A
LETTER
To the Rev. the PRESIDENT, And PROFESSORS, TUTORS, and HEBREW INSTRUCTOR, of
Harvard-College
in
Cambridge;
In answer to A TESTIMONY Publish'd by them against the Reverend Mr. GEORGE WHITEFIELD,
And his Conduct.
By
George Whitefield,
A. B. Late of
Pembroke-College
OXON.
2 Cor. vi. 8, 9, 10, 11, 12.
—
As Deceivers, and yet true; as unknown, and yet well known: as dying, and behold, we live; as chastened, and not killed; as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all Things. O ye
Corinthians,
our Mouth is open unto you, our Heart is enlarged. Ye are not straitened in us, but ye are straitened in your own Bowels.
BOSTON: N. E.
Printed and Sold by S. KNEELAND and T. GREEN in
Queenstreet
1745.
Boston,
January 23d. 1744, 5.
Reverend and honored Gentlemen,
_WHEN the great Apostle of the Gentiles was accused before the Governor of
Cesarea,
Acts 24. by
Tertullus
(employed for that Purpose by
Ananias
the High Priest, and the Elders) as a
pestilent Fellow, a Mover of Sedition among all the Jews throughout the World, and a Ringleader of the Sect of the Nazarenes,
he thought it his Duty (being beckned to by the Governor) to answer for himself, and in his Answer proved that he was in no wise guilty of the Things that were laid to his
〈…〉
Gentlemen seem to view me in the same Light wherein
〈…〉
Ananias
and the Elders viewed
Paul;
and accordingly
〈…〉
it proper to publish a Testimony against me and my
〈◊〉
wherein you have undertaken to prove, Page 4. that I am
an Enthusiast, a censorious, uncharitable Person, and a
〈◊〉
of the People.
Will you give me Leave, since I think the great Governor of the Church beckons to me by his Providence so to do, with: minutely criticising upon the Dictiion and Method of your Testimony, to answer for myself, and in the Spirit of Meekness examine the Proofs you bring to make good your Charges against me.
By an
Enthusiast
(you say p. 4.) we mean one that
acts,
either
according to
Dreams, or some sudden Impulses and Impressions upon his Mind, which he fondly imagines to be from the Spirit of God, persuading and inclining him thereby to such and such Actions, though' he hath
no Proof
that such Perswasions or Impressions are from the holy Spirit:
This Definition of an Enthusiast (whether exactly right or not) you are pleased to apply to me, and accordingly at the Bottom of the aforementioned Page assert that I am
a Man that
conducts
himself according to his
Dreams,
or some ridiculous and unaccountable
Impulses
and
Impressions
on his Mind
and
that this is Mr.
Whitefield's
Manner is evident (you say) both by his Life, his Journals and his Sermons
—From these Pieces (you add p. 5.)
It is very evident that he used to
govern
himself by his
Dreams;
one Instance of this we have in his Life, p. 12.
Near this Time I dreamed that I was to see God on Mount Sinai. This made a great Impression upon me.
Another like Instance we have p. 39, 40.
I prayed that God would open a Door to visit the Prisoners; quickly after I dreamed that one of the Prisoners came to be instructed by me; the Dream was impressed much upon my Heart; in the Morning I went to the Door of the Goal—
Once more, a like Instance we have p. 43.
I dreamed I was talking with the Bishop and that be gave me some Gold, which chinked in my Hands;
and p. 44. The Guineas
thinking in my Hand put me in mind of my Dream.
Now say you in the next Paragraph,
If we consider these Instances, we must suppose him
conducting himself by Dreams,
But, Gentlemen, how will these Premises admit of such a Conclusion? I in writing a brief Account of God's Dealings with me from my Infancy to the Time of my Ordination, have mentioned three particular Dreams. But how does this prove that
I conduct myself (i. e.
I suppose you mean in the general Course of my Life) by Dreams, or that this denominates me an Enthusiast, who (according to your Definition) acts according to Dreams or
some sudden Impulses and Impressions upon his Mind which he fondly imagines to be from the Spirit of God persuading and inclining him thereby to such and such Actions, though' he hath no Proof that such Perswasions or Impressions (I humbly apprehend to make up the Sense there should be added,
or Dreams)
are from the holy Spirit
? May not a Person in a
few Instances
of his Life have some remarkable Dreams which may be explained by subsequent Providences, without being an Enthusiast, or justly termed one that
acts
or
conducts
and
governs
himself according to Dreams?
Besides, ought you not to have quoted the Passages as they stand in my Life, and then everyone must see I was far from acting according to Dreams, even in these Instances. The
first
I mentioned because it was a Means under God of awakening me in some Degree, as I suppose hath been the Case of many; and is this a conducting myself by a Dream? As for the
second
the Case was thus, as I used to visit the Prisoners at
Oxford,
so upon my coming to
Gloucester,
my Compassion for the poor Prisoners here, and the Hopes I had
of being Serviceable to them, inclined me to visit them also; for which Reason I prayed most earnestly that God would open a Door for me to visit them; quickly after I dreamed that one of the Prisoners come to be instructed by me: The Dream was impressed much upon my Heart. In the Morning I went to the Door of the Goal. This Dream was no further a Reason of my going thither, than as it was a Means of exciting me to pursue the reasonable Inclination I had before. And subsequent Providences made me afterwards judge that God directed the Dream for that Purpose. As to the
third
I was so far from being conducted by it, that as I have said in the Account I gave of it, which
Gentlemen,
you would have done well to have observed, I always checked the Impression it made upon me.—These are the only Dreams I think that are mentioned in any of my Writings; and all these are in the Account of my Life: though' you are pleased to say (p. 5.) "From these Pieces [namely my Life, Journals and Sermons] it is very evident that he used to govern himself by Dreams".
