Journals - Whitefield - XI - From his Arrival at London to his Departure...to Georgia commenced

Required reading
The Journals of George Whitefield (Available from Amazon or free here) - Commence 'From his Arrival at London to his Departure...to Georgia' by reading up to the heading 'Basingstoke'.

My summary
This week we read of Whitefield's time in:
(i) London;
(ii) Oxford;
(iii) Gravesend;
(iv) Windsor.

We learn about his:
(i) preaching at churches;
(ii) meetings with Christians;
(iii) illnesses;
(iv) counseling;
(v) conflicts with ministers;
(vi) collections for the Orphan House.

What grabbed me
I was interested in this interaction from Whitefield with another minister: 'Waited upon an opposing clergyman, and had a conference with him of near two hours.  His grand objection was against our private Societies, and using extempore prayer, which he grounded on the authority of the Canons, and the Act of Charles II.  In answer, I shewed that that Act was entirely levelled against seditious schismatical meetings, contrary to the Church of England, which confines us to a Form in public worship only. He replied, that ours was public worship, but this I deny.  For ours were Societies never intended to be set up in opposition to the public worship, by law established; but only in imitation of the primitive Christians, who continued daily with one accord in the Temple, and yet in fellowship building up one another, and exhorting one another from house to house.'

I can't believe any true minister of the gospel would try to stop people meeting together for extempore prayer!

Next week's reading
Continue 'From his Arrival at London to his Departure...to Georgia' by reading up to the heading 'New passage'.

Now it's your turn
Please post your own notes and thoughts in the comments section below.