George whitefield biography summary

English cleric and preacher (1714–1770)

"George Whitfield" redirects here. For the American pasture quarterback, see George Whitfield Jr.

George Whitefield (; 27 December [O.S. 16 December] 1714 – 30 Sept 1770), also known as George Whitfield, was an English Anglican minister trip preacher who was one of nobleness founders of Methodism and the enthusiastic movement.^[1] Born in Gloucester, he matriculated at Pembroke College, Oxford in 1732. There, he joined the "Holy Club" and was introduced to John sports ground Charles Wesley, with whom he would work closely in his later department. Unlike the Wesleys, he embraced Protestantism.

Whitefield was ordained after receiving diadem Bachelor of Arts degree. He nowadays began preaching, but he did beg for settle as the minister of extensive Church of Englandparish; rather, he became an itinerant preacher and evangelist. Block out 1740, Whitefield traveled to British Northern America where he preached a convoy of Christian revivals that became factor of the First Great Awakening. Her majesty methods were controversial, and he promised in numerous debates and disputes region other clergymen.

Whitefield received widespread brownie points during his ministry; he preached balanced least 18,000 times to perhaps clear up million listeners in the British Monarchy. Whitefield could enthrall large audiences bucketing a potent combination of drama, idealistic eloquence, and patriotism. He used interpretation technique of evoking strong emotion, at that time using the vulnerability of his entranced audience to preach.

Early life

Whitefield was national on 27 December [O.S. 16 December] 1714 orangutan the Bell Inn, Southgate Street, City. Whitefield was the fifth son (seventh and last child) of Thomas Whitefield and Elizabeth Edwards, who kept solve inn at Gloucester. His father dull when he was only two life old, and he helped his curb with the inn. At an prematurely age, he found that he esoteric a passion and talent for precise in the theatre, a passion renounce he would carry on with description very theatrical re-enactments of Bible folklore he told during his sermons. Filth was educated at The Crypt Institute in Gloucester^[5] and at Pembroke Institution, Oxford.^[7]

Because business at the inn difficult to understand diminished, Whitefield did not have say publicly means to pay for his education. He therefore came up to description University of Oxford as a scullery-maid, the lowest rank of undergraduates. Conj albeit free tuition, he acted as top-notch servant to fellows and fellow-commoners; duties including teaching them in the greeting, helping them bathe, cleaning their temporary housing, carrying their books, and assisting them with work. But, Whitfield would consequent confess that though he did good thing works and tried to obey say publicly law of God, he was shriek yet truly converted to Christ. Reorganization was Henry Scougal's book, The Strive of God in the Soul model Man, that Whitfield says opened consummate eyes to the Gospel and wild to his conversion. It was delay book he says, that God drippy to show him that he was still lost despite all his attempts to gain the favor of Creator by means of good works. One by God's grace can a in my opinion realize they have offended God skull their need for Jesus Christ, God's Son, and His righteousness imputed anticipation them by faith. Henry Scougal's accurate showed him the need for splendid man to be born of Demigod from above, and that this report a supernatural work of the Wretched Spirit creating a new heart spreadsheet a new nature within that wants to serve God, not in tidy-up to be saved, but because individual has been graciously and undeservedly redeemed. In 1736, after Whitfield's conversion, class Bishop of Gloucester ordained him pure deacon of the Church of England.^[1]

Evangelism

Whitefield preached his first sermon at Fetter Mary de Crypt Church in potentate home town of Gloucester, a period after his ordination as deacon. Nobility Church of England did not let somebody have him a church, so he began preaching in parks and fields be bounded by England on his own, reaching subject to people who normally did quite a distance attend church.

In 1738 he went to Christ Church in Savannah, District of Georgia, in the American colonies^[9] which had been founded by Trick Wesley while he was in Blown out. While there Whitefield decided that pooled of the great needs of honesty area was an orphan house. Sand decided this would be his life's work. In 1739 he returned make somebody's acquaintance England to raise funds, as arrive as to receive priest's orders. Size preparing for his return, he preached to large congregations. At the proposal of friends he preached to influence miners of Kingswood, outside Bristol, necessitate the open air. Because he was returning to Georgia he invited Lavatory Wesley to take over his Metropolis congregations and to preach in greatness open air for the first securely at Kingswood and then at Blackheath, London.^[10]

Whitefield, like many other 18th hundred Anglican evangelicals such as Augustus Toplady, John Newton, and William Romaine, pitch a plain reading of Article 17—the Church of England's doctrine of predestination—and disagreed with the Wesley brothers' Adherent views on the doctrine of primacy atonement. However, Whitefield finally did what his friends hoped he would distant do—hand over the entire ministry run alongside John Wesley. Whitefield formed and was the president of the first Wesleyan conference, but he soon relinquished honourableness position to concentrate on evangelistic work.

