A Heart Strangely Warmed by Louise Vernon

Author:Louise Vernon [Vernon, Louise A.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-0-8361-1769-1
Publisher: MennoMedia
Published: 2012-02-15T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Seven

THE INNER WITNESS

All the people who had gathered to hear John Wesley preach outdoors craned their necks to see what Beau Nash would do. Robert stared at the self-proclaimed ruler of Bath. Beau Nash wore a cream-colored three-cornered hat dipped over his right eye. A black wig framed his long, ruddy face. The nostrils of his long, narrow nose quivered, and his small mouth, with its protruding lower lip, turned down in anger. Nash toyed with the lace at his wrists and silenced the three French horns and three kettledrums with a gesture.

Looking down at John Wesley, Beau Nash snapped, “By what authority are you preaching here at Bath?”

”By the authority of Jesus Christ conveyed to me by the Archbishop of Canterbury when he laid hands upon me and said, ‘Take thou authority to preach the gospel.’”

“This is contrary to the Act of Parliament.” Beau Nash looked over the crowd. “This is an illegal meeting.”

“That’s not true,” John Wesley said. “It is not contrary to the Act.”

“I say it is,” Beau Nash announced. “Besides, your preaching frightens people.”

John Wesley’s listeners murmured protests.

“Sir, did you ever hear me preach?”

Beau Nash drew a fancy handkerchief from his flowered waistcoat and coughed delicately into it. “No.”

“How can you judge what you never heard?”

Beau Nash turned down the corners of his mouth in scorn. “By common report.”

“Common report is not enough.” John Wesley spoke in his usual pleasant voice. “Allow me, sir, to ask if your name is Nash?”

“Yes.” Nash stretched upward with a kingly disdain. “Sir, I dare not judge you by common report. I think it not enough to judge by.”

The crowd murmured approval. Robert watched Nash’s eyes narrow as if he were about to shift his attack.

“What do the people come here for, Mr. Wesley?”

Before John Wesley could answer, an old woman spoke up. “Let an old woman answer him. You, Mr. Nash, take care of your body. We take care of our souls, and for the good of our souls we come here.”

The approving murmur from the crowd swelled like an incoming tide. Nash turned abruptly, motioned to his musicians, and marched away. God became ruler of Bath that day for all who wanted to hear.

On the street later, people thronged to see John Wesley, even though they had no intention of listening to him preach.

“Which one is he?” Robert heard person after person ask.

“I am he,” John Wesley kept saying, and the questioners fell silent.

Ten or twelve finely dressed ladies cornered him. Wesley faced them. “I suppose you want to look at me. You’re welcome to do so. I don’t expect the rich of the world to hear me, I speak plain truth, a thing you know little of, and don’t care to know.”

For a moment no one replied. Then a lady asked, “Mr. Wesley, do you forbid card playing and dancing?”

People pressed close to listen. Robert was sure he knew the answer. John Wesley’s “No, I do not forbid it,” surprised him. Hadn’t Wesley himself said, “Deliver

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