Wesley and the fight
against mistreatment and violent sports with animals
Wesley's and
Wesleyans' care for animals
Odilon
Massolar Chaves
===============================
Copyright © 2025, Odilon Massolar Chaves
It is allowed to read, copy and share for free
Article 184 of the Penal Code and Law 96710 of
February 19, 1998.
Books published in the Wesleyan Digital Library: 624
Books published by the author: 695
Cover Source: Montage of Wesley and the Ear Dog
Translator: Google
All glory to God!
Odilon Massolar Chaves is a retired Methodist
pastor, with a doctorate in Theology and History from the Methodist University
of São Paulo.
He is married to RoseMary. He has two daughters:
Liliana and Luciana.
His thesis dealt with the Methodist revival in
England in the eighteenth century and its contribution as a paradigm for our
days.
He was editor of the official Methodist newspaper
and coordinator of the Theology Course.
Copyright Statement: These files are in the public
domain and are derived from an electronic edition that is available on the
Ethereal Library of Christian Classics website.
Rio de Janeiro –
Brazil
===============================
Table of Contents
·
Introduction
· Violent sports with animals
and the morals of the people
· Wesley and the animals here
and in eternity
· Admiration and care for
your horses and mares
·
Spiritual
Influence on Horses
·
Wesley against
cockfighting in Ireland
·
The
roosters and horses in Wednesburg
· Britain's
Methodist participation in sport
·
Created
the first industrial plastic, saving elephants
·
Prophetic
voice in England in defense of animals
· Driving
force behind the creation of the Society for the Protection of Animals in
Argentina
· Tribute to
a horse
===============================
Introduction
"Wesley
and the fight against mistreatment and violent sports with animals" is a
36-page book that deals with Wesley's and Wesleyans' care for animals.
Wesley speaks of wild
amusements, irrational and unnatural sports, and mentions bullfighting,
cockfighting, horse racing, and hunting in England. He said that these
amusements cause pain to all Christians.[1]
"John
Wesley is not directly known for animal protection activism, but his theology,
which emphasizes divine mercy and the renewal of all creation in Christ,
suggests a compassion that extends to animals, and God's renewal will include
everyone, both "two-legged" and "four-legged." His
vision of the created order and emphasis on "God's general
deliverance" imply that animals will also be contemplated in final
salvation.[2]
In
the 18th century, England was called the "savage nation." Bullfights
and cockfighting were considered normal pastimes.
"In
the eighteenth century in England, cockfighting was a violent and popular game,
although devoid of regulation and full of cruelty, in which the cocks were
trained and fought to the death, with the public betting on the result,
something that would only be prohibited in the nineteenth century".[3]
To
increase the violence and excitement, the roosters were "equipped with
blades on their paws to increase the brutality of the combat, which ended with
one of the animals dying, or both".[4]
Wesley
considered cockfighting "a cruel pastime and a 'rebuke to
religion.' Wesley recorded in his diary in 1756 his concern about men's
interest in such activities as cockfighting, describing the 'suffering
inflicted on every Christian heart by these wild amusements' and questioning
their cruelty.[5]
Wesley explained Proverbs 10:12 about the
attitude and care of the righteous with his animals: "He will not destroy
them either by working beyond their strength, nor by denying them the necessary
food or rest. [6]
In the wicked, "there is cruelty mixed with
even his most merciful actions," Wesley said.
Wesley told the Methodist
preachers, 'Have mercy on your animal. Don't just ride in moderation, but see
with your own eyes that your horse is rubbed, fed, and accommodated."
The book also tells the story of Methodists who
contributed to animal welfare, especially in England and Argentina.
Wesley prayed for his horses and believed in
spiritual influence on them.
Wesley also talks about the eternity of animals.
A book that every Methodist should read.
The Author
===============================
Violent sports with
animals and the morals of the people
Wesley was a man of God who had the courage to go
out into the street to preach so that people would not be amused by
cockfighting.
In eighteenth-century
England, "there was drunkenness and cockfighting..."[7]
Wesley called these
amusements unnatural, wild, and irrational.
Sheep without a Shepherd
"The moral conditions were really bad.
Drunkenness was common, even among children"
"As people flooded into the new towns of Burslem, Hanley, and Lane End (now Longton), the moral conditions were very bad indeed. Drunkenness was common, even among children; profanity and vulgarity were heard everywhere."[8]
And even more: "Gambling, bullfighting and cockfighting were normal pastimes." [9]
The vacation weeks (called "Wakes") were occasions of all
kinds of immorality.
The Brutal Sports in Black Country
"The Black Country is a loosely defined area of southernStaffordshireand north ofWorcestershire, which lies to the north and west ofBirmingham, and to the south and east ofWolverhampton.”[10]
In the eighteenth century, "the brutal sports of these cities
reflected the moral condition of the people. Bull baiting and cockfighting
provided scenes of disorderly delight."[11]
"In eighteenth-century England, bull-baiting was a popular sport,
where a bull was tied up and dogs (such as bull-baiting) wereOld English Bulldogs) were released to bite it, attempting to bite the
animal's snout or head area. This "blood sport" was
progressively suppressed in the eighteenth century, and its total prohibition
occurred in 1835, with theAnimal Cruelty Act, which put an end to this practice".[12]
Of Proverbs 10:12, "The righteous have regard for the lives of his
cattle, but the affections of the wicked are cruel," Wesley explained,
"Sincerely - He will not destroy you either by laboring beyond your
strength, nor by denying you the necessary food or rest. Cruel - There is
cruelty mixed in with even your most merciful actions."[13]
===============================
Wesley and the
animals here and in eternity
After all, will animals
have eternity?
