"Preached yesterday evening, at the Brick-yard, to about eight
thousand people. Dined to-day with my honoured fellow-labourer,
Mr. Wesley, and many other friends, at Two-mile Hill, in
Kingswood, and preached afterwards to several thousand people
and colliers, in the school-house, which has been carried on so
successfully, that the roof is ready to be put up. The design,
I think, is good. Old as well as young are to be instructed. A
great and visible alteration is made in the behaviour of the
colliers. Instead of cursing and swearing, they are heard to
sing hymns about the woods; and the rising generation, I hope,
will be a generation of Christians. They seem much affected by
the word, and are observed to attend the churches and societies,
when Mr. Wesley is absent from them. Went immediately after
sermon was ended, with Mr. Wesley and several other friends, to
Bath, and preached to about three thousand people. It rained a
little all the while, but the people were patient and attentive.
Heard to-day, also, that the town clerk of Bristol did my
brother Wesley and me the honour to desire the grand jury, at
their quarter-sessions, to present our meetings, and to have
the Riot Act read, but they did not regard him. Nay, one, who
was called to serve on the petty jury, offered to submit to any
fine rather than do anything against us; who, he said, were true
servants of Jesus Christ.
"Wednesday, July 11. Preached" (at Bath) "in the morning, to
a larger audience than last night. Hastened to Bristol, and
preached, in the evening, at Baptist Mills. After this, my
brother Wesley and I went to the Women and Men's Societies,
settled some affairs, and united the two leading Societies
together.
"Thursday, July 12. Was busy most of the day in preparing a
sermon for the press, on 'The Indwelling of the Spirit,' which
I would recommend to all. Preached, in the evening, to eight or
nine thousand people, in the Bowling Green.
"Friday, July 13. Preached my farewell sermon, at seven in
the morning, to a weeping audience. My heart was full, and I
continued near two hours in prayer and preaching. The poor
people shed many tears, and sent up thousands of prayers on my
behalf. Their mites they most cheerfully contributed to the
school-house at Kingswood. Retired after sermon to vent my
heart, which was ready to burst with a sense of God's special,
distinguishing, repeated mercies."
Thus, for the present, ended Whitefield's ministry in Bristol, for
he was not there again until nearly two years afterwards. Wesley
writes:--
"July 13. In the afternoon, I left Bristol with Mr. Whitefield,
in the midst of heavy rain. But the clouds soon dispersed, so
that we had a fair, calm evening, and a serious congregation at
Thornbury."
Before following the two friends, an important incident must be
mentioned. The reader has already learned, that, from the first,
good Bishop Benson had been Whitefield's friend; but, on the day
Whitefield left Gloucester for Bristol, he received a letter from
the bishop, "in which," says he, "his lordship affectionately
admonished me, and expressed the opinion that I ought to preach the
Gospel only in the congregation to which I was lawfully appointed."
To this affectionate admonition, Whitefield returned the following
answer:--
"BRISTOL, _July 9, 1739_.
"MY LORD,--I thank your lordship for your lordship's kind
letter. My frequent removes from place to place prevented my
answering it sooner.
"I am greatly obliged to your lordship, in that you are pleased
to watch over my soul, and to caution me against acting contrary
to the commission given me at ordination. But, if the commission
we then receive obliges us to preach nowhere but in that parish
which is committed to our care, then all persons act contrary to
their commission when they preach occasionally in any strange
place; and, consequently, your lordship equally offends when you
preach out of your own diocese.
"As for inveighing against the clergy, without a cause, I deny
the charge. What I say, I am ready to make good whenever your
lordship pleases. Let those, who bring reports to your lordship
about my preaching, be brought face to face, and I am ready to
give them an answer. St. Paul exhorts Timothy not to receive
an accusation against an elder under two or three witnesses.
And even Nicodemus could say, the law suffered no man to be
condemned unheard. I shall only add, that I hope your lordship
will inspect the lives of your other clergy, and censure them
for being _over-remiss_, as much as you censure me for being
_over-righteous_. It is their falling from their Articles, and
not preaching the truth as it is in Jesus, that has excited
the present zeal of those, whom they, in derision, call _the
Methodist preachers_.
"Dr. Stebbing's sermon[231] (for which I thank your lordship)
confirms me more and more in my opinion, that I ought to be
instant in season and out of season; for, to me, he seems to
know no more of the true nature of regeneration than Nicodemus
did when he came to Jesus by night. Your lordship may observe
that he does not speak a word of original sin, or the dreadful
consequences of our fall in Adam, upon which the doctrine of the
new birth is entirely founded. No; like other polite preachers,
he seems to think that St. Paul's description of the wickedness
of the heathen is only to be referred to those of past ages:
whereas I affirm, we are all included as much under the guilt
and consequences of sin as they were.
[231] Dr. Stebbing's sermon will be noticed hereafter.
