of Saratoga-William Bradshaw, Thomas Haskins, wardens of the church in Stillwater-Ebenezer Patrick, William Patrick, Noadiah Moody, Henry Metcalf, and others-Henry Walton, Thomas Smith, Edmund Jennings, Evan Davis, and others-about 70 members of the Episcopal church, met by appointment in different parts of the county of Saratoga,and made solemn oath to the truth of the facts contained in the foregoing deposition of Joshua Bloore and others, and then the Judge himself gave the following deposition, viz. Adam Comstock, of Hadley, in the county of Saratoga,&c. deposeth and saith, that he is personally and well acquainted with most of the persons in said county, whose depositions have been taken before him as Judge, &c. that so far as his knowledge of them, collectively and individually, extends, he considers them to rank among the most respectable of the inhabitants in this county; and that their characters stand unimpeachable; that he has been a considerable length of time acquainted with the said Ammi Rogers, and always considered him a person of good moral character; that he has made particular inquiry. (especially in going round the county to take the said depositions,) for his own satisfaction, in all which tour in the said county, and inquiry into the subject, [[ then had about 4000 souls in my care, in the county of Saratoga, and had then baptized more than 1700,] he never has found any one person, to express any one sentiment unfavorable to the moral character of the said Rogers, and that he considers his general and moral character in this county, to be unimpeachable: and further he saith not. ADAM COMSTOCK. State of New-York, ss. county of Saratoga, April 9, 1811. Personally appeared the above named Adam Comstock, one of the Judges of the Court of Common Pleas, who being duly cautioned, subscribed and made solemn oath to the truth of the foregoing deposition, in due form of law, before SALMON CHILD, First Judge of said Court. me, From 1811 to 1813, I resided and preached in that part of Saybrook in Connecticut, called Puttepaus, now called Essex, where they gave the fullest testimony in favor of my faithfulness and ability as a minister, and of my exemplary and good conduct as a man. From 1813 to 1819, I resided in Hebron, and preached there and in the eastern part of Connecticut, where the Rev. Mr. Blakeslee says, that to speak with caution, my parishes embraced a number of not less than 2000 souls; (see page 73,) the wardens in Hebron make solemn oath, that my conduct and character were good, and that in their parishes, for six years then last past, they had never known or heard of a voice or a vote against me, except one man, (see pages 100 aud 01.) Can Bishop Hobart or any of his clergy pro duce more satisfactory testimony of their good conduct, and character than this? In Jewitt City, within one mile of the place where these crimes were said to have been committed in 1817; the wardens and vestrymen passed a unanimous vote, in 1819, two years after, in which they say; "We are not sensible, neither do we beleive, that blame or misconduct can be justly imputed to Mr. Rogers." Signed by John Scolfield, Charles Fanning, Simeon Lathrop. James Burnham, Christopher Avery, Enoch Baker, Peleg Fry, and others. Preston, Conn. April 5th. 1820. any We the undersigned having been appointed a committee, by and in behalf of St. James' church, in Poquatanic, [in Preston,] to inquire into the truth of certain evil reports circulated by Doct. Downer, Col. Halsey, and others, against the Rev. Ammi Rogers, and on which a prosecution has been instituted; do certify and report, that we have been personally to the house, where the ill conduct was said to have transpired, that we made diligent inquiry of the person implicated, of all the family, and of the neighbors; that we have also attended the court of inquiry and the court of trial, and that we are fully satisfied that the said reports [now charges] are false, and ought not to be regarded. JAMES COOK, } Committee. At an annual meeting of the parish of St. James's church, in Poquatanic, legally warned and held in said church, this 5th day of April, 1820, Voted unanimously, that in the opinion of this meeting, the papers issued by Bishop Jarvis against the Rev. Ammi Rogers, are wholly unconstitutional and uncanonical; and whereas the said Rogers has performed di vine service, and preached in this church, a considerable part of the time since 1814, we think it due to him, to ourselves, and to the public, to say, that so far as we know, his conduct in this parish as a minister and a man, has been perfectly unexceptionable. A true copy of record-Attest, EBENEZER GEER. Clerk. Blanford, Mass. May 29th, 1820. We, the committee of the Protestant Episcopal society in Blanford, do certify, that the Rev. Ammi Rogers, has occasionally performed divine service and preached in this society, for ten years last past.That for sometime past, and at the present time, he is employed by this society to perform divine service and to preach here, a part of the time; and that we consider his character and his standing, as a minister and as a man, to be good. ELI KNOX, MARCUS GIBBS, Society's Com. We, the undersigned, inhabitants of the town of Situate and Foster, in Rhode-Island, certify that we have been personally acquainted with