As plain it is (you add pa. ibid.) that he
usually governed
himself by some
sudden Impulses and Impressions
on his Mind, and we have one Instance that may satisfy us, that his first setting out upon his itinerant Business, was from an enthusiastick Turn. Journal from
London
to
Gibraltar,
p. 3.
He says he will not mention the Reasons that persuaded him that it was the divine Will that he should go abroad, because they might not be deemed good Reasons by another; but faith, he was as much bent as ever to go though' strongly solicited to the contrary, having asked Direction from Heaven about it for a Year and half.
And does not this prove,
Gentlemen,
that I acted
cautiously
in the Affair, and
took Time to consider
of the Step I was about to take? and consequently was not governed herein by some
sudden Impulse
or
Impression
on my Mind, and without consulting Providence, continuing instant in Prayer, and conferring with Friends on the Occasion, for the Space of a Year and half, as you well observe?—And what if I did not mention
the Reasons that persuaded me it was the divine Will that I should go abroad, because they might not be deemed good Reasons by another;
Does it therefore follow that I was governed in the Affair by
Impulses
and
Impressions,
or that I had no good Reasons to give? Besides
Gentlemen,
how does it appear that this Passage refers to my first setting out upon my itinerant Business? I think I mention only going Abroad,
viz.
to
Georgia,
whither I was then bound, and where I intended to
settle.—At this Time I had no thought of being an Itinerant.—It did not appear to be my Duty to set out upon that Business for a considerable Time after. How I was induced at Length to set out upon it, I promised in the latter End of my Life to give an Account of in a future Tract.—And 'till that be published, how can any one fairly determine whether my
first setting out upon this itinerant Business was from an enthusiastical Turn or not?
Other Instances (you say, p. ibid) there are wherein he shows it to be his Custom to attribute any common Turn of his Mind to a Motion of the Holy Spirit upon him, without anymore Reason than any Man may, any Recollections of his Memory, or sudden Suggestion of his own Understanding. Such a one you have, Journal from
Gibraltar
to
Savanna,
p 3d.
I went to Bed with unusual Thoughts and Convictions that God would do some great Things at
Gibraltar.
But
Gentlemen,
If I say, I went to Bed with
unusual Thoughts
and
Convictions,
how is this an Instance of my attributing
any common Turn of my Mind to a Motion of the Holy Spirit.
You endeavor to prove it further, p. 6. by a second Passage taken out of another Journal from
Savanna
to
England,
p. 22. where he says,
That the Lesson before he left
Savanna,
being St.
Paul's
Shipwreck: and that before his leaving
Charlestown
being the first of
Jonah,
made such a deep Impression upon him, that he wrote to his Friend to acquaint him he was apprehensive he should have a dangerous Voyage, and it happning to be bad Weather accordingly, He says,
God hath now showed me wherefore he gave those previous Notices.
But
Gentlemen,
How is this an Instance of my attributing
any common Turn of my Mind to
a Motion of the Holy Spirit? Was it a
common Turn
of my Mind to have
Paul's
Shipwreck, and the first of
Jonah
powerfully pressed upon me? I donit know that it was. But you are pleased to draw this further Inference from the Quotation page ibid.
viz.
So that
every Scripture
that came to his View was received as the
Bath-Kol
of the Jews, and he plainly shows himself as much directed by this Way of finding out the Will of GOD
as he calls it,
as the old Heathens were by their
Sortes Homericae Virgilianae.
But how does this prove, that
every Scripture
that came to my View was received as the
Bath Kol
&c. I think I mentioned only the first of
Jonah
and the 27th of
Acts:
But you say of this (
viz.
my receiving every Scripture that came to my View as the
Bath Kol)
we have a very full Instance, same Journal pa. 38. where you
have a particular Application of the Words which appeared upon the Doctor's first opening the Common-Prayer, viz.
The Lord hath visited and redeemed his People.
But how is this a very full Instance, when these Words did not appear to my View at all, but the Doctor's. It was he that was reading, not I; only as you are pleased to express yourselves,
wisely observed
that so it was,
for about eight o' Clock the Men saw Land.
Was there any Thing unwise in such an Observation? Or was there anything enthusiastical in saying that God had visited and redeemed his People when after we had been pinched with Hunger and almost starved, he was pleased to give us a Sight of Land?
You proceed pag. 6, to lay something more to my Charge:
Sometimes you say, He speaks as if he had Communications directly from the Spirit of God.
And is it a Crime for a Believer, much more a Minister of Jesus, to speak of his having Communications directly from the Spirit of God? I thought that was no new Thing to the Ministers and People in
New-England,
especially since such a remarkable Revival of Religion has been vouchsafed unto them.—How are Believers sealed; or how is the divine Life begun and carried on, if there be no such Thing as having divine Communications directly from the Spirit of God?
