[269] See "An Account of Money received and disbursed for the Orphan House in Georgia. By George Whitefield. 1741." Only eleven, however, had their expenses paid out of the public subscriptions. Whitefield and Seward paid the passage-money for themselves and four others.
[270] Kindly furnished by Mr. George Stampe, of Grimsby.
[271] Arminian Magazine, 1778, p. 179.
[272] This letter was evidently written to some one at Savannah; probably the clergyman. The reference is to the war then raging in Georgia between Spain and England.
[273] To shew the malignant feeling of the public press against Whitefield, and the falsehoods used to injure him, the following is extracted from Read's Weekly Journal, of October 20, 1739:—"Edinburgh, October 9. It is said that the Rev. Mr. Whitefield, whose savoury Journals used to be quoted with applause by our Scot seceders, has of late addressed himself to one of these champions, in a letter which contains his opinions of their principles; and, in the strongest terms, condemns them as the authors of a detestable schism, endeavours to persuade them to return to their duty, and to leave off their divisive courses. This letter has given great offence; and Mr. Whitefield, from being a reformer, a saint, and a shining light, is degenerated, in their discourses, into one whose heart is corrupted, who will not lift up a testimony against the corruptions of the Church: in short, as one (oh horrid!) who will not rebel against an authority which he swore to maintain."
[274] Paul Orchard, Esq., of Stoke Abbey, Devonshire, one of Hervey's kindest friends. The extract immediately preceding this is from the letter to Mr. Orchard.
[275] It may be added here, that, in a foot-note in the edition of his Journals published in 1756, Whitefield states: "Joseph Periam married one of the Orphan-house mistresses. After a few years, both died; and I have now two of their sons in the Orphan House, who are very promising boys."
[276] The same letter, in the same year, was printed in London, "by W. Strahan, and sold at Mr. James Hutton's," (8vo. 28 pp.,) with the additional statement on the title-page, that it was "published for the benefit of the school lately erected among the colliers in Kingswood, near Bristol." This edition had also the following characteristic motto prefixed, taken from the works of St. Hilary:—
"One thing I forewarn you of—beware of Antichrist; for it is evil to be taken, as you are, with the love of stone walls; it is evil to have a veneration for the church of God, as you have, in houses and edifices; it is evil to cry, as you do, Peace, peace, under these: for is there any doubt to be made, whether Antichrist will fix his seat in these? To me, mountains, and forests, and fens, and prisons, and pits, are the safer places; for in these it was that the prophets—either waiting for, or being actually overwhelmed with, the Spirit of God—prophesied, or spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost."
[277] "European Settlements in America." Sixth edition, 1777.