Required reading
The Journals of George Whitefield (Available from Amazon or free here) - Continue 'From his Arrival at London to his Departure...to Georgia' by reading up to the heading 'London'.
My summary
This week we read of Whitefield's time in:
(i) Caerleon;
(ii) Treleck;
(iIi) Chepstow;
(iv) Coleford;
(v) Gloucester;
(vi) Cheltenham;
(vii) Evesham;
(viii) Oxford.
Whitefield continues preaching in churches, the open air and at societies.
We continue to learn of the responses from people to him, both good and bad.
What grabbed me
I am always interested in Whitefield's reasons for staying in the Church of England, particularly when he experienced repeated hositility from unregenerate ministers within the denomination.
In today's reading, hearing that one minister of the Church of England was to become a Dissenter, Whitefield wrote: 'The step taken by Mr. Kinchin gave me a great shock. For I knew what dreadful consequences would attend a needless separation from the Established Church. For my own part, I can see no reason for my leaving the Church, however I am treated by the corrupt members and ministers of it. I judge of the state of a church, not from the practice of its members, but its primitive and public constitutions; and so long as I think the Articles of the Church of England are agreeable to Scripture, I am resolved to preach them up without either bigotry or party zeal.'
I would find such a stance difficult to hold. Whitefield's position appears to be a pragmatic view overlooking the fact that a church is made up of people, not documents.
Next week's reading
Conclude 'From his Arrival at London to his Departure...to Georgia' by reading up to the heading 'London'.
Now it's your turn
Please post your own notes and thoughts in the comments section below.
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