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Description
Osborne showing support for Chase's journey to England.
Date
8-28-1823
City
Edisto Island, SC
Keywords
church; England voyage, Thomas Osborne
Recommended Citation
Osborne, Thomas, "Letter to Philander Chase" (1823). Philander Chase Letters. 148.
https://digital.kenyon.edu/chase_letters/148
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Transcript
Edisto Island August 28th 1823
Pt. Pres’ Bp. Chase
Very dear Sir,
Your affecting and affectionate letter of 2nd inst. I recd at a late hour last evening and i very early this morning have taken up my pen to fulfil every duty it has enjoined upon me as far as it is in my power — [stay] Situation as you know is upon an Island and at this season of the year there is no sort of communication between the inhabitants of the place and Charleston otherwise than by letter. In this way sir, I have endeavoured to say everything that I could with propriety say, to Bishop Brown on the subject of your letter in one which I have just written him. — He will not, he cannot withhold his support from a cause so essentially connected with the very existence of the church in the West. and from the prosecution of a plan which since the days of primitive and Apostolick [sic] zeal has scarcely found a parallel. O May the good Shepherd and Bishop of souls keep you under the shadow of his wings conduct you safely through the perils of the great deep — prosper your laudable endeavors to promote the prosperity of zion — restore you in health to your family and friends again and continue you a blessing to them and the church for many years and that you may see the Lord’s work prosper in your hands. — Yes my dear sir, my [?] shall be often raised to Him who alone can dispense according to our need, for you, for your preservation and success. But will not the benediction of thousands go with you will not their prayers accompany your return? — I know will the situation of the church in the Western Country, — I know the situation of many who from Various Circumstances have been compelled to leave their homes and the places where their fathers worshiped, to reclaim the [wild] and solitary wilderness; How can they sing the Lord’s song in a strange land, surrounded with fanatics, infidelity and schism? — How long shall the appeal of sympathy be unheard, come over and help up us? I look with joyful hope and confident assurance in the favor of heaven that this undertaking of yours so [wondrous] — so unexampled so frequent with [sal]vations, will be a cause of rejoicing to many in [?]. — I can see in prospect the fruits of your zeal — facilities for education opened to the youth of piety and poverty — here and there the descent church shall rise in simple majority to the honour of God. — the praises of zion shall once more be heard in the form of primitive usage, and the harps which now lie unstring the boughs of the willow against sound responsive to the Voice of melody — Yes sir, the [end] of this time, will be [likely] inscribed on many an altar where the foust and immorality, dwell together, and the traveller will hail from afar, the signal of peace and goodwill as his age is attracted towards the house of the Lord. — London this [prolixity] but I feel an interest in your enterprise which I cannot express, nor quite control. — I do not [?] sir at your having the [Subsidence] of the [?]. I have grieved since you want these, I had been in any way instrumented in influencing you to accept of it. But my intentions are good in supporting that it would be the means of arousing the [?] of the Institution from their long Slumber and of procuring the funds now belonging to the Oxford [?] — Respecting the 50 dollars which you have kindly assumed I will endeavour to require the amount agreeably to your order and the first notice. And now my much revered and esteemed friend and Father farewell, I drop I tear at partin, but I will await your return in humble confidence of your deputy and success which may the God of infinite mercy grant.
Affectionately,
Tho’s Osborne