CHAPTER XII.

WHITEFIELD AT CAMBUSLANG.

WHITEFIELD went in the power of the Spirit from the Pentecost at Moorfields, to the Pentecost at Cambuslang and Kilsyth, in Scotland. His return to the north was, however, wormwood and gall to some of the Associate Presbytery. Adam Gibb, especially, signalized himself on the first sabbath of Whitefield's labours in Edinburgh, by publishing a "WARNING against countenancing his ministrations." This pamphlet is so strange, and now so rare, that I must preserve some specimens of it, as memorials of the provocation as well as opposition given to Whitefield by the seceders of that day. Most cheerfully, however, do I preface them with Fraser's declaration, that "the violence then discovered by individual members of the Presbytery, has not only been sincerely deplored by their successors in office; but that they themselves lived to repent of the rancour into which the heat of controversy had at first betrayed them." Even Gibb, it is said, wished, on his death-bed, that no copies of his pamphlet were on the face of the earth; and said, if he could recall every copy he would burn them. My copy was presented by Dr. Erskine to Dr. Ryland, who wrote the following note upon it," A Bitter Warning against Mr. Whitefield, by Mr. Gibbs, the Seceder. He became more moderate afterwards, and spoke respectfully of Mr. Hervey's writings, and Mr. Walker's of Truro." I am quite willing that these facts should be borne in mind, whilst the following astounding charges are read.

"This man (Mr. George Whitefield') I have no scruple to

look upon as one of the false Christs, of whom the church is forewarned, Matt. xxiv. 24. It is no unusual thing with him, in his journals, to apply unto himself things said of and by the Christ of God."—"I look upon him, in his public ministrations, to be one of the most fatal rocks whereon many are now splitting.""That he is no minister of Christ, appears from the manner wherein that office he bears is conveyed to him. He derives it from a diocesan bishop, who derives his office from the king, and the king professes not to be a church officer."-" Mr. Whitefield, in swearing the oath of supremacy, has sworn that Christ is not supreme and sole Head of the church. He will not allege that he hath yet vomited that spiritual poison.”—“His universal love proceeds on the erroneous and horrid principle, that God is the lover of all souls, and the God of all churches."—"The horror of this is still more awful, because he hales in our Lord and his apostles to patronize this catholic spirit."—" He breaks off a piece of the glass of truth, and turns his back on the remainder thus, though he hold up that piece of the glass, I say, before his face, he cannot see the true Christ, because his back is toward Him. So then, the doctrine of grace Mr. Whitefield retains, cannot possibly discover the true Christ, because his back is toward him, in flouting away the doctrine that discovers Christ a King of a visible kingdom."-"The doctrine of grace," he publishes," is carried off from its true posture, connexion, and use, and applied to a diabolical purpose; viz. to create a Christ in people's imaginations, as a competition with the true Christ."-" The horror of this scene strikes me almost dumb. I must halt, and give way to some awful ideas that I cannot vent in language.

"The proper and designing author of his scheme, is not Mr. Whitefield, but Satan: and thus our contendings against Mr. W. must be proportioned, not to his design, but Satan's; while hereof he is an effectual though blinded tool."-" As for the gentleman himself, while he is under a very ruinous delusion, and thereby gathering upon him his own blood, and the blood

of multitudes, this his condition loudly requires the pity of all that know him. And I know of no way wherein this can be rightly exercised, without avoiding company with him, that he may be ashamed, 2 Thess. iii. 14. In this manner it is, that we are called to exercise love to his person, and desire of his recovery for as his unwarrantable and woeful ministrations must be idolatrous, so idolaters (Whitefield's!) slay their own children."—" The complex scheme of Mr. W.'s doctrine is diabolical, as proceeding through diabolical influence, and applied to a diabolical use, against the Mediator's glory and the salvation of men."-"What shall be the procedure of God in such a dismal case? Can His justice sleep now? No!"-" Forasmuch as Mr. Whitefield's followers do, as such, seek after a Christ, convictions, and conversions, that are really idols, it is therefore to be fearfully expected, that God will, in judgment, answer them accordingly, and send them an idol Christ, and idol conversions, according to their lust. God's great executioner, Satan, must be employed in the producing of such effects. He will ape the work of God's Spirit."-" The doctrine of impressions, which Mr. W. is at pains to teach, is a very necessary part of Satan's doctrine."—" Hence Satan, while kindling men's fancies, must carry them out under strong and blind impulses, frights, freaks, raptures, visions, boastings, blunders, &c."