Again, (p. ibid.) You bring a fresh Accusation against me,
Sometimes and indeed very frequently he (in a most enthusiastic Manner) applies even the historical Parts of Scripture particularly to himself, and his own Affairs; and this Manner he endeavors particularly to vindicate, Sermon of
Searching the Scriptures,
p. 246. of his Sermons.
It is this Application of the historical Parts of Scripture, when we are reading, that must render them profitable to us;
and appeals to the Experience of the Christian, that if he hath so consulted the Word of God, he has not been plainly directed how to act as though' he had consulted the
Urim
and the
Thummi
••
.
For in this plain and full Manner he says, p. 38. of his Life;
The holy Spirit hath form Time to Time let him into the Knowledge of divine Things, and hath directed him in the minutest Circumstances.
And no Doubt hence it is, that he says, forementioned Sermon, p. 247,
That God at all Times, Circumstances and Places, though' never so minute, never so particular, will if we diligently seek the Assistance of his Holy Spirit, apply general Things to our Hearts:
Which though' it may be true in some Measure as to the doctrinal and preceptive Parts of Scripture, yet it is evidently enthusiastick to say so as to the historical Parts of it.
But however to say so may appear evidently enthusiastical to you
Gentlemen,
after maturely weighing the Case, it does not appear in that Light to me: For does not the Apostle tell
Timothy,
2 Tim. 3. 16, 17.
That
ALL
Scripture
(therein, undoubtedly, including the historical as well as doctrinal & preceptive Parts)
is given by Inspiration of God, and is profitable for Doctrine, for Reproof, for Correction and Instruction in Righteousness, to make the Men of God perfect; thoroughly furnished to every good Work.
And does not the same Apostle speaking of Scripture Histories, say, 1 Cor. 10. 11.
Now all these Things happened unto them for Ensamples, & they are written for our Admonition upon whom the Ends of the World are come.
And if it be evidently enthusiastical thus to apply the historical Parts of Scripture to our own Cases in private, is it not equally enthusiastical to preach upon and apply the historical Parts of Scripture to particular Cases oor Persons in Public? And further, if it is evidently enthusiastical to apply the historical Parts of Scripture to ourselves and to our Affairs, then supposing such Words as these,
Go in Peace, Be whole of thy Plague, Son be of good Cheer;
or that historical Passage in Joh. 7. 37. should be applied to a particular Soul in deep Distress, (as no doubt they have often been) must not that Soul reject them entirely for Delusions? And if so, how many that are real Believers, must be brought into unspeakable Bondage?
Page 8. You go on thus,—
To mention but one Instance more, though' we are not of such Letter-learned as deny, that there is such a Union of Believers to Christ, whereby
they are one in him, as the Father and he are one,
as the Evangelists speaks, or rather the Spirit of God by him; yet so Letter-learned we are, as to say, that that Pasage in Mr.
W d's
Sermon of the
indwelling of the Spirit,
p. 311. Vol. of Sermons, contains the crew Spirit of Enthusiasm, where he says,
to talk of any having the Spirit of God without feeling of it, is really to deny the Thing.
Upon which we say, That the Believer may have a Satisfaction, that he hath the Assistance of the Spirit of God with him in so continual and regular a Manner, that he may be said to dwell in him, and yet have no feeling of it.
But
Gentlemen,
Is not this in effect to deny the indwelling of the Spirit? For how is it possible that the Believer can have a
Satisfaction,
that he hath the Assistance of the Spirit of God with him in so continued and regular a Manner, that he may be said to dwell in him, and yet the Believer have no
feeling of it?
For my Part I cannot comprehend it.—I could as soon-believe the Doctrine of
Transubstantiation,
and therefore
cannot retract what you are pleased to say contains the true Spirit of Enthusiasm,
viz. To talk of any having the Spirit of God without feeling it, is really to deny the Thing.
The Reason you give why the Spirit of God may dwell in a Believer, and yet the Believer himself have no Feeling of it; in my Apprehension carries no Proof and Conviction with it at all. I think you reason thus, p. ibid
For the Metaphor is much too gross to express this (however full) Satisfaction of the Mind, and has led some to take the Expression literally, and hath (we fear) given great Satisfaction to many an Enthusiast among us since the Year 1740, from the swelling of their Breasts and Stomachs in their religious Agitations, which they have thought to be
feeling the Spirit,
in its Operations on them.
Who these Enthusiasts, and what these religious Agitations are which you are pleased to mention, I cannot tell Neither do I know by whom this Metaphor of feeling the Spirit has been misunderstood, or taken in too gross a Sense. But such a Way of speaking and writing is very common amongst the most eminent Divines, as well as the Articles of the Church of
England.
In her 17th Article she speaks thus,
As the godly Consideration of Predestination and our Election in Christ is full of sweet, pleasant and unspeakable Comfort to godly Persons, and such as
feel
in themselves the working of the Spirit of Christandc.
Mr.
Guthrie
in his
Trial of a saving Interest in Christ,
p. 109. and which used to be Dr
Owen's
Vade Mecum, hath this remarkable Paragraph,
I speak with the Experience of many Saints, and I hope according to Scripture, if I say there is a Communication of the Spirit of God which is let out to some of his People sometimes, that is somewhat beside, if not beyond that witnessing of a Sonship spoken of before. It is a glorious Manifestation of God unto the Soul, shedding abroad God's Love in the Heart. It is a Thing better
felt
than spoken of It is no audible Voice, but it is a Flash of Glory filling the Soul with God, as he is Life, Light, Love and Liberty, contervailing that audible Voice,
O Man greatly beloved,
Dan. 10. 19. putting a Man in a Transport with this on his Heart,
It is good to be here,
as Math. 17. 5. It is that which went out from Christ to
Mary,
when he but mentioned her Name, Joh. 20. 16.
