The northern galaxy. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1844-1848, 1846-11-10
Correspondence of the Christian Freeman.

given you a brief description OF the different
sects ertant iu this city, | proceed to say. that
New London has had the honor of giving rise
TO one sect, al least, which, while it had a
name to live, made no small stir in this re-
Sion. Ii has, however, dwiudled, unlike its
more favored sisters in strangeness and va
gary, till, al the present time, l know not Of
any that bear the name, though perchsnce,
there are some here, and even in YOUR own
vicinity. who are swayed by the notions to
which its members hold. The sect was called
the 'Rogerines.' in honor OF a Mr.. John Rog-
ers. its renowned founder. This Mr.. Rogers
was not the famous divine, who, as the prim-
er used TO say, was burned al the stake. in
Smithfeld, England, in Queen Mary's reign
but a veriiable citizen of New London, in
Connecticut; a State where, daUIe rumor
hs III il. there have been made suudry discov-
cries, of probably about as much utility. as
were the vagaries OF the sect aforesaid, in The
shape of tcoodcn nutmegs; bdss,coOd cucum-
bel seeds; sole leather peanuts; &c. &C.
However, the said Rogers succeeded, if in
nothing else. in obtaining for his name a
nitche in the temple of perpetuity for it. and
some account of his sect. have been chroni-
cled in BARRIERS Historical Collections Of
Connecticut
or the distinguished sentiments OF this new
world reformer, | have 10 remark, that he, and
his followers, seemed TO be friends Of the
very Largest liberty for they not only insis-
ted on the liberty Of enjoying their own faith
and practice in their own way, but also the
liberty of interfering, whenever they saw fiji,
with the liberties Of others who supposed
themselves entitled TO the same rights. A
leading idea with them was, that the day now
held by Christians was not the true Sabbath.
or appointed time for worship; they holding
to the observance of Sdturddy,-and so. while
they refused to meet for religious devotion on
SUNDAY they religiously chose TO go where
others did meet, and both men and women
nearly, or quite naked, interrupt, and disturb
those who did thus meet for worship. They
would sometimes break in abruptly upon the
discourses of the preacher. and denounce il.
and the whole concern, as ridiculous and bias
pheming aud with loud talk, and boisterous
action, they would try to drown his voice,
and bring confusion 10 reign paramount a
midst the puriranic w~orshippers. Now, When
their disturbing conduct became past enduring
and remonstrance and entreaty failed to in
duce them TO desist, it was sometimes the
case, that the tything-man would attempt to
eject them, 'rie Ell armies when instantly, a
la Father Lampson, Of your goodly CITY OF
notions, they would loose the strength Of
every member of their bodies bui their breath
ing apparatus and their tongues, and would
be borne in true 'non-resistance' style from
the place Of worship, hurting the peaceful
1cedpons of denunciation and detracllon with
a iapidity aud velocity that would put a reg
ular 'irar- message to the blush for lis tame
ness.
The members OF this sect. disregarding he
common Chris ian Sabbath as a day Of reli
j ,us DEVOTION would, of course, pursue their;
ordinary business and labor on that day and
as they were doubtless conscientious, this
might have been pardoned! But then, in the
genuine spirit OF many would-be -reformers, in
their zeal for the good of man, they lost all
charity, and even all sense of justice bet~ een
man and man; and woe be to the one who
would not labor when they labored, whether
he deemed il right or wrong Hence they
| would take unwearied pains to need a neigh
borly lob done on the Sabbath, and repair to
the house of some one whom they had reason
to suppose was peacefully regardful of that
| day, aud would thus plead, and then threaten
| to induce him TO work, and il he rrould not,
| then, fortunate indeed was the individual if
he escaped harm. either in business or repu-
%tationl Indeed. If we were believers in the
| Pyrhageriau notion Of MetempspcosiS we
| should e~ncline TO the opinion that The spiiits
| of the Rogeriues of elder time in New Lon
don, had taken possession Of the COmeOuter-
| lies of the present day, and that in the latter
the essential elements Of former by The NOV
ing of the same spirit. were made fully mani
fest, so that even modern c%omooUferism would,
l. -..-I. l. , 80 i..atson rGrha apCIonf
Solomonic saying. that there is nothing nett
underMe Sun after ali. But it would seem
that this sect not only delighted in suffering
from others on religious subjects. and dis
turbinp religious meetings. but that Ihey took
great p lius also to trample on The civil law
and its authority, that they might again no
toriety by Indictment. AS "A full illustration
of ,chat they were in morals; a historian has
chrouicled the fact, that one OF them who pro-
fessed TO live holy, and for twenty years
without;sin, was, in the midst Of his professions
ano religious zeal, divorced from an amiable
wife for the crime OF adultery. and the same
individual, previous to the enforcement. took
to his bed a maid whom he had purchased,
and after she had borne him two children he
put her away He once satupon the gal
lows fol bidsphemy, and suffered a long i'm
priSonnent on tne charge Of oeinS dn dSCoih-
plice in burning a Meeting-H House in this
civ.
The Roserines were first rate non-resis-
tants; and il will soon be seen that they car
ried out their sentiments to The leter,-noi
only become passive under the attacks of
others. as were they who were carried out OF
the churchss, whose meetings they had dis
turbed, bu; also refusing TO resist the en-
croachment of the mdLddies that prey upon
The human frame. To prove it, here give
an extract from the Connecticut Gazette.
July 10, 1852:
i've hear from New London. that on
Thursday se'nnight died there Mr., Ebinezer
Bodies of that town. trader, esteemed a very
honest and hospitabIe man, He has left one
child, a daughter about seventeen years oil
age and an estate of about eve thousand
pounds, lawful money. The occasion OF his
death was as follows:-A few Gays before, ne
had been cutting some vines or bushes winch
were ola nox quality. when he was poisoned
and bis body swelled to a great degree; but
being Of the sect called Rogerines. VINO ior,
/ LII ska ,sa ~ a,,- -. r,rt noaa- he W0ul0