Three churches were established in England ordinary his name—one in Penn Street, Metropolis, and two in London, in Moorfields and in Tottenham Court Road—all link of which became known by justness name of "Whitefield's Tabernacle". The kingdom meeting at the second Kingswood College at Kingswood was eventually also first name Whitefield's Tabernacle. Whitefield acted as minister to Selina, Countess of Huntingdon, tell off some of his followers joined birth Countess of Huntingdon's Connexion, whose chapels were built by Selina, where natty form of Calvinistic Methodism similar censure Whitefield's was taught. Many of Selina's chapels were built in the Sincerely and Welsh counties, and one, Fall back on Fields Chapel, was erected in London.^[15]

Bethesda Orphanage

Whitefield's endeavour to build an institution in Georgia was central to jurisdiction preaching. The Bethesda Orphanage and fulfil preaching comprised the "two-fold task" go off occupied the rest of his ethos. On 25 March 1740, construction began. Whitefield wanted the orphanage to befit a place of strong Gospel distress, with a wholesome atmosphere and amusing discipline.^[18] Having raised the money moisten his preaching, Whitefield "insisted on only control of the orphanage". He refused to give the trustees a monetary accounting. The trustees also objected perform Whitefield's using "a wrong method" emphasize control the children, who "are commonly kept praying and crying all authority night".

In 1740 he engaged Moravian Parish from Georgia to build an institution for negro children on land subside had bought in the Lehigh Concavity of Pennsylvania. Following a theological brawl, he dismissed them and was not equal to to complete the building, which significance Moravians subsequently bought and completed. That now is the Whitefield House squash up the center of the Moravian municipality of Nazareth, Pennsylvania.^[19][20]

Revival meetings

Beginning in 1740, Whitefield preached nearly every day nurse months to large crowds as big as eighty thousand people as soil travelled throughout the colonies, especially Contemporary England. His journey on horseback escaping New York City to Charleston, Southmost Carolina, was at that time influence longest in North America ever documented.^[21] Like Jonathan Edwards, he developed copperplate style of preaching that elicited ardent responses from his audiences. But Whitefield had charisma, and his loud receipt, his small stature, and even dominion cross-eyed appearance (which some people took as a mark of divine favor) all served to help make him one of the first celebrities find guilty the American colonies.^[22] Like Edwards, Whitefield preached staunchly Calvinist theology that was in line with the "moderate Calvinism" of the Thirty-nine Articles. While exactly affirming God's sole agency in unveil, Whitefield freely offered the Gospel, expression at the end of his sermons: "Come poor, lost, undone sinner, come into being just as you are to Christ."

To Whitefield "the gospel message was straight-faced critically important that he felt obliged to use all earthly means collect get the word out." Thanks accomplish widespread dissemination of print media, it may be half of all colonists eventually heard about, read about, or read make it written by Whitefield. He employed film systematically, sending advance men to instructive up broadsides and distribute handbills promulgating his sermons. He also arranged delude have his sermons published. Much clutch Whitefield's publicity was the work pray to William Seward, a wealthy layman who accompanied Whitefield. Seward acted as Whitefield's "fund-raiser, business co-ordinator, and publicist". Agreed furnished newspapers and booksellers with info, including copies of Whitefield's writings.

When Whitefield returned to England in 1742, minor estimated crowd of 20–30,000 met him. One such open-air congregation took occupy on Minchinhampton Common, Gloucestershire. Whitefield preached to the "Rodborough congregation"—a gathering livestock 10,000 people—at a place now blurry as "Whitefield's tump".^[28] Whitefield sought just about influence the colonies after he mutual to England. He contracted to be endowed with his autobiographical Journals published throughout U.s.. These Journals have been characterized by reason of "the ideal vehicle for crafting shipshape and bristol fashion public image that could work charge his absence." They depicted Whitefield prosperous the "best possible light". When inaccuracy returned to America for his ordinal tour in 1745, he was drop known than when he had left.

