A History of the University of Pennsylvania from Its Foundation to A. D. 1770/Chapter 6
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 Bradford printed some sermons and letters, but those undertaken by Franklin were by authority; in his journal of 28 November he records, "One of the printers has told me he has taken above two hundred subscriptions for printing my Sermons and Journals."[3] Franklin says, "we had no religious connection. He us'd, indeed, sometimes to pray for my conversion, but never had the satisfaction of believing that his prayers were heard. Ours was a mere civil friendship, sincere on both sides, and lasted to his death."[4]
As the extent of Whitefield's audiences forbad their accommodation in any of the churches, and the inhibition by the Rector preventing in 1740 and in his subsequent visits his use of Christ Church, which was then indeed but one half the size as we now know it, measures were taken to procure him a proper building for his preachings; "it being found inconvenient to assemble in the open air," Franklin says[5]
subject to its inclemencies, the building of a house to meet in was no sooner proposed, and persons appointed to receive contributions, but sufficient sums were soon receiv'd to procure the ground, and erect the building, which was one hundred feet long and seventy broad, about the size of Westminster Hall, and the work was carried on with such spirit as to be finished in a much shorter time than could have been expected. Both house and ground were vested in trustees expressly for the use of any preacher of any religious persuasion, who might desire to say something to the people at Philadelphia.
Franklin was foremost in the work as he was in any matter he undertook and contributed of his means to it, though he was not one of the Trustees until 1749 when the property came into the possession of the new born Academy. On Sunday, 9 November, 1740, Whitefield records in his Journal, "Preached in the morning, to several thousands, in a house built since my last departure from Philadelphia. It was never preached in before. The roof is not yet up; but the people raised a convenient pulpit, and boarded the bottom." The oft told tale can bear repetition in this connection of the influence of Whitefield's oratory on Franklin himself. He attended in April, 1740, one of Whitefield's meetings where he preached of his Orphanage, the location of which did not meet Franklin's approval, as[6] Georgia was then destitute of materials and workmen, and it was proposed to send them from Philadelphia at a great expense. I thought it would have been better to have built the house here, and brought the children to it. This I advis'd; but he was resolute in his first project, rejected my counsel, and I, therefore, refus'd to contribute. I happened soon after to attend one of his sermons, in the course of which I perceived he intended to finish with a collection, and I silently resolved he should get nothing from me. I had, in my pocket, a handful of copper money, three or four silver dollars, and five pistoles in gold. As he proceeded I began to soften, and concluded to give the coppers. Another stroke of his oratory made me asham'd of that, and determin'd me to give the silver; and he finished so admirably, that I empty'd my pocket wholly into the collectors dish, gold and all.
- ↑ 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.
- ↑ Tyerman, i. 337.
- ↑ Bigelow, i. 209, also letter quoted by Dr Sprague from Rev Jotham Sewell, in Annals of Episcopal Pulpit, 107.
- ↑ Bigelow, i. 206.
- ↑ Bigelow, i. 208.