,,the ,,village ,,in ,,the ,,mountains2 
,,conversion ,,of ,,peter ,,bayssiere2  
,,and  ,,history ,,of ,a ,,bible4       
99       99       99       99       99  
,,the ,,village ,,in ,,the ,,mountains4 
,m4 ----1 a merchant1 at the head of one
 of the first commercial houses in      
,paris1#a had occasion to visit the     
manufactories established in the        
mountainous tracts of the ,departments  
of the ,loire and the ,puy de ,dme4 ,the
 road that conducted him back to ,lyons 
traversed a country rich in natural     
productions1 and glowing with all the   
charms of an advanced and promising     
spring4 ,the nearer view was unusually  
diversified2 not only by the fantastic  
forms of mountains1 the uncertain course
 of small and tributary streams1 and the
 varying hues of fields of pasture1     
corn1 vines1 and vegetables1 but by the 
combinations and contrasts of nature and
 of art1 and the occupations of rural   
and commercial industry4 ,factories and 
furnaces were seen rising amidst barns  

and sheep-cotes1 peasants were digging1 
and ploughs gliding amidst forges and   
foundries2 verdant slopes and graceful  
clumps of trees were scattered amidst   
the black and ugly mouths of exhausted  
coal-pits2 and the gentle murmur of the 
stream was subdued by the loud rattle of
 the loom4 ,sometimes ,m4 ---- and his  
friend halted amidst all that is        
delightful and soothing2 and after a    
short advance1 found themselves amidst  
barrenness1 deformity1 and confusion4   
,the remoter scenery was not less       
impressive4 ,behind them were the rugged
 mountains of ,puy de ,dme2 the lofty   
,tarare lifted its majestic head beside 
them1 and far before appeared the       
brilliant summit of ,mont ,blanc4       
,footnote #a3 ,an ,american gentleman   
then residing in that capital4  ,in this
 state of mind he arrived at the skirts 
of a hamlet placed on the declivity of a
 mountain2 and being desirous of finding
 a shorter and more retired track1 he   
stopped at a decent-looking             

dwelling-house to inquire the way4 ,from
 the windows several females were       
watching the movements of a little      
child2 and just as ,m4 ---- inquired for
 a road across the mountains1 the infant
 was in danger of being crushed by a    
coal-cart which had entered the street4 
,the cries and alarms of the females    
were met by the activity of the         
travellers1 and the companion of ,m4    
---- set off to snatch the infant from  
danger1 and place him in security4 ,an  
elderly female from the second story1   
gave ,m4 ----1 who was still on his     
horse1 the directions he desired2 and1  
at the same time1 expressed her         
uneasiness that the gentleman should    
have had the trouble to seek the child4 
,madam1 interrupted ,m4 ----1 my friend 
is only performing his duty3 we ought to
 do to another as we would that another 
should do to us2 and in this wretched   
world we are bound to assist each other4
 ,you are kind enough to direct us      
travellers in the right road1 and surely

 the least we can do is to rescue your  
child from danger4 ,the ,holy           
,scriptures teach us these duties1 and  
the ,gospel presents us the example of  
our ,lord ,jesus ,christ1 who1 when we  
were in ignorance and danger1 came to   
our world to seek and to save that which
 was lost4  ,ah6 sir1 replied the good  
woman1 you are very condescending1 and  
what you say is very true2 but your     
language surprises me3 it is so many    
years since in this village we have     
heard such truths1 and especially from  
the lips of a stranger4  ,madam1 resumed
 ,m4 ----1 we are all strangers here1   
and sojourners bound to eternity2 there 
is but one road1 one guide1 one         
,saviour1 who can conduct us safely2 if 
we feel this1 young or old1 rich or     
poor1 we are all one in ,christ2 and    
however scattered on earth1 shall all   
arrive at the heavenly city1 to which he
 is gone to prepare mansions for us4    
,these doctrines1 sir1 exclaimed the    
female1 support the hearts of many of   

us1 who have scarcely travelled beyond  
our own neighbourhood2 and it is so rare
 and so delightful to hear them from    
others1 that1 if it will not be an abuse
 of your ,christian politeness1 ,i would
 request you to alight and visit my     
humble apartment4  ,i shall comply most 
cheerfully with your request1 replied   
,m4 ----2 for though time is precious1  
,i shall be thankful to spend a few     
minutes in these mountains1 among those 
with whom ,i hope to dwell for ever on  
,mount ,sion4  ,m4 ---- mounted to the  
second story1 followed by his companion4
 ,he found the female with whom he had  
conversed1 surrounded by her daughters  
and her grand-daughters1 all busily     
employed in five looms1 filled with     
galloons and ribbons1 destined for the  
capital and the most distant cities of  
the world4 ,the good widow was between  
sixty and seventy years of age2 her     
appearance was neat and clean2 and all  
the arrangements of her apartment       
bespoke industry1 frugality1 and piety4 

,ah6 sir1 she exclaimed1 as ,m4 ----    
entered1 how happy am ,i to receive such
 a visitor6  ,madam1 replied ,m4 ----1  
,i am not worthy to enter under this    
roof4  ,why1 sir1 exclaimed the widow1  
you talked to us of ,jesus ,christ and--
  ,yes1 madam1 but ,i am a poor guilty  
sinner and hope only for salvation      
through the cross4 ,i was yesterday at  
,st4----1 where they were planting a    
cross with great ceremony2 were you     
there8  ,no1 sir2 for it is of little   
use to erect crosses in the streets1 if 
we do not carry the cross in our hearts1
 and are not crucified to the world4    
,but1 sir1 if you will not he offended1 
may ,i ask what you are called8  ,m4    
----1 giving a general sense to the     
,french phraseology1 answered1 ,my name1
 madam1 is ,m----4  ,thank you1 sir1 ,i 
shall not forget2 but this is not what  
,i meant2 ,i wished to know whether you 
are protestant or catholic1 a pastor or 
a priest8  ,madam1 ,i have not the      
honour to be either2 ,i am a merchant2  

,i desire to be a ,christian1 and to    
have no other title but a disciple of   
,christ4  ,that is exactly as we are    
here1 sir1 exclaimed the good widow1 and
 added1 but1 as you are so frank1 are   
you1 sir1 catholic1 or protestant8      
,catholic1 replied ,m4 ----4  ,madam    
looked confused1 and observed1 that it  
was rare for the catholics to talk as   
her visitor had done4  ,i am a catholic1
 resumed ,m4 ----1 but not a member of  
the ,roman ,catholic church4 ,i love all
 that love our ,lord ,jesus in          
sincerity4 ,i do not ask in what fold   
they feed1 so that they are guided and  
nourished by the good ,shepherd and     
,bishop of souls4  ,o what a favour the 
,lord has granted us to meet with a     
,christian like ourselves1 said the     
affected widow1 looking round her3 we   
desire to live in charity with all      
mankind2 but1 to be frank also1 sir1 we 
do not go to mass1 nor to confession1   
for we do not learn from our ,testament1
 which is indeed almost worn out1 that  

we are required to confess to sinners   
like ourselves1 nor to worship the host1
 nor to perform penance for the         
salvation of our souls2 and we believe  
we can serve ,god acceptably in a cave1 
or in a chamber1 or on a mountain4  ,i  
confess1 madam1 in my turn1 said ,m4    
----1 that ,i am exceedingly astonished 
to find such persons on such a spot2    
pray how many may there be of your      
sentiments8  ,here1 sir1 and scattered  
over the mountains1 there are from three
 to four hundred4 ,we meet on ,sabbath  
evenings1 and as often as we can1 to    
pray to ,jesus1 to read the ,testament1 
and to converse about the salvation of  
our souls4 ,we are so much persecuted by
 the clergy1 that we cannot appear as   
publicly as we wish4 ,we are called     
beguines#b and fools2 but ,i can bear   
this1 and ,i hope a great deal more1 for
 ,him who has suffered so much for us4  
,footnote #b3 ,religious enthusiasts4   
,while the conversation1 of which this  
is a sketch2 was passing1 the rooms had 

