This was the only important part of the letter, and Whitefield afterwards felt and feelingly acknowledged the great impropriety which he had committed in thus revealing the weakness of his friend. The argumentative part had nothing worthy of notice either in manner or matter, for, powerful preacher as he was, he had neither strength nor acuteness of intellect, and his written compositions are nearly worthless. But the conclusion is remarkable for the honest confidence and the warmth of affection which it breathes. "Dear, dear Sir, Oh be not offended! For Christ's sake be not rash! Give yourself to reading. Study the covenant of grace. Down with your carnal reasoning! Be a little child; and then, instead of pawning your salvation, as you have done in a late hymn book, if the doctrine of universal redemption be not true; instead of talking of sinless perfection, as you have done in the preface to that hymn book, and making man's salvation to depend on his own free will, as you have done in this sermon, you will compose a hymn in praise of sovereign distinguishing love. You will caution believers against striving to work a perfection out of their own hearts, and print another sermon the reverse of this, and entitle it Free Grace indeed; free, because not free to all; but free, because God may withhold or give it to whom, and when he pleases. Till you do this, I must doubt whether or not you know yourself. God knows my heart, nothing but a single regard to the honour of Christ has forced this letter from me. I love and honour you for his sake; and when I come to judgment will thank you before men and angels for what you have, under God, done for my soul. There I am persuaded I shall see dear Mr. Wesley convinced of election and everlasting love. And it often fills me with pleasure to think how I shall behold you casting your crown down at the feet of the Lamb, and as it were filled with a holy blushing for opposing the divine sovereignty in the manner you have done. But I hope the Lord will show you this before you go hence. Oh how do I long for that day!"

That this letter was intended for publication is certain; but there seems to have been a hope in Whitefield's mind that the effect which its perusal would produce might render publication needless. His friends in London, however, thought proper to print it, without either his permission or Wesley's, and copies were distributed at the door of the Foundry, and in the meeting itself. Wesley holding one in his hand stated to the congregation the fact of its surreptitious publication, and then saying, "I will do just what I believe Mr. Whitefield would were he here himself," he tore it in pieces. Every person present followed his example; and Wesley, in reference to the person by whose means these unlucky copies had been circulated, exclaims in his journal, "Ah poor Ahitophel! Ibi omnis effusus labor!"

The person who seems to have been most active in enforcing Calvinism in opposition to Wesley at this time was a certain John Cennick, whom he employed at Kingswood in the school which Whitefield had designed for the children of the colliers. Whitefield had collected some money for this good work, and had performed the ceremony of laying the foundation; but further than this ceremony it had not proceeded when he embarked the second time for Ame

rica, and left it to be carried forward by Wesley. There was the great difficulty of want of money in the way; but this was a difficulty which faith would remove, and in faith Wesley began building without having a quarter of the sum necessary for finishing it. But he found persons who were willing to advance money if he would become responsible for the debt; the responsibility and the property thus devolved upon him and he immediately made his will, bequeathing it to his brother Charles and Whitefield. Two masters were provided as soon as the house was fit to receive them, and Cennick was one. He was not in holy orders, but the practice of laypreaching, which had at first been vehemently opposed by the Wesleys, had now become inevitably a part of their system, and Cennick, who had great talents for popular speaking, laboured also as one of these helpers, as they were called. This person, in his horror against the doctrines of the Wesleys, wrote urgently to Whitefield, calling upon him to hasten from America that he might stay the plague. "I sit," said he, solitary like Eli, waiting what will become of the ark; and while I wail and fear the carrying of it away from among my people, my trouble increases daily. How glorious did the gospel seem once to flourish in Kingswood! I spake of the everlasting love of Christ with sweet power. But now brother Charles is suffered to open his mouth against this truth, while the frighted sheep gaze and fly, as if no shepherd was among them. It is just as if Satan was now making war with the saints in a more than common way. Oh! pray for the distressed lambs yet left in this place, that they faint not! Surely they would if preaching would do it, for they have nothing whereon to rest, who now attend on the sermons, but their own faithfulness. With universal redemption brother Charles pleases the world. Brother John follows him in every thing. no Atheist can more preach against predestination than they; and all who believe election are counted enemies to God, and called so. Fly, dear brother! I am as alone,-I am in the midst of the plague! If God give thee leave, make haste !"

