Much has been written about John Wesley and his difficulties with women. It seems that his most challenging problems in life involved his awkward attempts at love, courtship and marriage. Romance clearly did not come easy to John Wesley. (Does it to anyone?) Surely his most glaring failures involved women.
Stanley Ayling, a Wesley scholar, records one experience that sheds interesting light on Wesley’s domestic efforts to be a loving and supportive husband. Wesley had been on the road much of the summer and early fall. He arrived home in London on Sept. 14. The next thing we know is that by Sept. 24 he was on the road again. He does not give any reason for this rather short, 10-day stay in London.
    Wesley makes no mention of any contact with Molly, his wife, but once on the road on his way to Bristol, he wrote a list of the main complaints he had against Molly. Obviously, something happened during his brief stay that disrupted the domestic tranquility he had wanted. It appears that Molly had turned over some of his personal writings to those who opposed him doctrinally.
    Wesley wrote some pretty strong charges. He complained to her of stealing from his bureau, showing his private papers to others without his knowledge, not permitting him to invite friends to the house for tea, immeasurable bitterness to anyone who might try to defend his character, being a prisoner in his own house (being watched continually), having to give her an account of everywhere he went, habitual lying, using inappropriate language to his servants and maliciously slandering him.
    But even with these complaints, John Wesley wrote that he wished she were with him — if only she would not speak against him behind his back.
    John Wesley was so gifted with words and so persuasive with language. Yet that skill just did not seem to carry over in his dealings with women, not even his wife.