“The persecutions in these villages seem to increase in proportion as the work goes on. The ministers and parish officers threaten to famish the poor ‘Cennickers.’ Their threats have prevailed with some, while others tell them, ‘If you starve us, we will go’ to the meetings; ‘and rather than we will forbear,we will eat grass like the kine.’”[31]
Such was poor Cennick’s plight. First of all, Whitefield wrote to him a letter of consolation:—
“London, November 20, 1742.
“My very dear Brother,—Your letter did not surprise me at all, though it made me look up to the Lord for you. I believed you would be down in the valley of humiliation soon; but, fear not; it is only that you may be the more exalted. I trust this will find you mounting on wings like an eagle; walking, yet not weary; running, yet not faint. God does and will remarkably appear for you. Doubtless you are His servant and minister. He, therefore, that touches you, touches the apple of God’s eye. Poor Wiltshire people! I pity them. If I knew their bishop, I would apply to him. I wrote to the Bishop of Bangor for our brethren in Wales, and have received a very favourable answer. The wrath of man shall turn to God’s praise, and the remainder of it He will restrain.”
Dr. Sherlock was the bishop in whose diocese Cennick’s “Wiltshire circuit” was situated. Sherlock, as every one knows, was eminent for his learning, and yet more eminent for his piety. The prelate had no power to punish the mob for their riotous proceedings; but he had power to rebuke his persecuting clergy; and, hence, Whitefield wrote to him as follows:—
“London, November 30, 1742.
“My lord,—I beg your lordship’s pardon for troubling you with this. I believe you will not be offended when you know the cause.
“There is one Mr. Cennick, a true lover of Jesus Christ, who has been much honoured in bringing many poor sinners in Wiltshire to the knowledge of themselves and of God. He is a member of the Church of England; but is sadly opposed by the clergy in Wiltshire, as well as by many who will come to hear him preach.
“In a letter, dated November 16, from Foxham, he writes thus: ‘Theministers of Bremhill, Seagry, Langley, and many others, have strictly forbidden the churchwardens and overseers to let any of the Cennickers have anything out of the parish; and they obey them, and tell the poor, if they cannot stop them from following me, they will famish them. Several of the poor, who have great families, have already been denied any help. Some of the people, out of fear, have denied they ever came; and others have been made to promise they will come no more; whilst the most part come at the loss of friends and all they have. When the officers threatened some of them to take away their pay, they answered, “If you starve us, we will go; and rather than we will forbear, we will live upon grass like the kine.”’
“In another letter, I received from Mr. Cennick last night, he writes thus: ‘I should be glad if you could mention the cruelty of the ministers of Bremhill and Seagry to the Bishop of Sarum. Indeed, their doings are inhuman. The cry of the people, because of their oppression, is very great.’