William Newman, Bromley, near Bow, to John Sutcliff, Olney, 21 September 1808.

Bromley near Bow   21st Septr 1808

Dear Sir

         I am very much obliged by your present of valuable pamphlets. I wish it was in my power to repay you in the same coin. — In persuance of what passed betweeen You and Mr Fuller and myself respectg Mr Worth, I have taken measures to get an Opportunity of hearing him. I have also put into his hands Mason’s “Student & Pastor”—have given him this Question to discuss on paper—‘What is the difference between justification & sanctification’—and have desired him to draw out two or three Schemes of sermons. In the midst of this, I have exhorted him to work with his hands, if he could get any employment, that his money might not melt away too fast. I have only to say, ‘Go, and he goeth’ so he went & bought a Millers frock, and spent one day with a Miller, a friend of mine, in this neighbourhood, but the labour was too hard for him. He has been sore and stiff ever since!

Lords Day Septr 11. at 12 oclock, I took him to our Female Sunday School. He discoursed about 20 Minutes to 100 girls. The first impression I received was quite in his favour.

Friday the 16.th He called in the morng to say he shuddered at the thought of going into the Ministry— could not see a clear call—and must give it up. I endeavoured to console him, and engaged him to go with me in the afternoon to our Female Charity School, where he spoke to about 22 Children on Acts. 17. ‘The unknown God’   The Children were very attentive—the Mistress thanked him most heartily and begged him to come again. I was very much gratified.

         He has shown me 3 MS Discourses which I wish You to see.

Lords Day the 18.th   At 4 oclock, he went with me to our Sunday School and addressed about 100 boys from Gen. 41. 55   Go unto Joseph &c.  I heard him with pleasure.

Monday, the 19.th   At three oclock, he went with me to a little female Day-School, kept by one of my friends.—There he had another little Congregation, which he addressed with great familiarity & affection from Matt. 18. 3    ‘become as little children’ &c

         His modesty, simplicity & affection have very much endeared him to me. There are some little defects in his elocution which I think may be cured.

         It is proper that I have seen Mr Smith, the Pastor of the Church at Ilford. I inquired if he thought these measures would be displeasing to the Church. He replied, ‘I believe the Church would wish him to be tried by others.’

         On the whole, I dare not withhold encouragement—but I distrust my own judgment. He is certainly a practised speaker among children. How he might appear among other classes of hearers, I cannot tell.

         Now I wish to ask You, my dear Sir, whether You will allow him to spend 3 or 4 weeks with You on a visit, as Mr Fuller suggested—he paying for his board &c—

         If Your Judgment shd be in his favour, I think we could get him patronage from the Education-Society or from the Fund. I shall not tell MrWorth I have written this Letter till I receive your answer. The occasion is urgent—He can do nothing in secular business till this question is set at rest; therefore You will excuse my sending this by post without delay.

         With the most fervent prayers for Your long life and increasing usefulness, 

                                             I am Dear Sir

                                                               Cordially Your’s

                                                                                 Wm Newman

P.S. Since I wrote the above Mr Worth has been with me to a Prayer Meeting at Mrs West’s Boarding-School in Bow—He spoke from Gen 3. ‘Where art thou’   to about 25 Young Ladies & 12 or 13 other persons. I thought he displayed more ability than on any former occasion. I need not add, I shall be obliged by Your finding me an answer as soon as convenient—

Thursday morning—

Text: Eng. MS. 381, fol. 1485a, John Rylands University Library of Manchester. On the back page Sutcliff has written: “Rec.d Sep. 23. 1808. Ans. Do.” William Newman (1773-1835), Baptist minister at Old Ford, Bow, 1795-1835, and principal of Stepney College, 1810-27. Richard Moss Worth, after spending some time with Newman in London, would soon leave to study with John Sutcliff, 1808-10, apparently receiving some financial support from the London Education Society and the Particular Baptist Fund, as this letter suggests. Newman wrote to Sutcliff on 31 December 1808, inquiring about Worth’s progress and hoping for “a favourable report.” Worth inherited a baronetcy not long after leaving Olney, and failed to make any mark as a Baptist preacher. The work by John Mason  (1706-63) referenced above is The Student and Pastor; or, Directions how to Attain to Eminence and Usefulness in those Respective Characters, which was reprinted in 1807. James Smith (1781-1839) was the Baptist minister at Ilford, 1808-34. See “Calendar of Letters,” Baptist Quarterly 6 (1932-33), 373; also P. B. Gravett, Over Three Hundred Years of God’s Grace: A Short History of Sutcliff Baptist Church (Olney: [n.p.], 1987), 28.