in London and other places, partly in various services of a menial description, his usefulness in which seems to have disinclined his patron to promote the accomplishment of his principal design. At length, in 1769, he accompanied Mr. Whitefield to Georgia, with the view of undertaking the instruction of some negroes at Savannah, the Rev. Mr. Zubububler, late rector of that place, having provided by his will for the support of a minister to instruct his slaves, but enjoining that the person employed should be a clergyman. It was understood, that if, after making the trial, he came home recommended for ordination to this service, there was no doubt of his success. The respect with which he was received at Savannah was speedily converted into contempt and ridicule, when the object of his voyage was understood; "so strong," he observes, "were the prejudices against me, for being what they called a negro parson, that I believe, if I had been an angel of light, I should not have been esteemed." He gives a curious account of his very inauspicious outset, in this unpopular and precarious undertaking.

The greatest number of these negroes were fresh purchased. They had conceived some kind of idea concerning me, but could not distinguish between their minister and their owner; therefore when I was first introduced among them, they came up in a body, and in their way, shewed me the greatest mark of their respect; at the same time, they made very heavy complaints that they were severely beaten, overburdened with work, kept very short of food, and that they and their children were very bare of clothes. They said if I would be a good master, they would be good negroes. I gave them to understand that I had no right in them, that I should be their sincere friend and minister, and would do every thing in my power to make them happy.

The following Lord's day, I went up for the first time to introduce divine worship among them; but it is impossible to describe the scene, nor can any person, a stranger to it, conceive of it. Mr. Bolton, my

host, bore me company to give me countenance, and to assist me to sing. Two or three overseers from the neighbouring plantations, with the person in the same capacity on the spot, men of a similar cast with the Smithfield drovers, were all the white people I had present. Some negroes from the neighbouring plantations came, and I opened with as plain an exhortation as I possibly could, but felt it was like shooting darts against a stone wall. I prayed, read the lessons for the day, and used a very small part of the liturgy, namely, the confession, the Lord's prayer, and the creed, but the greatest part of my poor congregation were either asleep. or making some of their figures upon the wainscot, or playing with their fingers, or eating potatoes, or talking with each other. This was very discouraging, but I thought I must get through it as well as I could My intended plan was, if I had settled with them, to have attempted to make them rational, in order to make them capable of understanding my addresses, and to have begun with them as with children, teaching them the alphabet. I hoped to have succeeded; and to carry. my point, espe

cially with the children, and that I might expedite the work, I intended to have procured negroes, by qualifying of whom, I might have been as sisted in promoting general instruction. But knowing I must come home for ordination and my house not being ready for me, I could only design the plan without putting it forward till after my return.' PP. 97-98.

During Mr. Winter's residence in Georgia, he had the misfortune to lose his friend.

'You have no conception (says he) of the effect of Mr. Whitefield's death upon the inhabitants of the province of Georgia. All the black cloth in the stores was bought up; the pulpit and desks of the church, the branches, the organ loft, the pews of the governor and council, were covered with black. The governor and council in deep mourning, convened at the state-house, and went in procession to church, and were received by the organ playing a funeral dirge. Two funeral sermons were preached, one by Mr Ellington, which I was desired to compose; the other was preached by Mr. Zubly. All the respect shewed to his memory at his death, kept my sensibility alive.' pp. 103, 104.

He was now, as he remarks, a stranger in a strange land; but his prudent conduct had partially removed the disgraceful prejudice entertained against him, and conciliated many respectable persons who wished to see him in orders. The humility of his views, at this time, and the sincerity of his benevolence, may be perceived from the following passage.

Though I saw no sign of longevity either in natives or foreigners, my heart was set upon doing the best I could for the poor negroes, so that I gave no hint, in any of my letters, of the badness of the climate for an English constitution. Rather I labored hard to get a dear friend to partake with me in the comforts and crosses of my situation. I had settled it in my own mind in submission to the will of God, that I would, being put into a capacity for usefulness, live and die in Georgia a devoted servant of servants. When the twelve months of my residence were nearly expired, it was agreed upon by Mr. Zububuhler's executors, that I should return home to the Bishop for orders.' p. 105.

