Dear Friends and Brothers
Friendship and respect overcame the disagreements between Wesley and Whitefield
Odilon Massolar Chaves
Copyright © 2023, Odilon Massolar Chaves
All rights reserved to the author.
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All glory to God.
"My dear and honored
friends, the Reverend Messrs. John and Charles Wesley, having now been for some
time embarked for Georgia..."[1]
George
Whitefield
Table of Contents
·
Introduction
· Whitefield, childhood and
the beginning of a friendship
·
Early Methodism at
Oxford
·
The Kingswood
Colliders
·
Wesley convinces
Whitefield
·
Dispute with
Whitefield
· Theological controversies
between Whitefield and Wesley
·
Whitefield
recognizes Wesley's correct method
·
Reconciliation
·
Moments of a
friendship
· Whitefield was also a
friend of Charles Wesley
·
Wesley defends
Whitefield
·
Loss of a great
friend
Introduction
"Dear Friends and Brethren" is a book about the strong
friendship between John Wesley and George Whitefield, which overcame serious
doctrinal differences.
They both referred to each other as "friend and brother."
There was great respect between the two.
Both had differences in education in childhood. Wesley was from a
pastoral family and Whitefield was born in a tavern selling alcohol.
In marriage, they had similar positions prioritizing preaching and
missions and, therefore, were not successful.
In the social area, Whitefield was concerned with the poor, like Wesley,
creating orphanages. The difference is that Whitefield thought slavery was
normal[2] and Wesley fought it
intensely.
They were great preachers. Whitefield was considered a better preacher,
but Wesley as a genius in the organization preserved those who were saved and
Whitefield recognized this later.
A story that reveals the importance and strength of true friendship.
Nor was the difference in doctrinal interpretation enough to destroy
this friendship.
The expression "dear friends and brethren" was commonly said
among these great friends.
A book that teaches us today about respect for different doctrinal
positions.
In the time we live in of radicalism, the friendship between Whitefield
and Wesley must be seen as exemplary.
The Author
Whitefield, childhood and
the beginning of a friendship
Whitefield's childhood
George Whitefield (1714-1770) was born in a liquor tavern in Gloucester, Gloucestershire, England. [3]
He was orphaned at the age
of three. He always lived in poverty and struggled a lot to study.
"During his
childhood, he showed an interest in the performing arts and read plays
tirelessly, often even skipping school to rehearse. George abandoned his
studies for a time to help his mother, resuming it in 1730."[4]
His mother remarried, but Whitefield
"was allowed to continue his studies at school. At his mother's boarding
house, he cleaned the rooms, did laundry, and sold drinks at the bar."[5]
"He paid for his own studies at
Pembroke College, Oxford, serving as a waiter in a hotel. After spending some
time at Oxford, he joined the group of students to which John and Charles
Wesley belonged."[6]
Your participation in the Holy Club
He participated in the Holy
Club with the Wesley brothers.
Whitefield had heard
of the "Holy Club" and when Charles Wesley kindly invited him to
breakfast, he was quickly drawn to the group.
Wesley lent him a
book
In 1733, Whitefield
"met the Wesley brothers and joined the group of Christians in the 'Holy
Club', called by many critics 'Methodists' for their systematic approach to
religious matters. Like his friends in the club, Whitefield also sought
salvation through strict discipline and good works. This cost him his health
and he never fully recovered. John Wesley lent Whitefield Henry Scougal's book
The Life of God in the Soul of Man, which showed his need to be born
again."[7]
Spiritual Father in
Christ
"Honored
Lord"
Whitefield spoke
"with the greatest deference and respect" of the Wesley brothers, who
had been in famous boarding schools and were his eldest. During a period of
acute distress, Whitefield was sent for counseling to John, and thanks to his
"excellent counsel and management," Whitefield "was delivered
from the wiles of Satan." This was a somewhat subservient relationship.
Whitefield wrote, "From time to time Mr. Wesley permitted me to come to
him, and instructed me how I was able to bear him." Whitefield deferred
John Wesley as his "spiritual father in Christ," and his letters
addressed Wesley as "Lord honored."[8]
Wesley
entrusted Whitefield with oversight
"Oversight
of the Oxford Methodists while he was absent in Georgia"
"In
1736, John Wesley entrusted the newly ordained Whitefield with the supervision
of the Oxford Methodists, while he was away in Georgia. Whitefield soon
attained national fame as 'the boy preacher.' Autograph hunters besieged him. A
flood of pamphlets attacked him. He was lavishly praised and compared to Moses,
David, and Wycliffe as the 'morning star' of a second Reformation."[9]
George
Whitefield replaced Wesley at Savannah in 1738.
Whitefield's
role in Savannah was only temporary. He had not yet been ordained as an elder
in the Church of England.
He
felt the desire to establish a home for orphans in Georgia. He returned to
England for his ordination in 1739 and raised funds for the construction of the
Bethesda Orphanage.
The
orphanage was founded in 1740.[10]
Early Methodism at Oxford
"Wesley said he would always honor him"
Whiefield graduated from Oxford. He was ordained to the pastoral
ministry of the Anglican Church. For some, he was the greatest revivalist of
the eighteenth century. "He preached about 10 times a week, in auditoriums
usually with 10 thousand people".[11]
He was considered a Calvinist Methodist and therefore had difficulties
with Wesley, but they were always great friends. Invited by Whitefield, Wesley
performed his funeral service. Wesley said he would always honor him.