"Again, my lord, the doctor entirely mistakes us when we talk
of the _sensible_ operations of the Holy Ghost. I know not that
we use the word _sensible_; but, if we do, we do not mean that
God's Spirit manifests itself to our _senses_, but that it may
be perceived by the soul, as really as any sensible impression
made upon the body. Although the operations of the Spirit of God
can no more be accounted for than how the wind cometh and goeth,
yet may they be as easily felt by the soul as the wind may be
felt by the body. My lord, indeed, we speak what we know.
"But, says the doctor, 'These men have no proof to offer for
their _inward_ manifestations.' What proof, my lord, does the
doctor require? Would he have us raise dead bodies? Have we not
done greater things than these? I speak with all humility. Has
not God, by our ministry, raised many dead souls to a spiritual
life? Verily, if men will not believe the evidence God has given
that He sent us, neither would they believe though one rose from
the dead.
"Besides, my lord, the doctor charges us with things we are
entire strangers to,--such as denying men the use of God's
creatures; and encouraging abstinence and prayer to the neglect
of the duties of our station. Lord, lay not this sin to his
charge!
"But, the doctor, and the rest of my reverend brethren, are
welcome to judge me as they please. Yet a little while, and
we shall all appear before the great Shepherd of our souls.
There, there, my lord, shall it be determined who are His true
ministers, and who are only wolves in sheep's clothing. Our
Lord, I believe, will not be ashamed to _confess us publicly
in that day_. I pray God, we all may approve ourselves such
faithful ministers of the New Testament, that we may be able to
lift up our heads with boldness!
"As for declining the work in which I am engaged, my blood runs
chill at the very thought of it. I am as much convinced it is
my duty to act as I do, as I am that the sun shines at noonday.
I can foresee the consequences very well. They have already,
in one sense, thrust us out of the synagogues. By-and-by, they
will think it is doing God service to kill us. But, my lord,
if you and the rest of the bishops cast us out, our great and
common Master will take us up. However you may censure us as
evil-doers and disturbers of the peace, yet, if we suffer for
our present way of acting, your lordship, at the great day, will
find that we suffer only for _righteousness' sake_. In patience,
therefore, do I possess my soul. I will willingly tarry the
Lord's leisure. In the meanwhile, I shall continually bear your
lordship's favours upon my heart, and endeavour to behave, so as
to subscribe myself,
"My lord, your lordship's obedient son and obliged servant,
"GEORGE WHITEFIELD."
This was a bold letter to the venerable prelate, who had always been
Whitefield's friend, and who, only six months before, had admitted
him to the orders of a priest. But to return, let us follow the
young evangelist in his wanderings. He writes:--
"Saturday, July 14. Preached" (at Thornbury) "at eight this
morning, to an attentive congregation. Breakfasted at a
Quaker's, and reached Gloucester, with my honoured friend, Mr.
John Wesley, and some others, in the afternoon. Went to the
cathedral prayers, and afterwards preached to a congregation a
third part larger than I have had in this place before.
Whitefield merely mentions the Quaker at Thornbury--Wesley gives
a more detailed account, and takes the opportunity of lashing the
pretended teachers of the people. He writes as follows:--
"July 14. We breakfasted" (at Thornbury) "with a Quaker, who
had been brought up in the Church of England; but, being under
strong convictions of inward sin, and applying to several
persons for advice, they all judged him to be under a disorder
of body, and gave advice accordingly. Some Quakers, with whom
he met about the same time, told him it was the hand of God
upon his soul; and advised him to seek another sort of relief
than those miserable comforters had recommended. 'Woe unto
you, ye blind leaders of the blind!' How long will ye pervert
the right ways of the Lord? Ye, who tell the mourners in Zion,
'Much religion hath made you mad!' Ye, who send them, whom God
hath wounded, to the devil for cure; to company, idle books, or
diversions! Thus shall they perish in their iniquity; but their
blood shall God require at your hands."
Next morning the two friends parted, not to meet again until the
year 1741, when, unfortunately, there was a rupture between them,
which, hereafter, will demand attention. Leaving Wesley to preach to
assembled thousands in Gloucester, Whitefield set out for London. He
writes:--
"Sunday, July 15. Left my honoured friend, Mr. Wesley, to preach
to about seven thousand souls in Gloucester. Preached twice in
Randwick Church, and assisted in administering the sacrament to
two hundred and seventy communicants. In the evening, at Hampton
Common, I was enabled to preach to about twenty thousand.
"July 16. Preached, at noon, at Tedbury, to about four thousand
people. Many, of divers denominations, came to meet me, with
whom I took sweet counsel. Visited, in the afternoon, Mr. O----,
a Baptist teacher. At seven, in the evening, preached to about
three thousand people at Malmesbury. Much opposition had been
made, by the Pharisees, against my coming; and the minister, in
particular, had written to the churchwarden to stop me.
