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dissenters, was still a zealous churchman in point of doctrine, discipline, and worship, as thousands and myriads of the most respectable witnesses throughout the three kingdoms, know and can testify." And again, "that he had strong prejudices in favor of the Church, evidently appeared throughout the whole of his writings, ministry, conversation, deportment, and conduct. This strong attachment to the Church of England was manifested more fully, if possible, in the latter part of his life, when he erected Tottenham Court chapel, entirely for the celebration of the Church service; and he has, more than once, been heard to protest solemnly-what indeed every body knew and daily saw-that he had sacrificed his health by reading the Liturgy, and even created jealousies in more than a few of his good old Tabernacle friends, by devoting so much of his time and strength to his beloved Tottenham." Such is the declaration of Mr. Rowland Hill respecting this zealous man's attachment to the Church; and it is only to be regretted that all the statements in his "letter" against Wesley, were not made in the same mild. spirit. As, however, he subsequently deplored every harsh expression traced by his too hasty pen, and reviewed the whole controversy with sorrow, we can only look upon it as an error to be avoided by all who enter into discussions on the solemn subject of the doctrines of grace. When the letter " was sent to Mr. Richard Hill, he erased several paragraphs; but it was too late to stop the publication. A circumstance nevertheless shortly afterwards occurred, which he thought it his duty to notice. This was a report he had heard respecting Mr. Wesley's account of the last moments of Mr. Toplady,' whom he seems to have had more difficulty in

1 For the authentic account of his death, see my Life of the Rev. Rowland Hill.

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forgiving, than any other of his opponents. His Journal, Dec. 27, 1775, contains the following words, which are part of his letter to Lloyd's Evening Post, in vindication of his Calm Address to the American Colonies: "As to reviewers, news-writers, London magazines, and all that kind of gentlemen, they behave just as I expected they would. And let them lick up Mr. Toplady's spittle still, a champion worthy of their cause." When Mr. Toplady died, a Mr. Robinson informed a friend of Mr. Richard Hill, that Wesley had assured him he was in black despair during his last illness, and that a greater imposition was never imposed on the world, than the account of his end published by his admirers. He added also, that none of his friends were permitted to see him, and that a Wesleyan preacher named Rhodes, declared his case to be equal to that of Francis Spira; also, that a servant who waited on him was so horrified as to have joined Mr. Wesley's societies, signifying that what he had witnessed was very awful. When this reached the ears of Mr. Richard Hill, who knew the happiness of Mr. Toplady on his dying bed, he naturally felt deep uneasiness, but did not proceed in his first agitation, to adopt the best plan for inquiry into the truth of what he had heard. Instead of addressing himself at once to Mr. Wesley, he put some queries to him on the subject of the malignant rumour, through the medium of the General Advertiser, to which he did not annex his name. Wesley naturally refused to answer an anonymous series of questions, and demanded first to know their author. Upon this, Mr. Richard Hill at once avowed himself, but disclaimed any wrong intention, or disrespect to a gentleman of Mr. Wesley's age and function. He also named the authorities which had induced him to apply for the information he desired.

UNSETTLED DISPUTE.

WHITFIELD.

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His conduct in this affair was that of a most straightforward man, while his regard for the character and opinions of Mr. Toplady, naturally induced him to endeavour to wipe off the stain with which he suspected Wesley had tried to blot his memory. Yet it would have been better if some of his observations had been spared, as is indeed constantly the case in all that is written upon such subjects. The epithet "scurrilous" had however been hastily applied to him by Wesley, who ought to have refrained from such expressions. The matter was never properly cleared up. Mr. Hill has recorded that two friends of Mr. Toplady called on Mr. Wesley, and that he avoided conversation, got hastily into a coach, and cried out, "Let those who are for peace leave these things alone,"-no very satisfactory fulfilment of his promise to answer the inquiries, if their author would declare himself.

In all these disputes there was wrong feeling in both parties; but the many redeeming qualities of each, must be allowed by all who reflect upon their respective efforts in the cause of religion. The same pious ardour animated both Whitfield and Wesley; but their characters were cast in different moulds. They were also, like other good men, fallible and erring, though devoted, zealous, and infinitely laborious. The errors of Whitfield chiefly originated in his fiery temperament; but the nobler qualities of his fervent spirit developed themselves in an eloquence almost superhuman, which was the instrument of rousing thousands from the deathlike lethargy of indifference, and of calling thousands more from the bondage and misery of times grossly immoral, into the holy liberty of the gospel. His tremendous appeals were directed to persons of every degree. The courtly visitors to the waters of Bath, and the ignorant, de

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praved colliers of Kingswood, were alike consciencesmitten under a ministry, the power and fidelity of which were in his days without a parallel. His expressive features, his amazing energy of manner, his strength of voice and fluency of diction, enabled him to exercise at will the fullest power of commanding attention, which he made subservient, not to the vile purpose of exciting a crowd to evil, but of reclaiming them from it, through the purifying efficacy of the doctrines of the cross. Whatever may have been his opinions on the inscrutable subject of personal election, he never tainted his doctrines with the pollution of Antinomianism, nor refused to invite sinners to the Saviour, though he warned them of their inability to come, without the Father's drawing them by the influence of the Holy Ghost. More hearts were melted under the warmth of his descriptions of redeeming love, than were alarmed by his declarations of the terrors of judgment; and such was the impression in this respect made upon his converts, that they could scarcely utter his name without giving it the epithet of "dear." So little did he seek to please men, that one of his most prominent failings was a tendency to court persecution, as an evidence that the course of his actions was against the stream of the world. He was the noblest specimen of all the evangelists at large in his age, who sounded the gospel trumpet in the very heart of the enemy's encampment; and that when the professed soldiers of Christ had deserted his cause, allured to forsake it by the sensual pleasures of a sinful world, and the approval of the licentious multitude. But even then, there were more faithful pastors in the Church than historians have acknowledged, through resting upon common report, instead of having recourse to accurate investigation; and to such regular ministers, and not to

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an eager Whitfield or calculating Wesley, is the renovated condition of our clergy to be attributed. Those pious churchmen admired the boldness of the great champion of religion now occupying our thoughts, and were astonished at the throngs of ungodly men who trembled at the glance of the weapons of heaven, as he wielded them in his strong and dextrous hand. They rejoiced also in the wide diffusion of the knowledge of Christ, but they calculated the aggregate effects of irregularity upon his Church in the nation, and were alarmed lest the too rapid luxuriance of the seed springing up, should exhaust itself, and the hope of a fruitful harvest be destroyed. But in all our blame and all our commendations, due regard must be had to the aspect of the times in which Whitfield came forward to agitate for good. Historians and biographers have taken their retrospective views too much through the media of their various prejudices and prepossessions; but all parties have done honour to this sometimes rash, frequently miscalculating, but sincere and self-denying man. Be it remembered also, that the light in which he moved was no more than that of the dawn of revival. The beams of the gospel sun as it ascended above the moral horizon, were only reflected from the clouds it was rising to dispel, when its radiance should be shed from a higher elevation in the heavens. Notions of duty now obvious to every sound believer, and ideas equally plain respecting the gentle alterative power of genuine Christianity, were then imperceptible even to the quick eye of Whitfield. When in America, he overlooked the character of slavery; and though he preached to the negroes, and called upon them as men endowed with immortal souls, he never reflected that it ill became him to be the purchaser of their bodies, and to be a trafficker in human