Jesus saith unto her
Mary.
she turneth herself & saith unto him,
Rabboni,
which is to say, Master.
He had spoken some Words to her before, and she understood not that it was he. But when he uttereth this one Word,
Mary,
there was some admirable divine
Conveyance and Manifestation made out unto her Heart, by which she was so satisfyingly filled, that there was no Place for arguing and disputing whether or no that was Christ, and if she had any Interest in him.—That Manifestation made Faith to itself; and did purchase Credit and Trust to itself, and was equivalent with,
thus faith the Lord.
This is such a Glance of Glory, that it may in the highest Sense be called the Earnest, or first Fruits of the Inheritance,
Epb.
1. 14. for it is
a felt Arm full of the holy God.
—Worthy Mr.
Baxter
in his
Gildas Salvianus,
p. 40. speaking of the Danger of Ministers preaching an unknown and unfelt Christ, writes thus,—
O S
••
, all your preaching & persuading of others will be but dreaming and trifling Hypocrisy, 'till the Work be thoroughly done upon yourselves. How can you set yourselves Day and Night to Work that your carnal Hearts are averse from? How can you call out with serious Fervour upon poor Sinners with importunate Sollicitations, to take heed of Sin, and to set themselves to a holy Life, that never
felt
yourselves the Evil of Sin, or the Worth of Holiness? I tell you, these Things are never well known till they are
felt,
nor well
felt
till possessed: And he that
feeleth
them not himself, is not so like to speak
feelingly
to others, nor to help others to the
feeling
of them.
—Thus wrote Mr.
Guthrie,
and Mr.
Baxter:
And even the Rev. President himself, in his Sermon before the Convention,
May
28th 1741, p. 34. hath these Words;
Not but that the Saints may
feel
this very
sensibly,
and it is a
Joy unspeakable and full of Glory.
But if such a Way of writing displeases you
now,
and you are of the Opinion,
That a Believer may have a Satisfaction, that he hath the Assistance of the Spirit of God with him, in so continual and regular a Manner, that he may be said to dwell in him, and yet have no
feeling
of it,
I cannot wonder,
Gentlemen,
that my Writings are offensive; because as you observe at the End of this Paragraph pa. 8th, my Compositions are, and I hope always will be,
full of these things.
You close your Proofs of my being an Enthusiast with these Words,—
The whole tends to persuade the World (and it has done so with Respect to many) that Mr.
W.
hath as familiar a Converse and Communion with God as any of the Prophets and Apostles, and such as we all acknowledge to have been under the Inspiration of the Holy Ghost.
What Tendency my Writings may have to make
People think so highly of me, I cannot determine. But this I affirm, that I would not have undertaken to preach the Gospel for ten thousand Worlds, had I not been fully persuaded that I had a
Degree
of that Spirit, and was admitted to a Degree of that holy & familiar Converse and Communion with God, which the Prophets and Apostles were favored with, in common with all Believers. And if the had not been the Case, should I not
Gentlemen,
have lied to God as well as unto Man, when I declared at my Ordination, that I was inwardly moved by the Holy Ghost, who I believe according to Christ's Promise, will be with every faithful Murder (and so as to be
felt
too) even to the End of the World.
As a natural Consequence of the Heat of Enthusiasm by which (you are pleased to say) he was so evidently acted, in a following Paragraph, p. S. You say, In the next Place, we look upon Mr.
Whitefield
as an uncharitable, censorious and slanderous Man;
viz.
habitually such, for that is the Idea your Words seem to convey. But
Gentlemen,
does it follow that
Peter
could properly be styled a cursing swearing Man, because with Oaths and Curses he denied his Lord? Or
David,
that Man after God's own Heart, be properly styled a murdering adulterous Man, because he committed Adultery with
Bathsheba,
and murdered her Husband
Uriah?
Or, can a Believer be styled properly an Hypocrite, because he has yet got a great deal of Hypocrisy remaining in his Heart? I suppose by no Means. No more according to my Apprehensions can any Man be justly called an uncharitable, censorious and slanderous Man, if he be not habitually so, supposing it should be proved either from his Writings or Conduct, that he may have been somewhat rash or uncharitable in his Judgment passed upon some particular Persons or Things.
But how
Gentlemen,
do you prove this Charge,
viz.
That I am an uncharitable slanderous Man? Why, p 9.
From his monstrous Reflections upon the great & good Arch-Bishop
Tillotson,
(as Dr.
Increase Mather stiles him)
comparing his Sermons to the conjuring Books which the Apostle persuaded the People to destroy.
But this I humbly apprehend does not prove that I cast Reflections, which you call monstrous, upon Arch. B. shop
Tillotson
as to his personal Character, out only his Books, which Dr.
Increase Mather
himself, as I have been informed by the Rev. Mr.
Gee,
who was brought up under his Ministry,& directed by him in his Studies, constantly warned the Students against. And by the Way, I cannot but observe, that this holy venerable Man of God Dr.
