I agree with both Michelle- Louise Lewis and WJ McIlroy that England is a beautiful country (Letters, May 5), but agree with Mr McIlroy that its history is not entirely glorious and, like any other country on earth, has its black spots.

As a Christian, I believe that when this country has been true to the faith of the New Testament with its emphasis on loving one's enemies and overcoming evil with good, it has led the way in ethical progress.

Take the slave trade. Whereas the French revolutionary assembly in 1792 continued to support slavery in the French colonies, William Wilberforce, John Wesley and even the ex-slave captain John Newton were campaigning against slavery in our own country and colonies.

English Christians led the way in abolishing the slave trade, 30 years before America.

The Earl of Shaftesbury, another committed Christian, set in motion a series of factory acts which abolished some of the worst excesses of the Industrial Revolution and the abuse of labour which was the result.

The Tolpuddle martyrs, primitive Methodists to a man, formed the first modern trade union in this country and suffered transportation to Australia as a result.

I agree with Mr McIlroy that England needs a new patron saint.

As he rightly says, St George - the alleged dragon-slayer - was born in the Middle East and never set eyes on England. Why not make John Wesley our patron saint? As a famous historian has said: "He changed the face of England."

  • The Rev John Webster, Wilfrid Road Hove