Letter to Governor Wright, Letter 3 – Letter 4
Mr. Whitefield to the Archbiſhop.
June 17, 1767. May it pleaſe your Grace,
I THINK myſelf highly honoured in the Lord Preſident's*Earl of Northington. referring a late memorial to your Grace's conſideration; and as highly obliged to your Grace, for the deep attention your Grace hath given to the copy of an intended charter preſented to your Grace by the Earl of Dartmouth.—The incloſed will ſhew what an almoſt implicite regard hath been paid to your Grace's wiſe remarks and judicious corrections.—I wiſh it could have been altogether implicite—But circumſtances are ſuch (as hath been hinted to your Grace by Lord Dartmouth) that I cannot in honour and conſcience oblige the maſter of the Georgia College to be a member or miniſter of the church of England. Such an obligation, I am perſuaded, hath greatly retarded the progreſs of the college of New-York; as on the contrary, the letter ſigned by your Grace, Proprietor Penn, and the late Dr. Chandler, engaging, that that inſtitution ſhall be continued on a BROAD BOTTOM, hath as much promoted the growth of the college of Philadelphia.—The truſtees of that ſeminary (as your Grace is pleaſed to obſerve) have agreed, "That their provoſt ſhall always be a miniſter of the eſtabliſhed church."—But then I would beg leave to reply, that they are not thereto enjoined by their charter. That is entirely ſilent concerning this matter—Their agreement is purely voluntary.—The wardens of the college of Georgia will not be prohibited by charter from following the example of the truſtees of the college of Philadelphia—It is more than probable they will never need it. The firſt maſter will aſſuredly be a clergyman of the church of England.—By far the majority of the intended wardens are, and always will be, members of that communion; and conſequently the choice of a maſter will always continue to run in that channel—My heart's deſire is, that ſome worthy duly qualified miniſter of the church of England may be always and readily found for that grand purpoſe. But leſt this ſhould not always be the caſe, I dare not, as perſons of all denominations have been contributors, confine or fetter the future electors. The monies gained by the New-York lotteries, for the erecting a college in New-York; were thrown in by perſons of all religious perſwaſions, in confidence, that the college would hereafter be founded on an enlarged baſis. And therefore, very great numbers, may it pleaſe your Grace, think, and forever will think, themſelves injured by its being confined within its preſent contracted boundary. Hence it is, that many fine promiſing youths are almoſt daily ſent from the college in their native city to that of New-Jerſey—I dread giving the ſame occaſion of reſentment and offence—And therefore am determined to avoid it in the wording of the Georgia College charter—For the ſame reaſons I dare not enjoin the daily uſe of our church liturgy. I love to uſe it, I have fallen a martyr, in reſpect to bodily health, to the frequent reading it in Tottenham-Court chapel; and it has been conſtantly read twice every ſunday in the Orphan-houſe, from its firſt inſtitution to this very day—The wardens, when the power is devolved on them, may determine this point as they pleaſe—But I cannot enjoin it by charter—And have therefore, in this preſent draught, not only omitted the paragraph concerning publick prayer, but alſo that concerning doctrinal articles. Perhaps your Grace may judge, that all things conſidered, ſaying nothing about either, may be a proper medium—Your Grace further wiſely obſerves, That his Majeſty ſhould be very well adviſed whom he names for the firſt maſter.—I truſt he will. I believe the Right Honourable the Earl of Dartmouth will vouchſafe to intereſt himſelf in the choice, and likewiſe be ſo good as to preſent the firſt maſter to your Grace's approbation—The terms of the charter being not as yet ſettled, the choice of a maſter cannot as yet be fixed upon. When the former are aſcertained, the latter may more eaſily be applied for—In the mean while your Grace may be aſſured that the lot will not fall upon me. Alas! my ſhoulders are too weak for the ſupport of ſuch an academical burden: my capacity, may it pleaſe your Grace, is by no means extenſive enough for ſuch a ſcholaſtick truſt—To be a preſbyter at large, is the ſtation which, I think, divine providence hath called me to for near theſe thirty years laſt paſt—During that ſpace, I truſt my eye hath been in ſome degree ſingle, and my views diſintereſted: and my higheſt, my only ambition, during the feeble remains of my future pilgrimage, I truſt will be this, viz. That the laſt glimmerings of an expiring taper may be bleſſed, and owned by the great Shepherd and Biſhop of ſouls, to guide ſome wandering ſinners to the practical knowledge of himſelf. I deſire to bleſs his name, that I have been ſpared long enough to ſee the colony of the once deſpiſed Georgia, and the yet more deſpiſed Orphan-houſe, advanced to ſuch a promiſing height. My honoured friend, and father, good Biſhop Benſon, from his dying bed, ſent me a benefaction for it of ten guineas, and poured forth his moſt fervent dying breathings for its future proſperity.—That your Grace may yet live many years, to be happily inſtrumental in promoting its welfare, both ſpiritual and temporal, when turned into a college, is the earneſt prayer of
May it pleaſe your Grace, your Grace's moſt dutiful, obliged Son and Servant, G. WHITEFIELD. Tottenham-Court Road June 17, 1767.
The Archbiſhop to Mr. Whitefield.
To the Reverend Mr. Whitefield.
THE Archbiſhop of Canterbury hath put Mr. White field's draught of a charter for a college in Georgi… into the hands of the Lord Preſident, who hath promiſe… to conſider it; but deſires to know from Mr. Whitefield, what preſent endowment, and to what value, h… propoſes for his college.
July 1, 1767.