The Storm Darkens
The Storm Darkens At the Annesley table one day, about the time the soup was served, the conversation turned to the subject of John Dunton.
'If he doesn't pay his debts soon he'll end up in debtor's prison,'' said one at the table. "'Elizabeth is so worried she can't sleep."'
"'T was afraid John was expanding too fast,'' commented Annesley, as he buttered a slice of bread. Then with a mischievous look at Susanna, he added, '"Maybe he invested too much in Maggots."
''No. That's not the problem,'' said Susanna.
"That book is doing well. Orders are coming in.
There may be a second printing! Other books have slowed."'
Susanna went on. ''I have something else to say.
It's important and I want to make sure there are no spies around."'
'""Speak, the servants can be trusted,'' said Dr.
Annesley.
Dropping her voice to a hoarse whisper, Susanna
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said, ''Sam has been very much attached to James II. King James zs a brave man. He risked his life blowing up houses to help stop the progress of the Great
Fire. He was a distinguished admiral. New York City was named in his honor when he was the Duke of York. And he's a Stuart and is thus entitled to the throne regardless of his religion. But something is going on at Oxford that is changing Sam's opinion.
''Right after the coronation, King James appointed a Catholic, dean of Oxford's Christ Church. He also licensed Obadiah Walker to publish Papist books.
Some fear James II wants to turn Oxford into a Papist university!"'
As she spoke, her father thoughtfully rubbed his chin. Then he said, ''Up 'till now, James has done a lot of good. He's freed thousands of Quakers and Dissenters from prison; and rumor is that he has donated 500 pounds to help the Huguenots who escaped. Also I know, for I saw a copy, that he issued a bulletin which he ordered read in all churches. That paper requested aid for the Huguenots. As for me,
I'm going to believe in him, even though he is a Papist. His Majesty James II is our king!"'
Three and a half weeks later Dunton sailed for America.
''Hate to leave Liz,'' he confided to Susanna. ''But if I don't pay my debts—'' He stroked his beard. ''If I don't pay my debts I'll be locked up."'
Susanna and Sam began taking long walks. They visited parks; watched men working on the reconstruction of St. Paul's; and visited Pudding Lane where the Great London Fire started. They also visited Pie
Corner where the conflagration reached its zenith.
While sitting within the shadows of London Bridge, the conversation turned to politics.
''As it is now,'' said Sam, placing a finger lengthwise on his palm, ''James II will be followed
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by his oldest daughter Mary. She will become Mary II. But if Mary should pass away before her father, the throne will go to Anne."'
'"That means the new queen will be Roman Catholic."'
'"Wrong.''
"Oh, but I'm not wrong!' replied Susanna flatly.
"Either daughter will be Catholic because James II 9? is Catholic; and his first wife, Anne Hyde, mother of both Mary and Anne, was Catholic."'
logic is correct,'' admitted Sam, tapping his palm with his finger. "'But you're forgetting one thing.
Providence! God is running this world whether we believe it or not. In the end He will have His way."'
He laid two fingers in his palm. ''True, Mary and Anne's roots are Catholic. Nonetheless, Charles II,
Catholic though he is, forced his brother James to raise them as Protestants. James was angry about that, but since Charles II outranked him, he had no choice.''
Susanna shook her head. ''That's amazing. But are Mary and Anne really and truly Protestant?''
they are really and truly Protestant. My friend, Dr. Henry Compton, Bishop of London, tutored them. He's an excellent teacher."'
'*Then our next ruler could be Protestant?''
'"That's the way it looks now. Mary is queenapparent. But there are problems. First of all, Mary is married to her cousin, William of Orange, and if Mary became queen, William might insist on being crowned king. That could happen even though he is a Holland-Dutchman, for William zs Protestant!'' He stood and pulled Susanna to her feet. ''Let's look at the bridge. Then on our way to Spital Square we can get something to eat. I have something important I > want to discuss with you.
SUSANNA WESLEY
'You said that there are two problems with the succession; but you only mentioned one.''
'"The other problem is very simple,'' he said, taking her by the hand. ''And that problem is that Mary of Modena, our present queen, may have a son. If she does, he will be the heir.''
''But all of Mary's children have died."'
'True. Still, a new one might live."'
The narrow stone bridge crossing the Thames was supported by a series of stone arches, making the full length of the bridge nine hundred and ten feet. ''It explained Samuel, speaking like a guide. "'It was built by a preacher. His name was Peter. He was chaplain of
was built in the late twelfth century, St. Mary Colechurch in the City."'
As they crossed the bridge, they came to a tunnellike enclosure. This was created by a long series of three-story and four-story buildings on each side of the bridge. These buildings were only twelve feet wide.
A mere four feet of each rested on the bridge; the other eight feet projected above the river. Thus, the passageway itself was a scant twelve feet wide.