the Rev. Ainmi Rogers, for about one year last past, and for several months last past he has resided and preached in our neighborhood, and that so far as we know or believe, his conduct as a minister, and as a man, and as a good citizen, has been exemplary and irreproachable. Dated March 21st, 1825. (Signed,) Edward L. Smith, Ebenezer Barney, George W. Dixon, Z. Young, Reuben Hammond, Eddy Walker, John Randal, Abraham Angel, Abel Hopkins, Nehemiah Angel, jun. and others. In May, 1825, I returned to the county of Saratoga, and have preached in that county and neighborhood; and I know no one, who I think would not certify that so far as they know, I had conducted in an exemplary manner. At a regular communication of FRANKLIN LODGE, No. 37, duly convened in their hall, and opened in due form, this 21st day of February, A. L. 5826.-Voted, that the Worshipful Master, the Senior and Junior Wardens, and Brothers John Monro, Peter Roc, and Isaac Johnson, be a committee to in inquire into the conduct, character, and standing of our Rev. Brother Ammi Rogers, and to report this evening. We, the committee, to whom was referred the case of our Rev. Brother Ammi Rogers, respectfully report,that after strict trial and due examination of him, of his documents, and of the records of this Lodge, we find that in the year of our Lord 1794, he was regularly initiated into the mysteries of freemasonry in this lodge; that he was passed and raised to the sublime degree of a Master Mason; and that he now is, and for about thirty-two years last past, has been a member in regular an i good standing in this lodge: That from public documents, duly attested, and certified by civil authority, which we have seen, we are fully in the opinion that there has been, in the state of Connecticut, one of the most wicked,cruel, and abominable conspiracies, ecclesiastical and civil, formed and executed against our Brother Rogers, which ever was formed against any man in any country; and that it is the imperative duty of every freemason, of every order and degree, to espouse his cause; and that his conduct and character in this town and county, where he has resided a part of the time, and has been well acquainted for about thirty four years last past, is, and uniformly has been, so far as we know and believe, good and exemplary, and we hereby recommend him as a worthy man, a worthy minister of the Gospel, and a worthy Dated Ballston, February 21st, 1826. mason. BENSLEE PETERS, Master, John Monro, Peter Roe, Isaac Johnson, Committee of Franklin Lodge, No. 37. Voted unanimously, that the foregoing report be accepted by this Lodge, and that the secretary be directed to furnish Brother Rogers with a certified copy of the same. Attest, JOHN MILLER, Jun. Secretary. At a regular communication of St. John's Lodge, No. 90, in Greenfield, county of Saratoga, on the 29th day of Oct. 1825, they gave a certificate to the amount of what is contained in the foregoing report of Franklin. Lodge, signed by the Master. Senior and Junior Wardens. Galway Lodge, in the county of Saratoga, did the same on the 24th of November, 1825, and signed by the Master, Senior and Junior Wardens.Many other lodges in the states of New-York, Massachusetts and Rhode Island, have expressed their utter abhorrence and detestation of the ecclesiastical and civil (if they can be called civic,) proceedings against me in Connecticut, and their determination to espouse the cause of a worthy, persecuted and falling brother. Montgomery Royal Arch Chapter, No. 4, in Stillwater, took up my case some year ago, and voted unanimously, that as I was a Companion in regular and good standing in that Chapter, they considered that any indignity offered to me as a mason, was an insult upon them. In My much beloved and much respected brethren of all orders and degrees in Freemasonry, please to accept my most sincere thanks for your kind interferance in my behalf. and suffer me to congratulate myself, to congratulate you, and to congratulate the whole world, that there is an institution so ancient, so honorable, so well founded, and so well calculated to soften the asperities of human life, to conciliate the affections, and to refine the manners of mankind. While in this small, dark world, we are by nature poor, and miserable, and blind, and naked, no beings more destitute, without clothing or the implements of defence, aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, without God and without hope in the world. this situation the blessed Sun of Righteousness arises with healing in his wings. He proclaims glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace and good will towards men; and i heard a voice saying unto me, ask and ye shall have, seek and ye shall find, knock and it shall be opened unto you: so that a way is now provided for our admission into the blessed society of saints in light. Though now, while in this world we may be poor, and blind, and naked, yet if we are prepar din our hearts, if we divest ourselves of all self-righter usuess, of all confidence in the flesh, or in our own accomplishments or abilities; we may seek for admittance into this heavenly kingdom, and by being led by this Sun of Righteousness, who is our Friend, and whom we shall soon find to be our Elder Brother and Redeemer, we may boldly knock at the door of |