All this occurred previous to Whitefield's landing at Falmouth, on the 11th of March, 1741. A year and a half ago, Whitefield had left England with a popularity unequalled. He returned under circumstances which, to a temperament like his, must have been exceedingly distressing. His important friend, William Seward, was dead. James Hutton, who had hitherto been his publisher, had refused to act in this capacity any longer, because Whitefield had embraced the Calvinian creed.[421] For the same reason, an estrangement between Whitefield and his most tenderly beloved friends, John and Charles Wesley, seemed to be inevitable. He had contracted large debts, and had nought to pay them. By his injudicious censures pronounced against Tillotson and the author of "The Whole Duty of Man," thousands of his former admirers had been prejudiced against him. Many of his quondam friends were now his foes; but a few remained faithful, and had already commenced to build him a "tabernacle," closely adjoining Wesley's Foundery, in the neighbourhood of Moorfields. A fortnight after he landed in England, he wrote the following letter to James Habersham, at Bethesda:—
"London, March 25, 1741.
"My dear Sir,—We arrived at Falmouth last Wednesday seven-night, and got here the Sunday following. Blessed be God! we had a summer's passage.[422]
"I find, many of our friends are sadly divided, and, as far as I am able to judge, have been sadly misled. Congregations, at Moorfields, and Kennington Common, on Sunday, were as large as usual: on the following weekdays, quite contrary; twenty thousand dwindled down to two or three hundred.
"It has been a trying time with me. I have a large orphan family, consisting of near a hundred persons, to be maintained, about four thousand miles off, without the least fund, and in the dearest part of his Majesty's dominions. I am, also, above £1000 in debt for them, and am not worth £20 in the world of my own. I am threatened to be arrested for £350, drawn for, in favour of the Orphan House, by my late dear deceased friend and fellow-traveller, Mr. Seward. My bookseller, who, I believe, has gotten some hundreds by me, being drawn away by the Moravians, refuses to print for me. Many, very many of my spiritual children, who, at my last departure from England, would have plucked out their own eyes to have given me, are so prejudiced, by the dear Messrs. Wesleys' dressing up the doctrine of election in such horrible colours, that they will neither hear, see, nor give me the least assistance: yea, some of them send threatening letters, that God will speedily destroy me. As for the people of the world, they are so embittered by my injudicious and too severe expressions against Archbishop Tillotson, and the author of the 'Whole Duty of Man,' that they flee from me as from a viper. And, what is most cutting of all, I am now constrained, on account of our differing in principles, publicly to separate from my dear, dear old friends, Messrs. John and Charles Wesley, whom I still love as my own soul.
"Through infinite mercy, however, I am enabled to strengthen myself in the Lord my God. I am cast down, but not destroyed; perplexed, but not in despair. A few days ago, in reading Beza's 'Life of Calvin,' these words were much impressed upon me, 'Calvin is turned out of Geneva, but, behold a new church arises!' Jesus, the ever-loving, altogether lovely Jesus, pities and comforts me.
"My friends are erecting a place, which I have called a Tabernacle, for morning's exposition. I have not made, nor can I, as yet, make any collections; but let us not fear. Our heavenly Father, with whom the fatherless find mercy, will provide. Let us only seek first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness, and all other necessary things shall be added unto us.
"In about a fortnight, though I scarce know an oak from a hickory, or one kind of land from another, I am subpoenaed to appear before Parliament, to give an account of the province of Georgia, when I left it. This, I suppose, is occasioned by the party, which has been so inveterate against the honourable the trustees, whom they accuse of misemploying the public moneys. The event, which undoubtedly will be in favour of the trustees, you may know hereafter. In the meantime, believe me to be yours most affectionately,
"George Whitefield."
Trouble awaited Whitefield, not only in London but at Kingswood. In 1739, he commenced a school for the colliers in Kingswood, and left Wesley to finish it. In the spring of 1740, Wesley opened it, and appointed John Cennick to be its master. Soon after his appointment, Cennick turned Calvinist, and imbued some of the members of Kingswood Society with his principles. "Alas!" wrote Charles Wesley, on November 30, 1740, "we have set the wolf to keep the sheep. For many months, John Cennick has been undermining our doctrine and authority." Cennick, and those who entertained his views, formed themselves into a separate society, and held meetings apart from their brethren. He also wrote to Whitefield in America, urging him to return without delay, to assist him in the doctrinal warfare he was waging among the poor colliers. A few days before Whitefield landed at Falmouth, the Kingswood controversy reached its crisis. After various warnings and expostulations, Wesley, on March 6th, called on the people to make their choice between him and Cennick. Fifty-two seceded with Cennick, and upwards of ninety remained with Wesley. From this time, to use Wesley's words, "there, were two sorts of Methodists; those for particular, and those for general, redemption."[423]
As soon as Whitefield arrived in London, Cennick informed him of what had taken place; and, in reply, Whitefield wrote as follows:—
"London, March 25, 1741.
"My very dear Brother,—Hasten hither with all speed; and then we shall see what God intends to do for us and by us. It is a trying time now in the church. The Lord give us a due mixture of the lamb and lion! Some, who have been led astray, begin to recover. The Lord make way for His own truths! My love to the colliers, and all friends. Many, I suppose, will be shy. I am become a monster even to several who were wrought upon by my ministry; but it must needs be that offences should come. Adieu! Excuse brevity. Hasten, and speak face to face with yours most affectionately in Christ Jesus,
"George Whitefield."
Amid all this Methodist confusion, Whitefield arrived in England. One of his first acts after his coming was to publish his answer to Wesley's Sermon on "Free Grace." The title was, "A Letter to the Rev. Mr. John Wesley, in Answer to his Sermon, entitled 'Free Grace.' By George Whitefield, A.B., late of Pembroke College, Oxford. London: printed by W. Straham, for T. Cooper." (8vo. 31 pp.) Affixed to it were the Articles of the Church of England, on "Original or Birth Sin," "Free Will," and "Predestination and Election;" and also a hymn, by the great Dissenter, Dr. Watts, containing the following verses:—
"Behold the potter and the clay,
He forms his vessels as he please;
Such is our God, and such are we,
The subjects of His high decrees.
Doth not the workman's pow'r extend
O'er all the mass, which part to choose,
And mould it for a nobler end,
And which to leave for viler use?
May not the sov'reign Lord on high
Dispense His favours as He will;
Choose some to life, while others die,
And yet be just and gracious still?