Memoirs of the Rev. Ammi Rogers, A. M.

Front matter

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Chapter I. A Bio Graphic A L Ske Tch Of My Life Ajyv

MINISTRY.

I, Ammi Rogers, was born in the town of Branford, in the county of New-Haven, in the state of Connecticut, on the 26th of May, in the year of our Lord, 1770. My father was Thomas Rogers, who departed this life in Branford, on the 23d of June, 1804, aged 79. He was the son of Josiah Rogers, who departed this life in Branford, about the year 1750, aged 86. He came from Long-Island, was a son of one of three brothers who came from England, and were grandsons of the celebrated John Rogers, a clergyman of the church of England, burnt by the Roman Catholics in Smithfield, in the first year of the reign of Queen Mary, 1554. My grandfather was one of the proprietors of the town of Branford; he owned and occupied the extensive farm and mills which are now owned and occupied by my brother Josiah Rogers, and which have been in possession of the family from about the earliest settlement of the town. My mother, before she was married was Rebecca Hobart, daughter of Abijah Hobart, of Stonington, in New-London county. By him, a relation with the family of Mason is claimed; also, with the Rev. Mr. Hobart, the former Minister of Fairfield, and his descendants. My grandmother Rogers was a Goodsell — my grandmother Hobart, was a Bartholomew. My brothers were Abijah, Rufus, Thomas, Josiah, Eliphalet and Hobart — my sister was Irene, who is married to Thelus Todd — and, except the false and scandalous accusations charged upon me, there never was, so far as I know or believe, a stain or even suspicion of immorality fixed upon my father or mother, grandfather or grandmother, brother or sister.

Perhaps there is not in Connecticut a family which ig and always has been more exempt from the practice of every vice, than that to which I have the honor to belong. In the year 1783. I entered the Academy in Litchfield, under the tuition of Mr. Gsborn, and boarded in the family of the Hon Andrew Adams, who was related to my father's family. In the year 1786, I entered Yale College in JN T ew-Haven, under the direction of the Rev. Ezra Stiles, President. Here I became more seriously impressed with the importance of religion, and the awful concerns of eternity. My parents were pious, and strict in the Congregational Presbyterian Religion, and I had been brought up in that way.

From my earliest childhood I had been impressed with a sense of God, of his omniscience, omnipresence, omnipotence, and of my own accountability. But human inability and human accountability were so contrary to the justice and goodness of God, that I sheltered mysell under the doctrine of unconditional election and foreordination. This was taught in my catechism, and if that were true, I was safe; but when I became convicted of my lost and undone condition by nature, and by practice, I perceived that if God should enter into judgment with his creatures, by the deed of the law, no man living could be justified; for cursed is every one that continued not in all things written in the book of the law to do them, and the law extends to the very thoughts of the heart, as well as to the outward actions of the body; that we were called upon to rend our hearts and not our garments, to be up and doing while the day lasted; that we were admonished, that now was the accepted time, and now was the day of salvation. I perceived that I had no power of myself, to help myself: that my sufficiency for any thing which was good and acceptable to God, must come from God, that his grace was sufficient for me and for all men; therefore did he invite all the ends of the earth to look to him and be saved; therefore did he expostulate with his people, why will ye die, O house of Israel! The sacrifices under the law, and the atonement made by Jesus Christ under the Gospel, were sufficient for all men, even the greatest of sinners.

