Lightning —
Hh r Lightning As Monday's breakfast neared its end, Dr.
Annesley turned to Susanna. ''Did Dr. Brown read the king's proclamation?''
'"Never mentioned it.'' said Susanna. '"But he did pray for the king."'
Annesley shrugged. ''I've checked around London and it seems no one read it. Robert Bench was an exception. He read it. But he didn't read it until the congregation was gone and the doors were locked! I'm afraid, Sukey, that England's headed for trouble. The torch is sputtering near the fuse. I wouldn't be surprised but what some of the brethren will go into hiding. May God help us!"'
The next day, while riding with her father to St.
Bartholomew's, Susanna had a question. ''Sir, what do you think of John Knox?"'
''Great man. Revolutionized Scotland. Turned it Presbyterian."'
''But do you agree with his writings?''
Annesley laughed. ''Your voice is as serious as that
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of a defense lawyer at Old Bailey.'' He frowned.
"Could it be that you've just read First Blast of the Trumpet Against the Monstrous Regiment of Women?"'
""Yes, and it's horrible!'' She unfolded a sheet of paper. "'I copied some of his statements so that I could ask you about them. Here's one: 'To promote a woman to bear rule, superiority, dominion of empire above any realm, nation, or city, is repugnant to nature, contumely'—I looked that up and it means insulting—'to God, a thing most contrarious to his revealed will and approved ordinance.'
'' She shuddered. ''And here's another quote. 'Women are weak, frail, impatient, feeble, foolish, inconstant'—that means fickle—'cruel and lacking in the spirit of counsel and judgment.'
Susanna folded the paper. ''Sir, if women are that dreadful, how can I accomplish anything? I want to fulfill God's will for my life. I want my life to count!"'
Annesley smiled. While bracing himself as the coach crossed a series of bumps and a pothole, he said,
'"'Let's not be too hard on Brother Knox. He was a most remarkable man—even though he breathed fire and brimstone. You must remember we' re all victims of our age, and Knox lived in the mid-1500's. That was a dark age! The Catholic-Protestant conflict almost scorched Scotland. Not only that, but Knox was captured by the French and made into a galley slave. He was chained to a seat in a ship and a man stood above him with a whip. Sometimes he was beaten until his back was raw. And often he was forced to keep rowing until he was utterly exhausted. But in spite of this earthly hell, he kept the faith.
"*After two years in the galleys, John was released.
He then moved to England and continued to preach.
In those days he was terribly disturbed by what was happening to European Protestants.
The ruling
SUSANNA WESLEY
women of his day tried to wipe them out. Among these was Catherine de Medici of France. She was the wife of Henry II and the mother of three French kings.
She's the one who instigated the St. Bartholomew Massacre. Then there was Mary Queen of Scots, and our own Bloody Queen Mary.'' He shook his head.
''John Knox called all these women Jezebels. And he was right!'' Annesley laughed and rubbed his hands. ''When he published his book, he didn't even use his name. That would have been too dangerous!
He would have been sentenced to the stake."'
''What do you believe about the book?'' Susanna studied his face.
''Knox was a little severe. Anyway, he didn't really hate women. Most of his remaining letters were written to women. But tell me, why are you so interested in this subject?"'
'It's because I want to make my life count."
''Don't be discouraged. Although it is true that Jesus didn't have women apostles, and there were no women at the Last Supper, He was financially supported by women, women comforted Him at the Cross, women wanted to prepare His body, and after His resurrection, His first appearance was to a woman."
'Then do you think that God could have a special task for me?''
'Of course!"'
''And when will He tell me what it is?''
'"That I don't know. But He will lead you. He will lead you by opening and closing doors. By the Word.
By the Holy Spirit. By what happens in your life. And through prayer."'
After visiting in the hospital, Dr. Annesley returned to the carriage. His face was ashen and his lips seemed frozen in a straight line. He jerked the door open and
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Jo signaled to the driver to take them home. ''And hurry,'' he said.
'"What's the problem?'' asked Susanna.
"'T met five or six clergymen from the Church of England, and they all told me that they have refused to read the king's Indulgence Proclamation. One of them told me that seven bishops are also refusing to let their vicars read the Proclamation—''
""What does all this mean?''
'IT don't know. It may mean—But I really don't know. The one thing you and I must do is to pray."'
As the carriage crunched up to the driveway in Spital Square, Elizabeth came rushing out to meet them. ''I have wonderful news,'' she exclaimed.
''What is it?"'
know when you go through the door!''
When Susanna stepped into the house, John Dunton gave her a big hug. '"'Well, I'm home; and I'm glad you did a good job taking care of Liz. Has she behaved herself?''
