William Wilberforce, Forncettt, near Long Stratton, to William Wood, [Leeds], 23 November 1789. 

Sir

        Your Letter of the 14th Inst  with that which accompanied it from the Committee of Dissenting Ministers of the West Riding of the County of York, found me in Nottinghamshire when I was on the point of leaving that part of the Country, & I take the earliest opportunity after my arrival at my Journeys End of acquainting you with their having reach’d me in safety.

        With respect to the wish of the Committee that as soon as it suits my Convenience I would return them my final opinion on the Subject of our Correspondence.  I must repeat what I said in my former Letter, that before the Question comes again into the House of Commons I mean to consider it fully & to make up my mind on it; I shall then weigh with becoming attention the arguments of the Committee; But I cannot conveniently enter on this Business at present, & when I do, I shall be slow to come to any determination, because in my conscience I feel the matter to be a most important one, as well as because I expect to derive much help from Reading & Conversation in forming an Opinion on a Point which, directly or consequentially, has so greatly engaged the Pens & occupied the attention of Men.  I have the Honor to be Sir

                        Your most obedient & most humble Serv:

                                                    W Wilberforce

Text: Text Acts Papers, no. 29, Unitarian Collection, UCC 3/6/6, John Rylands University Library of Manchester. The West Riding committee met on 11 November 1789, after which Wood wrote his lengthy letter (later printed--see f. 38 in the Test Act Papers) to Wilberforce on 14 November; he also sent him the printed resolutions of the meeting of the 11th, to which Wilberforce responded in the above letter.