filled2 the neighbours had been informed
 and introduced1 at the request of the  
worthy hostess1 and as many as could    
quit their occupations pressed to hear  
of the things of the kingdom of ,god4   
,m4 ---- desired to see the ,new        
,testament4 ,it was presented4 ,the     
title page was gone1 the leaves were    
almost worn to shreds by the fingers of 
the weavers and labourers1 and ,m4 ---- 
could not discover the edition4 ,a      
female of respectable appearance        
approached ,m4 ----1 and said1 ,sir1 for
 several years ,i have sought every     
where a ,new ,testament1 and ,i have    
offered any price for one in all the    
neighbouring villages1 but in vain4     
,could you1 sir1 possibly procure me a  
copy1 ,i will gladly pay you any sum you
 demand--  ,madam1 ,i will not only     
procure you one1 replied ,m4 ----       
eagerly1 but1 in forty-eight hours ,i   
will send you half a dozen4  ,is it     
possible8 exclaimed the astonished      
villagers4 ,may we1 sir1 believe the    

good news8 ,may we rely on your promise8
 ,it appears too great--too good--we    
will pay for them now1 sir1 if you      
please4  ,you may depend on receiving   
them1 said ,m4 ----1 if ,god prolongs my
 life4 ,but ,i entreat you to do me the 
favour to accept them1 as a proof of my 
,christian regard1 and an expression of 
my gratitude for having been permitted  
to enjoy1 in this unpromising spot1 the 
refreshing company of the followers of  
,christ4  ,the conversation then turned 
on the value of the sacred volume1 and  
the sinfulness of those who withhold it 
from perishing and dejected sinners4    
,after some time1 the hostess inquired1 
,pray1 sir1 can you tell us if any thing
 extraordinary is passing in the world8 
,we are shut out from all intercourse2  
but we have an impression that ,god is  
commencing a great work in the earth1   
and that wonderful events are coming to 
pass4  ,great events have taken place1  
and news is arriving every day1 said ,m4
 ----1 from all parts of the world1 of  

the progress of the ,gospel1 and the    
fulfilment of the ,holy ,scriptures4 ,he
 then gave to his attentive and         
enraptured auditory an outline of the   
moral changes accomplished by the       
diffusion of the ,bible1 the labours of 
missionaries and the establishment of   
schools2 but only such an outline as was
 suited to their general ignorance of   
the state of what is called the         
religious world4 ,and when he had       
concluded1 they all joined in the       
prayer3 ,thy kingdom come1 thy will be  
done on earth1 as it is done in heaven4 
,anxious as was ,m4 ---- to pursue his  
journey1 he devoted three hours to this 
interview4 ,he exhorted them to receive 
and practise only what they found in the
 ,scriptures1 and to cleave to the ,lord
 with full purpose of heart4  ,the      
termination of this extraordinary       
meeting was most affecting3 tears of    
pleasure1 gratitude1 and regret streamed
 from the eyes of the mountaineers2 and 
the traveller1 though more deeply moved 

by having seen the grace of ,god than by
 all the scenes through which he had    
passed1 went on his way rejoicing1 and  
following the directions of the good    
widow1 he arrived at the town of ,s----4
 ,in this town he had correspondents    
among the principal inhabitants and     
authorities1 and under the impression of
 all he had witnessed1 he inquired1 as  
if with the curiosity of a traveller1   
the name of the hamlet he had passed on 
the mountains1 and the nature of the    
employments1 and the character of its   
inhabitants4  ,the men1 said the mayor1 
work in the mines1 drive the teams1 and 
labour in the fields2 and the women and 
children weave4 ,they are a very curious
 people1 ou rs illumins1 7new lights17  
but the most honest work-people in the  
country--probity itself4 ,we have no    
occasion to weigh our silk1 either when 
we give it out or take it in1 for we are
 sure not to lose the value of a        
farthing2 and the kindest creatures in  
the world3 they will take their clothes 

off their backs to give to any one in   
distress3 indeed1 there is no           
wretchedness among them1 for1 though    
poor1 they are industrious1 temperate1  
charitable1 and always assist each      
other2 but touch them on their religion1
 and they are almost idiots4 ,they never
 go to mass nor confession--in fact1    
they are not christians1 though the most
 worthy people in the world2 and so     
droll3 imagine those poor people1 after 
working all the week1 instead of        
enjoying the ,sunday1 and going to a fte
 or a ball to amuse themselves1 meeting 
in each other's houses1 and sometimes in
 the mountains1 to read some book1 and  
pray1 and sing hymns4 ,they are very    
clever work-people1 but they pass their 
,sundays and holidays stupidly enough4  
,this testimony1 so honourable to his   
new acquaintance1 was confirmed to ,m4  
---- from several quarters2 and he      
learned from others1 what he had not    
been told by themselves1 that1 besides  
their honesty and charity1 so great is  

their zeal1 that they flock from the    
different hamlets1 and meet in the      
mountains1 in cold and bad weather1 at  
eight or nine o'clock at night1 to avoid
 the interruption of their enemies1 and 
to sing and pray4  ,these accounts were 
not calculated to lessen the interest   
excited in the breast of ,m4 ----1 and  
immediately on his arrival at ,lyons1 he
 dispatched six copies of the ,new      
,testament1 and some copies of the      
,tract entitled1 ,les ,deux ,vieillards1
 7,the ,two ,old ,men47 ,some time after
 his return to ,paris1 ,m4 ----         
received1 through one of his            
correspondents at ,lyons1 a letter from 
the excellent widow with whom he had    
conversed4 ,of this letter a literal    
translation is subjoined1 the modesty1  
dignity1 and piety of which not only    
evince the influence of true religion1  
but will satisfy the reader1 that in    
this narration no exaggerated statement 
has been made of the character of these 
mountaineers4   ,sir1--,i have the      

honour to write you1 to assure you of my
 very humble respects1 and at the same  
time to acknowledge the reception of the
 six copies of the ,new ,testament which
 you had the goodness and the generosity
 to send us4 ,my family1 myself1 and my 
neighbours know not how1 adequately1 to 
express our sincere gratitude2 for we   
have nothing in the world so precious as
 that sacred volume1 which is the best  
food of our souls1 and our certain guide
 to the heavenly ,jerusalem4  ,as we    
believe and are assured that the ,spirit
 of our ,lord ,jesus ,christ could alone
 have inspired you with the desire to   
distribute the sacred ,scriptures to    
those who are disposed to make a holy   
use of them1 we hope and believe that   
the ,divine ,saviour will be himself    
your recompense2 and that he will give  
to you1 as well as to all of us1 the    
grace to understand and to seek a part  
in his second coming2 for this ought to 
be our only and constant desire in the  
times of darkness and tribulation in    

which we live4  ,it is with this view1  
sir1 that ,i entreat you to have the    
goodness to send six more copies of the 
sacred volume for several of my friends1
 who are delighted1 not only with the   
beauty of the type1 but especially with 
the purity of the edition2 for it is    
sufficient to see the name of ,monsieur 
le ,maitre de ,sacy1 to be assured that 
this edition is strictly conformable to 
the sacred text4 ,sir1 as the persons   
who have charged me to entreat you to   
send six more copies of the ,new        
,testament would be sorry to abuse your 
generosity1 they also charge me to say1 
that if you accomplish their wishes1 as 
your truly ,christian kindness induces  
them to hope1 and will mark the price on
 the books1 they shall feel it to be a  
pleasure and duty to remit you the      
amount1 when ,i acknowledge the arrival 
of the parcel4 ,could you also add six  
copies of the little ,tract1 entitled   
',les ,deux ,vieillards'8  ,i entreat   
you1 sir1 to excuse the liberty ,i have 

taken1 and to believe that1 while life  
remains1 ,i am1 in the ,spirit of our   
,lord ,jesus ,christ1  ,your very humble
 servant1  ,the ,widow ----4  ,the      
reception of this letter revived in ,m4 
---- that lively interest which he had  
been constrained to feel for the        
prosperity of these happy villagers4    
,often had he called to mind the        
,christian kindness with which they     
received him1 and often had he presented
 his ardent prayer to the ,god of grace1
 that he who had begun a good work in   
them1 would carry it on to the day of   
,jesus ,christ4  ,instead of complying  
with the request of this venerable woman
 to send her six copies of the ,new     
,testament1 he sent her twenty1         
authorizing her to sell them to such as 
were able to pay2 but to present them1  
at her own discretion1 to those who were
 desirous of obtaining them1 and had not
 the means to purchase1 without money   
and without price4 ,with these he also  
presented to the widow1 as a mark of his