Increase
Mather,
if we may credit the Writer of his Life, dealt as much in impressions and inward Feelings, as the Person against whom you are pleased to publish this Testimony. And though' he might call the Arch Bishop a great and good Man for his Eminency in Station, great Generosity and Moderation towards the Dissenters, yet I believe he never called him a great or good Divine, nor do I think he would blame me for what I have said concerning Mr.
G—
•
,
and Mr.
H—
•
.
But that which affords you the greatest Occasion to denominate me a censorious, uncharitable and slanderous Man, and which I apprehend chiefly stirs up your Resentment against me is; to make Use of your own Expression,
My reproachful Reflections, p. 9. upon the Society which is immediately under our Care.
I think the Reflections are these,
And as far as I could gather from some who well knew the State of it [the
College
] not far superior to our Universities in Piety and true Godliness. Tutors neglect to pray with and examine the Hearts of the Pupils. Discipline is at too low an Ebb: Bad Books are become fashionable among them:
Tillotson
and
Clark
are read, instead of
Shepherd, Stoddard,
and such like evangelical Writers.
And
Gentlemen,
were not these Things so at the Time in which I wrote? Wherein then in writing thus have I slandered
Harvard College?
But then you say, pa. 10th, he goes further still, when he says, pa. 96th, both of
Yale-College
as well as ours;
As for the Universities, I believe it may be said, Their Light is now become Darkness, Darkness that may be felt.
And must it not be so when Tutors neglect to pray with and examine the Hearts of the Pupils,
&c.
And this is all I meant. For I had no Idea of representing the Colleges in such a deplorable State of Immorality and Irreligion as you
Gentlemen,
in your Testimony p ibid. seem to object. I meant no more, than what the Rev. President meant, when speaking of the Degeneracy of the Times, in his Sermon at the annual Convention of Ministers,
May
28th, 1741, he adds,
But alas,
how is the Gold become dim, and the most fine Gold changed?
We have lost our first Love: And though' Religion is still in Fashion with us, yet its evident, that the Power of it is greatly decayed.
However I am sorry, I published my private Informations, though' from credible Persons, concerning the Colleges to the World: and assure you, that I should be glad to find the Reverend President was not mistaken when he undertook from his own Examination of Things, seven Months after, to
assure that venerable Audience on the Day of the Convention, that their Society hath not deserved the Aspersions which have of late been made upon
〈1 page missing〉
know nothing of.
I suppose
Gentlemen,
you mean Mr.
Barber.
But do these Contributors know nothing of him? Did I not mention him publicly at the Time of collecting as one of their own Countrymen, and one bred up in one of their own Colleges? Was he not with me in Person? And did I not again and again declare, than he was to be entrusted with the Education and spiritual Concerns of the Children and Family? Assuredly I did. But you add,
And we ourselves have Reason to believe is little better than a Quaker.
What Reason
Gentlemen,
you may have thus to judge of him I cannot tell, but I have great Reason to believe he is a thorough Calvinist and a dear Man of God, much acquainted with the divine Life, and sweetly taught rightly to divide the Word of Truth.—I heartily wish all that had the Care of Youth were like-minded, whatever Name you are pleased to give him. But you say,
Furthermore, the Account which Mr.
W
hath given the World of his Disbursements of the several Contributions, for the Use of his Orphan House (wherein there are several large Articles, and some of about a
Thousand Pounds
our Currency charged in a very summary Way,
viz.
For Sundries, no Mention being made therein what the Sum was expended for, nor to whom it was paid) is by no Means satisfactory.
Would you not
Gentlemen,
have done well to have said, by no Means satisfactory to us? For, I am well persuaded most of the Contributors depended on my Veracity, & would have been satisfied as to themselves, though' I had given no Account of the Disbursements at all.—Besides
Gentlemen,
did you ever see an Account of that Nature more particular? Is that of the Society for propagating the Gospel more so? Or would you yourselves,
Gentlemen
be more particular, supposing an Account of what has been received and disbursed for
Harvard-College,
should ever be required at your Hands?
The Manner of my Preaching you seem p. 12.
as much to dislike and bound to bear a Testimony against, as the Man himself.
And why? Because it is extempore Preaching. This to use your own Words, p. ibid,
We think by no Means proper; for that it is impossible that any Man should be able to manage any Argument with that Strength, or any Instruction with that Clearness in an extempore Manner, as he may with Study and Meditation.
But
Gentlemen,
does extempore Preaching exclude Study and Meditation?
Timothy
I believe was an extempore Preacher, and yet the Apostle advises him to give himself to reading And I am of
Luther's
Opinion, that Study,
Prayer, Meditation and Temptation, are necessary for a Minister of Christ. Now you say, "Mr.
W.
evidently shows, that he would have us believe his Discourses are
Extempore."