''Of course. But what happened to your beard?''
'Shh! I still owe a lot of money and could be sent to debtor's prison. I don't want to be recognized, and so don't tell anyone that I'm home.''
During the rest of the week, Susanna learned that her brother-in-law had not done well in America.
Indeed, he was now worse off financially than he had been before he left.
''And what are you going to do?'' asked Dr.
Annesley.
"'T really don't know. But I think that Samuel Wesley and I will publish a magazine. He's a good writer, and I'm a good printer. Maggots is still selling."'
Susanna glanced at her father. But neither said a word.
On the following Sunday, John Dunton appeared
OL LLLe Mill Vv ise OP™ Dion, WL SS ue Uy WY LL 4 MMM) es ally ole
QYY LL at the door dressed as a woman. At first Susanna didn't recognize him. When she did, she said, '*Why are you dressed like that?''
''T'm hungry to hear Dr. Annesley preach. Haven't heard a good sermon for so long I'm famished.
Elizabeth isn't well. She couldn't come."
''But what if you're recognized?"'
He shrugged. '"'Then I'll be sent to prison. But I won't be recognized. And if Iam, I know what to do."'
Upon entering the church, John took a seat in an obscure corner dark with shadows. He knew that several had recognized him; but he was confident that they would keep his secret. But on his way back to Spital Square as he was walking down Bishopsgate
Street, he passed a dark-haired hoodlum of about twenty with a livid scar across his check and a green patch over his left eye.
As Dunton brushed the man, he got a whiff of gin
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if and noticed a flick of interest in his good eye. Forcing himself not to increase his pace, he walked on. But he had only advanced a dozen steps when the hoodlum began to take longer and then longer steps toward him.
Self-control gone, and with Scarface gaining, John began to run. Scarface did likewise, and he also began to shout, '"'Catch him! Catch him! That's a man in women's clothes!'' Soon he was joined by others.
Heart pounding, Dunton dodged into an alley, fled between two houses, emerged in another alley, and then continued on in along neglected street piled high with debris from the Great Fire.
With expert knowledge of that section of London, he finally approached Spital Square.
Susanna was just returning from church when she saw him jerk open the door of their house and almost leap inside. But upon entering she could not find him.
John! Where are you?"' she called. Not finding him in any of the rooms, she searched under the beds.
Half an hour later, he emerged from the kitchen closet. ''They almost got me,"' he said.
'"'Who almost got you?''
John related the story and then added, ''Debtor's prison is nothing to laugh about. I visited a friend in one.
It was filthy, crammed with rats, spiders, cockroaches—and even human filth. The prisoners were hungry and the place stunk. It was like Dante's hell!'
''But what are you going to do now? You can't run all the time."'
'Pll stay hidden until I can pay my most threatening debts. After that, I'll be safe."'
As summer descended on London, the parks filled with the songs of birds, lovers walked hand-in-hand beneath the trees, hawkers sold their wares, and little knots of people whispered behind their hands. The
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concern was, What foolish thing will King James do next? Will there be war?
Shaken by the Proclamation of Indulgence, seven bishops met at the Archbishop's palace to discuss the issue. Their conclusion was that as members of the House of Lords, they would approach His Majesty and ask him to withdraw the proclamation.
Honoring the king as the Defender of the Faith, the fully-robed bishops faced him on their knees. The king's reaction was that of anger. While staring at Bishop Trelawny whom he dubbed ''the sauciest of them all,'' he half shouted, ''I did not expect this from your church!"'
The Seven Bishops had intended their meeting with the king to be secret, but someone relayed the story to the press. This made the event a national issue.
It was soon being debated throughout the United Kingdom. Eventually King James decided the Seven
Bishops should be arrested, imprisoned in the Tower, and eventually tried for seditious libel—a crime that could cost them their heads.
On June 8, 1688, the Seven Bishops were placed on a barge, transported down the Thames, and locked in the Tower. Again the story of what was happening got out, and so as the barge made its way downstream, the banks were lined with masses of wellwishers who had come to cheer. As the prelates were led into the Tower, hundreds more crowded around them. Many sought their blessings or stretched out their arms, hoping to touch them.
Two days later, on Trinity Sunday, June 10, 1688, the drama of the imprisoned bishops was eclipsed by an even more startling drama. The Queen, Mary of Modena, allegedly gave birth to a son in St. James
Palace.
Such a son was, of course, the new Prince of Wales,
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and legal heir to the throne—surpassing both Mary and Anne. But was he genuine?