Wesley had a love for
animals. Wesley's horses bore the following names: "Maggot, Holey, Sophy,
Grace, Georgy and Charlie".[14]
"Wesley
had a broad eschatological view, understanding that God's final renewal will
extend to the entire created order, including animals."[15]
Wesley
was concerned about the welfare of animals.
"Although
not common in his time (18th century), not even among the Revivalists, John
Wesley fought not only slavery, but also unnecessary wealth, in addition to
creating interest-free loan banks for the poor, fighting for the conditions of
humanity of prisoners and enabling women to preach. Wesley, profitably, was
also concerned with the welfare of animals."[16]
It
was in his sermon entitled "The General Deliverance" preached on
November 30, 1781, that "Wesley gives us a glimpse of how God will restore
all the inferior creatures who have lived and suffered unjustly because of
human sin. Wesley and the first generation of Methodists were centuries ahead
of their time."[17]
For Wesley, animals will have
life after death.
"Examining Revelation 21,
Wesley describes not only the restoration of mankind to its rightful place in
relation to God, but also the restoration of the created order. Christ's death
and resurrection launched the new creation that will eventually replace the
created order as it is now. This restoration has begun, but it has not yet been
completed." [18]
What was Wesley's argument?
"Wesley's argument, like the
rest of these arguments, is based on the restoration of God's good creation
begun in the death and resurrection of Christ. But Wesley's argument is
ambitious in scope. The fullest description of Wesley's views on the subject
can be seen in his creative and speculative sermon, "The General
Deliverance."
The sermon represents the culmination of Wesley's thoughts on the
subject. "Wesley had long opposed cruelty inflicted on animals,
particularly that found in gambling pits. And in his Notes on the Old
Testament published in 1765, there are glimpses of his more developed
views. His comment on Isaiah 11:6 – "The wolf shall dwell with the lamb,
and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion
and the barley together; and a child will guide them." – offers an initial
interpretation that he will develop further. Wesley read Isaiah as the church
has done through the centuries, as a book about Christ. This reference, then,
is to the restoration of all things at the Second Coming of Christ, when:
"Creatures will be restored to the state of innocence in which they were
before the fall of man."
The central issue is the original state of God's creation and its
restoration in Christ.
"And he wanted to show that this restorative work encompasses all
of creation, not limited to humans. He asks: "If the Creator and Father of
all living beings is rich in mercy to all; If he neglects or despises none of
the works of his own hands, if he desires even the meanest of them to be happy
according to their degree—how can it happen that such a complication of evils
oppresses them, yes, oppresses them?"[19]
===============================
Admiration
and care for your horses and mares
"Don't
just ride in moderation, but see with your own eyes that your horse is rubbed,
fed, and accommodated"
Wesley's almost daily
contact with horses led him to notice important details in them. His
sensitivity also led him to take care of them with affection.
We highlight some of these
moments:
Ear for music
"Is it true then that horses, as well as lions and tigers, have an ear for music?"
On Monday, July 3, 1769,
Wesley wrote: "I went to Coolylough (where the quarterly meeting was held)
and preached at eleven o'clock and in the evening. As we sang, I was surprised
to see horses from all parts of the grounds gathering around us. Is it true
then that horses, as well as lions and tigers, have an ear for music?"[20]
Guidance to preachers
"Have
Mercy on Your Animal"
"His affection for his
mount and his advice to preachers were expressed in this rule: 'Have mercy on
your animal. Don't just ride in moderation, but see with your own eyes that
your horse is rubbed, fed, and accommodated."[21]
The secret of loose rein
"A
loose rein will prevent stumbling, if anything. But in some horses nothing
can"
On Wednesday, March 21,
1770, Wesley wrote: "... I followed slowly, passing through Staffordshire
and Cheshire to Manchester. On this trip, as on many others, I observed an
error that is almost universally prevalent; I wish all travelers to pay attention
to this, as it can save them from trouble and danger. Almost thirty years ago I
was thinking, "How come no horse stumbles while I'm reading?"
(History, poetry and philosophy I usually read on horseback, having another job
on other occasions.) No account can be given but this: for then I throw the
reins on your neck. I then began to observe; and I affirm that, in riding more
than a hundred thousand miles, I scarcely remember any horse (except two, which
would have fallen upside down anyway) fall or stumble considerably while I rode
with the loose reins. To imagine, therefore, that a short leash prevents
stumbling blocks is a capital mistake. I repeated the test more often than most
men in the kingdom can do. A loose rein will prevent stumbling, if anything. But
in some horses nothing can." [22]
Corn for
the horse
"However,
he provided corn for our horses and potatoes for us"
It was Wednesday, April 28,
1762, when Wesley wrote, "In the morning I rode to Monaghan. The
commotions at Munster having now alarmed the whole of Ireland, we had scarcely
gone downstairs, when some wise people informed the Dean that there were three
strange sorts of men coming to the King's Arms. Accordingly, the rector and his
officers came without delay to protect the north from such imminent danger. I
had just left when I was forced to return home. The dean asked me many
questions, and perhaps the case could have become serious if I had not had with
me two letters that I had recently received; one from the Bishop of
Londonderry, the other from the Earl of Moira. Upon reading them, he apologized
for the inconvenience he had caused and wished me a safe trip. Between six and
seven o'clock I preached at Coot Hill, and in the morning I proceeded to
Enniskillin. After going round and round, we arrived in the evening at a lonely
house called Carrick-a-beg. It was in the middle of horrible mountains; and it
didn't look very promising. However, he provided corn for our horses and
potatoes for us. So we prepared a hearty dinner, invited as many people as we
wanted from the family to prayer, and although we had no locks on the doors or
windows, we slept peacefully."[23]
No
horses injured
"Thou,
O Lord, save both man and beast!"