"July 17. Preached to about two thousand, at eight in the
morning; and reached Cirencester at six in the evening. Here
also men breathed out threatenings against me. Numbers came from
neighbouring towns. My congregation was as large again as when I
preached here last.
"July 18. Preached at seven in the morning. I stood in the
valley, and the people on an ascent, that formed a most
beautiful amphitheatre. I reached Abingdon about seven in the
evening, and preached to several thousands. Much opposition
had been made against my coming. The landlord, whose house we
offered to put up at, genteelly told us he had not room for us.
"July 19. At the request of several well-disposed people,
preached again this morning, though not to so great a number as
before. Reached Basingstoke about seven at night. Being languid
and weary, I lay down soon after our coming to the inn; but
was shortly told the landlord would not let us stay under his
roof. Upon this, I immediately went to another inn. The people
made a mock of both me and my friends, as we passed along, and
fire-rockets were thrown around the door. About an hour after,
I received the following letter, by the hands of the constable,
from the mayor:--
"'BASINGSTOKE, _July 19, 1739_.
"'SIR,--Being a civil magistrate in this town, I thought it my
duty, for the preservation of the peace, to forbid you, or, at
least, dissuade you, from preaching here. If you persist in
it, in all probability it may occasion a disturbance, which,
I think, it is your duty, as a clergyman, as well as mine, to
prevent. If any mischief should ensue, (whatever pretence you
may afterwards make in your own behalf,) I am satisfied it will
fall on your own head, being timely cautioned by me, who am,
sir, your most humble servant,
"'JOHN ABBOT.
"'P.S.--The Legislature has wisely made laws for the
preservation of the peace; therefore, I hope no clergyman lives
in defiance of them.'"
Thus wrote Mr. Abbot, mayor of Basingstoke--a butcher by business,
but a stickler for peace. Whitefield immediately answered Mr.
Abbot's letter, with a high-sounding courtesy, more due to Mr.
Abbot's mayoralty than to his business:--
"HONOURED SIR,--I thank you for your kind letter, and I humbly
hope a sense of duty, and not a fear of man, caused you to write
it.
"If so, give me leave to remind you, honoured sir, that you
ought to be, not only a terror of evil-doers, but a praise to
them that do well. I know of no law against such meetings as
mine. If any such law exists, I believe you will think it your
duty, honoured sir, to apprise me of it, that I may not offend
against it. If no law can be produced, I think it my duty to
inform you that you ought to protect an assembly of people
meeting together purely to worship God.
"To-morrow, honoured sir, I hear there is to be an assembly of
another nature. Be pleased to be as careful to have the public
peace preserved at that; and to prevent profane cursing and
swearing, and persons bruising each other's bodies by cudgelling
and wrestling. If you do not this, I shall rise up against you
at the great day, and be a swift witness against your partiality.
"I am, honoured sir, your very humble servant,
"GEORGE WHITEFIELD."
Next morning, Whitefield waited upon the magisterial butcher, to
enquire about the law against his preaching. The mayor was unable
to answer the preacher's enquiry, but said, "Sir, you ought to
preach in a church." "So I would," replied Whitefield, "if your
minister would give me leave." "Sir," said Mr. Abbot, "I believe
you have some sinister ends in view. Why do you go about making a
disturbance?" "I make no disturbance," answered Whitefield. "It was
hard I could not come into your town without being insulted. It
was your business, sir, to wait, and, if there was any riot in my
meetings, then, and not till then, to interpose." "Sir," continued
the zealous mayor, "you wrote to me about the revel to-day." "Yes,"
rejoined Whitefield, "you ought to go, and read the riot act, and
put a stop to it."
Here the mayor and the preacher parted; but the contention was not
ended. On the same day, the angry official, with a fair amount of
scholarship for a man who handled the cleaver, as well as mace, sent
to Whitefield a polished epistle, as follows:--
"BASINGSTOKE, _July 20, 1739_.
"REV. SIR,--I received your extraordinary letter, and could
expect no other from so uncommon a genius.
"I apprehend your meetings to be unlawful, having no toleration
to protect you in it. My apprehension of religion always was,
and I hope always will be, that God is to be worshipped in
places consecrated and set apart for His service; and not
in brothels, and places where all manner of debauchery may
have been committed; but how far this is consistent with your
actions, I leave you to judge.
"As for the other assembly you are pleased to mention, 'tis
contrary to my will, having never given my consent to it, nor
approved of it, but discouraged it before your reverendship
came to this town; and, if these cudgellers persist in it, I
shall set them upon the same level with you, and think you all
breakers of the public peace. You very well know there are penal
laws against cursing and swearing, and I could wish there were
the same against deceit and hypocrisy.
"Your appearing against me as a swift witness, at the day of
judgment, I must own, is a most terrible thing, and may serve as
a bugbear for children, or people of weak minds; but, believe
me, reverend sir, those disguises will have but little weight
amongst men of common understanding.
"Yours,
"JOHN ABBOT."