( 360 ) 

 ORIGINAL LETTERS. 



fNov. 1 , 



fThc Publi/her of the Monthl/ M.igazine has in his pofTcffion the original Letters of which 

 the following are copies. The tact of their exiftence was mentioned in a late notice of 

 the Life of Biiliop Benfon, and he has, in confequence, received feveral preljing invita- 

 tions to make them public. Independently of their curiofity. as unpubliihed relics of 

 chara'.iers of real eminence, they contain arguments and doitrines vfhich cannot fail to be 

 intcrelli»g to a large portion of the religious world.] 



" MY LORD, 



" TLTEAIITNG that your Lorclfliip is 

 1 1 fecrctly tlifplcafed at my preach- 

 ing ill the fields, I lliould be obliged to 

 your Lordiliip if you would be pkafed to 

 acquaint me wherefore this offends your, 

 Lordiliip. My Lord of Loudon liimfelf 

 told me there was no law aj;ainll field- 

 preaching. And fince the clcrt;y, with- 

 out caufe, exclutio me their pulpits, v.'hat 

 mull I do ? Surely, your Lordiliip would 

 not have me be iilent .■' God knows I am a 

 true friend to the ])refent ronltitution of 

 the Churcli of Lngland, and if fo, my 

 Lord, zii/iij am I not countcnimccd ':? Why 

 does ndt your Lordiliip conftj'a me before 

 men ? Not to be/wr Chrill in tliisrcfped, 

 I think is to be a^gaviji Ilim. Perhaps 

 your Lordftiip may urge, * that I promil'ed 

 reverently to obey my ordinary ;' but 

 then it was only in their ' 2;odly admoni- 

 tions.' God knows my heart, 1 would be 

 lubjeft to the higher powers in all things 

 lawful ; but when I fee the clcriry preach 

 thcmfelves, and notChriftJefus ti)cirL(jrd, 

 feedinij themfclves and not their flocks, 

 negleCtinn; to catcchife their rliildren, or 

 "vifit from houfe to houfc, and entirely 

 falling away from the articles to which 

 lliey have fubfcribed, I tliuik it meet, 

 fight, and my bounden duty (let Arians, 

 Socians, or feif-righteous bigots, fay what 

 they will), to be inltant in fcafon and 

 out of feafon, and lince 1 have been 

 caufelefsly thruft out of the fynagogues, 

 to go out into the liighwavs and hedges, 

 to compel poor finners to come in. 



" I v,nte this with all humility to your 

 Lordiliip, A fenfe of your Lordfliip's 

 favours is deeply imprciVed upon me. 

 . The God whom I fcrve in ;he Gofpel of 

 His dear Sen will reward you a thoufaud 

 fold for ail expreflions of kindnefs llievvn 

 to, " My Lord, 



" Your Lordfliip's moll obedient 

 " Son and .Servant, 

 " Geof.oe Wkitefield." 

 " Gloucefter, Julif 1, 17S9. 

 " To the lik'hi Rev. Father in Co.i, 

 Maitin LvidBiJkop of Gloucefter," 



" LET me juft call upon you to re- 

 member, that -wlwii you were ordained 

 deacon, and the Bilhop delivered the New 

 Tertainent to you, he laid, 



" Take thou authority to read the Gof- 

 pel in the Church of God, and to preach 

 the fame, if thou be thereto licenlbd by 

 the Bifliop himfclf. 



" And tiiat, when he ordained you 

 prieft, and flclivcrcd the Bible into your 

 hand, he faid, 



" Take thou authority to preach the 

 Word of God, and to miniftcr the Holy 

 Sacraments in the congregation where 

 thou flialt be lawfully appointed there- 

 unto. 



" When you recall this to your mind, 

 you will furely think of fomewhat elfe, 

 than bitterly inveighing againft your bre- 

 thren of the clergy for departing from 

 the rules and doftrines of their church. 



" As I was the perl'on who pronounced 

 the words abo'cc to you, I am more par- 

 ticularly concerned to remind you of 

 them, and to admonifli you, that you ex- 

 erciie fiie authority you received in the 

 manner it was given to you. 



" I have lent you cnclofed in thia 

 the fermon of Dr. Stcbbing, as 1 yeflerday 

 pr(jmifed you I would do. And I have 

 taken this opportunity of mentioning to 

 you wliat I have now done, which I forgot 

 yellerday to do among many other things 

 I then mentioned to you. 



" I can ha^e no othor view in wliat I 

 hax-e faid to you, but both your own good 

 and that of the Church. 



_" I moll heartily pray for your welfare 

 both Ijnrituah and temporal, and truly aa 

 " Your aii'ectionate Brother, 

 " And faithful Servant, 



" M. Glocestek." 



" Glocejlcr, Julij 3, 1739. 

 " For the Rev. Mr. WItitcficld." 



" MY LORD, 



" I THANK your Lordfliip for j-our 



Lordiliip's kind letter. My frequent re- 



1 ' moves 



