comfortably settled. At Rhode Island he had providentially met with Mr. Jonathan Barber, whose heart was very much knit to him, and who was willing to help him at the Orphanhouse. Him, therefore, he left superintendant of the spiritual, and Mr. Habersham of the temporal affairs; and having spent a very comfortable Christmas with his Orphan family, he set off again for Charleston, were he arrived January 3, 1741, and preached twice every day as usual, to most affectionate auditories, till the 16th of January, when he went on board for England. He arrived the 11th of March at Falmouth, rode post to London, and preached at Kennington common the Sunday following.

CHAPTER VII.

His separation from Mr. Wesley, and the circumstances attending it, about the period of his return to London, 1741.

On his return to England, Mr. Whitefield was called to meet a dispensation eminently afflictive to a heart, whose very life was fervent and all-circling love-separation from his spiritual coadjutor and guide. No single chapter of his history was probably so fraught with incidents painful to be thought of, even to the last day of his life. While Whitefield and Wesley were each alike absorbed in the work of saving a perishing world; while the hearts of both yearned with insatiable longings for the restoration of men to bliss; they each, with their native and habitual intensity of character, attributed the utmost importance to what was felt to be the best modus operandi, the proper manner and means of conversion. They doubtless,

as a matter of fact, both held that regeneration could be affected by divine interposition alone on the one hand; and, on the other, that it could never be made manifest but through human actings and strivings, or in any manner take place without them. It so happened, however, that they each viewed the subject in one relation only, and thus they soon found themselves pursuing opposite directions in the formation of their theological systems: Mr Whitefield viewing man chiefly in his condition of dependence upon God for salvation; and Mr. Wesley looking at him mainly as a responsible and guilty being. In short, Mr. Wesley became an Arminian and Mr. Whitefield a Calvinist.

Nevertheless, up to this period their differences had not become sufficiently mature and distinct to lead to a breach. But now conscience impelled each to assert doctrines, which, as

understood by the other, were not only wrong, but so monstrous as to forbid all fellowship; and the following narrative and correspondence shows the process which consummated the rupture, and the painful reluctance with which they came to it.

In pushing his doctrine to its extreme, Wesley came to entertain as a favorite doctrine, "the free, full, and present salvation from all the guilt, all the power, and all the inbeing of sin :" and knowing Whitefield to be at the opposite pole of Calvinistic predestination and decrees, he could not feel satisfied without writing to his old friend and disciple then in Georgia, upon both these subjects, who at this time, though he could yield to him upon neither, wished earnestly to avoid all dispute.

"My honored friend and brother," said he in his reply, "for once hearken to a child who is willing to wash your feet. I beseech you, by the mercies of God in Christ Jesus our Lord, if you would have my love confirmed towards you, write no more to me about misrepresentations wherein we differ. To the best of my knowledge, at present no sin has dominion over me, yet I feel the strugglings of indwelling sin day by day. The doctrine of election, and the final perseverance of those who are in Christ, I am ten thousand times more convinced of if possible, than when I saw you last. You think otherwise. Why then should we dispute, when there is no probability of convincing? Will it not, in the end, destroy brotherly love, and insensibly take from us that cordial union and sweetness of soul, which I pray God may always subsist between us? How glad would the enemies of the Lord be to see us divided! How many would rejoice, should I join and make a party against you! And, in one word, how would the cause of our common Master every way suffer, by our raising disputes about particular points of doctrine! Honored Sir, let us offer salvation freely to all by the blood of Jesus; and whatever light God has communicated to us, let us freely communicate to others. I have lately read the life of Luther, and think it in no wise to his honor, that the last part of his life was so much taken up in disputing with Zuinglius and others, who in all probability equally loved the Lord Jesus, though they might differ from him in other points. Let this, dear sir, be a caution to us; I hope it will to me; for, by the blessing of God, provoke me to it as much as you please, I do not think ever to enter the lists of controversy with you on the points wherein we differ. Only I pray to God, that the more you judge me, the more I may love you, and learn to desire no one's approbation, but that of my Lord and Master, Jesus Christ."

While such feelings do honor to Whitefield, he gradually

came to feel on the other hand, that the honest avowal and maintenance of the truth required him to overstep the courtesies of private friendship. Two months only after this letter was written, he followed it with another in a different strain. "Hon ored Sir," it began, "I cannot entertain prejudices against your conduct and principles any longer without informing you. The more I examine the writings of the most experienced men, and the experience of the most established christians, the more I differ from your notions about committing sin, and your denying the doctrines of election and the final perseverance of the saints. I dread coming to England, unless you are resolved to oppose these truths with less warmth than when I was there last. I dread your coming over to America; because the work of God is carried on here, and that in a most glorious manner, by doctrines quite opposite to those you hold. God direct me what to do! Sometimes I think it is best to stay here, where all think and speak the same thing: the work goes on without divisions, and with more success, because all employed in it are of one mind. I write not this, honored sir, from heat of spirit, but of love. At present I think you are entirely inconsistent with yourself, and therefore do not blame me if I do not approve of all that you say. God himself, I find, teaches my friends the doctrine of election. Sister H. has lately been convinced of it; and, if I mistake not, dear and honored Mr. Wesley will be hereafter convinced also. Perhaps I may never see you again till we meet in judgment; then, if not before, you will know, that sovereign, distinguishing, irresistible grace brought you to heaven." Wesley received this letter in a kindly spirit, and thanked him for it. "The case is quite plain," he said in reply. "There are bigots both for predestination and against it. God is sending a message to those on either side, but neither will receive it unless from one who is of their own opinion. Therefore, for a time you are suffered to be of one opinion, and I of another. But when his time is come, God will do what men cannot, namely, make us both of one mind." Soon afterwards Whitefield writes to one of his friends in England, "for Christ's sake desire dear brother Wesley to avoid disputing with me. I think I had rather die than see a division between us; and yet how can we walk together, if we oppose each other?" And again to Wesley himself, he says, "for Christ's sake, if possible, dear sir, never speak against election in your sermons; no one can say that I ever mentioned it in my public discourses, whatever my private sentiments may be. For Christ's sake, let us not be divided amongst ourselves; nothing will so much prevent a division as your being silent on that head."