I believe

A copy of this letter came into Wesley's hands, and it stung him, because he said the writer was 66 one I had sent for to assist me, a friend that was as my own soul, that even while he opposed me lay in my bosom." Charles in consequence addressed a letter to him which forcibly expresses the feeling of the two brothers upon having one of their disciples thus rise against them. "You came to Kingswood," says he, “ upon my brother's sending for you. You served under him in the Gospel as a son, I need not say how well he loved you. You used the authority he gave you to overthrow his doctrine. You every where contradicted it, (whether true or false is not the question.) But you ought first to have fairly told him, I preach contrary to you: are you willing, notwithstanding, that I should continue in your house, gainsaying you? If you are not, I have no place in these regions. You have a right to this open dealing. I now give you fair warning. Shall I stay here opposing you, or shall I depart ?' My brother, have you dealt thus honestly and openly with him? No. But you have stolen away the people's heart from him. And when some of them basely treated their best friend, God only excepted, how patiently did you take it! When did you ever vindicate VOL. I.

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us as we have you? Why did you not plainly tell them, you are eternally indebted to these men? Think not that I will stay among you to head a party against my dearest friend and brother, as he suffers me to call him, having humbled himself for my sake, and given me, no bishop, priest, or deacon, the right hand of fellowship. If I hear that one word more is spoken against him, I will leave you that moment.' This had been just and honest, and not more than we have deserved at your hands.'

This was put into John Wesley's hands that he might deliver it to Cennick if he thought proper. But matters had proceeded so far that Cennick was forming a separate society, and Wesley deemed it better to speak to him and his adherents publicly, and reprove them for inveighing against him behind his back. One of them replied, that they had said no more of him behind his back than they would say to his face, which was that he preached false doctrine ;-he preached that there is righteousness in man. "So," said Wesley, "there is, after the righteousness of Christ is imputed to him through faith. But who told you that what we preached was false doctrine ? Whom would you have believed this from, but Mr. Cennick?" Cennick then boldly answered, "You do preach righteousness in man. I did say this, and I say it still. However, we are willing to join with you; but we will also meet apart from you; for we meet to confirm one another in those truths which you speak against." Wesley replied, "You should have told me this before, and not have supplanted me in my own house, stealing the hearts of the people, and by private accusations separating very friends." Upon this, Cennick denied that be had ever privately accused him. My brethren," said Wesley, "judge !" and he produced Cennick's letter. to Whitefield. Cennick avowed the letter, and said that be neither retracted any thing in it, nor blamed himself for having sent it. Some heat upon this began to manifest itself in the meeting, and Wesley, with his characteristic prudence, preserved his superiority, by desiring that they might meet again on that day week, and that the matter might rest till then.

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Cennick and his friends would hardly have consented to such an adjournment if they had suspected Wesley's purpose. At the appointed time, he surprised them by reading the following paper, in which they were treated not as persons who differed from him in opinion, but as culprits: "By many witnesses it appears that several members of the Band Society in Kingswood have made it their common practice to scoff at the preaching of Mr. John and Charles Wesley; that they have censured and spoken evil of them behind their backs, at the very time they professed love and esteem to their faces; that they have studiously endeavoured to prejudice other members of that society against them, and in order thereto, have belied and slandered them in divers instances; therefore, not for their opinions, nor for any of them, (whether they be right or wrong,) but for the causes above mentioned, viz. for their scoffing at the word and ministers of God, for their tale-bearing, backbiting, and evil speaking, for their dissembling, lying, and slandering; 1, John Wesley, by the consent and approbation of the Band Society in Kingswood, do declare the persons above mentioned to be no longer mem

bers thereof. Neither will they be so accounted until they shall openly confess their fault, and thereby do what in them lies to remove the scandal they have given.”

No founder of a sect or order, no legislator, ever understood the art of preserving his authority more perfectly than Wesley. They came prepared for a discussion of their opinions and conduct, and they were astonished at hearing themselves thus excommunicated. As soon as they recovered from their surprise they affirmed that they had heard both him and his brother preach popery many times. However, they were still willing to join with them, but they would not own that they had done any thing amiss. Wesley desired them to consider of it yet again, but finding after another week had elapsed that they still refused to acknowledge that they had been in the wrong, he once more assembled the bands, and told them that every one must now take his chance and quit one society or the other. One of the Calvinistic leaders observed, that the true reason of his separating from them was because they held the doctrine of election. Wesley made answer, "You know in your own conscience it is not. There are several predestinarians in our societies both at London and Bristol; nor did I ever yet put any one out of either, because he held that opinion." They then offered to break up their society, provided he would receive and employ Cennick as he had done before. To this Wesley replied, "My brother has wronged me much : but he doth not say, I repent.' Cennick made answer, "Unless in not speaking in your defence I do not know that I have wronged you at all.""It seems then," said Wesley, "nothing remains but for each to choose which society he pleases." Upon this they prayed for a short time, in a state of mind, as it should seem, but little fit for prayer, after which Cennick withdrew, and about half the meeting followed him.