 ,christian affection1 a ,bible for her 
own use1 together with a dozen copies of
 the ,tract which she had requested1 and
 several other religious books4 ,in     
acknowledging this unexpected bounty1   
she thus replied1 in a letter1 dated    
,july #ag1 #ahba3  ,respected friend and
 brother in our ,lord ,jesus            
,christ1--,it is impossible to describe 
the satisfaction that my heart          
experienced on the arrival of the kind  
communications which you have been      
pleased to send me4 ,i could not help   
reading over and over again the letters 
enclosed1 which afford fresh proof of   
the desire of yourself and your friends 
to contribute to the advancement of the 
reign of the ,divine ,redeemer4 ,i      
cannot find words to express the        
happiness ,i have derived from perusing 
the entire copy of the ,old and ,new    
,testament1 which you beg me to accept  
as an expression of your christian      
affection4 ,i was more gratified and    
edified by this mark of your regard1 as 

it was my intention to have requested1  
in my last letter1 some copies of the   
,old ,testament2 but ,i dared not       
execute my design1 for fear of abusing  
your ,christian kindness and charity4   
,the ,old and ,new ,testament1 properly 
understood1 are but one ,testament2 such
 is the connection of the sacred        
books--for the ,new ,testament is the   
key to the ,old1 and the ,old the same  
to the ,new4 ,in innumerable passages of
 the ,old ,testament1 the birth1 death1 
and glory of our ,divine ,redeemer are  
announced1 in terms more or less        
distinct4 ,in reading the prophecies of 
,jeremiah and ,isaiah1 we perceive that 
those prophets spoke of our ,saviour    
almost as though they had lived with him
 on the earth4 ,his second coming is    
also foretold in many passages1         
especially in the prophecies of ,ezekiel
 and ,daniel4  ,the box which your      
christian generosity has sent1 has      
excited universal joy in the hearts of  
all our friends in this district4       

,immediately after they learned the     
agreeable news1 they flocked to see me1 
and to have the happiness and advantage 
of procuring the ,testament of our      
,redeemer2 and in less than five days   
the box was emptied4 ,i gave copies of  
the ,gospel of ,st4 ,matthew to those   
who had not the satisfaction and        
consolation to procure a complete copy  
of the ,testament4 ,the whole was so    
soon distributed that many could have   
nothing2 and there are also many who do 
not yet know of the arrival of the      
second box4 ,i intend to lend the copy  
of the ,bible1 and of the books which ,i
 have reserved for myself1 among our    
friends in the neighbourhood1 in order  
that the books we have may be as useful 
as possible4  ,as ,i hope you will do me
 the honour and the christian kindness  
to acknowledge the receipt of this1 ,i  
request you to inform me how ,i can     
remit you sixty francs1 which ,i have   
received for fifteen of the ,new        
,testaments4 ,as our brethren and       

sisters in ,jesus ,christ1 who1 through 
his grace altogether free and unmerited1
 look for his second coming to          
salvation1 are delighted and edified by 
the truly ,christian salutation which   
you have sent through me1 they desire me
 to express their gratitude1 and to     
request you to accept theirs in the same
 spirit4 ,i unite with them in          
beseeching you and your respectable     
friend ----1 and all your friends1 not  
to forget us in your prayers to the     
,father of ,lights1 that he may give us 
grace to persevere in the same          
sentiments1 and grant us all the mercy  
to join the general assembly1 the       
heavenly ,jerusalem4 ,amen4 ,expecting  
that happy day1 ,i entreat you to       
believe me your very humble servant and 
friend in ,jesus ,christ1  ,the ,widow  
----4  ,it may well be supposed that the
 reception of this interesting letter   
produced an effect on the mind of ,m4   
----1 as well as on the minds of many of
 his ,christian friends at ,paris1 of   

the happiest kind4 ,m4 ---- informed the
 widow of the great satisfaction with   
which he had learned the eagerness of   
the villagers to obtain the word of     
,god1 and that he had directed his      
friend1 the publisher of the ,new       
,testament of ,de ,sacy1 to send her    
fifty copies more2 at the same time     
promising her a fresh supply1 if they   
should be needed4 ,he also expressed to 
her the hope1 that1 as he expected his  
business would1 within a few months1    
call him again to ,s----1 he should be  
able1 ,providence permitting1 to avail  
himself of that opportunity and enjoy   
the happiness of another visit at her   
residence4 ,to this communication she   
some time afterwards returned the       
following reply3  ,dear sir1 and brother
 in our ,lord ,jesus ,christ1--,may the 
grace and unmerited mercy of our ,divine
 ,saviour be our single and only hope in
 our pilgrimage here below4 ,i beseech  
you and your dear friends to pray for   
us1 that the celestial ,comforter       

promised in the ,scriptures1 would      
vouchsafe to visit our hearts and warm  
them with his love2 for without the aid 
of this ,divine ,light1 even though we  
should commit to memory the ,old and    
,new ,testament1 it would avail us      
nothing2 but rather tend to our greater 
condemnation in the sight of our        
,sovereign ,judge4  ,i am now able to   
acknowledge the receipt of the box which
 you had the goodness and christian     
charity to send me1 containing fifty    
copies of the ,testament of our blessed 
,saviour1 which did not arrive until the
 #beth of last month1 on account of its 
having been detained in the public store
 at ,s---- for several days without my  
knowledge4 ,as soon as ,i learned it was
 there1 ,i sent one of my daughters to  
inquire for it1 as ,i was then so ill as
 to keep my bed1 and to induce a belief 
that ,i was about to quit this land of  
exile4 ,i have felt myself so much      
better for a few days past1 that ,i     
begin to think that my pilgrimage will  

be prolonged for some time1 and that ,i 
may yet have the pleasure and           
consolation of again seeing you1 and    
conversing with you upon the things     
which regard our eternal peace4 ,it is  
with such feelings that ,i would beg an 
interest in your prayers1 that the      
precious blood which the ,divine        
,saviour has been willing to shed for us
 and other sinners1 may be found        
efficacious to me in that moment when ,i
 shall depart from this vale of tears2  
for my age admonishes that this time is 
not far distant4 ,believe me1 my dear   
brother in ,christ1 that ,i shall never 
forget you in my prayers1 however feeble
 they may be2 for ,i can never forget   
the day when1 urged by ,christian       
friendship1 you entered my house1 and   
imparted that truly spiritual           
nourishment which serves for time and   
eternity1 and we discoursed together    
upon the second coming of our ,divine   
,redeemer1 and the restoration of the   
covenant people4  ,i look forward to the

 happy moment when ,i shall have the    
honour and pleasure of seeing you again2
 and in the meantime beg you to believe 
me your very humble and affectionate    
friend and servant in ,jesus ,christ1   
,the ,widow----4  ,in a letter received 
soon after the above1 ,m4 ---- was      
informed that the ,bibles and           
,testaments had all been disposed of    
within two days from the time of their  
arrival1 and that many1 who earnestly   
desired a copy1 were yet unsupplied3 the
 distribution having only created an    
increased demand4 ,m4 ---- resolved not 
to neglect their wants1 as long as it   
was in his power to supply them2 and the
 day being not far distant1 when he     
proposed to repair to ,s----1 and to    
make a second visit to the ,village in  
the ,mountains1 he prepared a case of a 
hundred ,new ,testaments and a hundred  
octavo ,bibles1 which he forwarded to   
,lyons by the roulage acclr1 or baggage 
wagon1 to meet his arrival there2 and   
soon after took his departure from      

