George-Whitefield-Field-Preacher

ENEMIES 197
' There has been a great and marvellous work in New England ; but, as
it should seem, by the imprudences of some, and the over-boiling zeal of
others, some irregularities have been committed in several places, which
Mr. Tennent himself, in a letter to Mr. Parsons, printed in the Boston
Gazette, has borne his testimony against as strongly as any of these eminent
ministers. This is nothing but what is common. It was so in old England
some few years ago. Many young persons there ran out before they were
called ; others were guilty of great imprudences. I checked them in l he-
strictest manner myself, and found, as they grew acquainted with the Lord
Jesus and their own hearts, the intemperance of their zeal abated, and they
became truly humble walkers with God. But must the whole work of God
be condemned as enthusiasm and delusion because of some disorder ? *
'
The opposition to Whitefield was of various kinds. Some
sincere souls were anxious for pure religion, which they con-
founded with their familiar, quiet services ; some put Church
government in too high a position relative to spiritual religion;
some were angry, disappointed, and envious, they would gladly
have had a monopoly of the preaching they bitterly assailed ;
and, in the dark background, were some who hated the preacher
and his message, and struck at him with a deadly malignity.
How strong in the grace of God must the man have been who
never quailed before the storm, never became bitter, and never
allowed his labours for men's salvation to relax in the least
degree !
The labour of defending is work, as well as doing it, was
1 How much Tennent himself was sobered in judgment upon some
questions, though not at all in his way of expressing himself, appears in a
letter published in the Boston Evening Post, July 26, 1742. He says :
' The late method of setting up separate meetings upon the supposed
unregeneracy of pastors in places is enthusiastical, proud, schismatical.
All that fear God ought to oppose it as a most dangerous engine to bring
the Churches into the most damnable errors and confusions. The practice
of openly exposing ministers, who are supposed to be unconverted, in
public discourses, by particular application of such times and places, serves
only to pmvoke them, instead of doing them good, and to declare our own
arrogance."