I found my disposition changed; I found myself enlightened as to divine and spiritual things: I found my affections, my prospects, my anticipations and expectations were not on predestination and fore-ordination, but on the mercy of God, through the merits and atonement of Christ. In this way I became converted, and as a grateful return to the great Father of all mercies, I determined, and I thought it my duty to preach the gospel, the good news to all men — free salvation to every son and daughter of the human race upon equal terms, considering the light and knowledge which they had; and the unspeakable danger to which they expose themselves, if they neglect so great salvation. I could not perceive the propriety of preaching free salvation to all men, if it were not possible for all men to be saved; and if it were possible for all men to be saved, then the doctrine which I had been taught must be false. That God had, from all eternity, fore-ordained who should be saved, and who should be damned, I could not reconcile with the truth of his word, in swearing by himself that he desired not the death of a sinner; in inviting all the ends of the earth to look to him and be saved; in saying that his mercy was over all his works; in being the light that lighteth every man that cometh into the world; in saying that this will be the condemnation, that light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light; in saying that the grace of God, which bringeth salvation, hath appeared unto all men, teaching us, that denying ungodliness and "worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world. INovv to say, that God never designed, nor intended, nor wished, nor put it in the power of all mankind to be saved, was, in my opinion, neither honorable to God, nor useful to mankind, nor did I believe it to be true. But if people will do despite to the spirit of grace, if they will resist the Holy Ghost, if they will perjure themselves and pervert the cause of justice, mercy and goodness, if they do not use the means of grace, but live and die in the disposition and practice of what they know to be wrong, they will be damned, they must be miserable and wretched. Wherefore, saith the prophet, "let the wicked forsake his ways and the unrighteous man his thoughts, and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him, and to our God, for he will ahundantly pardon."

The great design of all true religion, of all the holy scriptures, and of all good preaching, is to change the natural disposition of the human heart, which is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked, and to induce all mankind to live that sober, righteous and godly life, while in this world, which will terminate in everlasting happiness in the world to come.

While I was a member of College, my religious convictions were strong, my impressions were deep, my conversion was hopeful and joyous; but my views of the doc trines of religion were varient from the Saybrook confession of faith, and the Assembly's Catechism ; though at that time an opportunity had not occurred for me to examine any other system. At length, I obtained permission to attend for half a day, divine worship in the Episcopal Church: and, although I was a stranger to their church government and worship, yet their doctrine was liberal, and conformable to what I had previously thought. This induced an inquiry into the origin of the religion in which I had been educated, and I found that when our forefathers first came to this country, they came from England; that when they came from England they came from the Church of England, and were dissenters from that Church. This induced an enquiry into the cause and ground of their separation — into what they gained, and into w T hat they lost. This brought to view a subject with which I was wholly unacquainted, viz. the government of the christian church, the authority necessary in the regular and due administration of the sacraments, the articles of the christian faith, and the worship of God as practised by churchmen and dissenters. About this time appeared the letters of the Rev. Dr. JBowden to President Stiles, on the subject of a lineal succession of Bishops, by a valid ordination, which were not answered. I also read Potter on Church Government, Cave's Lives of the Fathers, Hooker's Ecclesiastical Polity, and many other excellent writers on the part of the church.

I also read a history of the Puritans in England, the New-England Memorial, Mather's Magnaha, and the Cambridge and Saybrook Platforms with such other books as I could find on the part of the dissenters. My earnest endeavour was to learn and know the truth, and that I might have a disposition to act accordingly. At this time I had never within my knowledge, seen a Baptist, Methodist or Quaker, but was fully satisfied that whoever departed from the government of any society, departed from that society; that whoever departed from the government of the christian church, did, by that very act depart from the church, and was in danger of losing the benefit of all that Christ had done, and suffered for him; that as no one could lawfully act in the name of another without his authority, so no one could lawfully baptize or administer the sacrament or hold forth the terms of life and salvation to a guilty world, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, without authority from God; that this authority could only be obtained in an immediate and extraordinary commission from Heaven, and then immediate and extraordinary works must be produced to prove it, for God never requires his creatures to believe that which he has not given them evidence to believe; or it must be obtained by a succession. To pretend to work miracles, or to produce extraordinary works was ridiculous and vain; to claim a succession, authentic documents must be produ* ced to prove it; and this could only be done in the Episcopal church, which included the Greek, Latin, English f and other churches, but not the dissenters from the church of England. Many very able and pious men and women were among them, but I could not be satisfied, that by their separation from the government, doctrine and worship, of the universal church, they had gained anything which was honorable to God, or useful to mankind; for' in the Episcopal church they might be as able, as amiable, and as pious as they could be in their own way. But they had lost much.