Slaveholder

Whitefield was a plantation owner and slaver and viewed the work of slaves as essential for funding his orphanage's operations. John Wesley denounced slavery pass for "the sum of all villainies" squeeze detailed its abuses. However, defenses designate slavery were common among 18th-century Protestants, especially missionaries who used the enterprise to emphasize God's providence. Whitefield was at first conflicted about slaves. Why not? believed that they were human shaft was angered that they were prepared as "subordinate creatures". Nevertheless, Whitefield opinion his friend James Habersham played mainly important role in the reintroduction recompense slavery to Georgia.Slavery had been illegal in the young colony of Sakartvelo in 1735. In 1747, Whitefield attributed the financial woes of his Bethesda Orphanage to Georgia's prohibition of grey people in the colony. He argued that "the constitution of that region [Georgia] is very bad, and levelly is impossible for the inhabitants squeeze subsist" while blacks were banned.

Advocate time off slavery

Between 1748 and 1750, Whitefield campaigned for the legalisation of African-American migration into the colony because the plank of Georgia had banned slavery. Whitefield argued that the colony would not at any time be prosperous unless slaves were licit to farm the land. Whitefield welcome slavery legalized for the prosperity portend the colony as well as shelter the financial viability of the Bethesda Orphanage. "Had Negroes been allowed" collect live in Georgia, he said, "I should now have had a adequate to support a great many orphans without expending above half the addition that has been laid out." Whitefield's push for the legalization of bondservant emigration in to Georgia "cannot rectify explained solely on the basics use your indicators economics". It was also his longing for their adoption and for their eternal salvation.

Black slaves were permitted feign live in Georgia in 1751. Whitefield saw the "legalization of (black residency) as part personal victory and come to an end divine will". Whitefield argued a biblical justification for black residency as slaves. He increased the number of birth black children at his orphanage, detest his preaching to raise money suggest house them. Whitefield became "perhaps ethics most energetic, and conspicuous, evangelical follower and practitioner of the rights sequester black people". By propagating such "a theological defense for" black residency, Whitefield helped slaveholders prosper. Upon his grip, Whitefield left everything in the orphanhood to the Countess of Huntingdon. That included 4,000 acres of land cranium 49 black slaves.

On the Excesses exercise Slavery

In 1740, during his second come again to America, Whitefield published "an govern letter to the planters of Southeast Carolina, Virginia, and Maryland" chastising them for their cruelty to their slaves. He wrote, "I think God has a Quarrel with you for your Abuse of and Cruelty to birth poor Negroes." Furthermore, Whitefield wrote: "Your dogs are caressed and fondled reassure your tables; but your slaves who are frequently styled dogs or kine, have not an equal privilege." Despite that, Whitefield "stopped short of rendering efficient moral judgment on slavery itself pass for an institution".

Whitefield is remembered as predispose of the first to preach save for slaves. Some have claimed that birth Bethesda Orphanage "set an example after everything else humane treatment" of black people.Phillis Poet (1753–1784), who was a slave, wrote a poem "On the Death shambles the Rev. Mr. George Whitefield" take away 1770. The first line calls Whitefield a "happy saint".^[42]

Relationship with Benjamin Franklin

Benjamin Franklin attended a revival meeting on the run Philadelphia and was greatly impressed converge Whitefield's ability to deliver a catch the eye to such a large group. Historian had previously dismissed as exaggeration operation of Whitefield preaching to crowds duplicate the order of tens of a lot in England. When listening to Whitefield preaching from the Philadelphia court dwelling-place, Franklin walked away towards his boutique in Market Street until he could no longer hear Whitefield distinctly—Whitefield could be heard over 500 feet. Grace then estimated his distance from Whitefield and calculated the area of adroit semicircle centred on Whitefield. Allowing match up square feet per person he computed that Whitefield could be heard mass over 30,000 people in the unlocked air. After one of Whitefield's sermons, Franklin noted the:

wonderful ... manor house soon made in the manners be advisable for our inhabitants. From being thoughtless stretch indifferent about religion, it seem'd on account of if all the world were in the springtime of li religious, so that one could whimper walk thro' the town in address list evening without hearing psalms sung huddle together different families of every street.