On February 17, 1739, George Whitefield began preaching in the open air
in Bristol and attracted immense crowds.
The Gentleman's Magazine reported
in 1739, in Bristol:
"The Rev. Mr. Whitefield . . . has been wonderfully laborious and
successful, especially among the poor prisoners at Newgate and the rough
Colliers of Kingswood, preaching every day to large audiences, visiting and
expounding to religious societies. On Saturday, the 18th, he preached on Mount
Hannum to 5 or 6000 persons, among them many Colliers."[12]
The Kingswood Colliers were the miners of the coal mines.
He "asked his friend, John Wesley, to continue his work in Bristol.
At first, Wesley was reluctant to preach in the open air because the Church
disapproved of such behavior, but later became convinced of its value when he
saw the impact Whitefield was making."[13]
On Monday, April 2, John Wesley went to a brickyard in the St. Philips
area and preached to a crowd of about three thousand people: "At four
o'clock in the afternoon I submitted to be more vile, and proclaimed on the
highways the glad tidings of salvation," Wesley said.
And so it was that Wesley's preaching to crowds and the development of
Methodism in Bristol began.
The organizing genius
"Characteristically, Wesley immediately began to organize. He
formed a number of societies and bands, and on May 9 acquired property where he
built his "New Room" as a central meeting place. When Whitefield
returned to America in August, Wesley was left fully in charge of the growing
work. He divided his time between Bristol and London, concentrating on outdoor
preaching, organizing bands, and speaking in the evenings to a growing number
of societies.[14]
The
first Methodist chapel founded in Bristol[15]
The chapel "was built in 1739 under the direction of John Wesley—he
called it 'our New Room at the Horse Fair"—making it the oldest Methodist
chapel in the world. Above the chapel are the rooms in which Wesley and other
preachers stayed. The chapel includes a two-story pulpit, which was common at
the time, and an octagonal lantern window to reduce the amount paid in window
tax. In addition to meetings and worship, the New Room was used as a dispensary
and classroom for the poor people of the area. The pews and benches were made
of old ship wood. The Baldwin and Nicholas Street Methodist groups united to
form the United Society, which met in the New Room beginning June 3,
1739."[16]
Bristol
is considered the birthplace of the Methodist movement
"Methodism was really born in Bristol. After the
comforting experiences of the Wesley brothers which led them from law to grace,
John reluctantly (and Charles even more reluctantly) followed the
encouragement of his friend George Whitefield to preach in the open air.
The main site associated with this is "Hanham
Mount, about four miles east of Bristol city centre, and from that point the
Methodist movement grew exponentially".[17]
In April 1739 alone, Wesley preached to about 36,000
people.
The Kingswood Colliders
Whitefield was instrumental in the transformation of
the Kingwood miners.
"Kingswood was a district of approximately 20
square miles. Although it was within the boundaries of four parishes, it had no
parish church, no school and only one nonconformist place of worship: a small
Baptist church at Hanham, which had been built in 1714. Near the commercially
prosperous port of Bristol, the area was largely populated by coal miners,
living and working in atrocious conditions. Men, women and children worked long
hours in the mines, this being just over a hundred years earlier."[18]
It was in this scenario that Whitefield emerged.
Whitefield first visited Kingswood in the spring of
1739. On Wednesday 21 February he preached to 2,000 in the open air, two days
later to between 4,000 and 5,000, then on Sunday an estimated 10,000 people
came to hear him preach."[19]
On Tuesday, November 27, 1738, after a request, Wesley
gives an account of what had happened at Kingswood.
Wesley describes the Kingswood Colliders as "a
people famous, from the beginning until then, for fearing neither God nor for
considering man: so ignorant of the things of God as to seem but a step away
from perishing beasts; and therefore utterly without desire for instruction, as
well as without the means thereof," [20]Wesley
said.
Teasing Whitefield
And to provoke Whitefield, some claimed:
'If he is going to convert the heathen, why doesn't he
go to the Kingswood colliders?' In the spring, he did it," [21] Wesley wrote.
"And as there were thousands who
did not resort to any place of public worship, he went after them in his own wilderness"
"And as there were thousands who did not resort
to any place of public worship, he went after them in his own wilderness, 'to
seek and save that which was lost.' When he was called, others went 'into the
highways and hedgerows, to compel them to come in.' And, by the grace of God,
his labor was not in vain," [22]Wesley
wrote.
"The scenario has already
changed. Kingswood does not resonate now, as he did a year ago, with
name-calling and blasphemies"
"The scene has already changed. Kingswood no
longer resonates now, as it did a year ago, with curses and blasphemies. It is
no longer full of drunkenness and impurity and the idle deviations which
naturally lead to it. It is no longer full of wars and strife, of outcry and
bitterness, of wrath and envy. Peace and love are there. Large numbers of
people are soft, gentle, and easy to be supplicated. They 'weep not, nor
strive'; and their 'voice is scarcely heard in the streets'; or, indeed, in
their own wood; except when they are in their usual nightly detour—singing
praise to God their Saviour,"[23] wrote Wesley.
Build a house in Kingswood
"That your children might also
know the things that contribute to your peace"
"That his children might also know the things
that contribute to his peace, it had been proposed for some time to build a
house at Kingswood; and after many foreseen and unforeseen difficulties, last
June the foundations were laid. The ground chosen was in the middle of the
woods, between the roads of London and Bath, not far from the so-called Two
Mile Hill, about three measured miles from Bristol," [24] said
Wesley.
