himself. In further proof of the folly of Wesley's practice, he related also the fact of his drawing lots to discover whether Whitefield should proceed to Georgia, or leave the ship which was then under sail and return to London, upon which occasion he reminded him of his subsequent confession that God had given him a wrong lot. "I should never," says he, "have published this private transaction to the world, did not the glory of God call me to it."

This was the only important part of the letter, and Whitefield afterwards felt and feelingly acknowledged the great impropriety which he had committed in thus revealing the weakness of his friend. The argumentative part had nothing worthy of notice either in manner or matter, for powerful preacher as he was, he had neither strength nor acuteness of intellect, and his written compositions are nearly worthless. But the conclusion is remarkable for the honest confidence and the warmth of affection which it breathes. "Dear, dear Sir, Oh be not offended! For Christ's sake be not rash! Give yourself to reading. Study the covenant of grace. Down with your carnal reasoning! Be a little child; and then, instead of pawning your salvation, as you have done in a late hymn-book, if the doctrine of universal redemption be not true; instead of talking of sinless perfection, as you have done in the preface to that hymn-book, and making man's salvation to depend on his own free will, as you have done in this sermon, you will compose a hymn in praise of sovereign distinguishing love. You will caution believers against striving to work a perfection out of their own hearts, and print another sermon the reverse of this, and entitle it Free Grace indeed; free, because not free to all; but free, because God may withhold or give it to whom, and when he pleases. Till you do this, I must doubt whether or not you know yourself. God knows my heart. nothing but a single regard to the honour of Christ has forced this letter from me. I love and honour you for his sake; and when I come to judgment will thank you before men and angels for what you have,

under God, done for my soul. There I am persuaded I shall see dear Mr. Wesley convinced of election and everlasting love. And it often fills me with pleasure to think how I shall behold you casting your crown down at the feet of the Lamb, and as it were filled with a holy blushing for opposing the divine sovereignty in the manner you have done. But I hope the Lord will show you this before you go hence. Oh how do I long for that day!

That this letter was intended for publication is certain; but there seems to have been a hope in Whitefield's mind that the effect which its perusal would produce might render publication needless. His friends in London, however, thought proper to print it, without either his permission or Wesley's, and copies were distributed at the door of the Foundery, and in the meeting itself. Wesley holding one in his hand stated to the congregation the fact of its surreptitious publication, and then saying, "I will do just what I believe Mr. Whitefield would were he here himself," he tore it in pieces. Every person present followed his example; and Wesley, in reference to the person by whose means these unlucky copies had been circulated, exclaims in his journal, "Ah poor Ahitophel! Ibi omnis effusus labor!"

The person who seems to have been most active in enforcing Calvinism in opposition to Wesley at this time was a certain John Cennick, whom he employed at Kingswood in the school which Whitefield had designed for the children of the colliers. Whitefield had collected some money for this good work, and had performed the ceremony of laying the foundation; but further than this ceremony it had not proceeded when he embarked the second time for America, and left it to be carried forward by Wesley. There was the great difficulty of want of money in the way; but this was a difficulty which faith would remove, and in faith Wesley began building without having a quarter of the sum necessary for finishing it. But he found persons who were willing to advance

money if he would become responsible for the debt; the responsibility and the property thus devolved upon him, and he immediately made his will, bequeathing it to his brother Charles and Whitefield. Two masters were provided as soon as the house was fit to receive them, and Cennick was one. He was not in holy orders, but the practice of lay-preaching which had at first been vehemently opposed by the Wesleys, had now become inevitably a part of their system, and Cennick, who had great talents for popular speaking, laboured also as one of these helpers, as they were called. This person in his horror against the doctrines of the Wesleys wrote urgently to Whitefield, calling upon him to hasten from America that he might stay the plague. "I sit," said he, " solitary like Eli, waiting what will become of the ark; and while I wail and fear the carrying of it away from among my people, my trouble increases daily. How glorious did the Gospel seem once to flourish in Kingswood! I spake of the everlasting love of Christ with sweet power. But now brother Charles is suffered to open his mouth against this truth, while the frighted sheep gaze and fly, as if no shepherd was among them. It is just as if Satan was now making war with the saints in a more than common way. Oh! pray for the distressed lambs yet left in this place, that they faint not! Surely they would if preaching would do it, for they have nothing whereon to rest, who now attend on the sermons, but their own faithfulness. With universal redemption brother Charles pleases the world. Brother John follows him in every thing. I believe no Atheist can more preach against predestination than they; and all who believe election are counted enemies to God, and called so. Fly dear brother! I am as alone,I am in the midst of the plague! If God give thee leave, make haste!"

