perjured persons are the children of the devil. I love and pity their souls, but I despise their conduct. If it be possible, O, Father in Heaven, to forgive so great, so heinous, so destructive, so disgraceful sins against thee, and against all human safety and happiness, look upon them in mercy, make them sensible of their crimes, and bring them to repentance, and to a better use of their tongues.

Let a person possess all the wealth of the Indies, or all the gold of Peru; let him be honored with all the offices and stations in the power of men to bestow, yet, if he be destitute of truth, he is rotten at the core, he is detestible in the sight of God and man-look at him! see a liar! a false swearer! a perjured person! How mean he is! how despicable! how dreadful! I advise parents to teach their children, above all other qualifications, the love and practice of truth; and to impress their minds, as much as possible, with an inward abhorrence and detestation of falsehood and misrepresentation. If a person be never so poor, if misfortunes surround him on every side, if he be afflicted in mind, body and estate, and is overwhelmed in sorrows and troubles, yet, if he be a man of truth, if what he says may be relied on, he will be respected, he will be comforted and relieved. We have a silent monitor within us, unless, by falsehood and perjury we have banished him, and he will inform us what is true, and what is not. In this case the words of Pope are excellent, viz. What conscience dictates to be done,

Or warns me not to do,

This teach me more than hell to shun,

That, more than Heaven pursue.

Saint Paul says, our rejoicing is this, the testimony of a good conscience, that in simplicity and godly sincerity we have had our conversation in the world. But conscience is not an infallible guide: how often have I conscienciously, and sincerely thought I was right, and afterwards been convinced that I was wrong! and even in matters of religion, our consciences are greatly influenced by education and custom! Still it is the best guide in the world when regulated by the holy Scriptures, and the best information which we can obtain. O, Almighty and Eternal God, make me, and all man

kind, I beseech thee, at all times, to love those things which thou dost command, and to desire those things which thou dost promise; that so, among the sundry and manifold. changes of the world, our hearts may surely there be fixed, where true joys are to be found, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. "Our Father who art in Heaven," &c.

CHAPTER XVI.

The witnesses testified before the court, and their testimony was supported by the testimony of others, that Col. Halsey and Dr. Downer, and James Lanman, Esq. did overpersuade and hire them to testify against me as they did before the court, and that it was not true, and they knew it. Now stand still and see the judgments of Heaven upon these wicked men :In less than three years,

Col. Jeremiah Halsey, who had been a noted lawyer, a man of great property and distinction, has become a poor, miserable vagabond; he has had the numb palsey, his mouth drawn on one side, he spits and drules; he got drunk, fell from his horse, was taken up out of compassion, at Mr. Abel Spicer's, where he lay all night, wet the bed and dirtied himself; his son-in-law turned him out of door, he has not a house to shelter his head; a demand of $20 was offered to me against him by a Mr. Kimbal for one of these books-only fifty cents.

Dr. Avery Downer, of Preston,was once a noted Physician, loooked upon to be a man of good property, well respected and promoted in the town. In less than two years after I came out of Jail, every cent of his property was sold at the post by the Sheriff; he has not a shelter of his own to cover his head, and now goes from grog-shop to grog-shop, a poor, miserable outcast in society, by most of his acquaintances hated and despised.

James Lanman, Esq. was educated in the same college and at the same time with me; he has been a noted lawyer, a State's Attorney, and a Senator of the United States. Since these false accusations against me, he has been publicly burnt

in effigy in the city of Hartford, hung in effigy in the city of New-London, drowned in effigy in Norwich, and publicly whipped in his own person! in Norwich Landing, by a Mr. Story, in presence of hundreds of his own citizens, and not, a man to take his part, except his own son, who said to him: Go home, father, for you have more enemies here, than there are bees in a hive. Ile has been refused a seat in Congress, &c. left out of office, and I know no man who has become more universally hated and despised, by all classes of people, in the town where he lives, than James Lanman, and it is said he is more than $5,000, worse than nothing, as to property.

Judge Chapman, who conducted the trial, and pronounced sentence upon me, soon after sickened, languished, died, and is now in his grave!

Asenath C. Smith, has left the United States, and I do not know what has become of her.

