Earl Spencer 20 May 1813

Revd and Dear Sir,
	I return you my thanks for the Parcel containing the Missionary Register No 3, the Xn Guardian, the Salv[atio]n & ca.
	Mr Dealtry’s Sermon was printed very opportunely for me, I have perused it with a great deal of pleasure.
	We are still detained at Spithead, on account of the Wind being unfavourable for our departure.
	Thro’ the kind attention of the Hon[oura]ble Commissioner Grey & his Lady I believe my influence on board of this Ship has been considerably promoted. I have been twice at their House at Portsmouth & the Commissioner has been as often here. Captain Mitchell approves of my distributing Religious Tracts amongst such people as are inclined to read them, I have opportunities of going amongst the Prisoners when I choose, and of visiting the Sick in the Hospital & of reading & praying by them. I use occasionally the Service for the Visitation of the Sick turning the absolution into a prayer. I have also the happiness to learn, that we shall have Divine Service read upon the Sabbath Day in a short time. Bibles will be distributed as soon as we get to Sea.
	I have read the account of the Providential escape of my Brethren in travail, the Revd Mr Butcher & all his companions except one. Altho’ they have perhaps lost the greatest part of their property and the hopes of many young children will probably for some time be disappointed, yet it must afford you & the Society great consolation that their lives have been spared [f] that they had an opportunity to proceed towards their home, & join their beloved friends in praise to their Almighty Deliverer, who rescued them in so gracious a manner from the Watery deep & delivered them out of the hands of unreasonable men—
	Be pleased to present my dutiful & affectionate regards to those Gentlemen whom I have met at the Vestry room of St. John’s Chapel Bedford Row. A little of their instruction would now be very useful to me; for I have not only to guard against the profaneness of men who are totally ignorant of themselves & the way of Salvation; but I am also beset with men who pour contempt upon all religion and reject as futile every idea of Divine Revelation. A crafty systematic opposer of the Religion of the Bible, might, I have no doubt in several points puzzle me. But still in vain must the disciples of (a) Paine & Volney [(a)We have Paine’s & Volney’s writings on board]  exalt their Godless Reason above the Heavens; she must descend to her own element when she exclaims “That if the Bible be true the greatest possible Good must await those who cordially believe it, and if it be merely a Fable, the least possible harm.“ For when you have set aside those essential truths which to the humble  believer will ever be the most dear, the Bible contains all the rules of morality which trifling reasoners can raise who oppose it. And to shew my opponents (in opinion) here the high estimation in which the Bible is held by numbers who can-not be supposed to be destitute of reason I have calmly recommended to their [f] notice, the Long List of Names contained in the Eighth Report of the British & Foreign Bible Society.
	Mr Smith a Prisoner who waits upon the Sick in the Hospital of this Ship, has left a Wife & some small children behind. He is anxious to have his children put under the Protection of the Philanthropic Society. I know your many engagements & am sorry to give you unnecessary trouble, but if Mrs Smith should call upon you I should esteem it a particular favor if you would advise her what to do. Smith behaves well, is very attentive to the Patients, acknowledges his Errors, which is not here a customary thing.— I think one of the poor men will die before he reaches New South Wales. He is a member of the Church of Scotland; appears to be very penitent. He weeps & prays & returns thanks, & wishes to depend upon Christ alone for Salvation. That important remark of our Saviour “He that setteth his hand [to the] plough and looketh back is not fit for the King[dom] of God”, he tells me, has been the occasion of great distress in his mind.
	Since I embarked with my family on board the Earl Spencer, I bless God, I have felt myself happy to this hour, Mrs Kendall & the children are still chearful & well. We have plenty of amusement, and are plentifully provided for. I keep a little school every day, and they the children come to me at the hours of eleven & six every Lords Day and take pleasure in singing Psalms. We are not molested by any one. I attend to this because I deem [f] it absolutely  necessary to set apart time for devotional exercises, and there can be no time upon the Lords day so suitable as that in which we can be assured that we are joining in Spirit with so many dear friends whom we have left behind.	
	Mrs K joins in kind acknowledgments to Mrs Pratt & yourself. And am Revd & Dear Sir
Yours faithfully
Tho Kendall
 
I wrote in my Let[ter] to Mr Woodd that I could wish to present the last report of our Society to Captain Mitchell as he has requested to see it. I did this because he at first was of opinion that I was sent out by the Methodist’s Society — but I left it to you. I am not particularly anxious to clear myself from a charge which I told him was imputed to many true members of the Church of England.

The Revd J. Pratt
Doughty Street
Guildford Road
London