"Friday, April 27. Went this morning to Islington to preach, according to the appointment of my dear brother in Christ, the Reverend Mr. Stonehouse; but, in the midst of the prayers, the churchwarden came, demanding me to produce my license, or otherwise he forbad my preaching in that pulpit. I believe I might have insisted upon my right to preach, being in priest's orders, and having the presentation of the living at Savannah, which is in the Bishop of London's diocese,--a stronger license than that implicit one by which hundreds of the inferior clergy are by his lordship permitted to preach. However, for the sake of peace, I declined preaching in the church; but, after the communion service was over, I preached in the churchyard, being assured my Master now called me out here, as well as in Bristol.[198] God was pleased so to assist me in preaching, and so wonderfully to affect the hearers, that, I believe, we could have gone singing of hymns to prison. Let not the adversaries say I have thrust myself out of their synagogues. No, they have thrust me out. And since the self-righteous men of this generation count themselves unworthy, I go out into the highways and hedges, and compel harlots, publicans, and sinners to come in, that my Master's house may be filled. They who are sincere will follow after me to hear the word of God."[199] [198] _The Universal Weekly History_ of May 5 contained the following: "On Saturday last, the Rev. Mr. Whitefield, being denied the use of a pulpit, preached to a prodigious concourse of people on a tombstone, in Islington churchyard. Last Sunday morning, he did the same from the wall near Bedlam; and, in the afternoon, near the gallows on Kennington Common, to a vast number of people." _Read's Weekly Journal_, of the same date, says: "The followers of Parson Whitefield have done a vast deal of damage to the tombs and gravestones in Islington churchyard." It also adds that the question of Whitefield's exclusion from the pulpit of Islington Church was decided by a committee of ten; five chosen by Mr. Stonehouse, the vicar, and five by the parish vestry. Their decision was unanimous. [199] Two days afterwards, Charles Wesley was similarly prohibited, and was told "the devil was in them all;" that is, in himself, Whitefield, and the vicar. Mr. Stonehouse waited upon the bishop; but had to leave him "close, shut up, and sour." In reference to Whitefield, Charles Wesley writes: "April 25. I heard G. Whitefield, very powerful, at Fetter Lane. April 27. I heard G. Whitefield in Islington churchyard. The numerous congregation could not have been more affected within its walls."