The recommendations which Mr. Winter carried to England from Mr. Zubububler's executors, and President Habersham, were highly honourable to his character; he was also charged with letters from Governor Wright, and the Rev. Mr. Frink, rector of Savannah. He had a very stormy passage; and at one time, in the immediate expectation of foundering, had full proof of the value of that religion which he recommended to the terrified passengers, "a religion, which transforms the heart, and prepares us for all events. On his arrival in London, he communicated his letters to the Society for propagating the Gospel, by whain he was recommended to apply to the Bishop of London.

'The next morning (says Mr. W.) I waited upon his lordship, who

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after reading the testimonials, sent for me into his room. He said, You have been over to America as a preacher? I answered, 'No, as a catechist But,' said his lordship, You have preached?' I replied, I have attempted to explain the scriptures to the negroes, and some people's curiosity has excited them to hear,' to which he answered, It was illegal, you had no right to do so.' As I stood before his lordship as a candidate, and not as a casuist to defend my conduct, I judged it prudent upon this, and some other remarks not very material, to be silent.

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The next question was, where I was educated? I answered, My Jord, I have had no education, but what I have acquired by dint of industry. His lordship proceeded to inquire where I was born, and to what I was brought up? I replied, I was born in London, served seven years' apprentice hip to a mechanic, and as soon as possible applied myself to the study of divinity, His lordship asked, Then how came you to go over so America? To which I answered, On purpose to see if I could be of any service to the negroes.' Then,' said his lordship, You went over with Mr. Whitefield?" I replied, Yes, my lord.' He added, Then I suppose you have been connected with him?' I replied, My lord, I cannot with propriety say, I have been connected with any body else.' His lordship was pleased to commend me, in being, as he termed it, honest to him, in not leaving him in the dark, and directly added, Then to be sure you have drank deep into his sentiments? To which I replied, I hope my lord I shall be enabled to give a degree of satisfaction upon examination.' He said, 'I hope you have not baptized children? I repied, By no means; Mr. Frink promised me his assistance in the discharge of that office, till I should be authorized. He then inquired if I had read Burnet upon the articles. I replied I had, with other authors for my instruction and information.-This was the purport of our conference, and I can make no very considerable mistake, as I minuted it down the very moment I left his lordship. He said he should do nothing for me of himself, that it was always usual for missionaries to apply to him through the society, that they should meet at Bow church, on the fifteenth instant, where I should be examined, and he should ordain the next week,' pp. 127-129.

Mr. W. might have foreseen the result of this conference, and of being referred back to the Society, who agreed to have nothing to do with the matter, as no pecuniary aid was needed of them, though the reverend prelates who assisted at the meeting had no objection to the Bishop of London ordaining him, if he thought proper. Mr. W. addressed a respectful letter to the Bishop, who, after perusing it, sent for him

in;

"I suppose you have heard what the society have concluded on?" I replied, "My lord, I have; and as it is a matter entirely left to your lordship, I hope you will determine it in my favor." But though I urged the necessity by repeated arguments, the only reply he made was "I can do nothing in it." He observed coincident with the society, the will did not require me to be ordained; and when i told him I could not think of returning in my present circumstances, he said, I must do as i please,' and withal added, Now Mr. Whitefield is dead, you want to throw yourself

under our wing.' He said, they had an objection against ordaining any person brought up to business; and frequently repeated, that Every body might say they have a call to preach,' and that I had been a preacher with Mr. Whitefield, which was illegal.' To each of these I made a reply in submission to his lordship's judgment, but did not dwell upon them, remembering the circumstances in which I stood. At last he began to reflect very severely upon the executors, for sending to Mr. Whitefield for a missionary, in a manner that it is not worth while to trouble you with a narration of, saying, 'The society has been used ill,' and concluded with these words, To be plain with you, Mr. Winter, we had information from America of your going over, long before you embarked from England. and had warning, even though you should return home, not to ordain you.” Pp. 133, 134.

