Letter to Willard Richards, 31 March 1840
Ledbury He[refordshir]e
Dr Brothr Richards
I received your letters last evening also one from Elder Cordon
I have but about 10 minutes to write to you at this time, & while writing to
you at this time I have several conversing to me so I have to write & answer
questions at the same time, so if I make a blunder excuse it. Dear Brothr
I have much I want to say to you. I have just written to Elder Turley &
enquired all about his circumstances & expet he will answer me immediately
& we must do what we can for him both by faith & works. It is
begining to become the day of Gods power here in some degree. & I
hardly know what make of it all. for some cause no man dare meet
me in publick or come nijh [nigh] me at all to oppose me I have not had the
first word of opposition in publick, but yet the whole world is stired up here
all the Church Ministers are holding conventions here & they find they cannot
stop me or the work by law & they are afraid of looseing their member &
they have come to the conclusion to sink pools & baptized their churches by
immersion as the ownly way to save them. they sent to one of their constables
to take me up but they sent to the wrong man for before the message came
to him I had Baptized him. one of the clerks of the church is intending to be
Baptized but I have not yet given him an opportunity. my labours have
mostly been at Frooms Hill 5 miles from Ledbury I never preached in
Ledbury untill last evening, & notwithstanding I did not know a soul that
lived in town, yet a large number flocked around me in the streets as
soon as it was known that I was in town & gave me a hearty shake of
the hand & the Baptist minister came to me rejoiced at an [interview] flung open his
large chapel for me to preach in went with me into the pulpit & prayed mighlyly for
God to bless me & I preached to the largest congra◊gation ever met in the house
the Minister & rest m[e]mbers in town are Belveing. I have about a dozen to
Baptize to day on Sunday I Baptized 13 confirmed 35 & B & C 9 yesterday I Broke Bred on Sunday
to 100 saints. Elder Richards one word more to you & I must close this sheet. I want you
to come immediatey & be a coworker with me in the vineyard here I cannot do
the work alone I am called to Baptize 4 or 5 times a day I want no better man than
yourself to council & labour with me here & help me reep this mighty harvest if you
have nothing on but rags come I want your person come & God shall bless you with
health & strength come by way of Manchester Burslem & get what you can for Br Turley
& call & see him at Stofford goal. from Wolverhampton come to Worcester then enquire
fromr Froome's Hill. & Hill farm. I want an interview with you as soon as you come
before you meet much with the churches. If you can leave Sister R with any frie[n]ds
a little while so do, dont fail of comeing Dear Brother if possible
whether you come or not write immedtialy
W Woodruff
