Whitfield Criticized for Breaking a Child's Will

Challies endorses criticism of Whitfield for requiring a boy to pray, even to the point of using corporal discipline (link). Challies passes judgment on Pastor Whitfield by endorsing this comment: "We must deplore both the custom [of attempting to conquer a child’s will] and Whitefield’s action on the basis of it." (brackets are Challies') Challies does not, however, provide any explanation for this moral judgment. That's rather disappointing. I'd love know on what basis Challies thinks that Whitfield was wrong - what standard of judgment he's using to judge Whitfield. In the absence of such basis, this rather resembles one of those hand-drawn mustaches one sees imposed on posters: an attempt to make someone more famous than the emending artist look bad.