Page:History of the University of Pennsylvania - Montgomery (1900).djvu/30

26 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." 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."

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 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