A copy of this letter came into Wesley's hands, and it stung him, because he said the writer was "one I had sent for to assist me, a friend that was

as my own soul, that even while he opposed me lay in my bosom." Charles in consequence addressed a letter to him which forcibly expresses the feeling of the two brothers upon having one of their disciples thus rise against them. "You came to Kingswood," says he, "upon my brother's sending for you. You served under him in the Gospel as a son, I need not say how well he loved you. You used the authority he gave you to overthrow his doctrine. You every where contradicted it, (whether true or false is not the question). But you ought first to have fairly told him, I preach contrary to you: are you willing, notwithstanding, that I should continue in your house, gainsaying you? If you are not, I have no place in these regions. You have a right to this open dealing. I now give you fair warning. Shall I stay here opposing you, or shall I depart? My brother, have you dealt thus honestly and openly with him? No. But you have stolen away the people's heart from him. And when some of them basely treated their best friend, God only excepted, how patiently did you take it! When did you ever vindicate us as we have you? you? Why did Why did you not plainly tell them, you are eternally indebted to these men? Think not that I will stay among you to head a party against my dearest friend and brother, as he suffers me to call him, having humbled himself for my sake, and given me, no bishop, priest, or deacon, the right hand of fellowship. If I hear that one word more is spoken against him, I will leave you that moment.' This had been just and honest, and not more than we have deserved at your hands."

This was put into John Wesley's hands that he might deliver it to Cennick if he thought proper. But matters had proceeded so far that Cennick was forming a separate society, and Wesley deemed it better to speak to him and his adherents publicly, and reprove them for inveighing against him behind his back. One of them replied, that they had said no more of him behind his back than they would say to his face, which was that he preached false

doctrine ;-he preached that there is righteousness in man. "So," said Wesley, "there is, after the righteousness of Christ is imputed to him through faith. But who told you that what we preached was false doctrine? Whom would you have believed this from, but Mr. Cennick?" Cennick then boldly answered, "You do preach righteousness in man. I did say this, and I say it still. However, we are willing to join with you; but we will also meet apart from you; for we meet to confirm one another in those truths which you speak against." Wesley replied, "You should have told me this before, and not have supplanted me in my own house, stealing the hearts of the people, and by private accusations separating very friends." Upon this, Cennick denied that he had ever privately accused him. "My brethren," said Wesley, "judge!" and he produced Cennick's letter to Whitefield. Cennick avowed the letter, and said that he neither retracted any thing in it, nor blamed himself for having sent it. Some heat upon this began to manifest itself in the meeting, and Wesley with his characteristic prudence, preserved his superiority, by desiring that they might meet again on that day week, and that the matter might rest till then.

Cennick and his friends would hardly have consented to such an adjournment if they had suspected Wesley's purpose. At the appointed time, he surprised them by reading the following paper, in which they were treated not as persons who differed from him in opinion, but as culprits: "By many witnesses it appears that several members of the Band Society in Kingswood have made it their common practice, to scoff at the preaching of Mr. John and Charles Wesley; that they have censured and spoken evil of them behind their backs, at the very time they professed love and esteem to their faces; that they have studiously endeavoured to prejudice other members of that society against them, and in order thereto, have belied and slandered them in divers instances; therefore, not for their opinions, nor for any of them,