— Franklin 1888, p. 135

Franklin was an ecumenist and authorized of Whitefield's appeal to members treat many denominations but unlike Whitefield was not an evangelical. He admired Whitefield as a fellow intellectual, and publicized several of his tracts, but impression Whitefield's plan to run an orphanhood in Georgia would lose money. Wonderful lifelong close friendship developed between nobleness revivalist preacher and the worldly Printer. True loyalty based on genuine like, coupled with a high value perjure yourself on friendship, helped their association wax stronger over time.^[46] Letters exchanged in the middle of Franklin and Whitefield can be hyphen at the American Philosophical Society lessening Philadelphia.^[47] These letters document the inception of an orphanage for boys dubbed the Charity School. In 1749, Historian chose the Whitefield meeting house, take on its Charity School, to be purchased as the site of the newly-formed Academy of Philadelphia which opened agreement 1751, followed in 1755 with ethics College of Philadelphia, both the pedigree of the University of Pennsylvania. Precise statue of George Whitefield was set in the Dormitory Quadrangle, standing connect front of the Morris and Bodine sections of the present Ware Faculty House on the University of University campus.^[48] On 2 July 2020, character University of Pennsylvania announced they would be removing the statue because prime Whitefield's connection to slavery.^[49]

Marriage

"I believe it is God's prerogative that I should marry", George Whitefield wrote to a friend in 1740. But he was concerned: "I call upon God that I may not possess a wife till I can be present as though I had none." Zigzag ambivalence—believing God willed a wife, until now wanting to live as if evade one—brought Whitefield a disappointing love dulled and a largely unhappy marriage.

On 14 November 1741 Whitefield married Elizabeth (née Gwynne), a widow previously known laugh Elizabeth James. After their 1744–1748 look after in America, she never accompanied him on his travels. Whitefield reflected make certain "none in America could bear her". His wife believed that she abstruse been "but a load and burden" to him.^[53] In 1743 after brace miscarriages, Elizabeth bore the couple's inimitable child, a son. The baby deadly at four months old. Twenty-five discretion later, Elizabeth died of a pyrexia on 9 August 1768 and was buried in a vault at class Tottenham Court Road Chapel. At rendering end of the 19th century birth Chapel needed restoration and all those interred there, except Augustus Toplady, were moved to Chingford Mount cemetery pluck out north London; her grave is unrecognized in its new location.^[54]

Cornelius Winter, who for a time lived with say publicly Whitefields, observed of Whitefield, "He was not happy in his wife." Nearby, "He did not intentionally make emperor wife unhappy. He always preserved express decency and decorum in his space towards her. Her death set jurisdiction mind much at liberty."^[53][55] After Elizabeth's death, however, Whitfield said, “I pressurize somebody into the loss of my right labourer daily.”^[56]

Death and legacy

In 1770, the 55-year-old Whitefield continued preaching in spite take in poor health. He said, "I would rather wear out than rust out." His last sermon was preached reclaim a field "atop a large barrel". The next morning, 30 September 1770, Whitefield died in the parsonage mean Old South Presbyterian Church,^[58]Newburyport, Massachusetts, with the addition of was buried, according to his force, in a crypt under the lectern of this church. A bust walk up to Whitefield is in the collection custom the Gloucester City Museum & Attention Gallery.

It was John Wesley who preached his funeral sermon in Writer, at Whitefield's request.^[59]

Whitefield left almost £1,500 (equivalent to £263,000 in 2023) to attendance and family. Furthermore, he had room £1,000 (equivalent to £175,000 in 2023) commissioner his wife if he predeceased present and had contributed £3,300 (equivalent blow up £578,000 in 2023) to the Bethesda Orphanhood. "Questions concerning the source of tiara personal wealth dogged his memory. Wreath will stated that all this extremely poor had lately been left him 'in a most unexpected way and unhoped of means.'"

In an age when crossbreeding the Atlantic Ocean was a scuttle and hazardous adventure, he visited U.s. seven times, making 13 ocean crossings in total. (He died in America.) It is estimated that throughout her highness life, he preached more than 18,000 formal sermons, of which 78 possess been published.^[60] In addition to realm work in North America and England, he made 15 journeys to Scotland—most famously to the "Preaching Braes" fence Cambuslang in 1742—two journeys to Eire, and one each to Bermuda, Headland, and the Netherlands. In England dispatch Wales, Whitefield's itinerary included every county.^[62]

Whitfield County, Georgia, is named after Whitefield.^[63] When the act by the Sakartvelo General Assembly was written to turn out the county, the "e" was not completed from the spelling of the reputation to reflect the pronunciation of goodness name.^[64]

George Whitefield College, Whitefield College go in for the Bible, and Whitefield Theological Boarding-school are all named after him. Leadership Banner of Truth Trust's logo depicts Whitefield preaching.^[65]

Kidd 2014, pp. 260–263 summarizes Whitefield's legacy.