And so they are, if you mean that they are not wrote down, and that I preach without Notes But they are not extempore if you think that I preach always without Study and Meditation Indeed
Gentlemen,
I love to study, and delight to meditate, when I have Opportunity, and yet would go into the Pulpit by no Means depending on my Study and Mediation, but the blessed Spirit of God, who I believe now, as well as formerly, frequently gives his Ministers Utterance, and enables them to preach with such Wisdom that all their Adversaries are not able to gainsay or resist. This I think is so far from being a
laxy Manner
of preaching, and the Preacher in doing thus, in so far from offering
that which cost him nothing,
as you object, p. ibid, that I have generally observed that Extempore Preachers are the most fervent laborious Preachers, and I believe (at least I speak for myself who have tried both Ways) that it costs them as much if not more, close and solemn Thought as well as Faith and Confidence in God, as preaching by Notes. And however, you are pleased to add, p. ibid, that this Way of preaching,
is little instructive to the Mind, still less cogent to the reasonable Powers,
yet I believe it is the Preaching which God hath much honored, and has been frequently attended with very great Success in many Ages of the Christian Church. And if we may
pray,
I see no Reason why we may not
preach
extempore. The rashness of some of my Expressions, as well as the dangerous Errors which you are pleased to say pa. 13th, have been vented in my
extempore
Discourses, I humbly apprehend, are no sufficient Objections against
extempore
preaching itself; because we often see that those who preach by Notes and write too as may be supposed with Study and Meditation, are guilty of as rash Expressions, and vent as dangerous Errors, as those who you say, preach either without Study or Meditation. What the dangerous Errors are that have been vented in my
extempore
Discourses, you have not thought proper to specify, unless it be that once or twice thro' Mistake I said,
that Christ loves unregenerate Sinners with a Love of
Complacency;
nay and that God loves Sinners as Sinners.
—These were indeed unguarded Expressions; but I recalled it publicly as soon as I was made sensible of my Mistake, and I think too before your Testimony against me was published.—Were these my settled Principles, I would agree with you in your Inlargement upon it pa. 13th,
viz.
which if it be not an unguarded Expression, must be a thousand Times worse;
for we cannot look upon it as much less than Blasphemy, and shows him to be stronger in the Antinomian Scheme, than most of the Professors of that Heresy themselves:
But as it was only a
lapsus Linguae,
and the whole current of my Preaching and Writing was and is directly contrary to such Principles, I would not have you,
Gentlemen,
by thus representing me as Antinomian, enroll yourselves in the Number of those
that make a man an Offender for a Word, and lay a Snare for them that speak in the Gate.
Indeed,
Gentlemen,
I utterly detest
Antinomianism,
both in Principle and Practice. And though' you are pleased to say,
that 'tis not unlikely, and that it is to be suspected (
viz.
that I am an Antinomian) because the Expression was repeated, and when he was taxed with it, by a certain Gentleman, he made no Retraction;
yet I did I thought what amounted to it: for when he told me of my Mistake (if we understand the same Gentleman) I bowed and thank'd him for his kind Information; as I would willingly do all who at any Time are so kind as to come in the Spirit of Meekness to tell me of my Faults, and freely converse with me Face to Face.
Lastly, You are pleased to say pa. ibid.
We think it our Duty to hear our strongest Testimony against that itinerant Way of Preaching which this Gentleman was the first Promoter of among us; and still delights to continue in.
Now by an itinerant Preacher (you say)
we understand one that hath no peculiar Charge of his own, but goes about from Country to Country, or from Town to Town, in any Country, and stands ready to preach to any Congregation that shall call him to it and such a one is Mr.
W.
I own the Charge; and am willing to put the Case on the same Issue as you do pa. 14th.
Indeed if there were any Thing leading to this Manner of Management in the Directions and Instructions given, either by our Savior or his Apostles, we ought to be silent, and so would a Man of any Modesty, if (on the other Hand) there be nothing in the New-Testament leading to it. And surely (you add) Mr.
W.
will not have the Face to pretend he acts now as an Evangelist.
But indeed
Gentlemen
I do, if by an Evangelist you mean what the Scripture I presume means,
viz.
one who hath no particular Charge of his own,
but goes about from Country to Country, or from Town to Town, in any Country, and stands ready to preach to any Congregation that shall call him to it,
For does not that general Commission given by our Lord to his Apostles,
Go ye into all the World and preach the
〈1 page missing〉
many the like Considerations, the
Ministers
in
this County
resolved to choose out
four
of the most
lively,
yet
sober, peaceable, orthodox
Men, and desire them once a Month to
leave their own Congregations,
to the
Assistance of some other,
and to bestow their Labor
in the Places where they thought there was most Need;
And as we were resolving upon this Work, the
Natives of this County,
inhabiting the City of
London,
having a Custom of feasting together once a Year, and having at their Feast collected some Monies by Contribution, for the maintaining of a
Weekly Lecture
in this Country, (besides other good Works) did (by their Stewards) desire us to set up the said Lecture, and to dispose of the said Monies in order thereto: And their Judgments upon Consultation did correspond with our Design. So that the said Money being sufficient to satisfy
another that shall in their Absence, preach in their own Places,
we employ it accordingly, and have prevailed with some Brethren to undertake this Work.
I propound to your Consideration,
Reverend Brethren,
and to you, the
Natives of each County
in
London,
whether the same Work may not tend much to the Edification of the Church, and the Welfare of Souls, if you will be pleased
Speedily
and
effectually
to set it a Foot
through the Land?
Whether it may not, by God's Blessing, be a
likely Means
to
illuminate the Ignorant,
and
awaken the Secure,
and
countermine Seducers,
and
hinder the ill Success of Satan's Itinerants,
and
win over many Souls to Christ,
and
stablish many weak Ones in the Faith?
And not doubting but your Judgments will approve of the Design, I humb'y move, that you will please to contribute your Faculties to the Work,
viz.