On
Wednesday, June 13, 1764, "we arrived at Aberdeen about one," Wesley
said. "Between six and seven, both tonight and next, I preached in the
structure of the new house and found it a moment of great comfort. Friday, 15.
We set off early and arrived in Dundee just as the boat was leaving. We planned
to stay in the house on the other side, but we didn't get to eat, drink, or
have good words; so we were forced to continue to Cupar. After traveling nearly
ninety miles, I found no fatigue, nor were our horses injured. You, O Lord,
save both man and beast!" [24]
To
relieve the horses
"Thus
I was obliged to take George and Mrs. MeAllum with me in my carriage. To
relieve the horses..."
It was
on Monday, May 10, 1784, that Wesley left for Inverness: "I had sent Mr.
McAllum before, on George Whitefield's horse, to give notice of my
coming," he said. "Thus I was obliged to take George and Mrs. MeAllum
with me in my carriage. To relieve the horses, we advanced from Nairn, ordering
Richard to follow us, as soon as they were fed; He did that, but there were two
ways. So, while we took one and he the other, we walked about twenty and a half
kilometers, in heavy rain." [25]
Changing carriage and horse
"But
I was then obliged to leave my mare and take another carriage"
"However, determined
to arrive at Epworth on time," Wesley said. "I left in a carriage
between four and five in the morning; but the frost made the driving so bad
that my companion came with the lame horses to Stamford as soon as I did. In
the next stage, I followed on horseback; but I was then obliged to leave
my mare and take another carriage. I arrived at Bawtry around six. Some
from Epworth came to meet me, but they left half an hour before I
arrived." [26]
Leaving the horses
"There
we left our horses and looked for a guide"
On Monday, May 24, 1762,
Wesley wrote: "I went with two friends to see one of the greatest natural
wonders of Ireland—Mount Eagle, commonly called Crow Patrick. The foothills are
fourteen miles from Castlebar. There we left our horses and looked for a guide.
It was only noon when we disembarked; The sun was scorching and we didn't have
a breath of wind. Part of the climb was much steeper than a common staircase.
About two o'clock we came to the top, which is an oval and grassy plain, about
one hundred and fifty yards long and seventy or eighty wide. The upper part of
the mountain is very reminiscent of the Pico de Teneriffe. I don't think it can
go up much less than a kilometer and a half perpendicular to the plain below.
There is an immense perspective on one side to the sea and on the other to the
land. But since most of it is wasted and not cultivated, the prospect is not
very pleasant." [27]
In the mud with the horses
"And
the horses pulled the horses"
It was on Wednesday, March
31, 1762, that Wesley said, "Having been invited to preach at Wem, Mrs.
Glynne wished she could take me there in a carriage; but in just over an hour
we were fast enough; However, the horses pulled until the tie rods broke. I
would then have walked if I had been alone, though the mud was deep and the
snow fell impetuously; but I could not leave my friend. Then I waited patiently
until the man moved to mend the tracks; and the horses pulled the horses so
that, with much noise, not long after the appointed time, I came to Wem." [28]
Where is Wen?
It is a "North
Shropshire market town originated as a Saxon settlement".[29]
The origin of its name
comes from "swamp".
In the city, there are four
main churches: Anglican, Baptist, Methodist and Roman Catholic.
Wesley finds no one
"The
wind got even stronger in the afternoon, so it was difficult to ride our
horses"
"I came, but the
person who invited me was gone — left town at four in the morning," Wesley
said. "I didn't find anyone who seemed to expect or desire my company. I
asked about the place where Mr. Mather preached; but it was full of hemp. All
that remained was to enter the market, but no man, woman, or child cared to
follow us; for the north wind roared so loudly on all sides and blew on all
sides. However, before I finished singing, two or three appeared; and after
them, two or three hundred; and the power of God was so present among them that
I believe many forgot the storm. The wind grew even stronger in the afternoon,
so it was difficult to mount our horses; and it exploded in our faces, but it
could not prevent us from reaching Chester in the evening. Although the warning
was brief, the room was full; and full of earnest, earnest hearers, many of
whom expressed an ardent desire for all God's salvation. Here I rested on
Thursday".[30]
What is hemp?
