George-Whitefield-Field-Preacher

THE CLERGY 51
of a charm to get the people's money—which was perfectly
true. And the clergy— some of them, at least—who had
listened and admired, grew angry and spiteful. The charmer,
it was rumoured, would be silenced by the bishop, upon the
complaint of the clergy ; the pickpocket would be hindered
from plying his thievish arts.
But Whitefield was not a man to tremble under a threat, or
grow pale at a rumour. He had a native pugnacity, not yet
humbled and subdued ; and quickly did he show his enemies
that he could fight as well as preach and pray, and that
silencing him would be a difficult thing. He at once waited
upon the bishop, and asked whether any complaint had been
lodged against him ; the bishop answered that there was none.
He asked his lordship whether any objection could be made
to his doctrine, and the bishop replied, ' No ; for I know a
clergyman who has heard you preach a plain scriptural
sermon.' Whitefield then asked his lordship whether he would
grant him a licence, and the answer was, ' You need none,
since you are going to Georgia.' 'Then,' said Whitefield,
'you would not forbid me ? ' The
answer, and Whitefield took his leave.
bishop gave a satisfactory
Whitefield, too prone at this time to judge others, had, in
part, broken with his profession. Some of them he had cen-
sured ; and they had replied by shutting their churches against
him. Others attempted to crush him by means of pamphlets.
He was denounced for fraternising with Dissenters; one
clergyman called him 'a pragmatical rascal,' and 'vehemently
inveighed against him and the whole body of Dissenters
together.' His intimacy with Dissenters, it is true, was great,
and lasted throughout the whole of his life. The grounds of
it were honourable to both parties concerned. The piety and
zeal of the preacher drew the pious of other denominations to
hear him ; and in their houses, to which they kindly invited