That the
Londoners
of
each County
will be pleased to manifest their Benevolence to this End, and commit the Monies to the Hands of the most faithful, orthodox Ministers, and that they will readily and self-denyingly undertake the Work
I hope the Gentlemen, Natives of this County, will be pleased to pardon my publishing their Example, seeing my End is only the promoting of Men's Salvation, and the common Good.
And that you may fullier understand
the Scope of our Design,
I shall annex the
Letters
directed to the
several Ministers
of
the County,
which the Lecturers send to the Ministers of the Place, and receive his Answer, before they presume to preach in any Congregation.
To
all the rest of the Ministers
of the Gospel
in this County,
our Reverend and beloved Brethren, Grace and Peace in our Lord Jesus Christ.
THE
Communication of the heavenly evangelical Light,
for the Glory of our Redeemer in the Conversion, Edification and Salvation of Men's Souls, is that which we are bound to by many Obligations, as Christians, and as Ministers of Christ, for his Church, and therefore must needs be solicitous thereof: And it is that which
the Spirit of Grace, where it abideth,
doth proportionably
dispose the Heart to desire:
By Convictions of the Excellency and Necessity of this Work, and of our own Duty in order thereto, and by Excitation of undeserved Grace, our, Hearts are carried out to long after
a more
general
and effectual Illumination and saving Conversion of the
Inhabitants
of
this County
in which we live: Which while
we
were but entering upon a Consultation to promote, it pleased God (without our Knowledge of it) to put the same Thoughts into the Hearts of
others.
The
Natives of this County
of
Worcester
who dwell in
London,
meeting at a Feast, (as is their yearly Use) collected a Sum of Money for the setting of eight poor Boys to Trades, and towards the maintaining of a
Weekly Lecture,
and have committed the Execution of this last to our Care: And upon Consultation with their Stewards, and among ourselves, both they and we are satisfied, that a
moveable Lecture
on
the Lord's-Day
is the
likeliest Way
for the Improvement of their Charity, to the Attainment of their Ends. For, 1. Many People thro' Poverty cannot, and many thro' Negligence will not come to a
Week Day's Lecture:
Experience telleth us, that such are usually attended but little by those that have the greatest Need. 2. And thus the Benefit may extend to
more,
than if it were
fixed in one Place.
We have therefore desired our Reverend and dear Brethren, Mr.
Andrew Tristram
Minister at
Clent,
Mr.
Henry Oasland
Minister at
Bewdley,
and Mr.
Thomas Baldwin
Minister at
Wolverly,
and Mr.
Joseph Treble
Minister at
Church Lench,
to undertake this Work, and that
each of them
will be pleased
every fourth Lord's-Day
to preach
twice in those Places, where they shall judge their Labors to be most necessary:
And as we doubt not but their own Congregations will so far consent for the Good of others; so do we hereby request of you our Brethren, that when
any of them shall offer their Labors for your Congregations, in preaching the said Lecture,
you will
receive
them, and to your Power
further
them in the Work. For as we have
no Thoughts of obtruding
their Help upon you, without your Consent, so
we cannot but undoubtedly expect that Men fearing God, and desiring their People's everlasting Good, will cheerfully and gratefully entertain such Assistance.
And we hope that
none will think it needless,
or
take it as an accusing the Ministry of Insufficiency:
For the Lord doth variously bestow his Gifts: All that are upright are not equally fitted for the Work: And many that are learned, judicious, and more able to teach the riper Sort, are yet less able to condescend to the Ignorant, and so convincingly and fervently to rouse up the secure, as some that are below them in other Qualifications: And many that are able in both Respects, have a barren People; and
the ablest have found by Experience
that God hath sometimes blest the
Labors of a Stranger
to do that which their own hath not done. We beseech you therefore interpret not this as an Accusation of any, which proceedeth from the
Charity
of our worthy Country-men in
London,
and from the earnest Desires of them and us to
further
the Salvation of
as many as we can.
And that you may have no Jealousies of the Persons deputed to this Work; we assure you that they are
approved Men, orthodox, sober, peaceable,
and of
upright Lives,
happily
qualified for their ministerial Work. & zealous and industrious
therein; and so far from being likely to sow any Errors or cause Divisions, or to draw the Hearts of People from their own faithful
Pastors,
that they
will be forward to assist you
against any such Distempers in Flocks. Not doubting therefore, but as you serve the same Master, and are under the same Obligations
as we, so as many as are heardly addicted to his Service will
readily promote so hopeful Work,
we commend you and your Labors to the Blessing of the
Lord.
-
Your Brethren and Fellow-Laborers in the Work of the Gospel.
Kidderminster.
-
In the Name and at the Desire of the Ministers of this Association,
Eveshem,
-
Richard Baxter,
-
John Borasten,
-
Jarvis Bryant.
-
In the Name of the Ministers of this Association.
-
Giles Collier,
-
George Hopkins,
-
John Dolphin.
This is and shall be my Endeavor, and was so when I was here last,
my Conscience also bearing me Witness in the Holy Ghost,
notwithstanding some of my Expressions have been made to speak Things and convey Ideas which I never intended. And therefore
Gentlemen
judge ye, whether you have said right in p. 11th,
And now is it possible that we should not look upon him
viz.
Mr.
W.
as the blameable Cause of all the Quarrels on the Account of Religion which the Churches are now engaged in: And this not only on Account of his own Behaviour, but also as the coming of those hot Men afterwards (who together with the Exhorters that accompanied them, cultivated the same uncharitable Dispositions in our Churches) was wholly owing to his Influence and Example?
