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place, and consequently your lordship equally offends when preaching out of your own diocese."

Inveighing Against the Clergy Without a Cause.

This was one of the charges the Bishop brought against him. Mr. Whitefield in his reply denied the charge, saying, "Let those that bring reports to your lordship about my preaching be brought face to face, and I am ready to give them an answer. St. Paul exhorts Timothy 'not to receive an accusation against an elder under two or three witnesses;' and even Nicodemus could say, 'The law suffered no man to be condemned unheard.' I shall only add that I hope your lordship will inspect into the lives of your other clergy, and censure them for being over-remiss as much as you censure me for being over-righteous. . . . As for declining the work in which I am engaged, my blood runs chill at the very thought of it. I am convinced that it is as much my duty to act as I do, as that the sun shines at noonday. I can foresee the consequences very well. They have already in one sense thrust us out of the synagogues. By and by they will think they are doing God's service to kill us. But, my lord, if you and the Bishops cast us out, our great and common Master will take us up. Though all men deny us, yet will not he. In patience, therefore, do I possess my soul. I willingly tarry the Lord's leisure."

Queries and Scruples.

A pamphlet against Mr. Whitefield with the above singular title was published by some one who professed to be of the Presbyterian persuasion. Whitefield in replying, having a suspicion as to who the author was, says, "I think I may say with David, though on a different occasion, 'Joab's hand is in this.' If your ministers were really the authors, and you only their representatives, they have not acted wisely. They had better have spoken out. I should have as readily answered them as you. Solomon says, 'He that hateth reproof is brutish.' And if I know any thing of my own heart, I should think myself obliged to any one that convinced me of an error either in principle or practice."

Whitefield candidly answers their queries and scruples, and as they found fault with him for preaching extemporaneously, he says, "Do not condemn me for preaching extempore, and for saying I am helped often immediately in that exercise, when thousands can prove as well as myself that it is so. Neither should you censure me as one who would lay aside reading. I am of Bishop Sanderson's mind: 'Study without prayer is atheism, prayer without study presumption."" He says he cannot disapprove of those who exclaim against dry, sapless, unconverted ministers. Such surely are the bane of the Christian Church. He omits some of the latter part of their queries for their own and not for his sake. "I hope," says he, "I

can say with more sincerity than Hazael, 'Is thy servant a dog' that he should do what you suggest?" He wishes that those who advised them to publish their queries had also cautioned the writer against dipping his pen in so much gall. "Surely your insinuations," he says, "are contrary to that charity which hopeth and believeth all things for the best." Thus with great wit and superior skill did Whitefield answer the queries and scruples of carping critics.

"The Bold, Importunate Beggar."

In a pamphlet published in 1742, entitled "The State of Religion in New England since the Rev. George Whitefield arrived there," he is severely attacked. In his reply he says, "I think the contents in no way answer to the title-page. It rather ought to be entitled 'The State of Religion Falsely Stated.'" His answer is a masterpiece. The author calls Whitefield "a bold and importunate beggar." Whitefield replies, "I acknowledge I learned that from the wise man, who tells me, 'Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might;' and from the Apostle Paul, who, in his Second Epistle to the Corinthians (vii, 9) says, 'For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for our sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich,' and who here shows himself to be the most bold, insinuating, and importunate beggar for pious uses that I ever met with."

The Young Mimic.

In the early part of 1756 an instance of conversion occurred by a singular process in connection with, though not an immediate consequence of, Whitefield's preaching. While at Rotherham, in Yorkshire, his endeavors to propagate divine knowledge were treated with contempt, and malicious falsehoods were circulated to counteract the good effects of his ministry. Among the most virulent of his opposers was a Mr. Thorpe, who, with three of his associates, agreed for a wager to mimic the preacher. It was concluded that each should open the Bible, and hold forth from the first text that should present itself to his eye. Accordingly three in their turn mounted the table, and thus profanely entertained their wicked companions. When they had exhausted their little stock of buffoonery, it devolved on Mr. Thorpe to close this very irreverent scene. Much elevated, and confident of success, he exclaimed as he ascended the table, "I shall beat you all!" The judges were to be the members of the convivial assembly which had met on the occasion.

Mr. Thorpe, when the Bible was handed to him, had not the slightest preconception what part of the Scripture he should make the subject of his banter. However, by the guidance of an unerring Providence, it opened at that remarkable passage, "Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.' Luke xiii, 3. No sooner had he uttered the words than his mind was affected in a very extraordinary

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The sharpest pangs of conviction now seized him, and conscience denounced tremendous vengeance upon his soul. In a moment he was favored with a clear view of his subject, and diIvided his discourse more like a divine who had been accustomed to speak on portions of Scripture than like one who never so much as thought on religious topics, except for the purpose of ridicule. He found no deficiency of matter, no want of utterance; and he afterward frequently declared, "If ever I preached in my life by the assistance of the Spirit of God, it was at that time." The impression that the subject made upon his mind had such an effect upon his manner that the most ignorant and profane could not but perceive that what he had spoken was with the greatest sincerity. The unexpected solemnity and pertinency of his address, instead of entertaining the company, first spread a visible depression, and afterward a deep gloom, upon every countenance. This sudden change in the complexion of his associates did not a little conduce to increase the convictions of his own bosom. No one appeared disposed to interrupt him; but, on the contrary, their attention was deeply engaged with the pointedness of his remarks; in fact, many of his sentences, as he has often related, made, to his apprehension, his own hair stand erect! On his getting down from the table not a syllable was uttered concerning the wager, a profound silence pervading the entire company.

Mr. Thorpe immediately withdrew, without tak

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