to which he
gave most attention were The Imita-
ton of Christ by Thomas a Kempis
and Jeremy Taylor's Holy Living and
Dying The latter though he rejected
it's views on predestination, led him &c
dedicate his life to Cod
Ordained a Deacon.
John Wesley was ordained deacon
In 1925. by DR.. Potter. Bishop of OK
ford. March. 1926, he was elected fell
low OF Lincoln College which requir-
ed his return 10 oxford and the com.
mencement OF special work In two
months. he was elected Greek lectuf-
err and moderator OF the classes. Or
Mondays and Tuesdays. he studied
Greek and Roman classics, historians
and poets. Wednesdays, logic and
ethics: Thursdays. Hebrew and Ara.
nc; Fridays. metaphysics and nat
ural philosophy. Saturdays, orators
and poetry chiefly composing. sun.
days. divinity For recreation. he stud
led French and made experiments 81
natural sclence.
Wesley took his degree ~ mastei
0f arts FEB. if. i725. delivering. on thai
occasion. three orations in Lafin-ons
on The Spirit ~ Brufus. an0fher on
julius Caesar. and che iast on The
Love ~ God Hie scheIno ~ ne had
nfcoms thoroughly aseeNe, teF twl