These conversations are detailed in Mr. W.'s letter to his friends in Georgia; the following passage is extracted from the answer he received.

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'What can our dignitaries think, or really one would rather ask, do they think at all? One would imagine, if we were to judge on this side,' from those they generally send among us as ministers, that their only care was to see that they were not religious men. It is surprising that there is not one among them, who would venture to ordain such persons as they should have reason to think, would prove faithful teachers. This is as presume, for fear of the scoffs of their brethren. Much might be said upon this head, but perhaps it may be more prudent to be silent. A great part of your opposition at home, I am sure has been owing to letters from Mr. Frink, particularly so far as relates to the society. I remember at one of our meetings, after that we had received a letter from poor Mr. Whitefield, acquainting us, he had no prospect of getting a person in orders for Mr. Zububuhler's estate, some of the gentlemen said that Mr. Frink said if we would give him leave, he would write to the society, and get us a proper person out immediately; to which reply was made that we had specimens enough of ministers of their sending out, and that they (the society) would be the last people we should think of writing to; and I believe added, that a person with no other qualification than Mr. Frink himself, could by no means suit us: all this I dare say was immediately carried to him, and was what I suppose the society meant by our speaking ill of them.' pp. 139, 140.

We have been a good deal puzzled to account for this steady, though not very ingenuous resistance, to Mr. Winter's hopes, in some way consistent with the immaculate character of the exalted personages he had to deal with, for wisdom and integrity. Could this resolution have been taken, we have thought, from an apprehension that the new clergyman would immediately set off and disturb the minds of the negroes, as his deceased patron had disturbed the minds of the King's wood colliers-or from a fear that he would come back to England, and without Mr. Whitefield's talents preach as rantingly and impressively as he had done, and like him convert

multitudes, not from the church of England, of which they were only nominal members, but from heathenism and vice, of which they were genuine slaves?-or was it taken through the influence of some well-meaning stickler for discipline and regularity, who thought the repulse of a man of sufficient talents, amiable disposition, and elevated piety, because he had been guilty of preaching the gospel "illegally," would effectually deter all drunkards and libertines from applying for holy orders, or at least from praying and preaching first, as he had done or was it rather through the secret and insidious influence of some enemy to the church, who thought such a man as this just the person to be forced among the dissenters, where he might discover and educate pious young men like. Mr. Jay, who should in due time become patterns of genuine religion and of pulpit eloquence? We acknowledge our selves unsatisfied with any of these explications; and yet it exceeds the compass of our unconsecrated minds, that right reverend persons should harbour such a feeling of maligoty against Mr. Whitfield, as to exclude a very well qualified man from the church, and from the possibility of preaching Christianity in a regular way, simply because he had once been adisciple and assistant of this obnoxious servant of God. Perhaps, after all, the R. R. bench were persuaded, however reluctantly, that for example's sake, and decorum's sake, it was necessary to prevent this zealous and devout man from preaching in the establishment: in this case, we can easily conceive how much it must have consoled and fortified them in the discharge of a painful duty to reflect, that in this land of religious freedom their prohibition would only divert his usefulness into another channel; that his commission from heaven would urge him, and the laws of his country would permit him, though unauthorized by men, to teach the religion of Christ without any other qualification than a knowledge of it himself, and an ability and desire to explain it to others; and that, unfit as he was for the service of the church of England, and unblest with the imposition of episcopal hands, he might yet be serviceable to the church of God, and abundantly contribute to the benefit of mankind. It is no little pleasure to us to think, that the time for ecclesiastical illiberality and impolicy is past, and to know that the establishment is much better supplied than it was then with clergymen as exemplary and zealous as Mr. Winter.

We should have quoted several interesting passages, illustrating the character of Mr. Whitefield, and his talents as a pulpit orator; but these we are under the necessity of deferring to the completion of our account of Mr. Winter in a future number.