A large room was started
"A large room was started for
the school, having four small rooms at each end"
"Here a large room has been begun for the school,
having four little rooms at each end for the teachers (and, perhaps, if it
pleased God, some poor children) to lodge in. Two persons are ready to teach,
as soon as the house is fit to receive them, the shell of which is nearly
finished; so that the whole is expected to be completed in the spring or early
summer," [25]said Wesley.
The fact is that Methodism developed at Kinkswood.
Some facts reveal this.
The Spirit as a strong and impetuous
wind
"The Spirit descended like a mighty rushing wind"
The Holy Spirit descended on Sunday, April 12, 1741. Charles Wesley said, "At Kingswood, while I was repeating the dying testimony of B. H., the Spirit descended 'like a mighty rushing wind.' Just then did the predestinarians come to hear Cennick. In battles of trembling He wrestled with them. We were all in a flame of love."[26]
Spending the night watching
and praying
"Many
came from afar to spend the night watching and praying"
Charles Wesley interceded on Friday, April 24, 1741: "By intercession, I had great faith in prayer, that all things might come to pass for the furtherance of the Gospel. I went to Kingswood, where many came from afar to spend the night watching and praying. We had much of the divine presence," said Charles.[27]
Sacramento to colliders
On Sunday, May 10, 1741, "I gave the sacrament to the colliders; I preached over the still, still small voice of Elijah; I went out to the highways and concluded the happy day with and feast at Kingswood," said Charles Wesley.[28]
The
Kingswood School
"John
Wesley founded Kingswood School in 1748. Originally in Bristol, it grew larger
than the original site and moved to its present location in Bath in 1852."[29]
"A
blessing to all who are in it, and an honor to the whole body of
Methodists"
On Wednesday, January 4, 1758, Wesley said, "I went to Kingswood and rejoiced in the school, which is at last what I have so long desired it to be—a blessing to all who are in it, and an honor to the whole body of Methodists."[30]
Wesley convinces Whitefield
Whitefield's censorship
"All Who Believe Must Receive"
On July 6, 1739, in the
afternoon, Wesley met Whitefield, who had just returned from London.
Wesley went with Whitefield
to the Baptist Mills, where Whitefield "preached concerning the Holy
Spirit, which all who believe should receive;
not without a just and severe rebuke to those who preach as if there
were no Holy Spirit."[31]
Wesley talks to Whitefield
about the outward signs
"Four sons sank near
him, almost at the same time. One of them lay without meaning or movement"
On Saturday, July 7, 1739,
Wesley had "opportunity to speak with him about those outward signs, which
have so often accompanied the inward work of God."[32]
Whitefield had his
objections. Wesley said, "I found that his objections were based chiefly
on gross misrepresentations of facts."[33]
But Whitefield changed his
mind the next day. Wesley said, "But the next day he had an opportunity of
being better informed. For as soon as he began (in the application of his
sermon) to invite all sinners to believe in Christ, four sons sank near him, in
about the same time. One of them lay without sense or motion. A second trembled
greatly. The third strong convulsion was bad all over his body, but made no
noise except by groans. The fourth, equally convulsed, called upon God, with
loud cries and tears. From this moment, I trust, we shall all suffer that God
should carry on his own work in the way he pleases."[34]
It is important to remember
that George Whitefield was also at the so-called "Methodist
Pentecost" on the vigil from December 31, 1738 to January 1, 1739.
There was in Whitefield the
anointing of the Holy Spirit.
Wesley's ministry and
preaching in 1739 in Bristol continued with crowds and supernatural facts or
signs and wonders.
In 1739, Whitefield went to
America. Seven times he was preaching in America.
Dispute with Whitefield
"He told me that he
and I preached two different gospels; and therefore he not only did not unite
nor give me the right hand of fellowship, but he was publicly resolved to
preach against me and my brother, wherever he preached"
"At first, Whitefield
was not a predestinarian, but when he sailed to America in the summer of 1739,
he was reading Calvinist books. Contact with fervent American Calvinists filled
his knowledge."[35]
"In Northampton,
Massachusetts, Whitefield stayed at the home of Jonathan Edwards, the ardent
revivalist preacher of the Reformed Churches."[36]
And in this way Whitefield
became a Calvinist.
"Whitefield was a
moderate Calvinist; he did not let the doctrine of predestination prevent him
from offering grace to all, or from insisting on the necessity of holiness in
believers."[37]
Letters between Whitefield
and Wesley
In response to Wesley's
sermon "Free Grace", Whitefield responded to Wesley on December 24,
1740 where he strongly advocates predestination, "the free grace of
God".[38]
Another letter suggested
improperly distributed.
"I tore him to pieces
before them all"
On Sunday, February 1,
1741, Wesley recorded in his diary: "A private letter, written to me by
Mr. Whitefield, was printed without his permission nor mine, and a large number
of copies were given to our people, both at the door and at the Foundry itself,"
Wesley said.[39]
"All who received it
did likewise"
"Having acquired one
of them, I reported (after preaching) the naked fact to the congregation, and
said to them, 'I will do exactly what I believe Mr. Whitefield would do, if he
himself were here,'" he said. [40]
"Upon which I tore it
to pieces before them all. All who received it, did the same. So that in two
minutes there was not a whole copy left," said Wesley.[41]
Wesley goes to Whitefield
"I went to him to hear
him speak for himself so that I would know how to judge"
On Saturday, March 28,
1741, Wesley wrote, "Having heard much of Mr. Whitefield's cruel behavior,
since his return from Georgia, I went to him to hear him speak for himself,
that I might know how to judge. I greatly approved of his simplicity of speech.