,paris4  ,there were some interesting   
incidents in the progress of this tour1 
which so delightfully point to the hand 
of ,god1 that the reader may be         
gratified in becoming acquainted with   
them4 ,on his arrival at ,lyons1 ,m4    
----1 finding no other way of           
transportation except the common        
,diligence1 a public stage-coach1 was   
obliged to resort to this conveyance4   
,the case of ,bibles and ,testaments    
which he had forwarded was so large1    
that the only method by which it could  
be carried was to set it up on end in   
the basket attached to the back of the  
,diligence2 and such was the weight and 
size of the box1 that it was with no    
small difficulty1 and by the assistance 
of several men1 that it was safely      
adjusted4 ,at first the passengers      
objected to taking their seats with such
 a weight behind1 lest they should meet 
with some accident1 or be impeded in    
their progress4 ,after much persuasion1 
however1 and after presenting a number  

of ,religious ,tracts to each passenger1
 and requesting the conductor to drive  
slow1 they were prevailed on to proceed 
on their journey4 ,the course they were 
pursuing led through a part of the      
country solely inhabited by ,roman      
,catholics1 where1 the year before1 ,m4 
---- had distributed a number of ,bibles
 and ,tracts1 the reading of which1 he  
had subsequently ascertained1 had been  
forbidden by the priests1 who had not   
only demanded them1 but consigned most  
or all of them to the flames4 ,m4 ----  
thought necessary1 in this journey1 to  
suspend his distributions in this       
immediate vicinity4 ,but the providence 
of ,god had other views1 and so ordered 
it1 that1 without the instrumentality of
 men1 the sacred records should be      
scattered among that people4 ,on        
reaching the place of his destination at
 the foot of the mountains1 and         
alighting from the ,diligence1 ,m4 ---- 
discovered that the case had opened at  
the top1 and that not a few ,bibles and 

,testaments had been scattered along the
 way4 ,travellers were soon seen coming 
up1 some in wagons and some on          
horseback1 some with a ,bible and some  
with a ,new ,testament under their arm4 
,they informed him1 that1 for eight or  
ten miles back1 the inhabitants had been
 supplied by the ,diligence1 as the     
books had fallen out whenever they      
descended a hill1 or travelled over     
rocky and uneven ground4  ,while taking 
the case from the ,diligence1 several   
more persons came up1 each bringing his 
,bible or ,testament1 which they most   
readily offered to return to ,m4 ----1  
but which he as cheerfully requested    
them to accept1 observing to them1 that 
they had been destined for their perusal
 by that ,providence whose unseen hand  
directs all human events4 ,though       
ignorant of the contents of the volume  
which ,god had thus given them1 they    
expressed many thanks to ,m4 ---- for   
his generosity1 and were about to       
proceed on their way1 apparently        

rejoicing1 when ,m4 ---- dismissed them 
by saying3 ,my friends1 ,i feel         
peculiarly happy in thus being the      
instrument of putting into your hands   
that volume which contains the records  
of eternal life1 and which points you to
 'the ,lamb of ,god1 which taketh away  
the sin of the world4' ,if you          
faithfully read it1 and imbibe its      
glorious and precious truths1 and obey  
its precepts1 it will render you happy  
in this life1 and happy during the      
endless ages of eternity4  ,having      
opened the case1 ,m4 ---- found that    
forty-nine ,bibles and ,testaments had  
been thus distributed4 ,some of his     
fellow-passengers were ready to believe 
that the box had been intentionally left
 open1 but ,m4 ---- assured them that it
 had been carefully secured in the usual
 manner1 and that not until his arrival 
at the spot where they alighted1 had he 
known that any had fallen out4 ,having  
made arrangements to have the case      
forwarded to the widow1 and having      

addressed to her a note informing her of
 his intention to proceed to the large  
village of ,s----1 where he proposed    
tarrying a few days1 during which time  
he hoped once more to visit her and her 
friends1 ,m4 ---- resumed his seat in   
the ,diligence1 and arrived at ,s----   
the same night4 ,on the next day but one
 after his arrival1 he was agreeably    
surprised1 at an early hour in the      
morning1 to find the hotel where he     
lodged surrounded by fifty or sixty     
persons1 inquiring for the gentleman who
 had1 a day or two before1 presented to 
a number of their citizens ,,the ,,book1
 which1 as they said1 contained a true  
history of the birth1 life1 sufferings1 
death1 resurrection1 and ascension of   
our ,lord and ,saviour ,jesus ,christ4  
,others of them called it by its proper 
name1 the ,new ,testament of our ,lord  
and ,saviour ,jesus ,christ4 ,all of    
them were anxious to purchase a copy of 
it4 ,as soon as ,m4 ---- ascertained the
 object of their visit1 he appeared on  

the balcony1 and expressed his regret   
that he had no more of those interesting
 volumes with him2 informing them that1 
if it pleased ,god he should return to  
,paris1 he would forward a hundred to   
his correspondent in that place1 that   
each of them might be furnished with a  
copy4 ,this was accordingly done        
immediately after his return to ,paris4 
,and during his residence there1 ,m ----
 had the satisfaction to see1 that more 
or less individuals from ,s----1 who    
came to solicit orders for their        
manufacturing establishments1 also      
brought orders for an additional supply 
of the sacred volume4 ,and the number of
 ,bibles and ,testaments which were     
introduced into a dense catholic        
population1 in consequence of the       
apparently trivial circumstance of the  
opening of the case in the ,diligence1  
will probably never be ascertained until
 the great day of account2 nor will it  
be known to what extent they have been  
instrumental in reclaiming and saving   

the souls of deluded men4  ,on the day  
following ,m---- received a deputation  
from the ,village in the ,mountains1    
anxiously desiring to hear on what day  
and hour they might hope to enjoy his   
long-expected visit4 ,he proposed to be 
at the widow's house the following      
morning1 at #aa o'clock4 ,furnished with
 a carriage and horses by one of his    
friends1 he set out accordingly2 and1 on
 reaching the foot of the mountain1 was 
met by a deputation of twelve or fifteen
 of these faithful followers of the     
,lamb1 who greeted his approach with    
demonstrations of joy4 ,he immediately  
descended from the carriage1 and was    
conducted to the house of the widow with
 every expression of the most sincere   
,christian affection1 some taking him by
 the sleeve1 and others by the skirts of
 his coat1 some preceding and others    
following him4 ,but what was his        
surprise1 on arriving at the house1 to  
find an assembly of from sixty to       
eighty1 who1 with one voice1 desired him

 to preach to them6 ,m4 ---- observed to
 them1 that he was an unworthy layman1  
and totally unqualified for such a      
responsible duty1 and the more so at    
that time1 as his mind had been occupied
 in his secular business2 and he felt   
the need of himself receiving           
instruction1 instead of attempting to   
impart it to others4 ,but a chair had   
been placed for him in a suitable part  
of the room1 and a small table1 covered 
with a green cloth1 placed before it1 on
 which was laid the copy of the ,bible  
which ,m4 ---- had1 some months before1 
presented to the widow4 ,m4 ---- saw he 
could not avoid saying something to this
 importunate company1 and looking to    
,god for assistance and a blessing1 took
 the chair which had been set for him1  
and resolved to attempt to draw from the
 ,bible1 for their benefit1 such        
instruction and consolation as he might 
be enabled to impart4  ,to the eye of   
,m4 ---- every thing gave beauty and    
solemnity to this unexpected scene4 ,the

 room into which he was conducted was   
filled with the villagers1 all          
conveniently accommodated on benches4 ,a
 large door opened1 in the rear of the  
house1 and discovered the declivity of  
the mountain on which it stood1 skirted 
also with listening auditors4 ,while1 at
 a distance1 the flocks and herds were  
peacefully feeding1 the trees1 covered  
with beautiful foliage1 were waving in  
the breeze1 and all nature seemed to be 
in harmony with those sacred emotions   
which so obviously pervaded this rural  
assembly4  ,after addressing the throne 
of grace1 ,m4 ---- read a part of the   
fourth chapter of the ,acts of the      
,apostles4 ,he turned their attention   
more especially to that interesting     
passage in the twelfth verse3 ,there is 
none other name under heaven1 given     
among men1 whereby we must be saved4 ,he
 endeavoured to point out to them the   
exceeding sinfulness of sin1 the awful  
consequences of violating the law of    
,god1 the inefficacy of all those       

expedients which the ignorance1 the     
pride1 or the self-righteousness of men 
had substituted for the only name1      
,christ ,jesus4 ,he spoke of the        
necessity of this great sacrifice on the
 cross1 of the love of ,god in sending  
his ,son into the world1 of the fullness
 and all-sufficiency of the mighty      
redemption1 and of the duty of sinners  
to accept it and live4 ,it is through   
,christ alone1 said he1 that you can    
have hope of pardon and salvation4 ,you 
must take up the cross and follow       
,christ4 ,you must renounce your sins   
and flee to ,christ4 ,you must renounce 
your own righteousness1 and trust alone 
in ,christ4 ,you must renounce all other
 lords1 and submit to ,christ4 ,if you  
had offended an earthly monarchy to whom
 you could have access only through his 
son1 would you address yourselves to his
 servants1 rather than his son8 ,and    
will you then1 in the great concerns of 
your souls1 go to any other than the    
,son8 ,will you have recourse to the    

