Richard Newton, Hertford College, to Philip Doddridge, 26 January 1743/4.

Hertford College 26th Jany, 1743.

Dear Sr,

       I am much Oblig’d to you for your kind Letter and Valuable Present, and for all your favorable Thoughts of me, and good Wishes to me. I have not had Time to read more of the Books you sent me than your Two Sermons. These I have perus’d with much Pleasure, & hope they have had, and will have, the good Effect intended by the Pious, Learned, & Serious Author. The other Treatises I promise you I will read, and with a strict attention. I shd readily have comply'd with the request of the Committee and have Preach’d at the Opening of the Hospital ^your Infirmary^, if the Quantity ^multiplicity^ of Business I have at present upon me wd have permitted. But, whoever shall do it, he will make use of the motives to the Charity which you have mentiond in your Sermon at the First Opening of the Scheme; and I think he will not be able to press them in a more affecting manner. – Bishop Burnet in the History of his Own Times, speaking of Nairn, says, “That he considered the Pastoral Function as a Dedication of the whole man to God and his Service.” And whoever reads your Other Discourse ^on ye Evil & Danger of neglecting ye seats of mercy^ will, I think, be convinced, that you are of the same Opinion. I have made some few alterations in the Statutes communicated to you by Mr Therold; and intend in about a twelvemonthly time to Publish them, with reasons for Particulars annex’d; and with a resolution to consider any Advice that shall be given me and, in the meantime, shd be glad to see what hath been your Plan of Education since the year 1729. Mr Hunt gives his Service to you, and is glad to have his Dissertation approv’d by so good a Judge. He is, at present, engaged by Dr Mead in finishing a work which was left imperfect by Pocock, the Son. It is a ^Latin^ Translation of Abdollatiph’s Natural History of Egypt from the Arabic. He is to Print it by Subscription, and will shortly publish his Proposals. As soon as he has done this, he will go on to Print his Dissertations on the Proverbs: One of which he has herewith sent you, as it agrees wth what you have said of Prov. 26.7. in your notes to your Sermon on the North[amp]ton Infirmary, which he likes very much. I shall be glad to see you either in Oxford or Laundon-Grange, whenever it suits yr Convenience, and am with great Esteem, and wth my Service to Dr Stonhouse, Dear Sr,

                        Your Affectionate Frd and

                                     Servant  R. Newton

Herford [sic] College

26 January 1743.

Pray remember me kindly to Mr Therold when you write

Address:  none.

Postmark: none.

Note on first page: “From Dr Newton* which is answered at the foot of the page: “Principal of Hertford College Oxford.” 

Text: Ferdinand J. Dreer Autograph Collection, English Clergyman, Vol. III, Box 267, Folder 14, Historical Society of Pennsylvania. MS not previously known, nor complete version published until now; previous printed versions, with considerable changes made to the original text, appeared in Thomas Stedman, ed., Letters to and from Dr Doddridge (1790), LXXXV, p. 266; and J. D. Humphreys, ed., Correspondence and Diary of Philip Doddridge (1829-31), vol. 4, p. 304 (same version as Stedman's). A summary of the letter appears in Nuttall's Calendar, letter 947, taken from the above sources; letter does not appear in his Philip Doddridge: Additional Letters (2001).