All this, as it stands here, seems mere rant and raving. In the pamphlet, however, it is blended with much acute reasoning upon the subject of the Kingship of Christ. Gibb's grave charge against Whitefield was, that he preached Christ only as a Saviour: not meaning, however, that he did not enforce holiness of life; but that he taught a latitudinarian scheme of church polity, the tendency of which was, to "make men sceptics as to the discipline and government of the house of God." And there is some truth in this. Whitefield knew little and cared less about the visible form of the kingdom of Christ in the world. All his concern was, to see His spiritual kingdom set up in the hearts of individuals. But whilst it is well that this was his chief object, it was well too that others laid more stress than himself upon church government. Gibb laid too much; but Whitefield went to an equally unscriptural extreme. Accord

ingly, Whitefield's societies, in general, subsided into other churches; especially in America.

It must not be supposed, that Gibb predicted the scenes of Cambuslang or Kilsyth. It was cheap prophesying on July 23rd, 1742, that a lying spirit, working by " the foreigner,” (Whitefield,) would produce "strong impulses, frights, freaks, and visions." The effects, thus exaggerated, had begun at Cambuslang in the winter of 1741, under the ministry of M'Cullock, the pastor of the parish." His hearers, in considerable numbers, were on different occasions so violently agitated, while he preached regeneration, as to fall down under visible paroxysms of bodily agony. But nothing can be more certain, than that the unusual events had been a subject of general observation and inquiry, for many months before Whitefield had ever been at Cambuslang. It is impossible to identify their commencement with his labours, by any fair examination of the facts as they occurred." Sir Henry Moncrieff Welwood's Life of Dr. Erskine.

Whitefield did not lessen the effect, however, when he went; and thus Gibb's tirade, being well timed to Whitefield's visit, seemed prophecy; for the WARNING and the WORK came before the public at large together. It was this coincidence that gave so much point and currency amongst the seceders, to the proverbial maxim, that "the wark at Caumuslang was a wark o' the deevil." Seceders were not the only persons, however, that said that Whitefield cast out devils by the power of Beelzebub. Bishop Lavington concludes his examination of the enthusiasm of methodists thus: "If there be any thing in it exceeding the powers of nature; any thing beyond the force of distemper, or of imagination and enthusiasm artfully worked up; any thing beyond the reach of juggle and imposture; (which I take not upon me to affirm or deny ;) in that case, I see no reason against concluding, that it is the work of some evil spirit; a sort of magical operation, or other diabolical illusion." Lavington, p. 398. Polwhele's Ed. Again: "We know that in the latter days, demons should be the authors of many surprising things; God permitting Satan to work upon the affections of false prophets and evil men." Ibid. 217. Thus prelate and presbyter were

equally vulgar and virulent upon this subject; and, therefore, ought to be placed together at the bar of posterity.

Thus caricatured and denounced, Whitefield came to Cambuslang; a parish four miles distant from Glasgow. He came by the special invitation of Mr. M'Cullock, the minister of the parish, to "assist at the sacramental occasion, with several worthy ministers of the church of Scotland." Gillies says, "he preached no less than three times upon the very day of his arrival, to a vast body of people, although he had preached that same morning at Glasgow. The last of these exercises he began at nine at night, continuing until eleven, when he said he had observed such a commotion among the people, as he had never seen in America. Mr. M'Cullock preached after him, till past one in the morning; and even then they could hardly persuade the people to depart. All night in the fields might be heard the voice of praise and prayer."

Whitefield said to a friend, before going to this sacramental service," I am persuaded I shall have more power-since dear Mr. Gibb hath printed such a bitter pamphlet." He did not miscalculate. "On Saturday," he says, I preached to above. twenty thousand people. In my prayer the power of God came down and was greatly felt. In my two sermons, there was yet more power. On sabbath, scarce ever was such a sight seen in Scotland. There were undoubtedly upwards of twenty thousand people. A brae, or hill, near the manse of Cambuslang, seemed formed by Providence for containing a large congregation. Two tents were set up, and the holy sacrament was administered in the fields. The communion table was in the field. Many ministers attended to preach and assist, all enlivening and enlivened by one another.

"When I began to serve a table, the power of God was felt by numbers; but the people crowded so upon me, that I was obliged to desist, and go to preach at one of the tents, whilst the ministers served the rest of the tables. God was with them and with his people. On Monday morning I preached to near as many as before: but such a universal stir I never saw before! The motion fled as swift as lightning, from one end of the auditory to another. You might have seen thousands bathed in