G.W. Marriott

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Description

Marriott expresses his delight in reading Chase's last letter and details sharing copies with many others. He describes his admiration for the success of new churches in America and Chase's dedication to God.

Date

1-1-1825

City

London, England

Keywords

G. W. Marriott, Lord Kenyon, Bishop of St. David's, Judge Park, Miss Macfarlane, Bishop Burgess, Mr. Pratt, Parish, Diocese of St. David’s

Transcript

Queen’s Square New-Year’s Day

1825

My dear and venerated Friend

Can I be otherwise than superstitious, or can I be pardonable if not somewhat so, on the arrival of your second letter (from Worthington) on this day, the first having arrived on Christmas day? Or could I forgive myself, whether you forgave me or not, if I did not instantly acknowledge it? Of all your communications this has most delighted me, and my Clerk will be occupied next week in making many a copy of it. “For all His mercies God be praised, thro’ Christ our Lord,” was my dear Father’s daily Grace, and the well-known and familiarized words burst from my tongue repeatedly during the perusal. I gave it to my Servant, all of whom received your episcopal blessing, and all love and venerate you. And as I believe they are all sensible of the blessing of a Christian Church and Country, I cannot doubt that it will warm their hearts to see the seed, aye and a few of the buds, of “the Rose in the West,” and I am sure they will rejoice in what is so intimately connected with your happiness. What has been done by England, little as I think it at present, seems to have acted on America, like the donations of the Church-building Society on Parishes here, which thought, or said they thought, new Churches could not be built, nor old ones enlarged, but which found out many “means to boot,” after an impulse given from a foreign source. Similar, tho’ not equal, zeal was shewn by different Towns in the Diocese of St. David’s for the honor of being the birth-place of the Sister Institution, raised, under God, by the piety of Bishop Burgess for the education of his native Clergy. Quite so many as contended retrospectively for having been the birth-place of Honor neither S. Wales nor Ohio have produced, but the number of the latter may still encrease before the June Convention. May all their emulation tend to the good of the Seminary!

Another circumstance which makes the second Letter very opportune, is one on which you will deeply sympathize with me. My dear Brother John, after a course of too great exertion, is reduced to temporary incapacity for any labor. We are nursing him, and he has the best London advice and we are assured will be quite well soon, but his Constitution seems to us to be much shaken. It did him good, as well as every other inhabitant of my house, to read your letter, as it must do every one who is worthy of the perusal. One probable ultimate effect of the illness we cannot, as a family, regret, [viz]: that it will bring to a point the doubts he has for some time had of his strength being suited to such a Cure as Broadelist, together with all he volunteered at Exeter, and restore him to his own quiet Parish near Rugby and Colesbatch.

3rd January. Yesterday I had the opportunity of reading the whole of your letter to Judge Park and his Lady, who took peculiar delight in it. Today I send a copy to the Bishop of St. David’s, and to Lord Kenyon, to be forwarded to Miss Macfarlane, now in Scotland. She will not fail to let Lady Rosse know everything, especially relative to Mr [?], but I have suggested it to her, and that she may direct her communications for Lady R. to Lord Kenyon. I can never tire him, or any of his family, in your service.

If Robert was not a sad Loiterer, you would have heard from him. He long ago asked for your direction, and had it from me, but, as he has never told me he has written, I fear he has not. I shall see him next week, if I live, and he will have a jog.

Till the moment now passing, I have overlooked you and yours, chiefly, perhaps, because I am sure you never can want “any manner of thing that is good.” But as the sacrifice you offered was heartily and unqualifiedly offered, so its restoration will be blessed to you all for having been dedicated in design to God. The Patriarch offered up his Son, “accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead.” And (tho’ you should scold me, I will continue to say) you tendered to the Church of Christ your temporal substance, believing that God would, the more assuredly and in that Church, sustain yourself and yours. If I thought the Towns were equally disinterested, I should expect as much good to all concerned in the donations.

I may probably incur a second lecture by what follows. In the Memoir of Mr Bowdler, which will be soon on its way to Ohio, you will find among his Ancestors an Irish Bishop who lived to 103. For the good of Mankind, I wish an American Bishop may follow his example. If to effect this to be necessary not to marry, as the Irish Bishop did not, till 63, you and I have no great chance of treading in his steps as to length of years. But this is not the only, or best, standard for the length of life.

You pat our effective friends N. and O., and all their amiable Myrmidons, on the back, and acknowledge your obligations. I have done so from the first in my heart, and the time may come (if a lucid interval is ever granted to any of them in my presence) that I may tell them so. At present their state of mental aberration is too strong for any hope of benefit from rational conference. My charity towards them begins at a stage (and not an unimportant one) earlier than yours. I wish they may repent.

Good Mr Pratt shall see your letter this morning. His second Letter, and his Memoir and Obituary, have done much good. With the latter Bishop Burgess is much pleased, and I shall supply them to him for distribution, among young Clergymen especially. To them it is peculiarly an encouragement in well-doing, as well as to us all a timely warning. It must be looked upon as well authenticated, by the seal of a Bishop, and a Rector, the Bishop’s friend.

I thank God that we begin 1825 very favorably. All of us, but our dear Selina, quite well, and she declared quite free from any complaint, but a debility, which we are assured will soon go off with proper care. We trust that so it will be with you and all yours, but shall be anxious to hear of yours truly afflicted Daughter-in-law. Our united warmest love ever attends you. I am your devoted and affectionate friend

G.W. Marriott

Letter to Philander Chase

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