"Hemp is a plant of
the Cannabis Sativa species, which helps improve memory and learning, favors
muscle mass gain and prevents cardiovascular diseases".[31]
A fresh
horse
"If
I preached in his house the next night, he would meet me on the road with a
fresh horse"
On Wednesday, February 21,
1773, "some requested the Quakers at Enniscorthy for the use of their
chapel. They refused: so I stood at Hugh McLaughlin's door, and both those
inside and those outside could hear. I was in doubt as to which way to take from
thence one of my carriages was very tired, till a gentleman of Ballyrane, near
Wexford, told me that if I preached at his house the next evening he would meet
me on the road with a fresh horse. So I obeyed, even though I was a few miles
away. So he met us on Thursday."[32]
Hard
work for the animals
"It
was hard work for men and animals"
On June 22, 1758, Wesley
wrote: "When we rode on horseback and simply stared at the sun, it was
hard work for men and beasts alike; but about eight o'clock the wind changed,
and, blowing in our faces, kept us cool till we reached Whitby. In the evening
I preached on the top of the hill, as far as one hundred and ninety-one steps
are climbed. The congregation was extremely large, and ninety-nine out of a
hundred were attentive. When I started, the sun shone brightly on my face; but
it soon became cloudy and didn't shine any more until I was done." [33]
Borrowed
horse
"The
difficulty now was how to go back, because I couldn't ride the horse I came
on"
On Tuesday, March 17, 1757,
"at five o'clock the congregation was large, and seemed greatly affected.
The difficulty now was how to get back, for I could not ride the horse on which
I came. But this was also predicted," [34] said
Wesley.
Catching
horse
"We
dismounted and left the road cautiously"
On
Wednesday, April 25, Wesley wrote: "Taking a horse at five, we mounted
Dunkeld, the first sizable town in the Highlands. We were pleasantly surprised:
a more pleasant situation cannot be easily imagined. Then we travel a few
kilometers on a smooth and delightful road, hanging over the River Tay; and
then he went winding through the mountains to Blair Castle. The mountains, for
the next twenty miles, were much higher and covered with snow. In the evening
we arrived at Dalwhinny, the most beloved inn I had met in the north of
Britain. In the morning, we were told that so much snow had fallen in the
evening that we couldn't go any further. And indeed, three young men, trying to
cross the mountain to Blair, were swallowed by the snow. However, we resolved, with
God's help, to go as far as we could. But by noon, we were at an end point; The
snow, which was together on the top of the mountain, had blocked the road quite
a bit. We dismounted, and, leaving the road cautiously, sometimes to the left,
sometimes to the right, with many stumbles but no injuries, proceeded to
Dalmagarry, and before sunset to Inverness,"[35]
Wesley said.
===============================
Spiritual
Influence on Horses
I
thought, "Even this can be the object of prayer"; and departed merrily.
The horse, instead of getting worse and worse, was better and better"
Horse
gets better with prayer
"The
blacksmith so effectively limped one of my horses that many told me he would
never be able to travel again"
A
remarkable fact happened on May 23, 1783. Wesley wrote: "I set out for
Derby; but the blacksmith so effectively hobbled one of my horses that
many told me that he would never be able to travel again. I thought: 'Even
this can be the object of prayer'; and I left happily. The horse,
instead of getting worse and worse, was better and better; and in the
afternoon (by the way, after I had preached at Leek) he brought me safely to
Derby."[36]
Bad and
good angels with participation in the accident
"I
am convinced that both the evil and the good angels had a great share in this
transaction"
On
Monday, June 20, 1774, at about nine, Wesley departed from "SunderlandtoHorsley, with
Mr. Hopper and Mr. Smith. I took Mrs. Smith and her two little daughters on the
chaise with me."[37]
Then,
the unexpected happened. "About two miles from the town, just on the
forehead of the hill, suddenly both horses departed, without any visible cause,
and flew down the hill like an arrow from a bow."[38]
Within a
minute, John fell... "The horses then went full speed, sometimes to the
edge of the ditch on the right, sometimes to the left."
The
horses managed to dodge a cart that came towards the chaise and passed over a
narrow bridge exactly in the middle of it.
"They
climbed the next hill just as fast, a lot of people meeting us but getting out
of the way. Near the top of the hill was a gate that led to a farmer's yard. It
was open. They turned short and ran through it, not touching the gate on one
side or the pole on the other."[39]
Wesley
said, "I thought, 'However, the gate which is on the other side of the
yard and is closed, will stop them,' but they ran through it as if it were a
spider's web and galloped through the cornfield." [40]
"Grandpa,
save us!" the girls shouted.
Wesley
told them, "Nothing will hurt you; do not be afraid"; feeling no more
fear or care (blessed be God!) than if I were sitting in my office. The horses
ran until they reached the edge of a steep precipice. Just then Mr. Smith, who
could not overtake us before, galloped into the middle. They stopped in a
moment." [41]
Wesley
said, "I am convinced that both the evil and the good angels had a great
share in this transaction: how great we do not know now, but we shall know
hereafter." [42]
Curing Your Horse
"Can not
God heal either man or beast, by any means, or without any?" Immediately
my tiredness and headache ceased, and my horse's lameness at the same
time"
In his
diary, Wesley wrote on 17 March 1746: "I took leave of Newcastle, and
departed with Mr. Downes and Mr. Shepherd. But when we arrived at Smeton, Mr.
Downes was so ill that he could go no further. When Mr. Shepherd and I left
Smeton, my horse was so extremely lame that I was afraid I had gone to bed too.
We could not discern what was wrong; and yet he would barely put his foot down.