I could not but think that our forefathers were mistaken in separating from the church of England, at first, but at the same time adopted this mode of reasoning, viz. after diligent inquiry and fair examination I sincere-

U MKMOIRS.

\y think that I au* tight in my religion, as an Episcopa Han, but I claim not infallibility — I may be mistaken ; if I am, I hope God will forgive me ; because I sincerely think I am right : others may be as sincere in their religion as I am in mine. If I say that God will not forgive them, how can I expect him to forgive me, if I should happen to be wrong. So that whoever shall pass sentence of condemnation upon his fellow christian, it is a sentence of condemnation passed by himself, upon himself, if he happens to be wrong. True it is, that two things, which are opposite in themselves, cannot both be right at the same time, and every person who differs with me, must think that I am wrong, or that he himself is wrong ; and wo unto them who shall make, no difference between right and wrong ! But let each one say for himself in the language of the Poet,

" Let not this weak, unknowing hand,

Presume thy bolts to throw, And deal damnation round the land,

On each I deem thy foe.

If I am right, oh ! teach my heart

Still in the right to stay ; If I am wrong, thy grace impart To find the better way."

While a member of college, I left the congregationa. Presbyterian religion, in which my parents and I had been brought up, and joined the Episcopal church ; and I did it because I then thought, and now think it was my duty. I thought that the Episcopal church was of divine appointment ; that in it the sacraments were administered by divine and undoubted authority ; that the doctrines taught in that church were in every point of view honorable to God, and useful to man, and supported by the authority of God's word : that the worship of God in that church did not depend upon the discretion or indiscretion of any one man, and was not as various and as discordant as the tempers, dispositions, and abilities of all those who should lead in their devotions ; but was founded upon the temper and disposition of the gospel, and supported by the authority of the holy scriptures. In this church, there is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God, and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in all, working in due season, that we should bring forth the fruits of a virtuous and good life. Constantly to unite in the same forms of worship has a tendency to bring us all to the same disposition, and a sameness of disposition creates friendship in all beings and in all worlds, (so far as my knowledge extends) and by this says our blessed Saviour, shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye love one another.

A prayer. u O, Almighty and Everlasting God, who alone canst govern the unruly wills and affections of sinful men, make me and all others, I beseech thee, at all times and in all places, to love those things which thou dost command, and to desire those things which thou dost promise, that so, among the sundry,manifold changes of the world, our hearts may surely there be fixed, where true joys are to be found, through Jesus Christ our Lord." — Our Father who art in heaven, &,c.

Chapter II. Biographical Sketch Continued

I was graduated at Tale College, in New-Haven, Connecticut, in the year 1790 ; and soon after, was placed under the direction of the Rev. Mr. Jarvis in Middletown, (afterwards bishop Jarvis,) in the study of divinity and ecclesiastical history, and boarded in his family. My situation soon became unpleasant in consequence of his churlish behaviour in his family and neglect to give me suitable instruction. I left his house in disgust, and was placed under the direction, in my studies, of the Rev Edward Blakeslee, of North Haven, and the Rev. Doct. Mansfield, of Derby. At this, Mr. Jarvis appeared to be mortified and displeased ; his endeavours to excite a disgust against me, in the minds of some of the clergy and laity of the Episcopal Church, were soon communicated to me, and I soon became sensible of the effects of them. Application was made to me, to perform divine service, and to preach, under the direction of the Rev. Doctor Mansfield, in the churches in Waterbury, Woodbury, and in Salem, which I did to the unanimous approbation of the parishes. But Mr. Jarvis, by the consent of bishop Seabury, soon sent Mr. Hart, then a candidate for the ministry, to take charge of these parishes. This excited uneasiness, and a division among them. I declined performing service there, the church in Salem refused to employ Mr. Hart, and unfriendly feelings were excited. In the year 1791, I attended the Convention or Convocation of the church in Watertown with a view of being examined and admitted as a candidate, but perceiving the hostile disposition of Mr Jarvis, and the influence he had gained with some of the clergy, I withdrew, without offering myself, or making my intentions known.

