Religion & The Church

Collection of letters by important English clergymen and preachers of the 17th, 18th and 19th century, including: Matthew Henry (autograph letter to his father, informing him of the birth of a child, one page, oblong 8vo, 12 April 1691); Philip Doddridge; Leigh Richmond (autograph letter probably addressed to William Wilberforce, reading in part "It gives me real satisfaction to witness that I have not been deceived in the opinion I had from all external circumstances been strongly induced to form of the character and disposition of the Author of 'The Practical View of Christianity'...I am of the opinion that many very candid writers and men who have the cause of religion at heart, run into many faults and even unknowingly err form the faith, because trusting to their own learning, abilities and natural sense, they pray not for divine assistance and illumination to lead them into the ways of truth and Christian Righteousness", eight pages, 4to, Brading, Isle of Wight, 13 November 1799); Richard Mant (autograph letter to William Wilberforce, congratulating on "you being made the instrument of Providence to open a prospect of happiness to multitudes of our fellow creatures and to relieve this country from an intolerable weight of wickedness", three pages, 4to, postmarked 1 October 1807); Henry Venn (autograph letter mostly about payments, four pages, 4to, 9 March 1811); Henry Martyn; Thomas Scott (autograph letter saying in part "immediately after I had begun to circulate the letters, I received, wholly without any expectation on my part, or preintimation on that of my friends, so very large and liberal present from Cambridge as has overwhelmed me with astonishment", two pages, 4to, Aston Sandford, 25 Decmber 1813); John Bowring and others, some letters bearing tape residue, splitting and creasing, some pencil annotations; also including signatures of William Wilberforce, Edwrad Irving, Joseph Wolf, Mark Guy Pearse and others, v.s. 17th-19th century (quantity)