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The significance of a large part of the content of this pamphlet is described in a scholarly article by the American theologian and leading authority on John Wesley Dr. Randy L. Maddox. His article, “John Wesley’s Earliest Published Defense of the Emerging Revival in Bristol” (2014), can be found at The Divinity Archive, a project of The Duke Divinity School Library.
Part 1, "A Compleat Account of the Conduct, &tc. of that Eminent Enthusiast, Mr. Whitefield, &tc.", [pages 1-16], is a scathing denunciation of Whitefield and John Wesley pieced together by the publisher Charles Corbett. Corbett, who was responsible for other anti-Methodist tracts, cites an account in the high church Anglican-supported Weekly Miscellany as his source. Corbett mocks Whitefield: "There is something so extravagantly ridiculous in the Behavior of this young Man, it is very difficult for a person of any Humour to keep his Countenance..". He later goes on to include Wesley in his insults: "I defy all Mankind to justify such Conduct upon any Principles whatsoever; and Mr. John Wesley is less justifiable, or rather more guilty than Mr. Whitefield, because he is a Man of more Learning, better Judgement, and a cooler Head..". Following this Corbett publishes "A Copy of a private Conversation of Mr. Whitefield's taken down in Writing after his leaving the Room, and brought to him by the Rev. Mr. Tucker, Minister of All-Saints in Bristol, and at his Request, sign'd by Mr. Whitefield himself." It is the text of a conversation Whitefield had on March 30, 1739 in which he attributes his understanding of "true Christianity" to a book by Henry Scougal, "The Life of God in the Soul of Man". The text was originally published by Josiah Tucker in a broadsheet dated "Bristol, March 30, 1739".
Part II, "A Method of Confession drawn up for the Use of the Women Methodists. Taken from the Original." [pages 18-20]. Among the questions proposed are the following: "Are you in Love? / Do you take more Pleasure in any Body than in God? / Whom do you love just now, better than any other Person in the World? / Is not the Person an Idol? Does he not (especially in Publick Prayer) steal in between God and your Soul? / Does any Court you? / Is there any one whom you suspect to have any such Design? / Is there anyone who shews you more Respect than to other Women? / Are not you pleased with That? / How do you like him? / How do you feel yourself, when he comes, when he stays, when he goes away? The last ten Questions may be ask'd as often as Occasion offers." Josiah Tucker described this as "shocking scheme for confessing the women". Dr. Maddox makes a cogent argument in his essay that, while differing from Wesley's original December 1738 "Rules of the Band Societies", the author of the rules published here may have been Wesley, not Whitefield.
Part III, "Queries to Mr. Whitefield", [pages 20-22], were written by Josiah Tucker and appeared around mid-april 1739. According to Dr. Maddox, the queries were "highlighting his discomfort with Whitefield’s emphasis on ‘extraordinary’ operations of the Spirit". Part IV, "An Answer to the Queries sent to Mr. Whitefield, from the Rev. Mr. Tucker, Minister of All-Saints, Bristol; in a Letter to the Querist", [22-25], is attributed to John Wesley by both the publisher Charles Corbett and Dr. Maddox in his essay. The tone of the reply is quite disdainful. The writer opens: "Had not the Bristol Queries been said to be written by the Rev. Mr. Tucker, I should have imagin'd, they come from one, who had no manner of Notion of Divine Revelation; but as you are a Reverend Minister, I must suppose you to be a Christian, though you have given great room to think, that you believe nothing of the Operations of the Holy Spirit, by owning, that you do not perceive them in yourself, and are hitherto unacquainted with any extraordinary and supernatural Light". He concludes: "If I have mistaken you, please to let me know it, and tell me both what you mean by the Expressions, in which you oppose Mr. W's Notions of supernatural Light and Assistance, and what your own Notions are of these Things."
Part V of the pamphlet [pages 26-31] is Corbett's response to the "Answer to the Queries" followed by his negative assessment of Whitefield. "This Answer is a sophistical Evasion, and a false Charge upon the Querist. It turns all upon the Ambiguity of the Words extraordinary and supernatural, and feeling, or experiencing. Neither the Querist, nor any other sober Christian denies the Operation of the Spirit upon our Minds and Hearts; and as this Influence is added to the natural Powers of the Soul, it may be called extraordinary, or supernatural." Corbett's argument is followed by his contemptuous remarks regarding Whitefield. "Mr. W. in the Character signed by himself, has thoroughly satisfied the World of his great natural Abilities, and the following Extracts from his last Journal are as strong a Proof of his supernatural Powers and Endowments. Tho' in many of them his Humility be so extraordinary as to put him upon a level with the Prophets and Apostles only, yet in others he seems to put himself upon a Foot with Jesus Christ: and the Carnal, Letter-learned, Established Clergy are rank'd with the false Prophets whom he very candidly threatens with Damnation for opposing him." These statements are followed by nearly three pages of extracts from Whitefield's journal.
Part VI is Josiah Tucker's reply to Wesley's answer, [pages 31-38]. It is headed: "Th[e] following Reply of Mr. Tucker's not coming to hand 'till all the preceding Part of this Pamphlet was printed off, and being willing to make this Collection as complete as I could, I have here inserted it". Tucker's reply is dated "Oxon,June 14, 1739" and includes numerous footnotes by the author. It is especially interesting in that it includes Tucker's attack on the Catechism for female Methodists. He is responding to "Rev. Mr. Hutchins" (i.e.John Hutchings (b. 1716) who worked closely with Whitefield in Bristol in 1739. "Agreeable to this, his Friend and Assistant at Bristol, the Rev.Mr. Hutchins, put out some Remarks on my Queries, wherein, with the usual Christian Spirit, and Meekness of the Sect, he affirms, ‘That I had cast a slur upon my gown. That I ought to quit the Ministry, -- And that I got it by downright Falsehood and Equivocation.’..His next Attack is on my Phrase and Diction: Here he says, I ought not to have asked, ‘After what Manner they come into the Mind, but after what Manner we are enabled to discern, believe, and embrace them’..But before I take my leave of him, I would desire him to consider, that if I really was a Deist, as he represents me, I should not have been such a strenuous Opposer of Mr. Whitefield: No, The Deists seem strongly inclin'd to favour his Cause, and foment the Division. They in particular, are highly delighted with his Shocking scheme for confessing the Women; the graver Part, with the Abuse and miserable Perversion of Scripture Sentences, and the more dissolute with his indecent and loose Interrogations. This is a Scheme so evidently calculated to promote Vice and Lewdness, that many People still persist in thinking 'tis only a waggish Sneer put upon him. But the Gentleman need not be told the contrary; as he appears to be Mr. Whitefield’s Friend, he must know, that 'tis a genuine and real Piece, approved and recommended by the Heads of the Sect, and actually put in Practice, both in London and Bristol. Since therefore he has taken upon him to vindicate Mr. Whitefield’s Principles and Conduct, he is hereby called upon publickly to defend it." . Good .
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The Old Bookshelf, UKProfessional seller Antiquariaat SchotProfessional seller¶ Signed by the Author ‘G.H. Wicks’ to front free endpaper. George Whitefield (1714-1770).
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