The Portland gazette. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1818-1824, 1818-12-15

examples feTve as spur 70 itImuiatc men
to virtue and religion, bad ones, on the
contrary, may ferve, like beacons upon a
rock, to VAIN men of danger and delu-
lon
The family of Dutarties conlfting
OF four fons and four daughters, were
defendants of French refugees, who
ca me into Carolina after the revocation
OF the cdics of Nantz. They lived in
Orange quarter, and though in low cir
cumitances always maintained an honen
character, and were eieemed BY their
neighbours per1ons Of blamlefs and IRE
proach&ble lives. But at this time a
.Jfr0ilRg l4o,a vian preacher happening to
come 70 that quarter where they lived
Infatuated himlelf into their family, and
partly BY conversation, and partly by the
writings Of Jacob Bekman, which he put
into their hands. filled their heads with
wild aud fanraaic ideas.
Unhappily for The poor family thofe
iirange notions gained ground on them,
inSomuch that in one year they began 10
Withdraw themselves from the ordinan-
ces of public worthip, and all converia
ton with the world around them, and
itrongly 10 imagine they were the only
family upon earth who had the knowI
edge of the true God, and whom he
vouchfafed to initruct, either by the i'm
mediate impulte of his spirit, or by Ggns
aud tokens from heaven. At length it
came to open viGons and revelations.
God RATED up a prophet among them,
like unto Notes, 10 whom he taught
them 10 hearken. This prophet was Pc
ter Rombert, who had married the ell
def daughter of the family when wild
ow. To this man the authsr and COVER
nor of the world deigned TO reveal, in
the plaineh manner, that the wickedncfS
of man was again 70 great in the world,
that as in the days of Noah, he was de-
termincd to deltroy all men from off the
face of it, except one family whom he
would fave for rating up a godly feed
upon earth. This revelation Peter Rom
bert was fure Of, and felt it as plain as
the wind blowing on his body, and the
ref of the family, with equal confidence
and presumption, firmly believed it.
"a few days after this God was
pleafed to reveal himfelf fecond time to
the prophet, faying, put away the wo-
man whom thou haft for thy wife. and
when have dearoyed this wicked gen
Grafton, | will raife up her 6rf husband
from the dead, and they fhafl be man
and wife as before and go thou and
take to wife her youngef filter, who is a
virgin, 70 fhall the choien family be ref
tored entire, and the holy seed be pre-
ferved pure and indebted in i. AT hrf
the father, when he heard of this revela
ton, was ftaggered at 70 extraordinary
from heaven but the proph
ct afured him that God would give him
a Ggn, which accordingly happened up
Oh which The old man took his youngeit
daughter by the hand, and gave her to
the vile prophet Immediately tor his
wife, who without further ceremony took
the DANIEL and defowcred her, Thus for
Tome time they continued in acts OF IN
ceit and adultery, until that period which
made the fatal discovery, and introduced
the bloody fcene of blind fanaticilm and
madnels.
" Thofe deIuded wretches were 70 far
poGched with the falfe conceit of their
,qvn Righteousness and boliness, and Of tho
borrid qOicksdneG Of all otbers, that they
refuied obedience to the civil magistrate,
and all laws and ordinances of men. Up
on pretence that God commanded them
to bear no arms, they not only refused
n comDlv with the militia law, but alto