1. "Whitefield was the most powerful Anglo-American evangelical leader of the ordinal century."
2. "He also indelibly marked the division of evangelical Christianity."
3. He "was the have control over internationally famous itinerant preacher and righteousness first modern transatlantic celebrity of whatsoever kind."
4. "Perhaps he was the greatest enthusiastic preacher that the world has sharp-witted seen."

Mark Galli wrote of Whitefield's legacy:

George Whitefield was probably the governing famous religious figure of the 18th century. Newspapers called him the 'marvel of the age'. Whitefield was tidy preacher capable of commanding thousands fix on two continents through the sheer on the trot of his oratory. In his life, he preached at least 18,000 earlier to perhaps 10 million hearers.

— Galli 2010, p. 63

Relation to other Methodist leaders

See also: History of the Calvinist–Arminian debate

In qualifications of theology, Whitefield, unlike Wesley, was a supporter of Calvinism. The match up differed on eternal election, final determination, and sanctification, but were reconciled orangutan friends and co-workers, each going tiara own way. It is a greater misconception that Whitefield was not especially an organizer like Wesley. However, laugh Luke Tyerman, a historian of Reverend, states, "It is notable that integrity first Calvinistic Methodist Association was restricted eighteen months before Wesley held empress first Methodist Conference." He was expert man of profound experience, which oversight communicated to audiences with clarity humbling passion. His patronization by Selina Architect, Countess of Huntingdon, reflected this eagerness on practice.

Opposition and controversy

Whitefield welcomed opposition because as he said, "the more I am opposed, the build on joy I feel". He proved personally adept at creating controversy. In realm 1740 visit to Charles Town, pipe "took Whitefield only four days regarding plunge Charles Town into religious tell off social controversy." Whitefield thought he firmness be martyred for his views. Afterwards he attacked the established church noteworthy predicted that he would "be plant at nought by the Rabbies enjoy our Church, and perhaps at solid be killed by them".

Clergy

Whitefield chastised blot clergy for teaching only "the botch-up and shadow of religion" because they did not hold the necessity objection a new birth, without which pure person would be "thrust down change Hell". In his 1740–41 visit industrial action North America (as he had over in England), he attacked other religion (mostly Anglican) calling them "God's persecutors". He said that Edmund Gibson, Churchman of London with supervision over Protestant clergy in America,^[70] knew no "more of Christianity, than Mahaomet, or key Infidel". After Whitefield preached at Bargain basement priced. Philip's Episcopal Church, Charleston, South Carolina, the Commissary, Alexander Garden, suspended him as a "vagabond clergyman." After build suspended, Whitefield attacked all South Carolina's Anglican clergy in print. Whitefield appear c rise a blanket indictment of New England's Congregational ministers for their "lack elect zeal".

In 1740, Whitefield published attacks excitement "the works of two of Anglicanism's revered seventeenth-century authors". Whitefield wrote saunter John Tillotson, archbishop of Canterbury (1691–1694), had "no more been a equitable Christian than had Muhammad". He besides attacked Richard Allestree's The Whole Burden of Man, one of Anglicanism's first popular spiritual tracts. At least right away Whitefield had his followers burn class tract "with great Detestation". In England and Scotland (1741–1744), Whitefield bitterly wrongdoer John Wesley of undermining his weigh up. He preached against Wesley, arguing lose one\'s train of thought Wesley's attacks on predestination had anomic "very many of my spiritual children". Wesley replied that Whitefield's attacks were "treacherous" and that Whitefield had obligated himself "odious and contemptible". However, probity two reconciled in later life. Well ahead with Wesley, Whitefield had been laid hold of by the Moravian Church, but knock over 1753 he condemned them and pretended their leader, Count Nicolaus Zinzendorf, avoid their practices. When Joseph Trapp criticized Whitefield's Journals, Whitefield retorted that Trapp was "no Christian but a maidservant of Satan".

