George Whitefield and Friends

30 BULLETIN OF FRIENDS' HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION for the Germantown Preparative Meeting. His name follows the last words of the paragraph, on the same line. On the next line begins " Derick up de Graeff," and then the other two, probably appointed by the meeting to sign the Protest. Hence the Clerk of the Quarterly Meeting referred properly to the "above said Derick, and the other two." —R. W. K. DOCUMENTS GEORGE WHITEFIELD AND FRIENDS The two letters (the former an excerpt) printed below indicate the attitude of two Friends, Richard Hockley and Anthony Benezet, to the great preacher, George Whitefield. The first letter (1740) was written near the beginning of Whitefield's sojourn in America, and the second (1770) in the last year of his life. Both show a breadth of religious interest not always attributed to Friends of the eighteenth century. The Hockley Copy Book and the original Benezet letter are in the manuscript collections of Haverford College. Richard Hockley was a merchant and a Friend of Philadelphia, who was engaged in trade between that city and the West India Islands and other places. This excerpt is taken from a letter of June 8th, 1740, addressed to Mr. Bernard Hannington: I cant pass over in Silence to you the surprizing Change and alteration I see in the People of this Place since that Shining Light the Rev'd. Mr. Whitefield has been amongst 'em who no doubt you have heard of, Religion is the Topick of Conversation and they all have it much in their Mouths pray God it may sink deep into their Hearts so as to Influence their Actions and Conversation, make them good Neighbours and sincere Friends, which I know you will say Amen to, I have heard him Several times here & in So. Carolina and had several private Conversations with him, he appears to me to be a very sincere person Zealous for his Masters Cause, and justly admired for his Elegant though plain Language and easy to be understood and for the Serious Vein of Piety that runs through all his Exhortation crowded after by Multitudes tho much traduced by some who have no true Sense of Religion, he is endeavouring to reclaim a wicked Vicious and Sinfull Age, and that with great authority and Courage, and must own to you I never heard of or saw his Fellow. The letter from Anthony Benezet is addressed to George Dillwyn and is dated " first Day Morning." A filing notation on the back of the letter is as follows : " Philada—5, 6, or 7 mo. Ano. 1770." Dear George, After reading the enclosed, by which thou wilt perceive Truth is every where at work ; neither the thickest darkness nor deepest prejudice can hinder its opperative calls ; be so kind as to get it convey'd by DOCUMENTS31 some safe hand to our dear Frd. J.W. [probably John Woolman]. I spent some time yesterday with G. Whitefield who appeares in a very good disposition in meekness & universal love; the accompt he gave me of the sincere desires after God which prevail in many in Grt. Britain, particularly in Scotland, even amongst those who have been zealous for the presbitery, was agréable. The Gospel must & will be preached to every creature under heaven, one way or other & it will prevail except choked with covetousness pride, the love of ease of self or lust of other things. With usual love to thy self & friends wt. thee remain thy Aff Frd. Anth. Benezet first Day Morning (Those interested in Benezet are referred to a splendid sketch of his life by Amelia Mott Gummere in the new Dictionary of American Biography, Vol. II.) SCHOOL DISCIPLINE Our fellow member, Harrold E. Gillingham, has supplied the following transcript of a letter written in 1814 by his great-grandmother, Rebecca Harrold Gillingham, to her husband, Joseph, then on a business trip in England . The incident recounted in the letter relates to Westtown School, and is another illustration of the rigorous discipline in schools of that period. (Some people maintain that even today teachers often take themselves too seriously, and parents show a tendency to side with their children !) "How my Dear J. shall I suppress the anguish...