,virgin ,mary1 or some favoured servant1
 rather than address yourselves to ,him 
who is 'the way1 and the truth1 and the 
life8' and when ,god himself assures us1
 that 'there is none other name under   
heaven1 given among men1 whereby we must
 be saved8'  ,having thus proceeded for 
the space of fifteen or twenty minutes1 
and at a moment when the greater part of
 his audience were in tears1 the widow  
suddenly came running to ,m4 ----1      
saying1 with great agitation1 ,monsieur6
 ,monsieur  ,what1 madam1 what8 said ,m4
 ----4  ,i perceive1 said she1 at a     
distance1 the deputy mayor of a         
neighbouring village1 in company with   
several women1 approaching with a speedy
 step towards my house4 ,these people   
are among our greatest                  
persecutors--shall ,i not call in our   
little band of brothers and sisters1 and
 fasten the doors8  ,no1 madam1 said ,m4
 ----2 on the contrary1 if it be        
possible1 open the doors still wider2   
trust in ,god our ,saviour1 and leave to

 me the direction of this matter4 ,by   
this time considerable alarm seemed to  
pervade the whole assembly1 and some    
confusion ensued1 in consequence of     
several leaving their seats4 ,m4 ----   
begged them to be composed1 and to      
resume their seats1 saying1 that the    
object for which they were assembled was
 one which ,god would accept of and     
approve1 which angels would delight in1 
and at which ,satan trembled2 and that  
they had nothing to fear from the arm of
 flesh4 ,by this time the mayor made his
 appearance at the threshold of the     
door1 together with his attendants4     
,come in1 sir1 said ,m4 ----1 and be    
seated1 pointing to a chair placed near 
the table4  ,no1 sir1 said he1 ,i prefer
 to remain here4  ,but ,i prefer1 said  
,m4 ----1 that you come in1 and also    
your companions1 and be seated4         
,perceiving ,m4 ---- to be firm in his  
determination1 they complied1 and were  
all seated among his nearest auditors4  
,m4 ---- then1 without any further      

remarks1 having the ,bible open before  
him1 directed their attention to those  
words in ,christ's ,sermon on the       
,mount3 ,blessed are they which are     
persecuted for righteousness' sake2 for 
theirs is the kingdom of heaven4        
,blessed are ye when men shall revile   
you1 and persecute you1 and shall say   
all manner of evil against you falsely1 
for my sake4 ,rejoice and be exceeding  
glad2 for great is your reward in       
heaven2 for so persecuted they the      
prophets which were before you ,matt4   
#e3aj1 #ab4  ,m4 ---- proceeded to set  
before them the sufferings of the       
apostles and primitive christians for   
the truth as it is in ,jesus1 and the   
constancy and firmness with which1 in   
all circumstances1 they endured these   
sufferings1 on account of the love which
 they bore to their ,saviour2 that they 
had good reasons for so doing1 for they 
were assured by ,christ1 in the words   
just read1 that great should be their   
reward in heaven4 ,m4 ---- then         

proceeded to show the immense           
responsibility which those assumed1 and 
the enormity of their guilt1 who1       
ignorantly or designedly1 persecuted the
 followers of ,christ4 ,that they were  
but heaping up to themselves wrath      
against the day of wrath4 ,that the day 
was not far distant1 when the awful     
realities of eternity would burst upon  
their view2 and that every man would    
then be judged according to the deeds   
done in the body4  ,when ,m4 ---- had   
proceeded in this manner for ten or     
twelve minutes1 bringing the truth to   
bear especially upon the minds of his   
new audience1 he perceived the mayor    
wiping his eyes with the cuff of his    
sleeve1 who1 rising at that moment from 
his seat1 exclaimed3  ,sir1 ,i          
acknowledge that ,i have heretofore felt
 an enmity towards many of the people   
whom ,i here see before me2 and have1 as
 far as my influence extended in my     
official capacity1 endeavoured to break 
up what ,i have considered their illegal

 assemblies1 and to coerce them back    
within the pale of the mother church1   
which one after another of them have    
been abandoning for years past4 ,but if 
all that you have expressed be true1 and
 is in conformity with the sacred volume
 of ,god's word1 and if the book which  
you hold in your hand is a correct      
translation of the original copy1 ,i beg
 you to sell it me1 that ,i may peruse  
it myself1 and give the reading of it to
 others better able to judge of its     
contents3 and if ,i there find the      
promises and threatening as stated by   
you to be correct1 you may rely upon it 
that1 so far from persecuting these in  
other respects harmless people1 ,i will 
hereafter be their friend4  ,on hearing 
this1 ,m4 ---- immediately requested the
 widow to bring several ,bibles from the
 case which he brought with him in the  
,diligence1 and which had reached the   
house according to his direction2 one of
 which he presented to the mayor1 and   
one to each of his catholic associates4 

,on the mayor's offering pay for the one
 put into his hand1 ,m4 ---- observed1  
that he had much pleasure in presenting 
it to him1 as well as to his companions1
 in the hope that they would hereafter  
not only become the friends of this     
interesting people1 but1 what was of    
more importance1 the friends of ,jesus  
,christ1 who is the only ,mediator      
between ,god and man4  ,with this they  
took their departure3 ,m4 ---- observing
 to them1 that his heart's desire and   
prayer to ,god was1 that1 by a careful1 
humble1 and prayerful perusal of that   
sacred volume1 their understandings     
might become enlightened1 and their     
hearts imbued with the riches of divine 
grace2 that they might thereby be led   
hereafter to advocate the very cause    
which they had hitherto been attempting 
to destroy2 and that1 when they had done
 serving ,god their ,saviour here below1
 they might find themselves among that  
happy number whose names are written in 
the ,lamb's book of life4  ,they left   

the house1 all of them in tears1 and as 
it appeared1 deeply impressed with the  
truths which had been exhibited4  ,after
 he had concluded these remarks1 ,m4    
---- requested that some of the         
remaining ,bibles and ,testaments might 
be brought and laid before him on the   
table4 ,these he distributed            
gratuitously to all present who had not 
before been supplied1 and who were      
unable to purchase them4 ,while he was  
doing this1 many who had previously     
received the sacred volume1 came forward
 and manifested their gratitude by      
laying upon the table their various     
donations of from two to ten francs#c   
each1 till1 in a few moments1 the table 
was well nigh covered4 ,m4 ---- told    
them he was unwilling to receive money  
in that manner1 and wished them to put  
their gifts into the hands of the widow1
 accompanied by the names of the donors1
 that they might be regularly accounted 
to the ,bible ,society4 ,this they      
consented to with some reluctance1 when 

the widow brought from her drawer a     
purse containing a hundred and seventy  
francs1 saying to ,m4 ----1 that he     
could not refuse that money1 as it was  
the proceeds of ,bibles and ,testaments 
which she had sold in compliance with   
his directions4 ,m4 ---- replied to her1
 that he had indeed requested her to    
sell these volumes to such as were able 
to purchase1 that he might ascertain    
whether there were persons in that      
neighbourhood who sufficiently          
appreciated the word of ,god to be      
willing to pay for it2 but1 that object 
having been accomplished1 it was now his
 privilege1 on his own personal         
responsibility1 to place the hundred and
 seventy francs in the hands of the     
widow1 to be distributed1 in equal      
portions1 to the three unfortunate      
families whom they had mentioned us     
having recently lost their husbands and 
fathers by the caving in of a coal-pit4 
,footnote #c3 ,five francs are nearly   
equal to one dollar4  ,on hearing this1 

they together1 spontaneously as it were1
 surrounded ,m4 ----1 and with tears    
streaming from their eyes1 loaded him   
with their expressions of gratitude and 
their blessings1 rendering it the most  
touching scene which ,m4 ---- ever      
witnessed4  ,amidst all these tokens of 
their ,christian affection1 ,m4 ---- was
 compelled to prepare for his departure1
 and imploring the richest of heaven's  
mercies upon them1 bade them an         
affectionate farewell4  ,the whole      
company followed him to the carriage1   
and just as he had reached it1 he once  
more addressed them1 saying1 ,my dear   
friends1 if any of you have not yet     
submitted yourselves to ,god1 and are   
out of the ark of safety1 ,i beseech you
 'give not sleep to your eyes1 nor      
slumber to your eye-lids1' until you    
flee to the ,saviour4 ,and those of you 
who have tasted that the ,lord is       
gracious1 live near to ,god1 bear       
cheerfully the cross of your ,redeemer1 
follow on to know the ,lord and do his  

will1 and by his grace reigning in your 
hearts1 you shall come off conquerors1  
and more than conquerors6  ,when he had 
said this1 and had again commended them 
to the ,god of all mercy through a      
crucified ,redeemer1 he drove off amid  
their prayers and blessings1 to see them
 no more till that day when they shall  
meet in the kingdom of their ,father1   
where sighs and farewells are sounds    
unknown1 and where ,god shall wipe away 
all tears from every eye4 ,after ,m4    
----'s return to ,paris1 he had the     
pleasure to learn from the widow that   
all the ,bibles he had left with her    
were disposed of1 and that many1 in     
various directions from the village1    
were earnest to obtain them1 but could  
not be supplied4 ,in the meantime a deep
 interest in the spiritual welfare of   
these villagers had diffused itself     
beyond the limits of ,paris1 or even of 
,france4 ,the first sixteen pages of    
this ,tract having found its way to     
,england1 had been published by the     