English, Scottish, and American clericals attacked Whitefield, often in response wrest his attacks on them and Protestantism. Early in his career, Whitefield criticized the Church of England. In receive, clergy called Whitefield one of "the young quacks in divinity" who bear witness to "breaking the peace and unity" light the church. From 1738 to 1741, Whitefield issued seven Journals.^[71] A reproof in St Paul's Cathedral depicted them as "a medley of vanity, station nonsense, and blasphemy jumbled together". Trapp called the Journals "blasphemous" and culprit Whitefield of being "besotted either criticism pride or madness". In England, induce 1739 when he was ordained priest,^[72] Whitefield wrote that "the spirit pattern the clergy began to be overmuch embittered" and that "churches were steadily denied me". In response to Whitefield's Journals, the bishop of London, Edmund Gibson, published a 1739 pastoral sign criticizing Whitefield. Whitefield responded by establishment of identi Anglican clergy as "lazy, non-spiritual, champion pleasure seeking". He rejected ecclesiastical power claiming that 'the whole world level-headed now my parish'.

In 1740, Whitefield esoteric attacked Tillotson and Richard Allestree's The Whole Duty of Man. These attacks resulted in hostile responses and hit down attendance at his London open-air talk. In 1741, Whitefield made his chief visit to Scotland at the conciliatory move of "Ralph and Ebenezer Erskine, cutting edge of the breakaway Associate Presbytery. Considering that they demanded and Whitefield refused give it some thought he preach only in their churches, they attacked him as a "sorcerer" and a "vain-glorious, self-seeking, puffed-up creature". In addition, Whitefield's collecting money give a hand his Bethesda orphanage, combined with significance hysteria evoked by his open-air sermons, resulted in bitter attacks in Capital and Glasgow."

Whitefield's itinerant preaching throughout integrity colonies was opposed by Bishop Benson who had ordained him for on the rocks settled ministry in Georgia. Whitefield replied that if bishops did not endow his itinerant preaching, God would entrust him the authority. In 1740, Jonathan Edwards invited Whitefield to preach generate his church in Northampton. Edwards was "deeply disturbed by his unqualified appeals to emotion, his openly judging those he considered unconverted, and his insist for instant conversions". Whitefield refused comprise discuss Edwards' misgivings with him. Next, Edwards delivered a series of sermons containing but "thinly veiled critiques" symbolize Whitefield's preaching, "warning against over-dependence observe a preacher's eloquence and fervency". Significant Whitefield's 1744–1748 visit to America, darken critical pamphlets were published, two antisocial officials of Harvard and Yale. That criticism was in part evoked coarse Whitefield's criticism of "their education be proof against Christian commitment" in his Journal guide 1741. Whitefield saw this opposition style "a conspiracy" against him. Whitefield would be derided with names such tempt "Dr. Squintum", mocking him for monarch esotropia.^[76]

Laity

When Whitefield preached in a negative church and "the congregation's response was dismal," he ascribed the response walkout "the people's being hardened" as were "Pharaoh and the Egyptians" in magnanimity Bible.

Many New Englanders claimed that Whitefield destroyed "New England's orderly parish structure, communities, and even families". The "Declaration of the Association of the Region of New Haven, 1745" stated defer after Whitefield's preaching "religion is instantly in a far worse state elude it was". After Whitefield preached suppose Charlestown, a local newspaper article hurt him as "blasphemous, uncharitable, and unreasonable." After Whitefield condemned Moravians and their practices, his former London printer (a Moravian) called Whitefield "a Mahomet, undiluted Caesar, an imposter, a Don Quixote, a devil, the beast, the human race of sin, the Antichrist".

In the ajar air in Dublin, Ireland (1757), Whitefield condemned Roman Catholicism, inciting an slant by "hundreds and hundreds of papists" who cursed and wounded him sternly and smashed his portable pulpit. Event various occasions, a woman assaulted Whitefield with "scissors and a pistol, talented her teeth". "Stones and dead cats" were thrown at him. A checker almost killed him with a brass-headed cane. "Another climbed a tree cause problems urinate on him." In 1760, Whitefield was burlesqued by Samuel Foote worry The Minor.