Pedaling like this seven kilometers, I was completely tired, and my head hurt
more than it had in a few months... Then I thought, "Can't God heal either
man or beast, by any means, or without any?" Immediately my tiredness and
headache ceased, and my horse's lameness at the same time. He didn't even stop
that day or the next. A very strange accident too!"[43]
===============================
Wesley against cockfighting in Ireland
"I went to Clara,
where I was quickly informed that a famous cockfight was to begin within an
hour, to which almost the whole country was coming from all sides. Hoping to
involve some part of them in a better job, I began to preach in the street as
soon as possible."
Wesley speaks of wild
amusements, irrational and unnatural sports, and mentions bullfighting,
cockfighting, horse racing, and hunting. He said that these amusements cause
pain to all Christians.[44]
In 1748, in Ireland,
on Sunday, the 10th (Easter day), Wesley said: "Never has such a
congregation been seen before in the sacrament at Athlone. I preached to three.
Plenty of Papists flocked to listen; so that the priest, seeing that his
command was of no use, came in person at six o'clock and drove them away before
him like a flock of sheep."[45]
"Athlone is a
town on the border of County Roscommon and
County Westmeath, Ireland. It is located on
the River Shannon, near the south
shore of Lough Ree. It is the second
most populous city in the Midlands, with a population of
21,349 at the 2016 census."[46]
In an excavation in
2020 in Athlone, numerous artifacts were discovered and something intrigued
archaeologists: "The remains of a bird intrigued researchers. According to
archaeologist Siobhan Duffy, they were from a rooster that had its leg bone cut
off. This procedure would have been performed during the bird's life, to
facilitate the fixation of an artificial stimulus for the purpose of
cockfighting".[47]
It is not without
reason that England has been called "the savage nation."
And, in Clara, Wesley
found the habit of the population having fun with cockfights.
On Tuesday, the 12th,
he said: "I went to Clara, where I was quickly informed that a famous
cockfight was to begin within an hour, to which almost the whole country was
coming from all sides. Hoping to involve some part of them in a better job, I
began to preach on the street as soon as possible. One or two hundred stopped,
and listened a little, and took off their hats, and forgot their
amusement."[48]
Clara" is a town
on the banks of the River Brosna in County Offaly, and is the 10th
largest town in central Ireland.
The city had a population of 3,336 at the 2016 census."[49]
In Ireland, "Of
all the blood sports, the most popular was cockfighting, beloved for the
pleasure it gave as a sport and as a forum for gambling.
Specially trained
birds were fitted with steel or silver spurs and placed a scratch mark facing
the opponent. The fighting continued until one bird was killed or mutilated.
This was a sport that transcended class and was pursued in dedicated cockpits
and in informal venues.
Large contests were
advertised in the newspapers and on posters, cash prizes were offered, and
large crowds attended. The presence of the nobility in the Royal Cockpit,
situated on Cork Hill, on the south side of the River Liffey, was common and
there were cockfights that proved to be a great social attraction.
Cockfights were
staged in public houses, inns, and taverns, while dedicated cockpits could
accommodate 50 to 500 spectators."[50]
Three days later,
Friday, the 15th, Wesley went to Edinderry.
Edinderry. "It's
a city in the east of Offaly County,Ireland. It is close to the
borders with the counties of Kildare,Meathe Westmeath”.[51]
"By 1716, there
was a thriving manufacture of woollen cloth, established by the Quakers, who employed about
1,000 people."
Currently the
population has about 2,204 people (2011 census).
Wesley was not
physically well when he went to preach, and an "abundance of people was
quickly gathered. Having been disturbed at night by Mr. Swindells, who was
lying with me, and had a sort of apoplectic fit, I was not at all well about
noon, when I began to preach, on a long walk, on one side of the town; the sun
shone hot over my head, which ached all day; but I forgot about it before I had
spoken at length; and when I had finished my discourse, I left behind all my
weariness and pain, and went in perfect health to Dublin."[52]
It is worth
reflecting on what Wesley said: "I left behind all my fatigue and pain and
went in perfect health to Dublin".
===============================
The
roosters and horses in Wednesburg
"Wednesbury
was the center of cocking. People came from all over the country to see
cockfights in the cockpit at Potters Lan."[53]
In 1743 and 1744 there was the greatest recorded
violence against Wesley and the Methodists.
The city had an atmosphere of violence.
What
was Wednesbury like in the eighteenth century?
"Here,
on holidays, large crowds gathered for bullfighting and cockfighting, which was
their main entertainment. The agricultural labourer, unable to read or write,
toiled all day in the fields, ate frugal meals of rye bread and cheese, or
potatoes, and in the evenings sat drowsy or drunk in the village beer house.
The squire rarely traveled far, but lived and died in the parish where he was
born, as illiterate as the peasants who cultivated his fields. Distraught, he
rode in his long coat with silver buttons to the tavern where he drank heavily,
then mounted his horse to leap five-bar gates with the abandon of a student and
a complete disregard for his standing corn. On Sundays he snored heavily in the
gloomy church, and returning home he sat in an uncomfortable settlement,
sleeping."[54]
Horses
also attracted the English.
"The
horse was the sacred beast of the English in Woden's day, and, in spite of St.
Augustine and John Wesley, its worship still survives, its festivals attracting
thousands of pilgrims every year to the centers of worship at Epsom and
Newmarket." [55]
A current poem
reveals details about Wednesbury:
In the Heart of the Black Field
by Anne Peck
Born of the god of
heroes and war,
The ancient Norse god
Odin.