He told me that he and I preached two different gospels; and therefore he not
only did not unite, nor give me the right hand of fellowship, but was publicly
resolved to preach against me and my brother, wherever he preached. Mr. Hall
(who went with me) put him in mind of the promise he had made, but a few days
before, that, whatever his private opinion might be, he would never preach
publicly against us. He said that the promise was only an effect of human
weakness, and he was now of another mind.[42]
Accusation
"Hateful and
despicable"
"In England and Scotland (1741-1744), Whitefield bitterly accused John Wesley of undermining his work. He preached against Wesley, arguing that Wesley's attacks on predestination had alienated 'many of my spiritual children'. Wesley replied that Whitefield's attacks were 'treacherous' and that Whitefield had become 'hateful and contemptible'. However, the two reconciled later in life."[43]
They were great friends and
the differences ended over the years. There was a great respect between the
two.
Theological controversies between Whitefield and Wesley
The theological battles
against predestination were intense.
One of the worst
difficulties Wesley had in his ministry was theological controversies with his
friend George Whitefield, a member of the Holy Club.
Because of Whitefield's
defense of predestination, "the free grace of God," [44] which Wesley understood to detract from the need for sanctification,
they separated.[45]
Whitefield was the foremost
Calvinist leader and did not hesitate to oppose the Wesleys.[46]
The Basic Difference
Between Wesley's Arminianism and Whitefield's Predestination
For Wesley, free will
contributed more to the glory of God than predestination, which he also called
"condemnation."[47]
Unlike Wesley, George
Whitefield believed in the doctrine of the believer's perseverance:
"Wesley's theological dispute with
Whitefield had two points: the doctrines related to predestination and the
issues of imputed righteousness. Whitefield accepted the Calvinists' belief
that a person truly justified by God would persevere in faith to the end—there
was nothing like relapse among true believers."[48]
Of this "perseverance of the saints," [49] Wesley reminds Ezekiel 33:13: "Again, thus saith the Lord, When I shall say unto the righteous, that he shall surely live; if he trusteth in his conquered righteousness, (yes, or to that promise as absolute and unconditional), and commits iniquity, all his righteousness shall not be remembered; but for his iniquity which he hath committed he must die for it." [50]
Wesley further argues,
"Again, 'I am the living bread; if any man eat of this bread, (by faith,)
he must live for ever." John 6:51. True, if he continue to eat it. and who
can doubt it?
Again: "My sheep hear
my voice, and I know then, and they follow me. And I give them eternal life;
and they shall never perish, neither shall any snatch them out of my
hand." John 10:27-29.
In the preceding text the
condition is only implied; in this it is plainly expressed. It is my sheep that
hear my voice, that follow me in all holiness. And "if ye do these things,
ye shall never fall." None shall "wrest thee out of my hand, said
Wesley."
Again, "Having loved
his own which were in the world, he loved them to the end." John 13:1.
'Having loved his own.'
(i.e. the apostles, as the following words, 'who were in the world.' 'he loved
them to the end' of his life, and manifested this love to the end," said
John Wesley.[51]
Whitefield was the foremost
Calvinist leader among the evangelical revivalists.[52] In 1741, they separated.
It was inevitable, for Wesley was an Arminian and Whitefield a Calvinist.[53] Among the disagreements
with Whitefield was about the possibility of the elimination of sin in human
life.
Whitefield said:
"I do not agree that
the reality of inner sin can be destroyed in this life."[54]
In April 1739, Wesley
preached his sermon "Free Grace" and later published it along with
Charles Wesley's poem "Universal Redemption":
"The sermon dealt directly with its basic
point of difference with George Whitefield, the doctrine of irresistible grace,
and all the corollaries of predestination: limited redemption, unconditional
election, condemnation ('horrible' law), and perseverance of the saints.[55]
But even though he had
difficulties with George Whitefield, they remained friends. [56]
Whitefield
recognizes Wesley's correct method
Whitefield recognized the
reason that converts with Wesley had stayed and sought holiness: membership in
bands, classes, and societies.
The words of George Whitefield commenting on Wesley's small group practice still speak to us today: "My brother Wesley acted wisely, the souls that were awakened in his ministry he gathered together in the classroom, and thus preserved the fruits of his labor. This I have neglected, and my people are a rope of sand."[57]
Praise for Whitefield
On Monday, October 25, 1756, Charles delivered high praise to George Whiefield.
"Never
leave the Methodists, or God would leave them"
Charles Wesley wrote in his
diary: "Here I rejoiced to hear of the great good which Mr. Whitefield did
in our Societies. He preached as universally as my brother. He warned them
everywhere against apostasy; and strongly insisted on the necessity of holiness
after justification, illustrating it by this comparison: 'What good would the
King's pardon do to a poor evildoer dying of fever? Thus, notwithstanding that
ye have received pardon, unless the disease of your nature be cured by
holiness, you can never be saved.' He defeated the spirit of separation, highly
commended the prayers and services of our Church, charged our people to know
their bands and classes constantly, and never to leave the Methodists, or God
would leave them. In a word: he did all in his power to strengthen our hands,
and deserves the thanks of all the Churches, for his abundant labor of
love."[58]
Reconciliation
"But when his
time comes, God will do what man cannot, namely, make the two of us one mind. Then
the persecution will be quenched, and it will be seen if we count our dear
lives to ourselves so that we can finish our course with joy."