And wishing to avoia any thing unpleasant, I received letters of recommendation from the Rev. Doctor Mansfield, the Rev. Mr. Blakeslee and others; also from the church in Branford, Northford, and others, and went into the state of New- York, and commenced a Reader in the churches in Schenectady and Ballston, under the direction of the Rev. Mr. Ellison of Albany. In this situation, having given notice to the bishop of New- York, I remained until the next year, when I was recommended to the said bishop of New-York, and standing committee of the church in that state, for deacon's orders, by the Rev. Dr. Mansfield, and the Rev. Mr. Blakeslee, in whose families I had resided, and studied divinity and ecclesiastical history; by the church in Branford, where I had been born and brought up, and where I had been known from my infancy, and where public notice had been given to the congregation, assembled in the church for public worship on Sunday, the 15th day of April, 1792, that in the month of June, in that year, I should apply to the bishop and standing committee of the church, in the state of New-York, to be ordained a deacor.; and they were then solemnly called upon in the name of God, if they knew any thing scandalous in my conauct oi character, or any just cause or reason why I should not be ordained, to let it be known within one month, that it might be communicated to the proper authority. I was also recommended as aforesaid, by the church in Northford ; by the church in Guilford, by the church in Balston, and by the church in the city of Schenectady, where I then resided, and by the Rev.

Mr. Ellison of Albany, under whose care and direction I had been employed as a reader for about one year : with these recommendations, and my diploma from College, I offered myself to the aforesaid bishop and standing committee, to be examined and ordained a deacon ; and on the 18th and 19th days of June, 1792, I was examined by the Right Rev. Bishop Provoost, and the said standing committee, at the house of the Rev. Dr. (afterwards bishop) Moore, in the city of New- York. First, on my internal call, and views in regard to the ministry ; on that change of the natural disposition, which is necessary to fit us for God's heavenly kingdom ; in my knowledge and belief in the holy scriptures, and my earnest intention by God's grace to conform my heart and practice to them ; in my knowledge of the English, Latin, Greek and Hebrew languages ; in my knowledge of a general system and body of divinity, and ecclesiastical history; in my.. knowledge of the lives and travels of the apostles and primitive fathers of the church ; in my knowledge of the general and liberal arts and sciences, &c; and after two days strict trial and full examination and with the aforesaid recommendations, I was honorably approved, accepted, and recommended to the said bishop as the cannons directed, to be ordained. The day after this recommendation, the Rev. Mr. Jarvis, of Middletown, in Connecticut, came to New- York and informed the Rev. Dr. Beach, one of the said standing committee, that I was a very unworthy young man, and had actually been refused holy orders in Connecticut. I assured Dr. Beach, that Mr. Jarvis was my enemy, because I had left his house, and refused to live and study with him, and that what he had said was not true. I requested him to suspend his judgement, and not to mention what Mr. Jarvis had said, until I could go to Connecticut and obtain further recommendations, and a certificate from lg MEMOIRS.