,religious ,tract ,society of ,london1  
and had obtained a very wide            
circulation4 ,a parish in one of the    
interior towns of ,england had forwarded
 to ,m4 ---- twenty pounds sterling for 
the purchase of ,bibles1 to be presented
 to the widow for gratuitous            
distribution2 and a family of ,friends  
from ,wales1 having read the narrative1 
visited ,m4 ---- at ,paris1 and         
proceeded thence to the ,village in the 
,mountains1 where they tarried no less  
than three weeks1 assuring ,m4 ----1 on 
their return to ,paris1 that it had been
 the most interesting three weeks of    
their lives4  ,as the proceeds of the   
twenty pounds1 ,m4 ---- forwarded to the
 widow fifty ,bibles and fifty          
,testaments1 with a selection of several
 other choice books and ,tracts4 ,these 
,bibles1 ,testaments1 and ,tracts1 were 
all actually disposed of in eight days1 
of which the widow gave early           
information1 accompanied by letters to  
,m4 ----1 and to the benevolent donors  

in ,england1 expressing1 in the most    
cordial manner1 her gratitude1 and that 
of those who had thus been supplied with
 the word of life4 ,she gave a          
particular statement of the eagerness   
with which they had been read2 of their 
distribution in many ,catholic families1
 and the conversion of some to the truth
 as it is in ,jesus4 ,she informed that 
many individuals and families were still
 unsupplied2 and for herself1 and those 
around her1 expressed her thanksgivings 
to ,god for the wonders of his love in  
inspiring the hearts of his children to 
unite their efforts in ,bible and other 
benevolent institutions1 and to         
contribute of their substance to extend 
to the destitute a knowledge of the     
,gospel4  ,the last letter which ,m4    
---- received from the widow1 before he 
left the country1 contained two hundred 
francs1 which she and her children had  
contributed as a donation1 in           
acknowledgment of the ,bibles and       
,testaments which he had1 from time to  

time1 forwarded4  ,m4 ---- replied to   
her that it gave him more joy than to   
have received twenty thousand francs    
from another source1 as it testified    
their attachment to the word of ,god4   
,he returned her the full amount of     
their donation in ,bibles1 with two     
hundred and fifty ,testaments from the  
,society1 together with fifty from      
himself1 as his last present before his 
departure1 and also six hundred ,tracts 
and several other religious hooks4      
,pointing out to her an esteemed friend 
in ,paris1 to whom1 if further supplies 
should be needed1 she might apply with  
assurance that her requests would be    
faithfully regarded1 and exhorting her  
to remain steadfast in the faith1 and to
 fix her eye always upon the ,saviour1  
,m4 ---- commended her to ,god1 in the  
fervent hope1 that1 through the         
unsearchable riches of his grace1 he    
should hereafter meet her1 and her      
persecuted associates in that world     
where the wicked cease from troubling1  

and the weary are at rest4              
,,note4--,the original letters of the   
widow1 in ,french1 are deposited in the 
archives of the ,american ,tract        
,society4     ,,conversion ,,of ,,peter 
,,bayssiere  ,,from ,,the ,,romish      
,,church  ,,to ,,the ,,protestant       
,,faith4  ,,in ,a ,,letter ,,to ,,his   
,,children4  99 99 99 99 99             
,,translated ,,from ,,the ,,french4     
,,conversion ,,of ,,peter ,,bayssiere   
,,in ,a ,,letter ,,to ,,his             
,,children4#d     ,footnote #d3 ,this   
,narrative was originally entitled1 ,a  
letter to my children1 on the subject of
 my conversion from the ,romish church1 
in which ,i was born1 to the            
,protestant1 in which ,i hope to die4   
,by ,peter ,bayssire1 ,montaigut1       
,department ,tarn and ,garonne4         
7,france47 ,as much of the interest of  
this ,narrative1 says the preface to the
 ,london edition1 depends upon its      
authenticity1 the reader is referred to 
the subjoined extract of a letter from  

the ,rev4 ,francis ,cunningham1 ,rector 
of ,pakefield1 dated ,may #bj1 #ahbi1   
which will probably remove any doubts on
 the subject4  444444,the autograph of  
,bayssire's letter ,i saw when ,i was in
 the ,south of ,france1 in the year     
#ahbf4 ,it had just then been received  
by ,m4 ,audebez1 the minister of ,nrac2 
who1 as appears by the ,tract1 was well 
acquainted both with ,bayssire and his  
circumstances4 ,confident of the        
genuineness of the account1 ,i am very  
glad it has been published in ,french1  
and translated into ,english4 ,it cannot
 but be interesting and profitable to   
all lovers of the truth4  ,,francis     
,,cunningham4   ,,my ,,dear             
,,children--,i purpose to give you1 in  
this letter1 an account of my conversion
 to the true ,christian religion--that  
religion which was established by our   
,lord and his apostles1 professed by    
their followers during the first two    
centuries of the church1 and which is   
now followed by the protestant or       

reformed ,christians4 ,i am conscious   
that neither my abilities nor my        
education qualify me for this task4 ,a  
mere mechanic1 and possessing but few   
advantages of education1 ,i find it very
 difficult to express1 as ,i could wish1
 the thoughts and feelings which crowd  
upon my mind4 ,but how great and        
numerous so ever may be the difficulties
 which ,i must encounter in such an     
undertaking1 ,i am impelled to it by the
 tender affection ,i bear you1 and by   
the earnest desire and hope of being    
useful to you4 ,may ,god be my helper2  
may he not suffer me to be deterred by  
any obstacle2 and may he grant me the   
blessing of accomplishing that which ,i 
consider as a sacred duty4  ,it is my   
imperative duty to make you acquainted  
with the real motives which have        
produced the most important1 solemn1 and
 decisive step in my life4  ,it is my   
duty to give glory to ,god for the      
unspeakable mercy which he has deigned  
to show me1 in calling me from darkness 

into his marvellous light2 in opening to
 me the treasures of his infinite       
compassion1 and in giving me the hope of
 salvation by faith in his ,son1 who    
only has the words of eternal life1     
being alone the way1 the truth1 and the 
life4  ,it is my duty to endeavour to   
render my experience profitable to you1 
to show you the path by which it has    
pleased ,god to lead me to truth1 and to
 the fountain of living waters2 and1    
above all1 to labour in prayer for you1 
that you may be partakers of the peace  
and joy with which my spirit is filled  
under the influence of his blessed word4
  ,may this paper1 my dear children1 by 
the blessing of ,god1 contribute to the 
triumph of the ,gospel1 and to the glory
 of our great ,god and ,saviour ,jesus  
,christ1 by filling your hearts with the
 love of truth1 and by leading you in   
the way of true religion4  ,it was in   
the thirty-third year of my age1 in the 
present year1 7#ahbf17 that ,i openly   
embraced and professed the ,protestant  