Is this,
Gentlemen,
a fair Way of arguing? Is it not enough for me to answer for myself, without having the Faults of others that came after me laid to my Charge also? Did not the Papists as justly, who charged
Luther
with all the Imprudencies of his Adherents, and the Confusions that attended the Reformation? Besides, I do not understand, who you mean by those
but Men.
Surely you do not include the Reverend Mr.
Tennent.
Him God did make me an Instrument of sending to
NewEngland.
I thank Him for it, as I believe several of
Harvard College,
many Ministers, and Thousands of the common People, in the several Parts of
New-England,
will be found to do thro' the endless Ages of Eternity. As for others, I knew nothing of their coming, neither do I well know who you mean and consequently can be no more justly charged with their Misconduct, than the first Founder of
Harvard College
can be charged with all the bad Principles and Practices which any of the Members of that Society have been guilty of since his Decease That
our
Labors,
viz.
Mr.
Tennent
and mine were remakably blessed, the Rev. Mr. President himself testified in the forementioned Sermon pa. 23d, wherein are these Words:
Indeed
these
〈…〉
and
〈◊〉
Men of God,
who have been lately
laboring more abundantly
among us, have been greatly Instrumental in the Hands of God, to revive this blessed Work; and, many, no doubt, have been savingly converted from the Error of their Ways, many more have been convicted, and all have been in some Measure roused from their Lethargy.—And even in this Testimony, you are all pleased to say, pa. 3d. That by a certain Faculty which he hath of raising the Passions, he hath been a Means of rousing many from their Stupidity, and setting them on thinking, whereby some may have been made really better.
And if these Things are so; if many have been roused from their Stupidity, made really better;—if the blessed Work of God was revived, and there's no Doubt but many have been savingly converted from the Error of their Ways, many more convicted, and all in some Measure roused from their Lethargy; is it to be wondered at that many of the People should be strongly attach'd to such an Instrument, though' it should be most evident (as you say pa. ibid.) that he hath not any superior
Talent at instructing the Mind, or showing the Force and Energy of those Arguments for a religious Life, which are directed to in the everlasting Gospel?
For, is it not natural for People to love their spiritual Father? Would not the
Galatians
have plucked out even their own Eyes, and have given them to
Paul?
And is it not the bounden Duty of all that love Jesus, to love those who labor in the Word and Doctrine, and are made greatly Instrumental in the Hands of God to revive his blessed Work amongst them? And supposing that they have not any superior Talent at instructing the Mind &c▪ ought they not the more to thank and adore the Sovereignty of their heavenly Father, who sends by whom he will send, and chooses the weak Things of this World to confound the strong, and hides those Things from the wise and prudent, which he is pleased to reveal unto Babes?
Gentlemen,
I profess myself a
Calvinist
as to Principle, and preach no other Doctrines than those which your pious Ancestors and the Founders of
Harvard College
preached long before I was born. And I am come to
New England
with no Intention to meddle with, much less to destroy the Order of the
New-England
Churches, or turn out the Generality of their Ministers, or re-settle them with Ministers from
England, Scotland,
and
Ireland,
as hath been hinted in a late Letter written by the Reverend Mr.
Clap,
Rector of
Yale-College:
Such a Thought never entered my Heart; neither as I know of, has my Preaching
the least Tendency thereunto. I am determined to know nothing among you but Jesus Christ and him crucified. I have no Intention of setting up a Party for myself, or to stir up People against their Pastors. Had not Illness prevented, I had some Weeks ago departed out of these Coasts. But as it is not a Season of the Year for me to undertake a very long Journey, and I have Reason to think the great God daily blesses my poor Labors, I think it my Duty to comply with the Invitations that are sent me; and, as I am enabled, to be instant in Season and out of Season, and to preach among poor Sinners the unsearchable Riches of Jesus Christ. This indeed I delight in. It is my Meat and my Drink. I esteem it more than my necessary Food. This I think I may do as a Minister of the King of Kings, and a Subject to his present Majesty King
George,
upon whose royal Head I pray God, the Crown may long flourish. And as I have a Right to preach, so I humbly apprehend the People as Christians, as Men, and
New-England
Men in particular, have a Right to invite and hear. If Pulpits should be shut, blessed be God, the Fields are open, and I can go without the Camp, bearing the Redeemer's sacred Reproach: This I am used to and glory in; believing that if I suffer for it, I shall suffer for Righteousness sake. At the same Time I desire to be humbled, and ask public Pardon for any rash Word I have dropped, or any Thing I have wrote or done amiss. This leads me also to ask Forgiveness,
Gentlemen,
if I have done you or your Society in my Journal, any Wrong. Be pleased to accept unfeigned Thanks for all Tokens of Respect you showed me when here last. And if
you
have injured me in the Testimony you have published against me and my Conduct (as I think, to say no more, you really have) it is already forgiven without asking, by
Gentlemen,
Your affectionate humble Servant,
George Whitefield.
P. S.
I have not replied to some particular Passages in your Testimony, because I have spoken to them in my Letter to the Rev. Dr.
Chauncy
lately published. Besides, I have been obliged to be very brief, on Account of the Variety of Business in which I am necessarily engaged, and my daily Calls to preach the everlasting Gospel.