And many heroes have
blessed this land,
Through wars and
changes and demands of kings.
Once green, fertile
lands and woods,
Where warriors and
farmers resided,
For his people, life
was good.
But beneath the
ground was a hidden curse.
And of all their
battles they would be worse.
The blood of war will
be washed away,
But in a land ravaged
by coal
And iron stone, the
scars will remain.
Around the furnaces,
under the smoke.
The people wore the
iron yoke.
Today, now the smoke
is gone,
The city is tidy,
clean
And the strength of
his people lives on.
With pure and humble
grace, so bright that you can see it.
Proud to have been
born in Wednesbury.[56]
===============================
Britain's
Methodist participation in sport
In John Wesley's time,
England was known as the "Savage Nation." The sports practiced were
violent and linked to the practice of drinking.
"In the early years of
the eighteenth century, the term "sporting" was used to designate the
amusement activities that the nobility carried out in the countryside, usually
with the use of animals: especially horse racing and hunting, but also fishing
and, sometimes, animal fights, these of a more popular character. Many were the
cadres who exposed such customs under the banner of sport".[57]
Animal fighting was
popular. Fox hunting was for the economically successful. There was a hunting
club. Documentaries and films depict fox hunting.
There were serious problems
in English society: immorality among the high government officials; the game
had become almost a pastime; alcoholism was a tremendous problem; recreation
was barbarous in general; theft of all kinds was common, etc.[58]
"The early Methodists
distanced themselves from the popular 'sports' of their day, such as bear and
bull fighting, cockfighting, and bare-fist fighting, with the drunkenness and
game that accompanied them. In the course of the nineteenth century they were
replaced by sports with which Methodism could identify much more readily and
church-based football, cricket and tennis clubs became commonplace. But
reservations about his worldliness persisted." [59]
It was not until the 1860s
that British Methodism was awakened to the need for the practice of sport,
especially for theology students. The 'committee of the Theological
Institute discussed' the necessity of physical exercise for the students of
Didsbury with their health in a very unsatisfactory state. Only after
considerable debate was it decided to provide 'gymnastic apparatus ... but
'cricket was expressly prohibited'. [60]
There has been evolution
over the years. Methodist cricket teams were formed in 1904 at Kingston PM
church, Epsom Methodist and Midsomer Norton Methodist etc.
"Before the Second
World War there was a Methodist Sports Association, with sections for different
sports".[6] There
was the Wesleyan Cricket Association in London and it was common for tennis
clubs to be associated with local Methodist churches.
The participation of
Methodism in the sport was great. The practice of sports for young people came
to be seen as being necessary for temperance. Thus, young people would spend
their energies on something good for body and mind.
In soccer, there was the
individual participation of several Methodists. "Charles Crump, from
Wolverhampton, was a particularly important figure in the early days of the
Football League and the Football Association. Stanley Rous CBE (1895-1986), international
referee, was secretary of the Football Association 1934-1962 and president of
FIFA 1961-1974". [61]
Aston Villa FC is an
example of clubs of Methodist origin. Aston Villa Church was the successor in
1850 to Cherry Street Chapel and Wesley Chapel in Birmingham. Everton F.C.
"formed in 1878 as St. Domingo Football Club, an offshoot of the Bible
class for young men, by MNC minister Benjamin Swift Chambers (1845-1901; in
1869) during his first term as minister of St. Domingo's chapel,
1877-1882."[62]
===============================
Created the first industrial plastic, saving elephants
John
Wesley Hyatt (1837-1920) was an inventor born in Starkey, Seneca Lake, New
York, USA. He was the son of John W. Hyatt, a fervent Methodist blacksmith, and
Anne Gleason Hyatt.
He
had an ordinary school education and was sent by his parents to Eddystown
Seminary to be a pastor, but he had other gifts.
Eager to sit on his own, he left his hometown at age
16 to work as a printer's helper in Illinois and later in Albany, NY.
At the age of 29, his wife Julia died of pneumonia.
In 1861, Hyatt patented a knife sharpener and
developed celluloid (1869-1870), the first
commercial plastic to
replace ivory used in billiard balls.
It was estimated that 50,000 elephants were killed
each year to make ivory balls. Thus, his invention saved thousands of
elephants.
He invented the Hyatt filter to purify water on the
go. He founded the Albany Dental Plate Company (1870), later changed to the
Celluloid Manufacturing Company.
With his brother Isaiah, he founded the Hyatt Pure
Water Company in 1881 and the Hyatt Roller Bearing Company in 1891. In the
following years, he registered more than 200 patents. Celluloid was widely used
in cinemas at the turn of the century. It was used to make some of the first
gramophone records.[63]
===============================
Prophetic voice in England
in defense of animals
David L. Clough was born in 1968, England. He received a bachelor's and master's degree in arts from the University of Cambridge in natural sciences and theology in 1989. Clough earned a Ph.D. from Yale University in 2000. He is president of the Society for the Study of Christian Ethics and a visiting professor at the University of Winchester's Animal Welfare Center.
He is a Methodist preacher.[64]
Clough is Professor of Theological Ethics and Head of Theology and Religious Studies at the University of Chester. He is the author of "Ethics in Crisis: Ethics of Barth Interpretation", co-editor of "Creature Theology: God, Humans and Other Animals".