Across the centuries, numerous buildings had slipped into the river. But since the buildings on one side were attached to those on the other side, slippage was uncommon. In 1358 there were one hundred and thirty-eight houses or shops on the bridge; and, according to legend, King John (1167-1216) decreed that the taxes from this property should pay for the upkeep of the bridge.
Toward the southward bank, they came to the drawbridge. "'It used to resemble the tower of an ancient castle,'' explained Sam. He pointed to a Dutch tower made of wood and decorated with gilded weathervanes. As Susanna followed his finger, she
Sf, 4 _m®tunnak suddenly shuddered.
''Look, Sam.
Look!
That bearded skull is staring at us! Ugh!"'
"Yes, that's Jenkins. Robbed an old woman. He was executed last week. The skulls are mounted as a warning. Centuries ago, the old stone tower was topped with them. From a distance they looked like
Catholic prayer beads. One was that of Sir Thomas More, author of Utopia. He was Catholic and because he disagreed with Henry VIII for divorcing Catherine,
Henry had his head chopped off. Sir Thomas was a great man.''
As the sky darkened, a brilliant streak of forked lightning cut through the air; and a moment later a sharp clap of thunder shook the bridge. Pulling her coat a little tighter, Susanna studied a trio of barges pushing up the Thames.
'"'Did a cat get your tongue?'' asked Samuel.
'It's going to rain,'' she replied. ''And I was
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wondering about the bridge. It's the only bridge in London that crosses the Thames.
If it should be destroyed, the only way to cross the river would be by boat or ferry; and then London would again be divided.'' She was silent for a dozen steps or so, and then she said rather fiercely, ''Why do men have to load the bridge with all those horrible buildings and keep on decorating it with human skulls? We are in the seventeenth century! This is the age of enlightenment! Newton has discovered the laws of gravity.
Harvey has proved that blood circulates. Galileo has discovered the moons of Jupiter. Can we, with such knowledge, put up with such dreadful sights?"'
''But it takes time to learn. Remember the story of the compass?"'
''T remember. But those dreadful sights on London Bridge are not the only things that horrify me.
Doesn't the Bible say that Christ is the only way to salvation?"'
"'It does. Acts 4:12 is quite clear; 'Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is no other name under heaven among men, whereby we must be saved.) ''In other words, just as London Bridge is the only way across the Thames, Christ's way is the only way to heaven. Is that right?''
'"That's correct, as your father would say."
'"Then why do we make Christianity so difficult?
We have disputes over things that are not even mentioned in the New Testament! Catholics, Dissenters,
Anglicans all believe that Christ is the only way, Then why do Catholics burn Protestants, and Protestants burn Catholics, and Dissenters tear up the Book of Common Prayer, and wreck cathedrals that have taken centuries to build?"'
''Sukey!'' said Samuel. ''You're not only Dr.
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Annesley's twenty-fifth child, you are also a barrel of gunpowder! As you were talking , I was wondering what would happen if we got married. People say that I'm as stubborn as King John.''
'And they're right! You ave as stubborn as King John."' She shook her head and buttoned up her coat.
as stubborn as King John was, he signed Magna Carta!''* '"True. But he was forced to sign it.''
'"And who forced him to sign it?"'
'"The nobles.''
''And who was the spiritual power behind the nobles?''
> "Stephen Langton, Archbishop of Canterbury."'
""And what was Langton's denomination?''
"*Well, that was before the Reformation, and so he was Catholic."'
who inspired Langton?'' Susanna's voice had an edge to it.
'"The Holy Spirit."'
'"'And that,"' said Susanna with conviction, ''proves to us that God is still running this world! He influences
Protestants, Catholics, and every type of Dissenter."'
right, Sukey. But remember, Langton was a man."'
'True. Langton was a man. But please remember he was brought into this world by a woman, and that Jesus Christ was brought into this world by a woman, and that Moses was brought into this world by a woman. Also, remember Langton was the one who divided the Bible into chapters."'
Signed at Runnymede on June 15, 1215, the Magna Cartar or Great Charter is a foundation of democracy. One of its sixtythree provisions reads: ''No free man shall be arrested, imprisoned, outlawed, or deprived of property except by judgment of his equals or the law of the land.''
SUSANNA WESLEY
They both laughed. A hundred or so steps later, Susanna said, ''If we don't hurry we'll be soaked. It's going to pour.'' As they half-ran, she added, ''I'm afraid that you've been reading John Knox!"'
Comfortable in a candle-lit corner of a tiny restaurant on the north side of the river, Samuel ordered dinner. As they waited for the soup, he said,
''T've been longing to tell you something important."
He shifted a pair of tall candles closer to Susanna.
'"There, now I can see that determined face of yours more clearly. And I do like to look at you even though you don't approve of John Knox!"' Then, pointing at the window, he remarked, ''Look at that rain, and feel the wind. We made it just in time."'
the storm will blow old Jenkins' head into the river,'' suggested Susanna. Instead of answering,
Samuel began to eat his soup. Susanna watched him spoon the soup to his mouth until the bowl was half empty.
