John Ryland, Jr., Bristol, to the Rev. Samuel Hopkins, Newport, Rhode Island, undated (c. November 1797).

Dear Sir

         I am unspeakably obliged to you for your Remarks on my Friend Booth’s late publication. I have read ym over with great pleasure, tho I was absent from home when it came, & have been exceedingly busied since my Return. Hereafter if any part shou’d admit of objections in my mind, I will take the Liberty of stating them. I have sent to Mr Booth some Animadversions from my dear Friend Dr Edwards, if he takes them well, I may send him a Copy of yours, when I have transcribed them. I rather wonder you have never seen his Reign of Grace, if I cd procure a Copy before I must send this off, I wd beg your Acceptce – if I cannot, I will endeavour to get one by the next time. You certainly wd think more highly of him from most other Circumstances than from this last Publicatn – He is a Man of Sterling Worth, & the most unblemish’d & exemplary Character. But sometimes when a good Man has long been used to contemplate a Subj. on one side it is extremely difficult to get him to step round & survey it on the other – It has seem’d to me that some Good Men have had their minds so much impress’d with the distressing Situation of wounded Consciences as to [have] overlook’d the state of No’s who never imagined they deserved to be damned, so intent are they upon relieving those who think it hardly possible they shou’d be saved. And so much concern’d are they to guard men agt Self-righteousness, that they hardly believe (what I think is fact with multitudes where ever the Gospel has long been preach’d) that a great many are more in danger of ridiculing the very name of Good Works, than of depending on their own Rs [Righteousness] – or if they have a Self Rs [Righteousness] at all, it is wholly made up of a superficial Notion that Salvn is not of Works, on Acct of which they look down with as much contempt on those they call Legalists or Pharisees, as any profess’d Advocate of Merit can look down upon a Profligate withal –

         I suppose by your Goodness in sending me this Mst [Manuscript] Dr Edwards must have mention’d me to you – I take the Liberty of enclosing a Publicatn or two of my own, with one of my friend Scott’s, which will I conceive approach much nearer to your own Sentiments than Mr Booth’s – But if you cou’d give me your Opinion on Mr Scott also, I shd be highly obliged to you –

         Tho I wish to call no Man Mr [Master] on Earth, I wd desire to seek after Truth as after hid Treasure, & I think your writings have assisted me in the search, tho I must follow slowly wherein I see few footsteps before you, & may never fully accord with all you have written –

         I have less time also than heretofore for discussion, but perhaps I might truly say I have done more to get your writings impartially examined than any Man in England. The Lord lead & keep us all, & may truth prevail with whom soever it shall be found. I earnestly request an Interest in your prayers, particularly, as you probably know I have been call’d to a Station of considerable Importance to our Churches, having the chief Inspection of about xvi Candidates for the Ministry – We admit none but those who have been members of Churches & recommended by them as possessing hopeful Abilities for the Ministry.

         I am

                     Dear Sir

                                 Your’s very respectfully

                                             John Ryland

I inform’d Dr Edws long ago that Mr Newton lamented to me losing your Note by which means he knew not where to enquire for the Captn by whom you sent your System I suppose therefore it was taken back to America again – Mr Newton enquired of sevl Capts but cd not hear of it –

Address: Revd Dr Hopkins | Newport | Rhode Island

Postmark: none

Note: one says “no date” and another says “N-v 1 1797”

Text: Simon Gratz Collection, Foreign Hymn Writers, Case 12, Box 4, Historical Society of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia.