William Wilberforce, London, to John Ryland, Jr., Bristol, 5 April 1814.

My dear Sir

  Having been out of town for 2 or 3 days & receiv’g my Letters both yesterday & today too late to allow of my even reading much more answering them before ye departure of ye same days post, I fear I may appear dilatory; But I think you will not suspect me of Lukewarmness in ye Case of yr delightful Communication from America – I hope I shall not have done wrong in detaining it one additional day for Mrs W’s perusal & that of a pious & very intelligent Inmate – How animating is it thus to realize the Communion of Saints.  The [unintelligible word] of this Xtian fellowship & Love over all considerations & feelings of political Hostility, is quite healing, & the Sentiments express’d concerning ye war, which (especially when appearing to have been usd in a private Letter), are I am persuaded not so sharp as publish’d, to involve ye Writer in any unpleasant Consequences, are such as it was natural for good Men to feel in their Circumstances.  I can truly say, with ye United States, ye War has been to me Subject of unfeign’d & deep concern, I mean more so than Wars in common, from ye Consideration of its being carried on with the Descendants of ye best of our own forefathers – men united to us by ye bond of common principles of Religion Morals, civil & political as well as religs Liberty &c &c

In my haste not adverting to yr Discretion in yr Letter & seeing M.r Ivimey’s name to whom I was writing, I sent to him the manuscript for ye Magazine.  He will doubtless know what to do with it – I fear there has been some mistake in applying to Lord Bathurst – However both Mr Ivimey thro Mr Grant, & I are attending to ye Object (if securing Mr[Trouts?Rowe’s?] permission I mean to go to Java) I trust we shall succeed – I am so extremely pressd for time, that I can only congratulate you on the signal display of  ye divine Goodness, in the great events which have just now passd & are still passing on ye Continent, & I cannot but believe that (as I must say I have long hoped & often said I trusted would be the Case) God is blessing the Counsels of those Ministers, who, tho less honour’d of Men, have doubtless both had more Sense of Religion & a more friendly demeanour towd its professors than Ministers in genl

  And subscribe myself in extreme haste 

  My dear Sir

  yours sincerely

  W Wilberforce

Text: Wilberforce-Ryland Letters, shelfmark MS. G97a, Bristol Baptist College Library, fol. 17.