At the close of the year 1739 there arrived in Philadelphia, on his way to his Parish and Orphanage at Savannah, the Rev. George Whitefield, a presbyter of the Church of England, the fame of whose extraordinary pulpit powers had preceded him, though he was a young man but twenty-four years of age.[1] Two days after his arrival, on Sunday 4th November he preached in Christ Church, and read prayers there and preached daily for a week. Departing for New York on the 12th, where he was not allowed to preach in Trinity Church, though he attended both the Sunday services; he returned to Philadelphia on the 23d and departed thence on the 29th for the South, having preached daily in Christ Church, though on his return in the April following he was inhibited from holding any service or preaching there. Franklin in common with every citizen was attracted by his eloquence, and he formed a friendship for the young divine, who was eight years his junior, which continued until his death, when he wrote to a friend "I knew him intimately upwards of thirty years. His integrity, disinterestedness, and indefatigable zeal in prosecuting every good work, I have never seen equalled, and shall never see excelled."[2] Doubtless Franklin was present at that remarkable scene in Christ Church on Sunday the 25th November when his friend the Rev. Richard Peters stood up and controverted some of Whitefield's new doctrines, which the latter manfully answered, though his Journal records he "had been somewhat alarmed" at the disturbance which this public contradiction threatened. Before the month was out Whitefield gave Franklin copies of his Journals and sermons with leave to print the same. Andrew
- ↑ He was ordained in Gloucester Cathedral 13 June 1736, and first preached on the Sunday following. "A complaint was made to the Bishop that fifteen persons had been driven mad by his sermon. The bishop only replied that he hoped the madness might not be forgotten before another Sunday. * * * * How his one sermon grew till he had preached eighteen thousand times, or ten times a week for four and thirty years, and fed multitudes beyond computation." Gledstone's Life and Travels of George Whitefield, M.A., p 36. London 1871.
- ↑ Life of Rev George Whitefield, Tyerman. ii 628. London 1876. Life and Times of Benjamin Franklin, Parton, i. 626.