While Whitefield from America was thus exhorting to orbearance from controversy, the Calvinistic Methodists in England were forcing on the separation which he deprecated, while he foresaw. One of the leading members in London, by name Acourt, had introduced his disputed tenets, till Charles Wesley gave orders that he should no longer be admitted. John was present when next he presented himself, and demanded whether they refused admitting a person only because he differed from them in opinion. Wesley answered no, but asked what opinions he meant. He replied, "that of election. I hold that a certain number are elected from eternity, and these must and shall be saved, and the rest of mankind must and shall be damned." And he affirmed that many of the society held the same; upon which Wesley observed that he never asked whether they did or not; "only let them not trouble others by disputing about it." Acourt replied, "Nay, but I will dispute about it." "Why then," said Wesley, "would you come among us, who you know are of another mind." "Because you are all wrong, and I am resolved to set you all right." "I fear," said Wesley, "your coming with this view would neither profit you nor us." "Then," rejoined Acourt, "I will go and tell all the world that you and your brother are false prophets. And I tell you in one fortnight you will all be in confusion."

Some time before, Wesley had received a letter in which he was reproached for not preaching the gospel because he did. not preach the doctrine of election. According to his usual practice at that time, instead of consulting with his friends, or even advising with himself upon the prudence of engaging in controversy, he drew a lot for his direction, and the lot, was, "preach and print." So he preached a sermon against this doctrine, and printed it. Whitefield was then in England, and at his desire the publication was for a while suppressed; but it was sent into the world soon after his departure for America. The rising sect was thus disturbed by a question which had so often carried discord into the schools of theology, which had unhappily divided the Protestant world, and which, when it had risen in the bosom of the Catholic church, neither the Popes with their bulls, nor the Kings of France with their power, nor the Jesuits with all wisdom of the serpent, could either determine or lay to rest. Wesley had begun the discussion, but Whitefield persevered in it, when he would fain have pressed it no further; and he assumed a tone of superiority' which Wesley was little likely to countenance. "Give me leave," said he, "with all humility to exhort you not to be strenuous in opposing the doctrines of election and final perseverance, when by your own confession you have not the witness

of the Spirit within yourself, and consequently are not a proper judge. I am assured God has now for some years given this living witness in my soul. I can say I have been on the borders of Canaan, and do every day, nay almost every moment, long for the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, not to evade sufferings, but with a single desire to see his blessed face. I feel his blessed Spirit daily filling my soul and body, as plain as I feel the air which I breathe, or the food which I eat. Perhaps the doctrine of election and of final perseverence has been abused, (and what doctrine has not?) but notwithstanding, it is children's bread, and ought not in my opinion to be withheld from them, supposing it always mentioned with proper cautions against its abuse. Dear and honored sir, I write not this to enter into disputation. I hope at this time I feel something of the meekness and gentleness of Christ. I cannot bear the thoughts of opposing you: but how can I avoid it if you go about, as your brother Charles once said, to drive John Calvin out of Bristol? Alas, I never read any thing that Calvin wrote my doctrines I had from Christ and his apostles; I was taught them of God; and as God was pleased to send me out first, and to enlighten me first, so I think he still continues to do it. I wish I knew your principles fully; did you write oftener and more frankly, it might have a better effect. than silence and reserve."

Whitefield indeed partook so largely of the gifts and consolations of the Spirit, that it is no wonder that he should attribute his belief in this doctrine to that spiritual discernment which cometh only from above. The alternate frames of spiritual ecstacy and dejection through which he was made to pass, may be understood from the following among his recorded ineditations. "I have now," he says, "such large incomes from above, and such precious communications from our dear Lord Jesus, that my body sometimes can scarcely sustain them." "I have a garden near at hand, where I go particularly to meet and talk with my God, at the cool of every day. I often sit in silence, offering my soul as so much clay, to be stamped just as my heavenly potter pleases; and whilst I am musing, I am often filled, as it were with the fullness of God. I am frequently at Calvary, and frequently on Mount Tabor, but always assured of my Lord's everlasting love." "Our dear Lord sweetly filis me with his presence. My heaven is begun indeed I feast on the fatted calf. The Lord strengthens me mightily in the inner man." At other times he "abhors" himself "in dust and ashes. He is "a worm and no man." He "deserves to be the outcast of the people."-" Why do so many of my Lord's servants take notice of such a dead dog as I am?"