religion1 after having given it the most
 serious and attentive examination1 and 
being convinced that it was indeed the  
true religion of ,christ1 agreeable1 in 
every respect1 to the revelations of his
 ,gospel4  ,like you1 my dear children1 
,i was born in the ,romish church2 but  
birth has1 in fact1 very little to do   
with religion2 the utmost that it can   
effect is to predispose the mind1 or to 
serve as a pretext to timid1 interested1
 or indifferent persons1 to justify     
their external adherence to a form of   
worship in which their hearts do not    
unite4  ,as our ,saviour declares to his
 disciple ,peter1 it is not flesh or    
blood that can make known to us the true
 ,god1 the ,creator1 ,preserver1 and    
,saviour of men4 ,faith1 through which  
alone we can become children of ,god1   
and true members of the church of       
,christ1 is a gift of the ,holy ,spirit1
 and by no means transmitted to us with 
our existence by our parents4 ,st4 ,john
 teaches us this when he says1 ,as many 

as received him1 to them gave he power  
to become the sons of ,god1 even to them
 that believe on his name3 which were   
born1 not of blood1 nor of the will of  
the flesh1 nor of the will of man1 but  
of ,god4 ,john1 #a3 #ab1 #ac4  ,thus you
 see that we are neither ,catholics nor 
,protestants by birth2 and it is a great
 error for any one to feel himself bound
 to either church1 because he has been  
born within its pale4 ,religion1 like   
every thing else1 must be studied and   
examined2 and no one is truly a member  
of a church1 further than as he         
understands and acknowledges its        
doctrines4 ,his adherence on any other  
ground only proves him credulous1       
ignorant1 and superstitious2 the slave  
of prejudice and habit4  ,as for me1 my 
children1 although born in the ,romish  
church1 ,i can assure you that ,i never 
participated in its belief4 ,it would be
 foreign to the end ,i have in view1 to 
relate here the various circumstances of
 my childhood and youth1 which preserved

 me from being brought into the bosom of
 the ,catholic church by the usual rites
 and ceremonies4 ,god so ordered it1    
that ,i made no vow by which ,i might#e 
have afterwards felt myself bound to the
 church of ,rome4  ,footnote #e3 ,i     
might have1 but ,i am far from supposing
 that ,i ought to have fell myself      
indissolubly tied to the ,roman         
,catholic church by any sacrament that  
,i might have received1 or by any       
engagement that ,i might have entered   
into3 on the contrary1 ,i lay it down as
 an incontestable principle1 that every 
vow and every oath are null1 and neither
 can nor ought to bind any one to a     
church in which he has discovered       
errors1 or doctrines and habits opposed 
to the word of ,god1 and contrary to his
 own conscience4 ,truth alone1 and the  
full conviction of truth1 constitute a  
tie which can inviolably connect us with
 any church whatever4 ,from the moment  
that this conviction no longer exists1  
and that error is discovered1 it is an  

imperative duty to abandon a mode of    
worship which does not accord with our  
true sentiments2 and he who perseveres  
against this conviction becomes a       
hypocrite1 contemptible in the eyes of  
men1 and condemned before ,god4         
,unknown to me1 that is1 at an age when 
,i could have no idea of what was done  
to me1 ,i was doubtless received into   
the church by the usual ceremony2 but as
 this act was performed without any     
consent or co-operation on my part1 ,i  
have never regarded it in the light of  
an engagement to the ,catholic church4  
,with regard to what is called the first
 communion1 7which is considered as the 
public ratification and confirmation of 
the vow of my parents17 this ,i never   
received in the ,romish church1 nor did 
,i receive what is called the ,sacrament
 of confirmation4  ,before ,i could be  
united by the sacred bond of marriage to
 your virtuous and beloved mother1 it   
was necessary that ,i should confess4   
,this ,i did with extreme reluctance1   

feeling that nothing could be at once   
more absurd1 more tyrannical1 or more   
degrading1 than to oblige a man to      
prostrate himself at the feet of a      
priest1 a mortal1 a sinner1 a child of  
corruption like himself1 and there to   
make confessions to him1 which offended 
,deity alone could have a right to      
require3 and to receive absolution from 
him for faults with which he had no     
concern4 ,i could not1 however1 marry   
without confession1 and therefore ,i was
 obliged to submit2 but no power on     
earth could have constrained me to go   
further4 ,the ,sacrament1 as the ,roman 
,catholics receive it1 had1 from        
infancy1 excited in me feelings of      
disgust4 ,my mind had always revolted at
 the idea1 that the great ,god of heaven
 could allow himself to be eaten by his 
creatures in the form of a little flour4
 ,under various pretences1 therefore1 ,i
 contrived to avoid the ceremony1 and   
obtained the nuptial benediction without
 it4  ,the ,lord1 who never leaves      

himself without the witness of his      
numerous mercies to us1 even when we are
 offending him in so many ways1 was     
pleased to bless our marriage4 ,your    
birth1 my dear children1 crowned our    
joy1 and left us nothing to wish but to 
see you grow and prosper1 and to devote 
ourselves to your happiness4 ,alas6     
little did we suspect1 whilst thus      
delightfully engaged1 that this joy was 
to be so soon disturbed1 and that death 
would deprive us of her who had given   
you birth4 ,but our great ,god1 whose   
ways and whose designs1 though often    
inscrutable1 are always full of wisdom1 
saw good to separate us2 you from a     
tender and excellent mother1 and me from
 a beloved companion and inestimable    
friend4 ,she died ,february #aa1 #ahba1 
after a few days' illness1 leaving me in
 a state of affliction which it would be
 in vain to attempt to describe4        
,nevertheless1 terrible as was the      
stroke1 and heart-rending as was the    
separation1 ,i can now acknowledge1 my  

children1 that it was a salutary        
chastisement1 sent by sovereign love2   
and one of the links of that chain of   
,providence by which the ,lord saw good 
to deliver me from the miserable state  
in which ,i was then living2 and to lead
 me to the fountain of grace and true   
peace4  ,in fact1 the death of your poor
 mother gave rise to a train of         
circumstances1 which1 by drawing my     
attention to subjects that ,i had       
hitherto totally disregarded1 and by    
exciting in my mind a degree of energy  
of which ,i could not have supposed     
myself capable1 ended by engaging me    
most unexpectedly in the serious study  
of religion4 ,the particulars ,i am     
about to give you respecting these      
things1 will convince you that ,god can 
overrule the wickedness of men for good1
 and will show you that a ,romish priest
 was the means of directing me to the   
way1 7,i mean the perusal and free      
examination of the word of ,god17 which 
led me1 eventually1 to the ,protestant  

church4  ,your mother's funeral was     
conducted with ,catholic ceremonies1    
and1 according to my means1 ,i spared   
nothing to honour her remains4 ,i       
likewise consented1 either from         
conformity to custom1 or from a wish to 
please my relatives1 who were influenced
 by the fear of purgatory1 or perhaps   
from participating myself in the false  
notion that bought prayers can mitigate 
the sufferings of the dead--from one or 
all of these causes1 aggravated by the  
sorrow which filled my heart and        
inflamed my imagination1 ,i consented to
 the performance of the nine customary  
masses for the rest of the soul4  ,the  
priest to whom ,i first went1 told me   
that he was too busy to undertake the   
whole1 but that ,i might depend upon him
 for three4 ,from him ,i went to        
another1 who engaged to say the         
remaining six1 and did so without delay4
 ,sunday after ,sunday1 for a           
considerable time1 ,i went to the first1
 to inquire whether my three masses     

would be said in the following week4 ,he
 always found some excuse1 saying that  
there were others more urgent than      
myself--that he was previously          
engaged--that he had undertaken more    
than was in his power to perform14 ,from
 ,february to ,june1 ,i was thus put off
 under various pretexts4 ,worn out1 at  
length1 by so many fruitless efforts1 ,i
 resolved to put an end to them1 and    
mentioned the subject to your aunt1 your
 mother's sister1 expressing to her my  
extreme annoyance4 ,she asked me if ,i  
had offered the priest the amount of the
 masses which he had promised to say8   
,no1 ,i said1 the idea never occurred to
 me2 but even if it had1 ,i should not  
have dared to do it1 for fear of        
offending him4 ,it is not usual1 ,i     
added scornfully1 to pay before one is  
served4 ,no one ever pays me for a      
saddle before ,i make it4 ,no matter1   
replied your aunt1 my advice to you is  
to return to the priest1 and offer to   
pay for the masses which you have       