Wesley's Letter to
Whitefield
Wesley wrote a letter to
Whitefield where he refers to the difficulties of understanding, but believing
that they would again be one mind:
"My dear Brother, I thank you for yours,
May 24. The sunset is clear enough. There are fanatics both for
predestination and predestination. against him. God is sending a message to
those on both sides. But neither will they receive it, except from one who is
of their own opinion. Therefore, for a time you suffer to be of one opinion,
and I of another. But when your time comes, God will do what man cannot,
namely, make us both one mind. Then the persecution will be quenched, and it
will be seen whether we count our dear lives to ourselves, so that we may
finish our course with joy. I am, my dear brother, always thine, J.
Wesley." [59]
Whitefield's Letter
to Wesley
Whitefield wrote to Wesley in October 1741:
"May God remove all obstacles which now
hinder our union; may all disputes cease, and let each of us speak of nothing
but Jesus and Him crucified. This is my resolution, I have no dissimulation. I
think I love you as much as ever, and I pray to God, if it be his blessed will,
that we may all be united."[60]
Whitefield
was welcomed
After
the controversies, "Whitefield was welcomed to preach among Wesley's
societies. Wesley lent Whitefield one of his best preachers, Joseph Cownley, to
work in the Tabernacle. Whitefield refused to build Calvinistic chapels in
places that already had a Wesleyan society. Wesley agreed otherwise."[61]
What made it easier
“(...)
what facilitated relations between the two great leaders was Whitefield's
decision in 1749 to abandon the formal leadership of the Calvinistic Methodist
societies. Thus, he posed no threat to Wesley as the main organizer of the
revival."[62]
"In
1770, the year of his death, Whitefield wrote to Charles as 'my dearly dear old
friend' and described John as 'his honoured brother'. To each he bequeathed a
mourning ring, "in token of my indissoluble union with them in Christian
heart and affection, notwithstanding our difference of judgment on some
particular points of doctrine." On Whitefield's death, Charles wrote a
noble elegy. And at Whitefield's request, his funeral sermon was preached by
none other than his former opponent, John Wesley."[63]
Moments of a friendship
Highlights
of moments of the friendship between Whitefield and Wesley.
Wesley
wrote in his diary:
Monday,
December 11, 1738
"Hearing that Mr. Whitefield was coming
from Georgia, I hurried to London from Oxford; and on Tuesday, the 12th, God
gave us once more to take sweet counsel together."[64]
Thursday,
July 14, 1739
"I
went with Mr. Whitefield to Blackheath, where there were, I believe, twelve or
fourteen thousand persons. He surprised me a little by wishing me to preach in
his stead; which I did (though nature recoiled) on my favorite subject,
"Jesus Christ, who of God is made unto us wisdom, righteousness, sanctification,
and redemption."[65]
Friday,
July 6, 1739
"In
the afternoon, I was with Mr. Whitefield"
"In the afternoon I was with Mr.
Whitefield, fresh from London, with whom I went to Baptist Mills, where he
preached on "the Holy Ghost, which all believers should receive"; not
without a just and severe rebuke from those who preach as if there were no Holy
Ghost."[66]
A little time with Whitefield
"I
had the satisfaction of spending a little time with Mr. Whitefield"
Monday, May 16, 1763
"Leaving
a month later than usual, I thought it necessary to make more haste; so I took
post chaises and by that means easily arrived
at Newcastle on Wednesday, the 18th.
From there I went at ease and came to Edinburgh,
on Saturday, the 21st.
The
next day I had the satisfaction of spending a little time with Mr. Whitefield.
Humanly speaking, he is worn out; but we have to do with Him who has all power
in heaven and on earth."[67]
Monday, January 28, 1765
"I
had breakfast with Mr. Whitefield"
"I
had breakfast with Mr. Whitefield, who appeared to be an old man, quite worn
out in his Master's service, though he was scarcely fifty years old; and yet it
pleases God that I, who am now in my sixty-third year, find no disorder, no
weakness, no decay, no difference from what I was at five and twenty; only that
I have fewer teeth and more gray hair."[68]
Friday, January 31, 1766
"Mr.
Whitefield called me"
"Mr. Whitefield has called me. He breathes nothing but peace and love. Intolerance cannot stand before him, but hides his head wherever it comes."[69]
Whitefield was also a friend of Charles Wesley
21 March 1745
"My dear friend, the Rev. Mr. Charles Wesley"
George
Whitefield provided information in a letter he wrote from Georgia dated March
21, 1745 about a building in Georgia:
"Some have thought that the erection of such a building was only
the product of my own brain; but they are greatly mistaken; for it was first
proposed to me by my dear friend, the Rev. Mr. Charles Wesley, who, with his excellency General Oglethorpe, had
contrived a scheme to carry forward such a project before I had any thought of
going abroad. ... and believing that such provision for orphans would be some
encouragement with many to come, I fell
for the design, when mentioned to me by my friend, and was determined, in
the strength of God, to prosecute it with all my might."[70]
Whitefield
explained that the idea of building an orphanage in Georgia was not his idea.