the secretary, that I had not been refused orders in that state. This he consented to do, and I accordingly went to the Rev. Dr. Dibble, of Stamford, stated my case to him, requested him to examine me and my documents, and if he should find me worthy and well qualified, to recommend me to the bishop and standing committee of New-York, to be ordained. This he very freely did, and at the same time expressed his astonishment at the conduct of Mr. Jarvis. I then went to the Rev. Mr. Oglesvie, of Norwalk, made the same statement and request, and obtained the same recommendation. I then went to the Rev. Mr. Shelton, of Newfield, to the Rev. Mr. Clark, of Huntington, and to the Rev. Mr. Marsh, of New-Milford, made to them individually the same communication and request, and after due examination, received the same recommendation from them. I then went to the house of the Rev. Mr. Perry, of Newton, who was secretary of the Convention of Connecticut, to obtain a certificate, that I had not been refused holy orders in that state, in order to contradict the fasehood of Mr. Jarvis. When I arrived there Mr. Perry was from home on a journey ; I stated my business to Mrs. Perry, and wished to examine the records, which I did in her presence, and in the presence of a Mr. Isaac Da vis who was there, he was a young gentleman with whom I was acquainted, when I was a member of College ; not finding my name on the record, as I was sure it was not, Mr. Perry being from home, the day of my ordination having been appointed, and nothing but the evidence of a plain matter of fact wanted ; Mr. Davis consented to give a certificate in the name of Mr. Perry, that no act of the bishop and clergy of Connecticut, Lad been passed, refusing me orders in that state ; this he did — and with this certificate, and with these recommendations, I returned to New-York, satisfied Dr. Beach (who was only one of a committee of eight, and only a majority was necessary,) and I was ordained a deacon, in Trinity Church, in the city of New-York, by the Right Rev. Samuel Provoost, D. D. bishop of the Protestant Episcopal Church in that state, on the twentyfourth day of June, A. D. 1792.

On the day after my ordination, I called on the said Dr. Beach for my papers and documents, as they could be of no use to him. Those which were directed to the standing committee he claimed as vouchers for his conduct in recommending me, and refused to return them ; but the certificate written by Mr. Davis, was not directed to rniy body and was returned to me. On my way home, which was in Schenectady, I went to the house of Mr. Perry in Newton, gave him the certificate which Mr. Davis had^given me in his absence, told him how I came by it, and what it was given for. His reply was, " I am sorry that I was not at home when you was here before, for I should have been glad to have afforded you every assistance in my power, and am glad that Mr. Davis gave you this certificate." He then tore it in two, and gave me one hah of it, as we were standing near each other. He then said, u to prevent any difficulty that may arise, I had better give you one myself, and then sat down and wrote the following, with his own hand, and which is now in my possession, viz.

" This may certify, that no act has ever been passed by the Convocation of the clergy of Connecticut, prohibiting the Rev. Mr. Ammi Rogers receiving holy or- ■ f iers in this church. \

Certified by

PHILO PERRY, Secretary of Convocation.

Soon after my return to Schenectady, I received the following letter, addressed to

The Rev. Ammx Rogers, Schenectady.

New- York, August 1th, 1792.

Reverend Sir,

Suffer me to congratulate you on your ordination, and to wish you all possible success and happiness. From my acquaintance with you, I feel strongly impressed with an idea of your eminence. I have seen the Rev. Mr. Perry, of Newton, and informed him that I had given you a certificate, and put his name to it ; he said that I had done right and that he had seen you since, and had given you one to the same purport in his own hand writing, and that the one which I wrote was destroyed. I have some expectation of being in your part of the country this fall ; if such a thing should happen, I hope to have the pleasure of seeing you.

Your sincere friend and well wisher,

ISAAC DAVIS.

My ministry was blessed beyond what I had reason to expect, though not to exceed my endeavors ; a sense of the divine Majesty, and all his adorable attributes, were deeply fixed in my mind, with an affecting impression of the awful responsibility of my office; my endeavors were to make my hearers sensible of their lost and undone situation, by the natural depravity of their minds, and the absolute necessity of the use of all the means of grace, that they might be converted and enjoy the comfortable and blessed hope of glory, which would be that peace of God, which passeth all understanding, that peace which this world could not give. My preaching and my endeavors, were to represent the God of heaven, whom we adore, in the most amiable and pleasing point of view possible, and to persuade myself and my people to love him and to imitate him. As my preaching respected my fellow men, it was first to inform and enlighten their understanding in the most religious and morv al doctrines and duties of Christianity, and then to move their affections, to believe and act accordingly.

