Transcript of letter from William Fox and Wm. B. Pollard to the Reverend Mr. Venn, Secretary of the Church Missionary Society.
Item in Church Missionary Society archives held by University of Birmingham Cadbury Research Library
CMS/B/OMS/C W O27/1-4
https://www.calmview.bham.ac.uk/Record.aspx?src=CalmView.Catalog&id=XCMS%2fB%2fOMS%2fW%2f+C+O%2f13-100%2f27&pos=6
British Guiana: Demerara 1846
/1-3 Letters applying to be a missionary with CMS 1846;
/4 Letter from William Fox, chairman of Corresponding Committee, supporting application 1846
Item 4
Transcribed by Rodney Van Cooten, March 2008.
Georgetown 18th August 1846
Revd & Dear Sirs,
You will receive by this Packet a letter from Mr Van Cooten in which he offers his services to the Committee of the Church Missionary Society to receive first such instruction in the Islington Institution as they may deem necessary for him, and then to be at their disposal for any Mission to which they may see it good to appoint him. At the same time he requests of us who have had good opportunity for a period of some two years last past of forming a correct judgment of his character, to strengthen his application to the Society by any thing that we may be able to state in his favour.
We can have no scruple in doing so, for, while we should much regret his departure from this Colony, in which he has opportunities not neglected by him of glorifying God, we have yet encouraged, although not suggested, his present application. He does not seem to be acting from mere impulse, or on a recently felt conviction or desire, but from feelings which have been working in his mind for some years past, and, we feel quite assured that, so far as he knows his own heart, his motives in offering himself for the service of the Society are pure & single, heavenly & not earthly. Our persuasion is that he is one of those who “love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity,” and we are willing witnesses on his behalf that he has been abled since he came to this Colony to justify his faith to men by a life and conversation becoming to the Gospel.
His talents are respectable; his ecclesiastical principles those of quiet attachment to the Church of England, without any leaning toward Tractarian novelties & errors; his temper is highly spoken of for kindness and extreme disinterestedness by one who had had better opportunities than we of forming a just opinion on this point; in the duties of his present calling, and in what he endeavours to do for the interests of Religion, he is of a ready mind, and energetic & persevering.
We do, therefore, very cordially write in offering our humble support to Mr Van Cooten’s application, and we pray that the great Head of the Church, if it be good in his sight, may permit His servant to serve Him after the present wishes of his heart.
We remain
Revd & Dear Sirs,
Yours faithfully in the truth,
William Fox, Minister of Christ Church, Georgetown, & Chairman of the Corr. Comm Church Missy. Socty.
Wm B. Pollard, Treasurer of the Corr. Comm. C.M. Socy.
P.S.
One Barthu Godman might know something of Mr Van Cooten, as he has seen him in Georgetown, his testimony quite valuable.
NOTES: Rec. Sep 21/46
Cler set for Sep.22/46
Envelope addressed to The Revd Henry Venn and Richd Davies,
Church Missionary House
Salisbury Square
London.