It was introduced to him by his friend, Charles Wesley, before he even
considered going to America."[71]
"My dear friends and co-workers, John and Charles Wesley"
"While
Whitefield was in America, he was grateful for the Wesleys' work in England. On
his return, he testified to what he saw.
Here there
seems to be a great outpouring of the Spirit, and many who were awakened by my
preaching a year ago, are now strong men in Christ, through the ministrations
of my dear friends and fellow-workers, John and Charles Wesley. Blessed be God,
I rejoice in the coming of the Kingdom of His dear Son."[72]
Friday,
October 8, 1756
Charles Wesley was with Whitefield
"I
was with my brother Whitefield and I was very refreshed"
Charles Wesley said, "I rode with my faithful brother Grimshaw to Bramley. I preached in a large barn (now a convenient chapel) to a multitude of earnest souls, who eagerly received the saying of our Lord, 'Look up and lift up your heads,' &c. They all seemed wide awake, when I called again in the morning, (Saturday, October 9th), 'Watch ye therefore, and pray always,&c. Their spirit quickened mine. We had sweet communion together. I have no doubt, but they will be accounted worthy to escape, and to stand before the Son of man. Returning to Leeds, I was with my brother Whitefield, and was greatly refreshed with the report of their abundant labors," [73] said Charles Wesley.
Listening
to Whitefield
"I waited for him to come to our room and gladly
sat at his word"
"I waited until he came to our room, and gladly sat under his word," said Charles Wesley. "I preached at Rothwell. His great house was full, though it was a harvest day. I warned them of the impending storm, with much freedom and faith for the sincere; concluding with a warm exhortation to continue in the ship." [74]
Sunday,
October 10, 1756
Precious
opportunities
"Through the preaching of George Whitefield"
"I arrived at Birstal before noon," said Charles Wesley. "My
congregation was less than a thousand or two, through the preaching of George
Whitefield today at Haworth. Between four and five thousand were left to
receive my warning from Luke xxi. After church we met again. Every soul seemed
to cling to the word. Two such precious opportunities I did not enjoy so much
for a day. It was the old time revived. A heavy spirit ran through the
congregation; and they stood as men prepared to meet the Lord”.[75]
Monday,
October 11, 1756
Whitefield
attends vigil with Charles Wesley
"My
brother George seconded me in the words of our Lord"
"Hearing
that Mr. Whitefield and Mr. Grimshaw were returning to our night's vigil, I
waited for them in their lodgings, with zealous, humble, and loving Mr.
Crook," said Charles Wesley. "It rained so hard, that Mr. Whitefield
was pleasantly surprised at eight to find our house as full as possible. They
forced me to preach first; which I did of Zech. xiii.: "The third part I
will bring through the fire." My brother George seconded me in the words
of our Lord, "I say unto all, Watch." The prayers and hymns were all
attended with a solemn power. Few, if any, I hope, were awake."[76]
Wesley defends Whitefield
"Many clergymen are guilty, inasmuch as they do not inform
themselves better, of Mr. Whitefield, of yourself and your doctrines, of your
own mouth."
Cleric accusation
"I think, indeed, many
clergymen are guilty, inasmuch as they do not better inform themselves, of Mr.
Whitefield, of yourself and your doctrines, of your own mouth: I am convinced
that if they did it in a Christian spirit, the differences between you would
soon be at an end,"[77] said Wesley.
"Nay, I think, those
whose flock turn so much to hear him, ought to do so, for his pastoral
duty to them: that if you preach good doctrine, they may edify you,
upon the impressions thus visibly made by your sermons, or if bad, they
may recover you from error,"[78] said Wesley.
Preach pure doctrine
"Many preachers, many
reformers, many missionaries, have fallen because they did not observe
this"
"I will conclude this
letter by keeping in mind, in all your sermons, writings, and practice, to follow the naked Jesus naked:
that is to say, to preach the pure doctrine of the gospel without
respect for persons or things. Many a preacher,
many a reformer, many a missionary, have fallen because they did
not observe this; because they did not keep in mind continually, whosoever
shall break the least of these commandments, and teach men so, shall be called
least in the kingdom of heaven," [79] said Wesley.
Loss of a great
friend
"In 1770, the
year of his death, Whitefield wrote to Charles as 'my dearly dear old friend'
and described John as 'his honoured brother'. To each he bequeathed a mourning
ring, 'in token of my indissoluble union with them in Christian heart and
affection, notwithstanding our difference of judgment on some particular points
of doctrine'.[80]
On Wednesday, January
2, 1771, Wesley said, "I preached in the evening, at Deptford, a sort of funeral
sermon to Mr. Whitefield. Everywhere I wish to show all possible respect to the
memory of that great and good man."[81]
The district of
Deptford is in the borough of Lewisham in the London Region.
Whitefield,
in addition to being a revivalist and a great preacher of Methodism, was also
concerned with social work. It was he who founded the Kingswood School and an
orphanage in Georgia. [82]
George
Whitefield died on September 30, 1770, in America. He was buried in England.
Wesley said he was
"a great and good man."[83]
Wesley Preaches Whitefield Funeral Sermon
"I
had the melancholic news"
On
Saturday, November 10, 1770, "I returned to London, and had the melancholy
news of Mr. Whitefield's death confirmed by his executioners, who desired me to
preach his funeral sermon on Sunday, the eighteenth," [84] Wesley
wrote.