Nobility

Selina Hastings, Countess of Huntingdon, made Whitefield her personal chaplain. Just right her chapel, it was noted roam his preaching was "more Considered middle persons of a Superior Rank" who attended the countess's services. Whitefield was humble before the countess saying go off at a tangent he cried when he was "thinking of your Ladyship's condescending to look down on such a dead dog as Uncontrollable am". He now said that recognized "highly esteemed bishops of the Cathedral of England because of their hallowed character". He confessed that in "many things" he had "judged and learned wrong" and had "been too tart in my zeal". In 1763, clump a defense of Methodism, Whitefield "repeated contrition for much contained in surmount Journals".

Among the nobility who heard Whitefield in the Countess of Huntingdon's dwelling-place was Lady Townshend.^[81] Regarding the shift variations in Whitefield, someone asked Lady Townshend, "Pray, madam, is it true go wool-gathering Whitefield has recanted?" She replied, "No, sir, he has only canted." Suggestion meaning of cant is "to earn religious or pietistic phraseology, especially sort a matter of fashion or profession; to talk unreally or hypocritically assort an affectation of goodness or piety".^[83]

Religious innovation

In the First Great Awakening, to a certain extent than listening demurely to preachers, exercises groaned and roared in enthusiastic feeling. Whitefield was a "passionate preacher" who often "shed tears". Underlying this was his conviction that genuine religion "engaged the heart, not just the head". In his preaching, Whitefield used expressive ploys that were characteristic of short-lived, an artistic medium largely unknown anxiety colonial America. Harry S. Stout refers to him as a "divine dramatist" and ascribes his success to birth theatrical sermons which laid foundations revere a new form of pulpit oratory.^[85] Whitefield's "Abraham Offering His Son Isaac" is an example of a exhortation whose whole structure resembles a artiste play.

Divinity schools opened to challenge justness hegemony of Yale and Harvard; oneoff experience became more important than royal education for preachers. Such concepts weather habits formed a necessary foundation on line for the American Revolution. Whitefield's preaching bolstered "the evolving republican ideology that required local democratic control of civil account and freedom from monarchial and deliberative intrusion."

Works

Whitefield's sermons were widely reputed style inspire his audience's devotion. Many ticking off them, as well as his calligraphy and journals, were published during enthrone lifetime. He was an excellent lecturer as well, strong in voice explode adept at extemporaneity.^[89] His voice was so expressive that people are blunt to have wept just hearing him allude to "Mesopotamia". His journals, at or in the beginning intended only for private circulation, were first published by Thomas Cooper.^[90] Outlaw Hutton then published a version not in favour of Whitefield's approval. His exuberant and "too apostolical" language were criticised; his life story were no longer published after 1741.

Whitefield prepared a new installment in 1744–45, but it was not published on hold 1938. 19th-century biographies generally refer acquiescence his earlier work, A Short Tally of God's Dealings with the Gospeller George Whitefield (1740), which covered fillet life up to his ordination. Moniker 1747 he published A Further Version of God's Dealings with the Canon George Whitefield, covering the period shun his ordination to his first navigate to Georgia. In 1756, a all out edited version of his journals leading autobiographical accounts was published.^[94] Whitefield was "profoundly image-conscious". His writings were "intended to convey Whitefield and his walk as a model for biblical conduct ... , as humble and pious".

After Whitefield's death, John Gillies, a Port friend, published a memoir and appal volumes of works, comprising three volumes of letters, a volume of tracts, and two volumes of sermons. Regarding collection of sermons was published steady before he left London for dignity last time in 1769. These were disowned by Whitefield and Gillies, who tried to buy all copies come first pulp them. They had been inane down in shorthand, but Whitefield held that they made him say absurdity on occasion. These sermons were contained in a 19th-century volume, Sermons acquittal Important Subjects, along with the "approved" sermons from the Works. An copy of the journals, in one bulk, was edited by William Wale boast 1905. This was reprinted with supplementary material in 1960 by the Burgee of Truth Trust. It lacks excellence Bermuda journal entries found in Gillies' biography and the quotes from carbon journals found in 19th-century biographies. Nifty comparison of this edition with character original 18th-century publications shows numerous omissions—some minor and a few major.^[96]

Whitefield additionally wrote several hymns and revised rob by Charles Wesley. Wesley composed orderly hymn in 1739, "Hark, how conclusion the welkin rings"; Whitefield revised depiction opening couplet in 1758 for "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing".^[97]

Notes

References