Note 424 — WHITEFIELD'S RETURN TO ENGLAND IN 1741.

Thirty-seven years' after this, during the great Calvinian controversy, Rowland Hill taunted Wesley by stating that he cast "lots for his creed." Thomas Olivers, the confidential friend of Wesley, in his "Rod for a Reviler," replied to this as follows:—"It is hard not to believe that the relaters of this story are totally void of veracity, honour, and conscience. The well-known fact is neither more nor less than this. When Mr. Whitefield, by embracing and preaching Calvinism, turned aside from the original doctrines of Methodism, it was a doubt with Mr. Wesley, not whether he should believe Calvinism, but whether he should preach and print against it. What made this a matter of doubt was, if he did expressly preach and print against it, he would oppose Mr. Whitefield, whom he dearly loved. On the other hand, if he did not preach and print against it, Mr. Whitefield's great influence would draw vast multitudes into his mistake. In this strait, it is true, he cast a lot, which came up to this effect, 'As thou hast long believed Calvinism to be a delusion, regardless of friends and enemies, preach and print against it.' Now, will good men, will men of honour, will men who make the smallest pretence to integrity, conscience, truth, justice, or anything else that is good, call this 'Casting lots for his creed'?" ("A Rod for a Reviler." London, 1777, pp. 9, 10.)