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At this time Whitefield was on the way from America. While upon the passage he wrote to Charles Wesley, expostulating with him and his brother, in strong but affectionate terms. My dear, dear brethren," said he, "why did you throw out the bone of contention? Why did you print that sermon against predestination? Why did you in particular, my dear brother Charles, affix your hymn, and join in putting out your late hymn book? How can you say you will not dispute with me about election, and yet print such hymns, and your brother send his sermon against election over to America? Do not you think, my dear brethren, I must be as much concerned for truth, or what I think truth, as you? God is my judge, I always was, and hope I always shall be, desirous that you may be preferred before me. But I must preach the gospel of Christ, and that I cannot now do without speaking of election.' He then informed Charles, that one copy of his answer to the sermon was printing at Charlestown; that another had been sent to Boston for the same purpose; and that he was bringing a copy to be printed in London. "If," said he, "it occasion a strangeness between us, it shall not be my fault. There is nothing in my answer exciting to it that I know of. O my dear brethren, my heart almost bleeds within me! Methinks I could be willing to tarry here on the waters for ever, rather than come to England to oppose you." But although, when he was

thus addressing the Wesleys, the feelings of old friendship returned upon him, his other letters, written during the voyage, evince that he looked on to a separation as the certain consequence of this difference in opinion. "Great perils," he says, "await me; but Jesus Christ will send his angel, and roll away every stone of difficulty." My Lord's command now, I believe, is, Take the foxes, the little foxes that spoil the vines, for our vines have tender grapes.' Help me by your prayers: it is an ease thus to unbosom myself to a friend. I have sought the Lord by prayer and fasting, and he assures me that he will be with me; whom then should I fear ?". "The Lord is girding me for the battle, and strengthening me mightily in the inner man."

Charles Wesley was "It would have melted

In this state of mind he reached London. there, and their meeting was affectionate. any heart," says Whitefield," to have heard us weeping after prayer, that, if possible, the breach might be prevented." Old feel ings of respect and love revived with such strength in his heart, that he promised never to preach against the Wesleys, whatever his private opinion might be. But many things combined to sour him at this time. He had written against Archbishop Tillotson's works, and the Whole Duty of Man, a book in those days of unrivalled popularity, in a manner which he himself then acknowledged to be intemperate and injudicious; and this had offended persons, who were otherwise favourably disposed towards him. His celebrity also seemed to have passed away; the twenty thousands who used to assemble at his preaching had dwindled down to two or three hundred; and in one exhibition at Kennington Common, the former scene of his triumphs, scarcely a hundred were gathered together to hear him. Worldly anxieties, too, were fretting him, and those of a kind which made the loss of his celebrity a serious evil. The Orphan House in Georgia was to be maintained: he had now nearly a hundred persons in that establishment, who were to be supported by his exertions there were not the slightest funds provided, and Georgia was the dearest part of the British dominions. He was above a thousand pounds in debt upon that score, and he himself not worth twenty. Seward,* the wealthiest and most attached of his disciples, was dead, and had made no provision for him, nor for the payment of a bill for 3501. on the Orphan House account, which he had drawn, and for which Whitefield was now responsible, and threatened with an arrest. If his celebrity were gone, the Bank of Faith, upon which he had hitherto drawn with such confidence and such success, would be closed against him. He called it truly a trying time:

A letter from Charles Wesley to Whitefield makes it evident that this zealous man was bestowing his property as well as his time in the service of Methodism. Writing from London in 1739, he says, "I cannot preach out on the week-days for the expense of coach-hire, nor can I accept of dear Mr. Seward's offer, to which I should be less backward would he follow my advice, but while he is so lavish of his Lord's goods I cannot consent that his ruin should in any degree seem to be under my hands." These goods were his family's also, as well as his Lord's; and therefore it is not surprising that when Mr. Seward was lying ill of a fever at his house at Bengeworth, and Charles Wesley came there in one of his rounds, the wife, the brother, and the apothecary should have taken especial care to keep all Methodists from him; and when they could not prevail upon Wesley to give up his intention of preaching near the house, which the apothecary declared would throw his patient back, that they should have endeavoured to drive him out of the town by force. Seward's early loss is thus noticed by John Wesley: "Monday, Oct. 27, (1740.) The surprising news of poor Mr. Seward's death was confirmed. Surely God will maintain his own cause! Righteous art thou, O Lord." His journal was published, and is often quoted in Bishop Lavington's curious work.