wfn.org | At the roots of Methodism: Wesley had great respect for Scottish

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March 31, 1999 News media contact: Thomas S.
McAnally*(615)742-5470*Nashville, Tenn.  10-71B{177}

NOTE:  This is a regular feature on Methodist history by John Singleton
especially for distribution by United Methodist News Service.

By John Singleton*

When the Queen opens the new Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh in July, the
lawmakers will set the seal on the biggest constitutional upheaval in
Britain of the last 300 years. For the people of Scotland, who will soon
vote on their representatives in this new assembly, it is a huge step down
the road toward managing their own affairs.

But for some it is not enough, and ultimately, for them, nothing short of
complete independence for Scotland will do. The churches of Scotland --
including the Methodist Church -- do not officially support that stance, but
they are backing the new form of parliament and have set up a Scottish
Churches' parliamentary office to relate to it.

Quite what John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, would have made of all
this, I am not sure. What we can be certain of, however, is that Wesley had
great respect for the Scottish people, even though he was sometimes
exasperated with them. In the course of spreading and nurturing the early
Methodist movement, Wesley often made a point of traveling to some of the
most inaccessible and remote areas of the British Isles, such as the far
reaches of Scotland -- no mean achievement when you consider he traveled by
horse (or by foot when the going got really rough).

In the course of journeying some 250,000 miles during his lifetime, Wesley
visited Scotland 23 times between 1751 and 1790. It is clear that he
regarded Scotland and the Scottish people as in a completely different
category than the rest of Britain. "The Scotch towns are like none which I
ever saw, either in England, Wales or Ireland," he wrote in his journal.
"There is such an air of antiquity in them all and such a peculiar oddness
in their manner of building."

While in Glasgow in 1757, he was inspired by the fine view of city and
countryside to be seen from the cathedral steeple. "A more fruitful and
better cultivated plain is scarce to be seen in England," he wrote. "Nothing
is wanted but more trade -- which would naturally bring more people -- to
make a great part of Scotland no way inferior to the best counties of
England."

His attitude toward the people seems to have been as variable as the
weather. 

In Dundee, where he preached in a meadow outside the town in 1764, Wesley
was attended by a large congregation of rich and poor folk. "There is seldom
fear of wanting a congregation in Scotland," he wrote. "But the misfortune
is, they know everything; so they learn nothing." Six days later, after
preaching in the kirk (church) at Monymusk, he noted: "Certainly this is a
nation 'swift to hear and slow to speak', though not 'slow to wrath'."

Three days later, Wesley was in Inverness. "After Edinburgh, Glasgow and
Aberdeen, I think Inverness is the largest town I have seen in Scotland," he
said. "The main streets are broad and straight; the houses mostly old, but
not very bad nor very good. It stands in a pleasant and fruitful country and
has all things needful for life and godliness. The people in general speak a
remarkably good English and are of a friendly, courteous behavior."

He was not so generous 10 years later in 1774, however, when he traveled to
Glasgow by stagecoach. He preached on the Old Green to a people, "the
greatest part of whom hear much, know everything and feel nothing." But in
Dumfries in 1788, he felt led to say: "Surely the Scots are the best hearers
in Europe."

Wherever he went in Scotland, Wesley appears to have been continually
challenged by bad weather. Time and again, we read how his travel
arrangements were frustrated and his intention of preaching in the open air
was thwarted by high winds, driving rain or heavy snow. On these occasions,
he preached in the nearest Methodist meeting room, kirk, house, barn or
whatever local building happened to be available.

As usual, when he did speak in the open air, he seemed to have no problem
drumming up a congregation. At Dunbar in June 1757, he tells how he simply
went out into the main street at 11 a.m. and began speaking to a
congregation of two men and two women. "These were soon joined by above 20
little children and, not long after, by a large number of young and old," he
said.

In May 1766, when he was in Preston Pans, near Dunbar, he went to the
meeting room to preach, but no one turned up to hear him at all! His remedy
was simply to place a chair in the street, whereupon he attracted a crowd of
some 40 or 50 people.

Returning to Edinburgh in 1767, Wesley was sorry to find both the Methodist
society and congregations smaller than when he was there last. 

"I impute this chiefly to the manner of preaching which has been generally
used," he said. "The people have been told frequently and strongly of their
coldness, deadness, heaviness and littleness of faith, but very rarely
anything that would move thankfulness. Hereby many were driven away and
those that remained were kept cold and dead." 

Wesley "encouraged them strongly" at 8 in the morning, and at noon he
preached upon Castle Hill on the theme "There is joy in heaven over one
sinner that repenteth".

In his enthusiasm to reach the remotest parts of the kingdom, the founder of
Methodism even traveled to places where there were no people at all. In May
1772, he made a difficult journey out to the Bass Rock, a small island of
high rock in the Firth of Forth, two kilometers north of Tantallon Castle.
This remote spot had once been used to accommodate religious prisoners of
conscience under what Wesley described as the "horrid reign" of King Charles
II.

A strong east wind made the water so rough that Wesley's boat barely made it
to the island. "And when we came to the only landing place -- the other
sides being quite perpendicular -- it was with much difficulty that we got
up, climbing on our hands and knees," he said. After surveying the island's
ruined castle, chapel, governor's house and garden walls, plus the only
inhabitants - the Solund geese (who, Wesley noted, lay but one egg, which
they keep under one foot until it hatches) -- the party returned to the
mainland.

"How many prayers did the holy men confined here offer up, in that evil
day!" were his parting thoughts on the inhospitable Bass Rock. "And how many
thanksgivings should we return for all the liberty, civil and religious,
which we enjoy!"

Maybe everyone due to vote in the first Scottish parliamentary elections
should say "amen" to that.
#  #  # 

*Singleton is assistant editor of the weekly Methodist Recorder in London,
England. He can be contacted by e-mail at editorial@methodistrecorder.co.uk.
  

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