George-Whitefield-Field-Preacher

PLEADING FOR UNITY 135
in disputing with Zuinglius and others, who in all probability equally loved
the Lord Jesus, notwithstanding they might differ from him in other points.
Let this, dear sir, be a caution to us ; I hope it will be to me ; for, by the
blessing of God, provoke me to it as much as you please, I do not think
ever to enter the lists of controversy with you on the points wherein we
differ. Only I pray to God, that the more you judge me, the more I may
love you, and learn to desire no one's approbation but that of my Lord and
Master Jesus Christ.'
Unfortunately he did not abide by these truly Christian
purposes, neither was Wesley so forbearing as he ought to
have been.
Whitefield's kind heart was busy with another good work
while he was gathering the orphans to his house. That
month's ride through Maryland, Virginia, and Carolina had
brought him near slavery and all its revolting accessories ; and
he was pained at the heart. It would not do to be silent
about the wrongs of such as had no helper ; he took pen in
hand, and wrote to the inhabitants of those three states,
expostulating with them on their cruel treatment of their slaves.
But Whitefield was absolutely blind to the wickedness of
slavery as slavery ; it was only the brutal conduct of some of
the masters that appeared wrong to him. At his first visit
to Georgia he expressed his persuasion that the colony
must always continue feeble, if the people were denied the use
of rum and slaves ; and he afterwards dishonoured himself by
becoming a slave-owner, and working his slaves for the good
of the orphanage. There is little or nothing to be said in
extenuation of his conduct ; for though it was a popular notion
in his day, that slavery was permissible, it was not the notion
of every one ;
and he might have come to a better understand-
ing of the subject had he pondered it. Among his Quaker
and Moravian friends there were some who could have led him
into the light, had he spent time in conferring with them ; but
his incessant preaching gave him no opportunity for thinking