Normally, when a royal child is born, the Archbishop of Canterbury was expected to witness the birth and to sign documents indicating the birth to be genuine. But on this Sunday the Archbishop was in prison, and the responsible Protestants were in church!
Immediately doubts about the genuiness of the new "'heir'' began to spread. Many said that the baby was brought into the room in a brass warming-pan—that Mary wasn't even pregnant. And to prove this, maps were drawn to show how the warming-pan might have been smuggled into the room.
While the masses argued about whether the new Prince of Wales was real, lawyers prepared for the trial of the Seven Bishops which was scheduled for June 15, and Samuel Wesley prepared for his graduation four days later.
During this hectic week, Susanna spent many hours in prayer and in searching the Bible. She had a deep inward conviction that her hour of decision was at hand. Each of her prayers included the words, ''Lord, help me to do Thy will.'' Also, she was concerned about the welfare of her father. Fearing he might be arrested, she was startled by every knock at the door.
The trial, which was conducted at Westminister Hall, lasted all day. But at 9 A.M. the next day, the jury was ready with their verdict. "'Not guilty!"' said the foreman. This acquittal was greeted with shouts of joy, and flowers were spread in the paths of the released men. That night, London blazed with bonfires, church bells rang, and parades, lighted by torches, thumped through the city.
The new baby was christened James Francis Edward Stuart, with complete Roman Catholic rites.
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The highest Roman Catholic official in London represented the Pope as the baby's godfather. This ceremony radiated chills among the Protestants. To them, James Francis Edward was The Pretender—the product of a warming pan.
James Francis Edward seemed well at the time of his birth; but within six weeks his glow of health was gone. The doctors believed milk was not good for him.
And so it was ordered that he should subsist on sugar, wine, water-gruel, currents, barley, and oatmeal. He had an open sore on his arm that did not heal, so special drops were prepared. These drops horrified the attendants, for when some were accidentally dropped on the tablecloth, they ate holes through it.
In all, thirty bottles lined the nursery table. The concoctions were regularly forced down the little prince's throat.
But instead of responding, he worsened. In desperation, the queen ignored the doctors and summoned a woman nurse who could give milk to the baby by nursing him. This nurse, plus several more, saved his life.
The baby's health was a main topic of conversation throughout the United Kingdom. Between puffs on her pipe, a tvothless old women assured her household, 'All he needs is some Lady Pakenham's
Tonic. It saved Isaac Newton and he weren't no bigger than a shoe. A bottle or two would make him as healthy as a cat.'' Another shook her head. *'He ain't a-gonna live. He's Catholic and England don't need no more Catholics on the throne.''
As King James' popularity sank, more and more rumors spread that Parliament would turn the throne over to his son-in-law, the Prince of Orange. At the same time, intelligence reports insisted that the Prince was assembling an invasion fleet in Holland.
Knowing that a correct wind was necessary for
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William to reach England, James kept glancing out his windows at the weathercock on the Banqueting
House at Whitehall.
The Prince of Orange sailed for England on October 20, 1688. His fleet consisted of two hundred transports and fifty warships. Alas, a sudden storm drove him back to Holland the next day and one of his ships sank. He was now forced to wait for a favorable wind.
The ''Protestant'? wind began to blow on November 1.
With banners bearing the slogan, For Religion and Liberty, William, the Prince of Orange, edged into the North Sea. His plans were to land in Northern England where the masses had been reported ready to unite with him. But again his fleet was dominated by winds. This time they drove him through the Strait of Dover and down the English Channel. As the winds filled his sails, William feared he might be driven into Portsmouth. Portsmouth was known to have a heavy Catholic garrison!
On November 4, however, the wind shifted to the west and blew him along the southern coast of England. While this was going on, the English fleet, stationed on the Essex coast, was trying to make it to the north, where its commanders felt William would be landing. On November 5, William of Orange stepped ashore at Brixham, on the southwest coast of England. From there, he marched in easy, unopposed stages to London. His 14,000-man army was not as large as that of his father-in-law. But it had higher morale.
William and Mary were proclaimed king and queen of the United Kingdom on February 13, 1689. And with the now-restored Dr.
Robert Compton officiating, they were crowned in Westminister Abbey
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on April 11. Part of the agreement with Parliament was that Mary's children, if any, were next in line for the throne; and that following them, Anne, daughter of the former James II, was the heirapparent. It was also agreed that no Catholic, or wife or husband of a Catholic, could ever occupy the throne as either king or queen.
The ''Glorious Revolution'' had been accomplished without the firing of a single shot. This pleased
William, for he had hoped to avoid violence.
