As you expressed a wish to hear from /me/ I take up my pen, tho you must be contented with a few hurried lines, having near 20 unanswered letters lying before me. I am glad you are returned to Oxford that seems to me at present to be your part. Pupils and a Fellowship if attainable, would I think, for some years be desirable for you. Still I allow that Providence may lead /to/ another and you will do well to follow his leadings. – I am glad you like my Irish friends and that they like you. I have had much Irish communication of late. A most alarming letter from the Arch bishop of Cashel as to the state of danger from the insurgents in his vicinity; but other letters since from D^r. Woodward and the Dean of Cork (Magee) speak of better hopes and more tranquil times.

I suppose you have heard the painful news of the secession of four or five senior minister from the Establishment M^r. Baring the ringleader has given up his living, and is preaching in houses, and has bought a Chapel at Salisbury for the propagation of Antinomian [unclear] doctrines. The misfortune is these Men are pious and strictly moral, tho the doctrines they preach in so unguarded a manner seem subversive of all morality. They say “the Homilies Liturgy and Articles of our Church are unscriptural, they cannot read the ten Commandments, because Christians are not under the Law, that in the Liturgy the Saviour is not made prominent,” with many other such wild notions. I see much evil and some good in this secession. It will help to weed the Church of such notions and it lessens their /own/ moral guilt by refusing any emoluments from it; what is of still more consequence, it will I trust make some of the very high Calvinists preach more practically; this I am told it has already done. On the other hand, Norris and such firebrands will involve all the more senior Ministers, who have not his views of religion, in this narrow confederacy.

We shall hope to see you when you come to Bristol, and let me observe that there are Coaches passing within a mile of us almost every hour; you would therefore do well to come down in one of them and return the next day; we shall have a bed for you, and it is impossible we can talk over all our Irish friends in a morn’s visit. I can truly say I have felt more for M^rs. Davies than I have often done for any one whom I know not intimately. I greatly like her, and should rejoyce in any occasion to serve or oblige her. I am glad to hear such good /a/ report of y^r. brother. M^rs. Boak is doing well. I have not seen him, having been shut up for the winter these six weeks tho tolerably well – My Sister P very poorly. Remember me kindly to M^r. O Cave &c