Printed announcement for a meeting of the Dissenters at Worcester,  27 January 1790, with Nicholas Pearsall, Esq. in the chair, and Samuel Kenrick as Secretary; MS. letter from Samuel Kenrick, Bewdley, to William Wood, Leeds, 18 February 1790. 

[Kenrick praises Wood for his publication of his Revolution Sermons in 1788, which he says are “universally read & admired by the enlightened & judicious of every party,” and he thanks him for his letter to Wilberforce and would like to know if anything further has come from him on that point.]

Revd & Dr Sir

        It is wth heartfelt pleasure I am directed, by the Delegate of Protestant Dissenters in the District & County of Worcester, to send you annexed, a copy of our last Resolutions, as a token of our esteem & friendship & as a pledge of our strict union in co-operating wth you & our other brethren, in claiming wth steady perseverance in every constitutional way, the restoration of our natural & unalienable rights, as men, as Britons & as Christians.

        At the same time we take the liberty of sending you the inclosed “Hints,” written by one of our Delegates, wch have been universally well received in this country.  It states many striking facts in a strong light, with decency & moderation; & is a good illustration of the political maxim – suaviter in modo, fortiter in re.

        I say it is wth a hearfelt pleasure that I do this, not of my office to you, as it gives me an opportunity of thanking you in the name of every Protestant Dissenter, for your able defences of our common cause of civil & religious liberty on many occasions; but particularly for the publication of your excellent Revolution Sermons – wch are universally read & admired by the enlightened & judicious of every party: & make you – I assert it because I know it is fact, being the testimony of those who are vien moins than partial to us or our present claims – an honour & credit to our cause.

        We are much obliged to you, for your communications respecting Mr Wilberforce’s correspondence: & shd be happy when convenient to hear something farther on that interesting subject.

                    With sincere estem & regard

                                I ever am Revd & Dr Sir

                                            Your most faithl & obedt Servt

                                                                                Saml Kenrick

The Revd William Wood

Leeds, Yorkshire.

NB.  The clause in the Hints 2d p. inclosed in “” is disclaimed by the author & ought to be erased.  He disclaims also the 2 epithets in the last line as too harsh.

Text: Test Acts Papers, no. 76, Unitarian Collection, UCC 3/6/6, John Rylands University Library of Manchester. A copy of the “Hints” is not included.