Copy of a Letter from the Secretary to the Settlers at New Zealand
To Wm and D. Hall and John King
Dear Friends
				We have received different letters from Mr Marsden and you, which have given us some insight into your proceedings and circumstances. The events which have taken place at New Zaeealand, being entirely under beyond our controul, must be submitted to as of God’s special appointment. Though they may retard you intended settleing among that people, yet we hope that they will not frustrate the design.
		It gave us pleasure to hear that our God protected you in safety, and meaintained alive your earnest desires to be instrumental in diffusing the knowledge of his salvation. And we pray for you, that our Great and Blessed Master would endue you with the abundant grace of the Holy Spirit. [f]
It is a great satisfaction to us, and must be so to you also, that you immediately on your arrival at Port Jackson entered into active employ. 		I send you a sett of the Christian Guardian up to the present time; & shall take opportunities, in future, to continue it: as it will be a pleasant and useful book for you to read. Enclosed also is a copy of the last two sermons and Reports of our Society.
		It will give us much pleasure to hear, if it shall please God to prosper our designs, that you have been ena-bled to proceed to New Zealand, and to settle yourselves there in security, and with a prospect of ultimate success in your undertaking. Reports very unfavourable to the natives have reached us, and seem to have had some influence to their prejudice on your minds: but we are much inclined to ^think with Mr Marsden, that the [f] New Zealanders have been very shamefully used by our countrymen; and where they are properly treated, there is no just ground to fear settleing among them. wWe pray that our Heavenly Master would guide you and our friends in all your deliberations. May the Holy Spirit keep alive in your hearts much love to the souls of the heathen. How hono^urable is our cause! How acceptable to our Lord even the desire to be instrume^ntal of winning souls to Him, whether he may seem to prosper your labours or not!
		We beg you to write by every opportunity your feelings and views on the objects before you. Make ^us as fully acquainted as you can with the character, and manners & of the natives – when you settle among them. And let us hear, from time to time, [f] what you find to be obstacles in the way of enlightening the natives, and the best way of removing them. Here is a wide friend field for your observations and remarks, And these communications will ^always be acceptable to the Comittee. We shall be glad to hear of Mrs Hall’s health and spirits being good: and we trust that our God will be with you, and give you peace and harmo-ny together, faith and humble dependmentence on him, patience and zeal in his cause, and such success as may redound to the glory of his name.
		If you should be enabled to establish yourselves, with good prospect of success, at New Zealand, others will be ready to join you from ^this country, like minded with yourselves. We have some such persons [f] in view, but the Com^mittee are unwilling to enter into an engagement with them till they have farther light thrown on the path of their duty.
		Take every opportunity of corresponding with us: and be assured that we feel much for you, and that you are reme^mbered in many prayers. Live near God yourselves, in the daily renewing of your vows to Christ, and in the deriveing of supplies of mercy and grace from the Father through Christ by the Spirit.
		The sum ^of ?28 which Mr Hall mentions as haveing been expended, the Committee have directed me to request Mr Marsden to return to you, if he shall judge it proper. In every thing we wish you to refer yourselves to that excellent friend’s judgement, and that of those [f] other friends who with him have undertaken to assist us in our designs. 
		We beg you to accept our Christian love. Believe me, Dear Friends,
In the best of bonds,
Your’s very affectionatly
Josiah Pratt