George-Whitefield-Field-Preacher

174
GEORGE WHITEFIELD
merit, though Whitefield went away with the impression that
they also wanted to bring him round to the Solemn League
and Covenant ! That was most likely a spectre in the mist.
To Whitefield's question, ' Whether, supposing Presbyterian
government to be agreeable to the pattern shown in the
mount, it excluded a toleration of Independents, Anabaptists,
and Episcopalians, among whom there are good men,'
Ebenezer Erskine replied, with fine dexterity :
' Sir, God has
made you an instrument of gathering a great multitude of
souls to the faith and profession of the gospel of Christ
throughout England, and also in foreign parts ; and now it
is fit that you should be considering how that body is to be
organised and preserved, which cannot be done without
following the example of Paul and Barnabas, who, when
they had gathered Churches by the preaching of the gospel,
visited them again, and ordained over them elders in every
city ; which you cannot do alone, without some two or three
met together in a judicative capacity in the name of the
Lord.' Whitefield answered that he could not see his way
to anything but preaching. But, it was urged, supposing he
were to die, the flock would be scattered and might fall a prey
to grievous wolves. Then he fixed himself on a resolution,
which, with the views that he had expressed about his
ordination, it was, no doubt, made sure he could never reach.
' I am of the communion of the Church of England,' he said ;
' none in that communion can join me in the work you
have pointed to ; neither do I mean to separate from that
communion till I am either cast out or excommunicated.'
All tempers were not cool under the reasoning that went on
indeed, how could nine Scots, each one holding to the skirts
of his sacred Church, keep cool when dealing with a prelatist ?
The interview ended in a scene. While it was being con-
tended that one form of Church government was divine,