''I thought you were going to tell me something important,'' she said.
excuse me.'' He licked his lips. '*This soup is good. We don't fare this well at Oxford! The important news is that I'll be getting my degree on the nineteenth of June. Then I'll be qualified for deacon's orders.'' He rubbed his hands. ''I've dreamed that Bishop Compton would officiate at my ordination.
That would be a real reward for all my work. He is to me what Paul was to Timothy.
''But, Sukey, I'm worried.'' He paused to swallow several spoons of soup. ''The reason I'm worried is that Compton hates Popery so much he doesn't get along with the king. Indeed, Compton may be sent to the Tower!
summer His Majesty came to Oxford. I got to hear him speak. He was angry because the authorities at the university wouldn't accept all of his
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appointments. I can still see him. Facing his audience, his eyes seemed to burn. 'You have not dealt with me like gentlemen,' he said. 'You have been unmannerly as well as undutiful. Is this your Church of England loyalty? I could not have believed that so many clergymen of the Church of England would have been concerned with such business. Go home! Get you gone! I am king. I will be obeyed! Go to the chapel this instant, and admit the Bishop of Oxford. Let those who refuse look to it; they shall feel the weight of my hand; they shall know what it is to incur the displeasure of their sovereign!'
As Sam quoted the king, his voice kept rising until Susanna feared that he would be overheard. "'You'd better lower your voice or youll end up in the Tower,"' she whispered, her eyes on a pair of red-coated officers sitting nearby.
Samuel's anger remained even after the lobsters were served. ''You know, Sukey,'' he said, striking his palm with his index finger, '"Truth is truth; and I'm going to stand for the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. I'm going to do that even if my head ends up on London Bridge!'' He emphasized his declaration by cracking a huge lobster claw.
'*You may be right, Mr. Wesley,'' replied Susanna.
'But our good friend, William Shakespeare, said that discretion is the best part of valor."'
'"That's a misquote, Sukey. Shakespeare said, 'The better part of valor is discretion.' And sometimes it is. But not always—"'
''T know I misquoted Shakespeare, Mr. Wesley."'
Susanna's fingers had almost doubled into fists. '*But I think you get the point! The quote is from Henry
IV, Part 1. And if you'd like to borrow the play, father has it in his study."'
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Samuel scowled. After dipping a large chunk of lobster into the melted butter, he said, ''Sukey, you and I are as opposite as the north and south poles.
Ah, but maybe that's the way Providence wants it to be! Iron sharpeneth iron.'' He paused, looked her full in the face, and smiled. ''I, too, believe in discretion.
But what would have happened if John the Baptist had always been discreet? True, he might have saved his head, but would the Kingdom of God have been advanced? My main interest in life, Sukey, is to be utterly obedient to God even if I'm sent to the Tower and beheaded!"'
By the time they had finished dinner, the rain had stopped. They headed for Spital Square. After a few blocks, their hands came together, and each felt a responsive squeeze from the other.
The grandfather clock was booming nine when Susanna stepped through the front door of her father's house. ''This has been a most exciting day,'' said Dr.
Annesley after Susanna had removed her coat. '""King James has issued a new proclamation of indulgence that is worrying a lot of people. The vicar of your church was over this afternoon.
He's very concerned.''
''What's the problem?"'
'"This new declaration is almost a duplicate of the one he issued in Scotland last year, and that one really stirred up a lot of trouble. Here, let me read it to you.
It starts out, 'We, by our sovereign authority, prerogatives royal, and absolute power —' '' He shook his head. '*That,
Sukey, assumes a lot of power. And please notice, he never mentioned Parliament. Not once!"'
'"And why not?"'
''Because King James never consulted Parliament.
But let me read the rest of the proclamation. 'We allow and tolerate moderate Presbyterians to meet in their
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private houses, and to hear such ministers as have been, or are willing to accept our indulgence, but they are not to build meetinghouses, but to exercise in houses. We tolerate Quakers to meet in their form in any place, or places, appointed for their worship; and we by our sovereign authority, suspend, stop, and disable, all laws or Acts of Parliament made or executed against any of our Roman Catholic subjects, so that they may be free to exercise their religion.' "'
Dr. Annesley took a deep breath, then continued.
are saying that this indulgence is illegal because it was not passed by Parliament, and that its main purpose is to remove the restrictions against Catholics."'
allow Catholics to attend the universities and have rank in the army?'' asked Susanna.
'Correct!
The king has asked all Protestant clergymen to read their copy of the indulgence to their congregations next Sunday.''
'"Are you going to read it?"'
"Nos?
'"Then you may be arrested?"'
"Perhaps. We may even have another civil war.''
Then Annesley added, ''But whatever happens, may God have His way!"'