"I
retired to Lewisham"
"To
write this, I withdrew toLewishamon
Monday; and on the following Sunday I went to the chapel in Tottenham Court
Road. An immense crowd was assembled from all quarters of the city. At first I
was afraid that a large part of the congregation would not be able to hear; but
it pleased God so much to strengthen my voice that even those at the door heard
distinctly. It was a horrible time: all were still as the night; the majority
seemed to be deeply affected; and an impression was made on many, which it
would be hoped would not be speedily effaced,"[85] Wesley said.
Designated time
"At
first, the noise was extremely great; but it stopped when I started
talking"
There
were about six thousand people present.
"The
time appointed for my commencement in the Tabernacle was half an hour after
five; but it was quite full at three, so I began at four. At first the noise
was exceedingly great; but it ceased when I began to speak; and my voice was
again so strengthened that all who were within could hear, unless an accidental
noise prevented it here or there for a few moments. Oh, that all might hear the
voice of Him with whom are the matters of life and death; and that so loudly,
by this unexpected blow, he calls all His children to love one another!"[86]
Wesley's
Preaching
Wesley preached in the Chapel in Tottenham-Court Road and in the
Tabernacle, near Moorfields, on Sunday, November 18, 1770.
In the introduction to the sermon, Wesley said:
"Let me die the death
of the righteous, and let my last end be like his!" Numbers 23:10
1. "May my last end be
like his!" How many of you join in this desire? Perhaps there are few of
you who do not, even in this numerous congregation! And oh, may this desire
rest upon your minds! -- lest they die until their souls also are lodged "where
the wicked cease to care, and where the weary are at rest!"[87]
A dear friend
"Was not this the spirit of our dear friend?"
After talking
about Whitefield's last past and heaping great praise, Wesley concluded:
"Was not this the spirit of our dear friend? And why should it not
be ours? O God of love, how long will Thy people be synonymous among the
heathen? How long will they laugh at us to despise and say, "See how these Christians love one
another!" When wilt Thou remove our reproach? Will the sword devour
forever? How long will it be before Thou bidder Thy people return from
"following one another"? Now, at least, "let all the people
stand still, and seek their brethren no more!" But whatever others do, let
all of us, my brethren, hear the voice of him who, being dead, yet speaks!
Suppose ye hear him say, "Now, at least, be followers of me as I was of
Christ! Let the brother "no longer lift up sword against brother, neither
know war any more!" On the contrary, as God's elect, clothe yourselves
with mercy, humility, brotherly kindness, goodness, gentleness, longsuffering,
bearing with one another in love. Let the past time be sufficient for strife,
envy, strife; for biting and devouring one another. Blessed be God, that not
long ago you were consumed one another! From now on, maintain the unity of the
Spirit in the bond of peace."[88]
Afterwards,
Wesley says a prayer and a hymn was sung by the congregation.
[1]
https://thepoetpreacher.com/george-whitefield-quotes-on-his-dear-friend-charles-wesley/
[2]https://www.christiancentury.org/blogs/archive/2015-01/george-whitefield-s-troubled-relationship-race-and-slavery
[3]
https://apmt.org.br/george-whitefield-o-principe-dos-pregadores-ao-ar-livre/
[4]George Whitefield - Daily Bread
Ministries (paodiario.org).
https://paodiario.org/autores-classicos/george-whitefield/
[5]http://biografiadosheroisdafe.blogspot.com/
2010/01/jorge-whitefield.html
[6]http://biografiadosheroisdafe.blogspot.com/
2010/01/jorge-whitefield.html
[7] George Whitefield - Daily Bread Ministries
(paodiario.org).
https://paodiario.org/autores-classicos/george-whitefield/
[8]
https://christianhistoryinstitute.org/magazine/article/wesley-vs-whitefield
[9]
https://christianhistoryinstitute.org/magazine/article/wesley-vs-whitefield
[10]
https://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/arts-culture/bethesda/
[11]https://apmt.org.br/george-whitefield-o-principe-dos-pregadores-ao-ar-livre/
[12] https://seedbed.com/
when-george-whitefield-and-john-wesley-met-radical-things-started-to-happen/
[13]
https://www.newroombristol.org.uk/content/uploads/2017/04/A_brief_guide_to_the_New_Room.pdf
[14]
https://seedbed.com/when-george-whitefield-and-john-wesley-met-radical-things-started-to-happen/
[15]https://www.gettyimages.ie/detail/news-photo/
john-and-charles-wesley-preaching-in-the-open-air-at-news-photo/463896201
[16]https://www.gpsmycity.com/attractions/john-wesleys-chapel-and-new-room-museum-19450.html
[17]https://www.methodist.org.uk/our-faithlife-and-faith/pilgrimage/pilgrimage-events/a-bristol-pilgrimage/
[18]https://www.buildingconservation.com/
articles/georgewhitefield/georgewhitefield.htm
[19]https://www.buildingconservation.com/
articles/georgewhitefield/georgewhitefield.htm
[20] The Magazine of John Wesley, edited
by Percy Livingstone Parker, Chicago Moody Press, 1951, with an introduction by
Hugh Price Hughes.
[21] Ditto.
[22] The Magazine of John Wesley, edited
by Percy Livingstone Parker, Chicago Moody Press, 1951, op.cit.
