1808 JOHN FOSTER. Fine 1p. Letter by Baptist Divine and Author to a Suffering Friend.

  Very fine, unpublished* pastoral letter to a friend, just emancipated from "slavery," likely of some form of cruel employment rather than chattel slavery. The addressees, Mr. and Mrs. Collins, are encouraged in their faith and join together in hoping for success, likely related to some missionary or Baptist endeavor. John Foster [1770-1843] graduated from the Baptist College [Bristol], was a Baptist minister, but was forced to resign because of an ongoing throat condition. He turned to pen and was one of the two most significant Baptist authors in the public domain of the 19th century. The other being Robert Hall. He published nearly 200 articles in The Eclectic Review, and became an important advocate for social reforms in Education, alongside work and prison reforms promoted by Wilberforce, Hannah More, Elizabeth Fry, and others.  He was also a noted abolitionist and advocate for Africa. He helped run a training school for African young men in England, which was both Evangelistic /