As might naturally be expected, the Erskines attracted the attention of Whitefield and the Wesleys. In some respects the men were similar; in others they were widely different. The Erskines were dissatisfied with the state of the Church of Scotland; and so were Whitefield and the Wesleys with the state of the Church of England. The Erskines were expelled from the Church of Scotland, and yet claimed to be members of it. Whitefield and the Wesleys, though not expelled from the Church of England, were practically silenced, for almost all the pulpits of the Church were closed against them. The Erskines were now tent-preachers, and preachers in the open-air; so were Whitefield and his friends. The Erskines, though still maintaining that they were members of the Church of Scotland, were openly employed in organising a seceding church. Whitefield and the Wesleys still called themselves members of the Church of England; and yet they were actively, though unintentionally, creating dissenting sects. Scotland greatly needed protesters like the Erskines; and England greatly needed open-air preachers like Whitefield and the Methodists.
A finer field of usefulness than Scotland, or one more adapted to Whitefield's peculiar genius, doctrines, and mode of action, it would have been difficult to find. Scotland had often had meteor-like men, who had startled the country by their unexpected advent and proceedings; and Whitefield was now added to the number. The faith of Scotland, speaking generally, was, like that of Whitefield, Calvinistic. Field-preaching—so offensive to the Church dignitaries of England—was no novelty across the Tweed. During the preceding century, Presbyterians, driven from their churches by persecuting papists, had transmitted to their descendants a partiality for religious assemblies in the fields. Everything seemed to be in Whitefield's favour.
Still, the circumstances just mentioned were not the reasons why he went to Scotland. As the reader has already seen, the Erskines and their friends occupied the same position in Scotland that the Oxford Methodists did in England. Both parties, without design, had become national evangelists, and were strangely exciting the churches of their respective countries.
The correspondence, begun in 1739, was continued. A month after Whitefield's return to England in 1741, Ralph Erskine wrote to him as follows:—
"Dunfermline, April 10, 1741.
"Reverend and very dear Brother,—Glory to God! who has enlightened you so clearly, and enabled you to give testimony so faithfully, against the dangerous errors that are springing up. Blessed be God! that you are set for the defence of the gospel, and that I hear your song of distinguishing grace, and of our Lord's powerful presence with you. Go on, dear brother, in asserting and publishing the doctrine of sovereign grace, reigning through His righteousness to eternal life; for this, and only this gospel will be the organ of omnipotency, and the power of God to the salvation of sinners. We and our people have all a notion of you as being in the way of reformation. I am persuaded that your coming to us would be matter of great joy. How great is our need of such awakening gales of heaven, as you speak of in the last visit you made to Georgia.
"Come, if possible, dear Whitefield, come. There is no face on earth I would desire more earnestly to see. Yet, I would desire it only in a way that, I think, would tend most to the advancing of our Lord's kingdom, and the reformation work, among our hands. Such is the situation of affairs among us, that, unless you come with a design to meet and abide with us of 'The Associate Presbytery,' and if you make your public appearances in the places especially of their concern, I would dread the consequence of your coming, lest it should seem equally to countenance our persecutors. Your fame would occasion a flocking to you, to whatever side you turn; and, if it should be in their pulpits, as no doubt some of them would urge, we know how it would be improven against us. I know not with whom you could safely join yourself, if not with us.
"Mr. Wilson, in Perth, who teacheth as our Professor of Divinity, has more candidates for the ministry under his charge than most of the public colleges, except Edinburgh. I have two sons with him, who seem to be promising youths.
"You are still dearer and dearer to me. By your last Journal, I observed your growing zeal for the doctrine of grace.
"I am, reverend and dear brother, yours in Him, who is the best centre of our love and union—the Lord our righteousness,
"Ralph Erskine."[454]
Whitefield's reply to this strange proposal, to join "The Associate Presbytery," will be found in the following letters to Ebenezer Erskine and his brother Ralph:—
"Bristol, May 16, 1741.
"Reverend and dear Sir,—I owe you much love. Only want of time prevents my writing to you oftener.
"This morning I received a kind letter from your brother Ralph, who thinks it best for me wholly to join 'The Associate Presbytery,' if it should please God to send me into Scotland. This I cannot altogether agree to. I come only as an occasional preacher, to preach the simple gospel, to all who are willing to hear me, of whatever denomination. It will be wrong in me to join in a reformation, as to church government, any further than I have light given me from above. If I am quite neuter as to that in my preaching, I cannot see how it can hinder or retard any design you may have on foot. My business seems to be to evangelise,—to be a Presbyter at large.
"When I shall be sent into your parts, I know not. I write this, that there may not be the least misunderstanding between us. I love and honour 'The Associate Presbytery.' With this I send them my due respects, and most humbly beg their prayers. But let them not be offended, if, in all things, I cannot immediately fall in with them. Let them leave me to God. Whatever light He is pleased to give me, I hope I shall be faithful to it.
"I love you tenderly, but am almost ashamed to subscribe myself your brother in the best of bonds,
"George Whitefield."
To Ralph Erskine, Whitefield wrote, on the same subject, as follows:—
"London, June 4, 1741.
"Reverend and dear Sir,—I have not yet determined the exact time of coming to Scotland; but, I believe, I shall be with you in about three months. I cannot but think that 'The Associate Presbytery' are a little too hard upon me. If I am neuter as to the particular reformation of church government till I have further light, it will be enough. I come simply to preach the gospel, and to be received only as an occasional itinerant preacher by all, and not to enter into any particular connection whatever. The Lord, I hope, will order my goings in His ways.
"I have need of your prayers. My trials are great, my comforts far greater. We are likely to have settled Societies in several places.
"I am, reverend and dear sir, your unworthy fellow-labourer and affectionate brother and servant in Christ,
"George Whitefield."
In reply to Whitefield's letter of May 16, the Rev. Ebenezer Erskine wrote as follows:—