[23] The Magazine of John Wesley, edited
by Percy Livingstone Parker, Chicago Moody Press, 1951, op.cit.
[24] Ditto.
[25] The Magazine of John Wesley, edited
by Percy Livingstone Parker, Chicago Moody Press, 1951, op.cit.
[26]
https://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/ravellers/C_Wesley/12
[27] The Journal of the rev. Charles
Wesley, op.cit, p. 269
[28] The Journal of the rev. Charles
Wesley, op.cit, p. 274
[29]
http://www.methodistheritage.org.uk/kingswoodschool.htm
[30]
https://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/travellers/J_Wesley/11
[31] https://quod.lib.umich.edu/e/evans/N22587.0001.001/1:18?rgn=div1;view=fulltext
[32]
https://quod.lib.umich.edu/e/evans/N22587.0001.001/1:18?rgn=div1;view=fulltext
[33] Ditto.
[34] Ditto.
[35]
https://christianhistoryinstitute.org/magazine/article/wesley-vs-whitefield
[36]George Whitefield - Daily Bread
Ministries (paodiario.org).
https://paodiario.org/autores-classicos/george-whitefield/
[37]
https://christianhistoryinstitute.org/magazine/article/wesley-vs-whitefield
[38]
https://quod.lib.umich.edu/e/evans/N03787.0001.001/1:4?rgn=div1;view=fulltext
[39]
https://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/travellers/J_Wesley/4
[40]
https://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/travellers/J_Wesley/4
[41] Ditto.
[42] Ditto.
[43]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Whitefield
[44] HEITZENHATER, Richard P., Wesley
and the People Called Methodist, Editeo-Pastoral Bennett, 1996, p.107.
[45] Ibidem, p.214.
[46] Idem, p.120.
[47] Here is a summary of what Wesley
thought about predestination: If there is election, all preaching would be
vain; it tends to directly destroy holiness; it tends to destroy our zeal for
good works; it subverts all Christian revelation; it makes revelation
contradict itself; it is a doctrine full of blasphemy, because it places Jesus
as a hypocrite, a deceiver of the people, etc. (BURTNER, Robert W.; CHILES,
Robert E. Collection of the theology of John Wesley. Ibidem, p. 53-4)
[48] HEITZENHATER, Richard P.Ibidem,
p.107.
[49] Doctrine that states that
"Once saved, always saved".
[50]
www.imarc.cc/esecurity/perseverance.html
[51] Ditto.
[52] According to D.M.Lloyd-Jones, the
themes of Whitefield's preaching were: Original sin, regeneration, the Holy
Spirit, justification by faith, etc. (JONES, D. M. Lloyd. The Puritans. Ibid.,
p.130-1).
[53] HEITZENHATER, Richard P.Ibidem,
p.120-1.
[54] Ibidem, p.120.
[55] Ibid.
[56] HEITZENHATER, Richard P., Ibid., p.
241.
[57]http://seedbed.com/feed/how-john-wesley-s-class-meetings-serve-as-identity-formation.
[58]
https://www.sermonindex.net/modules/articles/index.php?view=article&aid=26171
[59] http://www.romans45.org/wesley.htm
[60]
https://www.sermonindex.net/modules/newbb/viewtopic.php?topic_id=29733&forum=45
[61]
https://christianhistoryinstitute.org/magazine/article/wesley-vs-whitefield
[62] Ditto.
[63] Ditto.
[64] The Magazine of John Wesley, edited
by Percy Livingstone Parker, Chicago Moody Press, 1951, op.cit.
[65] Ditto.
[66] The Magazine of John Wesley, edited
by Percy Livingstone Parker, Chicago Moody Press, 1951, op.cit.
[67]
https://www.visionofbritain.org.uk//travellers/J_Wesley/13
[68]
https://www.visionofbritain.org.uk//travellers/J_Wesley/14
[69] Ditto.
[70]https://thepoetpreacher.com/george-whitefield-quotes-on-his-dear-friend-charles-wesley/
[71]https://thepoetpreacher.com/george-whitefield-quotes-on-his-dear-friend-charles-wesley/
[72]Ditto.
[73]
https://www.sermonindex.net/modules/articles/index.php?view=article&aid=26171
[74]
https://www.sermonindex.net/modules/articles/index.php?view=article&aid=26171
[75] Ditto.
[76] https://www.sermonindex.net/modules/articles/index.php?view=article&aid=26171
[77] An extract from the diary of the
Rev. Mr. John Wesley, August 12, 1738, to November 1, 1739.
https://quod.lib.umich.edu/e/evans/N22587.0001.001/1:18?rgn=div1;view=fulltext
[78] An extract from the diary of the
Rev. Mr. John Wesley, August 12, 1738, to November 1, 1739.
https://quod.lib.umich.edu/e/evans/N22587.0001.001/1:18?rgn=div1;view=fulltext
[79] Ditto.
[80]
https://christianhistoryinstitute.org/magazine/article/wesley-vs-whitefield
[82] HEITZENHATER, Richard P., Ibidem,
p. 121.
[83] HEITZENHATER, Richard P., Ibidem,
p.121.
[84]
https://www.visionofbritain.org.uk//travellers/J_Wesley/15
[85]
https://www.visionofbritain.org.uk//travellers/J_Wesley/15
[86] Ditto.
[88] https://www.resourceumc.org/
en/content/sermon-53-on-the-death-of-the-rev-mr-george-whitefield
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