He was president of the UK Society for the Study of Christian Ethics. He is a member of the Faith and Order Network of the UK Methodist Church. He is a member of the Joint Methodist Advisory Committee on the Ethics of Investment.
In the last decade he has
focused his research on the place of animals in Christian theology and ethics.
In 2015, he launched the Creature Kind project, which is based on the purpose
of involving Churches with animal welfare as a matter of faith. Clough makes a theological critique of the
cruelty of factory farming. He says it is time for churches to see animal
suffering as a fundamental Christian concern. He states that our current
practices of raising animals for food show is a complete indifference to life.
Clough lives next door to Chester Zoo in North-West England with his family of
five humans, a cat and three Mongolian squirrels. Clough is a pacifist and
Methodist lay preacher.[65]
"His most recent work
has been on the approaches taken to the place of animals by Christian theology
and ethics. From 2018 to 2020, he was Principal Investigator on a three-year
AHRC-funded project on the Christian Ethics of Farmed Animal Welfare."[66]
===============================
Driving
force behind the creation of the Society for the Protection of Animals in
Argentina
He was a Methodist reverend and an influential member of the community, who promoted the first meeting in 1879 in Buenos Aires to establish the animal protection society
Juan Francisco Thomson (1843-1933) was born in Plymouth, England. His parents emigrated to Argentina in 1853. In his youth, Thomson studied, worked in commerce, and attended prayer meetings with Rev. William Goodfelow, Superintendent of the South American Mission since 1856.
He wanted to start the work in Spanish. Thomson was converted and involved in evangelism. Goodfelow encouraged him to study theology at Ohio Wesleyan University, USA, where he married Elena Goodfellow, Goodfelow's niece. He returned to Buenos Aires in 1866.
Thomson was chosen for the first preaching in Spanish, on May 25, 1867.
There were people in the corridors, stairs, and even behind the pulpit. The vast majority were of European origin. Thomson was a brilliant orator, and in 1868 he began organizing English- and Spanish-speaking congregations in a hostile secular milieu.
He faced strong controversies of an intellectual-religious nature. In the late 1860s, he began preaching in Spanish in Montevideo. In 1881, Thomson began preaching in Asunción, Paraguay.
One of his remarkable conversions was that of Don Francisco Silva, a former slave converted at the age of 100 inspired by the prayers of Juan Thomson. He had been an ardent Catholic until he joined the Methodist Church.
Thomson was ardent in preaching. He exchanged ideas with the community to the point that Jose Bartlle y Ordónez, President of the Republic of Uruguay (1903-1907 and 1911-1915), said that Juan Thomson was the maestro of youth in the last generation, from which he was formed.
Thomson was also the
driving force behind the creation of the Society for the Protection of Animals
(SPCA) on August 21, 1879, in Buenos Aires.
"It was a Methodist reverend and an influential member of the community, who promoted the first meeting in 1879 in Buenos Aires to establish the society"[67] for the protection of animals.
In 1943, Juan Carlos Vareto
published the book "El apóstol del plata: Juan F. Thomson".[68]
===============================
Tribute to a horse
I just wanted to get
some rest
After a long walk.
I couldn't take it
anymore
And so I lay down for
a while.
It was not necessary
to act like this
With so much
violence,
Violence of a monster
And mutilate my paws.
They were the ones
who,
Often,
They took you
To so many places.
The pains were
horrible,
But the pain of
ingratitude
It was too.
And that hurts,,,
My mutilated body
It was thrown into a
corner.
I didn't even have a
dignified burial.
In fact,
Nor a fair trial
either...
And God placed the
human being
To be a steward of
His Creation.
Only the certainty
remains
Of having served well
And in the best
possible way
And regret
Such brutality
In whom there should
be humanity
And sensitivity.[69]
Odilon Massolar Chaves
[1]
https://veganplace.blog/tag/navs-summerfest/
[2] Overview Powered by Google
AI
[3] Overview Powered by Google
AI
[4] Overview Powered by Google
AI
[5] Overview Powered by Google
AI
[6]
https://www.biblestudytools.com/ccommentaries/wesleys-explanatory-notes/proverbs/proverbs-12.html
[7] The Magazine of John Wesley, edited
by Percy Livingstone Parker, Chicago, Moody Press, 1951.
[8]
http://www.thepotteries.org/ history/spiritual_history.html
[9] Ditto.
