door of the Pump Room, and then resumed her seat. This lady was the
celebrated Countess of Huntingdon." [1]
[Footnote 1: _Autobiography of Mary Anne Schimmelpenninck_, vol. 1. pp.
89, 90.]
VII.
THE COLLEGE AT TREVECCA AND CHESHUNT.
So rapidly did places of worship multiply under the Countess's fostering
care, that very shortly after the opening of the Vineyards at Bath, the
question of supplying preachers for their pulpits became so pressing
that finally the scheme of founding a college for the training of
suitable preachers took definite shape. Lady Huntingdon had already
contributed liberally to Western College, Plymouth, Brecon College, and
Dr. Doddridge's Academy at Northampton. She held much consultation with
her most trusted advisers, Whitefield, Wesley, Venn, Romaine, and
others. All were favourable except Berridge, who, although "the most
dubious man in the world about his own judgment," yet wrote, "Will not
Jesus choose, and teach, and send forth His ministering servants now, as
He did the disciples aforetime; and glean them up when, and where, and
how He pleaseth? The world says no, because they are strangers to a
Divine commission and a Divine teaching. And what if these asses blunder
about the Master's meaning for a time, and mistake it often, as they did
formerly? No great harm will ensue, provided they are kept from paper
and ink, or from a white wall and charcoal."
In 1768 Lady Huntingdon fixed upon an old mansion at Trevecca in
Brecknockshire, as the home of the new experiment. Her relations with
Welsh evangelistic work had long been close and helpful, and by means of
Howel Harris, Trevecca had become familiar to her. Fletcher of Madeley
was appointed President, although he was not to reside there
permanently; and Joseph Easterbrook resident tutor. Students soon began
to appear, the first on the roll being in all probability James
Glazebrook, a collier in Fletcher's parish. To Fletcher the Countess had
sent the circular describing what she wished the college to be, and
asking him, in common with all her ministerial friends, whether he could
recommend any suitable persons as students. He replied: "After having
perused the articles and looked round about me, I designed to answer
your Ladyship that out of this Galilee ariseth no prophet. With this
resolution I went to bed, but in my sleep was much taken up with the
thought and remembrance of one of my young colliers who told me some
months ago that for four years he had been inwardly persuaded that he
should be called to speak for God. I looked upon the unusual impression
of my dream as a call to speak to the young man, and at waking designed
to do so at the first opportunity. To my great surprise he came to
Madeley that very morning, and I found upon inquiry that he had been as
much drawn to come as I to speak to him."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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