Maria A. Smith, (the supposed sister of Asenath; because the circumstances of her birth were such, that her father never would own her; he went to sea and has never returned,) after my trial returned to Springfield, with Dr. Ira Daniels, (who was very anxious to have me condemned,) his property was all attached, his friends had forsaken him, he fled; she returned to Griswold, destitute, despised and neglectedshe then went to the city of New-York, and it is said, supported herself at the expense of her chastity; returned to Groton, sickly and diseased; John Packer took her part, and took her in, and he has since neglected his own wife, and children, and has had a bastard by his wife's sister-Maria married a poor, drunken fellow, and lives very unhappy.

Sam Wheeler, the negro, has, since my trial, been convicted of breaking open a store, and stealing, in North Stonington; and is now justly suffering two years imprisonment in New-Gate State Prison, at Simsbury Mines.

John P. Trott, the Foreman of the Jury who pronounced me guilty, soon after my trial, sickened, languished and died, and is now in his grave! Is it nothing to you, all ye that pass by? Is it not wonderful! is it not astonishing to view and consider the judgements of Heaven, which have attended

the perpetrators of this horrid plan, these persecutors of injured innocence! and although they have made me enemies among those who will judge a case without examination or knowing it; yet what has become of all these abominable conspirators. I do not believe that people always receive all their punishment in this world; I am not a universalist, yet great plagues remain for the ungodly. Elias Brewster, who was called to support the character of Maria and Sam, had an amiable wife, who hung herself the very next winter, and there is hardly an individual among them, who has taken part against me in this case, who has not been obliged to drink the bit er cup of affliction. Look at them! were they once? What are they now!

What

As to my own conduct and character, actions speak louder than words. I was ordained and settled in the state of NewYork, and remained there in the ministry about ten or twelve years, and was dismissed after the death of my wife, with great reluctance, and only at my own request, (see page 35,) and without the least fault found in me. I was then settled in Branford, the place where I was born and brought up; where my parents and grand-parents lived, and where I had been known from my infancy, without a dissenting voice or vote; and with a larger salary than they had, at that time, ever giv en to any other clergyman. If there had been any thing, in my youthful days, against me, or my family, or my connections, would there be no one to lift a hand or stir a tongue against my settlement there as a minister? After I had been gone from Ballston about three years, a meeting was called, and in a congregation of more than 700 souls, a very unanimous vote was passed (only two dissenting votes) for me to return and again become their minister, with the same salary I had before, viz. £216 a year; and if there had been any thing against me in the county of Saratoga, would they want me back again?

Jacob Bunniel, of Branford, New-Haven county, and state of Connecticut, of lawful age deposeth and saith, that he has been for many years one of the wardens of St. Andrew's church in Branford; that he was personally and well acquainted with the parents and grand-parents of the Rev.

Ammi Rogers before he was born; that they were always considered among the most respectable for character and property of any of the inhabitants of this town; this deponent has been personally and well acquainted with the Rev. Ammi Rogers, who was born and brought up within about one mile of the place where this deponent has lived, ever since the said Rogers was born; that he never knew any thing unbecoming in the conduct or character of the said Rogers; and that there never was, to his knowledge, any blemish fixed upon his character in this town; that previous to his ordi nation, this deponent and the committee of the said Episcopal society in Branford, did sign and send to the Bishop and standing committee in the state of New-York, a recommendation for the said Rogers to be ordained. And this deponent says, that some years after this, the said Rogers was unanimously chosen to be the minister of this parish; that the congregation were united under him as their minister; that he never knew nor heard of any person in this town who had any just cause of complaint against said Rogers, either as a minister or as a man: and further this deponent saith not. JACOB BUNNIEL. Subscribed and sworn in due form of law, in Branford, before BENJAMIN PAGE, Justice of Peace. To the Convention of the Episcopal Church in Connecticut. We, the undersigned, respectfully shew, that the Rev. Ammi Rogers was born of respectable parents, and brought up in this town and neighborhood, and that we have been constantly and well acquainted with him from his infancy; before he entered college, while at college, and ever since he has been in the ministry; and at no period of his life has any blemish been fixed upon his character; that he now is, and always has been, highly esteemed in this town, and that the church in this town was never so united and so prosperous as while under his ministry.

SAMUEL RUSSEL, Wardens of Trinity Church. ISAAC HOADLEY, S in Branford. Bishop Jarvis himself, my enemy and persecutor, gave a public pledge and assurance, in behalf of himself and of all the Episcopal clergy in Connecticut, that my character and