From the 24th of June, 1792, to October, 1793, I administered 130 baptisms ; I married 20 persons ; and deposited five dead bodies of my fellow christians in the grave, " looking for the general resurrection in the last day, and the life of the world to come, through our Lord Jesus Chirst." Within the time last mentioned, the building of St. George's church in Schenectady, which during, and since the revolutionary war, had lain most of the time destitute, neglected, and greatly injured, was repaired and made comfortable. It was an elegant stone building, with a handsome steeple and good organ, and had been well finished. It would be ungrateful and unjust not to mention the name of Mr. William Corlett, a man from the Isle of Man : whose pious attentions and generous contributions to St. George's church, in the city of Schenectady, ought never to be forgotten ; for to his example and exertions that parish is much indebted. During this time also : the church in Ballston, from only about fourteen families, had become numerous and respectable, and their house of worship was raised and enclosed ; the greatest friendship and harmony subsisted between me and all my people, and among themselves.

In October, 1793, 1 attended the convention of the Episcopal Church in the state of New- York, assembled in the city of New- York, of which I was a member, and then made the foregoing returns to the bishop, received his approbation and thanks, with an invitation to preach in Trinity Church, and St. Paul's Church in the city of New-York, which I did. I was now in love, friendship, and fellowship, with the Bishop and all the clergy, with my own parishes, and with the whole church, except Mr. Jarvis, and some of his particular friends. With his conduct I felt myself abused, though what he intended for my injury, had eventuated in my good and prosperity: for my situation in the state of New-York was much better than I could have expected in Connecticut. I was favored with thousands of blessings, and ray gieui and earnest care was to make a grateful and practical return, by a conscientious discharge of my ordination vows, and a holy, humble, and exemplary walk before God and his people of every denomination. Oh how often have I alone, with closed doors, on my knees, before God, read the ordination service of the Episcopal church with prayers, and tears, and fasting, that God of his great mercy, would please to direct and assist me in all my doings, with his most gracious favor ,and further me with his continual help, that in all my works, begun, continued, and ended in him, I might glorify his holy name, and finally, that I, and all committed to my care, and the whole world of mankind, might obtain everlasting life and happiness, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

Chapter III. A Biographical Sketch Continued

The year 1794 was to me vastly important. In iha year I was married to the very amiable Miss Margare Bloore, about 18 years old, of an excellent disposition, and well educated. She was the only daughter of Mr. Joshua Bloore, a gentleman from Manchester in England, who came to this country and settled as a merchant in Albany, and afterwards moved into the county of Saratoga, where I became acquainted with him and his family. His wife before he married her, was a Margaret Brintnal, of Langly parish in Derbyshire, England. In that year, I was recommended to the Bishop and standing committee of the Episcopal church, in the state of New-York; was again examined by them as before, was recommended by the said standing committee, to be ordained by the said bishop. — And in Trinity church, in the city of New- York, on the 19th day of October, A. D. 1794, I was ordained a PRIEST, by the Right Rev. Samuel Provoost, D. D. bishop of the Protestant Episcopal church in the state of New-York. Before this, it was known that Dr. Beach and Mr. Jarvis had become reconciled in regard to the falsehood communicated relative to me; and he was left out of the said standing committee, though he attended and assisted at my ordination as a priest, and received the sacrament of the Lord's Supper with me at that time. But the same night after the ordination, he complained to the Bishop that I had brought to him a forged certificate, before I was ordained a deacon. The next day the Bishop called us both before him, and caused an inquiry. I stated to hiin the case as it was, relative to the certificate which Mr. Davis had given to me, in the absence of Mr. Perry; that on my way home I had called on Mr. Perry, informed him what was done, and gave him the certificate; that he approved of it, and gave another to the same purport, in his own hand writing, which I then laid before the Bishop, with the letter of Mr. Davis, dated August