[10]
https://wikishire.co.uk/wiki/Black_Country
[11]
http://www.pacefamilyhistory.info/history.htm
[12] Overview Powered by Google AI
[13]
https://www.biblestudytools.com/ccommentaries/wesleys-explanatory-notes/proverbs/proverbs-12.html
[14] https://www.amazon.com/Horse-Strangely-Warmed-Wesley-Horses-ebook/dp/B07Q6CFYR1
[15] Overview Powered by Google
AI
[16]fhttps://www.pensador.com/rase/MzMzNTYzMg/
[17]fhttps://www.pensador.com/rase/MzMzNTYzMg/
[18]
https://firebrandmag.com/articles/all-cats-and-dogs-go-to-heaven
[19]
https://firebrandmag.com/articles/all-cats-and-dogs-go-to-heaven
[20] https://www.ccel.org/w/wesley/journal/cache/journal.pdf
[21] https://babasiga.blogspot.com/2010/05/when-john-wesley-rode-horse.html?m=1
[22] https://biblehub.com/library/wesley/the_journal_of_john_wesley/wesley_and_his_horses.htm
[23] https://www.ccel.org/w/wesley/journal/cache/journal.pdf
[24] https://www.ccel.org/w/wesley/journal/cache/journal.pdf
[25] https://www.ccel.org/w/wesley/journal/cache/journal.pdf
[26] https://www.ccel.org/w/wesley/journal/cache/journal.pdf
[27] https://www.ccel.org/w/wesley/journal/cache/journal.pdf
[28] https://www.ccel.org/w/wesley/journal/cache/journal.pdf
[29] https://www.shropshire-guide.co.uk/places/wem/
[30] https://www.ccel.org/w/wesley/journal/cache/journal.pdf
[31] c https://www.tuasaude.com/anhamo/
[32] https://www.ccel.org/w/wesley/journal/cache/journal.pdf
[33] https://www.ccel.org/w/wesley/journal/cache/journal.pdf
[34] https://www.ccel.org/w/wesley/journal/cache/journal.pdf
[35]
https://biblehub.com/library/wesley/the_journal_of_john_wesley/wesley_and_his_horses.htm
[36] http://danielrjennings.org/tsoojw2.pdf, The supernatural
occurrences of John Wesley by Daniel R. Jennings
[37] https://www.ccel.org/w/wesley/journal/cache/journal.pdf
[38] https://krowtracts.com/tracts/mar17.html; https://www.ccel.org/
ccel/wesley/journal.vi.vii.i.html
[43] https://krowtracts.com/tracts/mar17.html; https://www.ccel.org/
ccel/wesley/journal.vi.vii.i.html
[44]
https://veganplace.blog/tag/navs-summerfest/
[46]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Athlone
[47]https://aventurasnahistoria.uol.com.br/noticias/historia-hoje
excavation-in-Ireland-military-barracks-reveals-rare-artifacts-of-17th-century-soldier
[49] https://en.wikipedia.org/
wiki/Clara,_County_Offaly
[50] https://www.irishexaminer.com/
sport-columnists/arid-20464524.html
[51]https://en.wikipedia.org/
wiki/Edenderry
[53]
http://www.visitoruk.com/WestBromwich/wednesbury-C592-V20866.html
[54]
https://wilcuma.co.uk/biographies/knight-of-the-burning-heart/the-knight-rides-on/
[55] ALLEN, Grant.The Type-Writer Girl. Canada, Edited by Clarissa J. Surayni, Broadview reprint edition, 2004, p.34.
[56] https://wearewednesbury.uk/the-horse-and-jockey-pub/. Odin in England came to be called
Woden. "Black field" refers to coal.
[57] https://deolhonosesporte.blogspot.com/2011/10/esporte-e-arte-na-inglaterra-do-seculo.html
[58] REILY, Duncan Ablexander. Brazilian and
Wesleyan Methodism. São Paulo: Methodist Press, 1981, p.148-53.
[59] "DMBI: A Dictionary of Methodism in Britain and Ireland"
,https://dmbi.online/index.php?do=app.entry&id=2572
[60] "DMBI: A Dictionary of Methodism in Britain and Ireland"
,https://dmbi.online/index.php?do=app.entry&id=2572
[61] "DMBI:
A Dictionary of Methodism in Britain and Ireland"
,https://dmbi.online/index.php?do=app.entry&id=2572
[62] "DMBI:
A Dictionary of Methodism in Britain and Ireland"
,https://dmbi.online/index.php?do=app.entry&id=2572
www.plastics.com ›... › Plastics Historical
http://www.plastics.com/content/articles/1/3/The-History-of-Celluloid/Page3.html
[64]https://www.encyclopedia.com/
arts/educational-magazines/clough-david-l-1968
[65]
http://www.encyclopedia.com/arts/educational-magazines/clough-david-l-1968
https://www.chester.ac.uk/departments/trs/staff/clough
https://www.chester.ac.uk/node/33642
http://catholicmoraltheology.com/peter-singer-david-clough-company-debate-on-animals/
https://www.amazon.com/Animals-Systematic-Theology-Clark/dp/0567139484
http://becreaturekind.org/who-we-are/
http://becreaturekind.org/tag/david-clough/
https://www.amazon.co.uk/David-Clough/e/B001JP2YCM
https://www.chester.ac.uk/departments/trs/staff/clough
[66] https://en.wikipedia.org/
wiki/David_L._Clough
[67]
https://www.redalyc.org/journal/4556/455670191006/html/
[68] http://iglesiametodista.org.ar/constitucion-y-reglamento-general-con-modificaciones-2007/; http://www.imu.org.uy/quienes-somos/; http://historiapolitica.com/datos/biblioteca/seiguer_jvi.pdf; https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Primera_Iglesia_Metodista_en_Buenos_Aires; http://www.medicinafelinabsas.com.ar/el-gato/el-gato-en-la-cultura-y-en-la-vida/78-dia-del-animal-en-argentina; http://www.elarcondelahistoria.com/la-sociedad-protectora-de-animales-2181879/
[69] Tribute to an animal that on August
16, 2025 had the four paid paid by its owner, in Bananal, SP.
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