After several attempts to follow his wife and son who had escaped to France, James II tried again on December 12. Disguised in an old coat, a black wig, and a patch on the left side of his mouth, he gingerly stepped into a boat.
Louis XIV accepted James with enthusiasm, provided him with an income and a small army. Encouraged, James tried to regain his throne by invading
Ireland. But he was thoroughly defeated.
Following his defeat, James returned to France where he spent the rest of his life in retirement. It was the end of the bitter conflict between Catholics and Protestants for the throne. However, it was not the end of controversy. Many felt William had no right to be king. The matter would continue to haunt the nation and the Wesley family.
As Susanna watched these lightning flashes with deep concern, her main interest remained with Samuel
Wesley. Since James II had suspended Compton, Samuel was disappointed that Compton could not ordain him as a deacon. But now that William and Mary were on the throne, Compton had been returned to power. While sitting with Susanna in the living room at Spital Square, Samuel said, '"Tomorrow, February 24, I'm going to be ordained a priest. And who do you think will officiate?''
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'"'T have no idea."'
"Dr. Henry Compton, the one who tutored Mary and Anne and who just crowned William and Mary."'
"'Oh, Sam, I'm so proud!'' Susanna patted his hand. ''And what are you going to do now?''
'I've been offered the chaplaincy on a man-of-war.
It'll be a good place to gain experience."'
''T'll miss you!'' said Susanna sadly.
Later, withdrawing her hand from his, Susanna said, "'I don't agree that William of Orange should be the king. According to law, the throne still belongs to James II—Catholic though he is."'
Wesley stared at her. ''You'd better not say that to anyone else. I'd hate to know that you had been sentenced to have that pretty little head of yours chopped off.''
Susanna laughed. *'Maybe you can convince me.
Draw a chart that will prove that William of Orange is really a Stuart. And while you're doing that, I'll get a plate of tarts."'
Using a ruler, and making quick slashes, Samuel produced a chart in minutes.
'"There,'' he said, pointing to the drawing, ''you can see that the Prince of Orange—William III—is the son of Mary, the daughter of Charles I. You can also see that King William III and his wife, Mary, the daughter of James IJ, are first cousins. That means that both the king and queen are Stuarts!"'
''Perhaps,'' conceded Susanna reluctantly. ''But William is half Dutch, and Protestant though he may be, he's not an Anglican!'' She adjusted the knot of hair at the back of her head. ''And besides, his Stuart blood comes only from the female side.''
Samuel shook his head. "'Sukey, you're even more stubborn than I am!'' He wolfed a tart, then added,
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''But that's all right.
A magnet has to have both a north and a south pole!''
'*And which pole am I?"'
'"'T don't know. All I know is that we don't agree on anything, except that we both love the Lord."'
''And isn't that the most important thing?"'
"Tt is,' he said, kissing her lightly on the cheek.
'I've made a chart of both our family trees. But I forgot to bring it with me. Each of our families bristle with poker-spined Dissenters. That's interesting.
But the most interesting thing is that we're not related.
You're not even a third cousin. That's wonderful."'
GENEALOGY OF WILLIAM AND MARY
Charles I Charles II Mary ib II ale m. m.
No legitimate William II Anne Hyde children Prince of Orange Mary Anne William III m.
Prince of Orange Mary of Modena The Pretender m.
married William III married Mary, daughter of James II. They became King William and Queen Mary.
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'"Why is that wonderful?"'
''Because I want to have a lot of children. Children are healthier if their parents are not related.'
'""Mmmm. And what does that mean?"'
He held her hand in both of his, while he said, 'Susanna Annesley, will you marry me?''
""Will I marry you?'' Susanna repeated the words slowly and looked away. ''I—I really don't know. I might, and I might not—"'
The grandfather clock boomed ten, and while it was booming, Susanna lit three fresh candles. ''I don't think we should be sitting in the dark, especially at this late hour,'' she explained.
"If you can't answer me right now, will you pray about it?'' asked Samuel.
"Yes, I will pray about it,'' she replied, speaking slowly. ''But I have a question."'
) ""Ask it. I'm listening."'
'"'What do you think of First Blast of the Trumpet Against The Monstrous Regiment of Women by John
Knox?"'
Samuel shrugged. '"'It's a rather long book.''
'"True. But what do you think about it?''
"Tt's full of strong meat—''
'*But what do you think about it?''
"'T'll have to re-read it. I've been too busy with Greek and Hebrew."'
"But do you agree with its theme?"'
Suddenly Sam's face and neck turned crimson. "'II-I-uh really don't know."'
As he said that, Dr. Annesley entered the room.