ordered4  ,i did as she advised me1 and 
this time my request was favourably     
received4 ,the priest seized the        
six-franc piece which ,i laid on the    
table1 looked at me and said1 ,do you   
wish me to say six8 ,no1 ,i replied1    
with a feeling of indignation which ,i  
could hardly repress--,no1 sir1 ,i only 
want three4 ,return to me the rest of   
the money2 poor folks cannot afford to  
spend so much at once4  ,i left the     
priest1 thoroughly ashamed of having    
contributed to gratify his cupidity1 and
 very much disposed to think the        
religion we were taught was nothing but 
a tissue of fables and impostures1 to   
which the thirst of gold and silver had 
given birth4 ,i cannot tell you all the 
sad and painful reflections that        
occupied my mind during the remainder of
 that day2 ,i was overcome by them1 and 
rejoiced to see the night1 hoping to    
find relief in sleep4 ,i went to bed1   
but could not close my eyes4 ,still     
haunted by the remembrance of what had  

so disgusted me1 a multitude of thoughts
 crowded on my imagination4 ,i knew that
 the priests claimed the word of ,god as
 their authority for all their doctrines
 and ceremonies1 which word ,i also knew
 was contained in the ,old and ,new     
,testaments1 although1 to my misfortune1
 ,i did not then regard them as a divine
 revelation4 ,in fact1 ,i believed no   
more in the ,holy ,bible as the word of 
,god1 than ,i did in the doctrine of    
purgatory2 still ,i felt a desire to    
search and to ascertain whether this    
lucrative doctrine was contained in the 
,gospel1 and in what manner it was there
 established3 at the same moment ,i     
recollected that there was1 on the      
chimney-piece of my room1 a ,new        
,testament1 in which ,i had learnt to   
read1 but which ,i had never opened     
since ,i was nine or ten years old4 ,i  
jumped out of bed1 and hastily dressing 
myself1 resolved to begin1 without      
delay1 my researches on the subject of  
purgatory4  ,with this sole object in   

view1 ,i read through the ,gospels1 the 
,acts of the ,apostles1 the ,epistles1  
and the ,revelation of ,st4 ,john2      
confining my attention exclusively to   
those points that tended either to      
establish or controvert this doctrine4  
,this perusal of the ,new ,testament1   
which1 from my eagerness to satisfy my  
curiosity and resolve my doubts1 ,i     
accomplished without once stopping1     
except for refreshment1 proved to me    
that the doctrine of purgatory was not  
to be found in the ,gospel1 but must    
have been derived from some other       
source4  ,indeed1 my dear children1 ,i  
did not find a single passage which     
established it1 either directly or      
indirectly3 on the contrary1 ,i was     
struck with many declarations completely
 opposed to it4 ,thus ,i read in ,st4   
,matthew3 ,the wicked shall go away into
 everlasting punishment1 but the        
righteous into life eternal4 ,matt4     
#be3df4 ,this absolutely destroys the   
idea of any intermediate abode between  

heaven and hell4  ,i read the song of   
,simeon1 by which it clearly appears    
that the good old man had no idea that  
he was to stop in the road to heaven1 or
 that he would have to undergo any      
purging fire before he could get there2 
for he exclaims1 holding the infant     
,jesus in his arms1 ,lord1 now lettest  
thou thy servant depart in peace1 for   
mine eyes have seen thy salvation4 c4   
,luke1 #b3bi1 #cj4  ,i read the promises
 which ,jesus made to the thief on the  
cross1 when he said to him1 ,lord1      
remember me when thou comest into thy   
kingdom4 ,luke1 #bc3db1 #dc4 ,if there  
were such a place as purgatory1 and if  
any one were likely to be subjected to  
its fires1 surely it would have been    
this malefactor1 condemned by human1    
laws1 and probably guilty of many       
crimes3 yet our ,saviour replies1       
,verily1 ,i say unto thee1 to-day thou  
shalt be with me in ,paradise4  ,i read 
in the ,epistle of ,st4 ,paul to the    
,romans1 that there is now no           

condemnation to them which are in       
,christ ,jesus4 ,rom4 #h3a4 ,a doctrine 
altogether opposed to that of purgatory1
 which teaches that ,christians are1    
after this life1 subjected to a process 
of torments before they are free from   
condemnation4  ,i read in the ,epistle  
to the ,hebrews1 that it is appointed to
 men once to die1 but after this the    
judgment1 ,heb4 #i3 #bg1 which clearly  
proves that the destiny1 both of the bad
 and good1 is irrevocably fixed from the
 moment of their death2 and that there  
is no purgatory1 from which masses1     
prayers1 or rather gold and silver1 can 
deliver any one4  ,i read also in the   
first ,epistle of ,st4 ,john1 that the  
blood of ,jesus ,christ1 the ,son of    
,god1 cleanseth us from all sin1 #a     
,john1 #a3g1 which excludes all other   
kinds of purification1 and formally     
contradicts the doctrine of purgatory4  
,finally1 ,i read in the book of        
,revelation1 that blessed are the dead  
which die in the ,lord1 from henceforth3

 yea1 saith the ,spirit1 that they may  
rest from their labours1 and their works
 do follow them4  ,here is another      
declaration which confirms what the     
preceding and many other passages       
establish in so convincing a manner4    
,not having discovered a single text of 
the ,new ,testament which told in favour
 of purgatory2 but1 on the contrary1    
having observed and meditated on those  
which ,i have quoted1 and many other    
equally opposed to this doctrine1 ,i was
 fully persuaded that it never had been 
thought of by the writers of the        
,gospel4 ,you may easily believe1 my    
dear children1 that this discovery in no
 way tended to strengthen the bonds     
which held me to the ,romish church1 nor
 to confirm me in their faith4  ,still1 
however1 ,i was dissatisfied1 and still 
longed to know positively from whence   
the priests had derived their vain      
system4 ,this desire filled my mind for 
some days1 and at last it struck me that
 the ,pope must have been the inventor  

of it4 ,i then naturally began to wish  
to discover who the ,pope was1 and what 
right he had to impose such a doctrine4 
,i had often read and heard1 both in    
conversation and from the pulpit1 that  
,st4 ,peter was the chief and head of   
the ,apostles2 that he had been the     
first pope at ,rome2 and that all       
succeeding popes had inherited his      
rights and prerogatives4  ,i conceived a
 wish to know what the ,new ,testament  
said upon this subject1 and ,i          
immediately undertook a second perusal  
of it2 in the same state of mind as     
before1 that is to say1 absorbed by one 
sole object1 and having nothing in view 
but to find out whether ,st4 ,peter had 
really been set over all the other      
apostles1 and placed at ,rome as head of
 all the churches4  ,this examination1  
which was pursued with a degree of      
attention of which ,i should now be     
scarcely capable1 ended in convincing me
 that the supremacy of ,st4 ,peter was  
no better established by the ,new       

,testament than the first doctrine which
 ,i had sought for1 and that undoubtedly
 the papacy was without scriptural      
authority4  ,i found in ,st4 ,matthew   
the calling of ,simon1 who was          
afterwards called ,peter2 ,matt4 #d3ah1 
#ai1bj2 but it did not appear to me to  
differ from that addressed to ,andrew   
his brother1 and all the other apostles4
  ,in the tenth chapter of the same     
,gospel1 ,i also observed that the first
 mission which ,jesus ,christ gave to   
his apostles1 was given to all1 without 
any particular prerogative to ,peter4   
,it is true that ,peter is the first    
named1 but this is merely an accidental 
priority1 which implies neither         
distinction nor superiority2 one must   
have been mentioned first4 ,i made the  
same observation on the last mission    
which they received on the day of their 
,master's ascension1 and which is       
related by ,st4 ,matthew1 #bh3ai1 #bj2  
by ,st4 ,mark1 #af3ae2 and in the ,acts 
of the ,apostles1 #a3h4 ,this mission1  

though variously expressed in the three 
places1 is the same in substance4 ,it is
 given indiscriminately to all2 the     
promises by which it is accompanied are 
for all2 and on all1 the same powers    
are1 equally conferred4  ,the #ahth and 
#aith verses of chapter #af of ,st4     
,matthew1 where it is said1 ,thou art   
,peter1 and on this rock ,i will build  
my church1 startled me for a moment1 and
 ,i was on the point of mistaking the   
true meaning of this declaration4 ,but  
having reflected that ,jesus ,christ    
asked the question in the #aeth verse1  
of all his disciples1 and that ,peter   
expressed the sentiment of all in his   
animated reply in the #afth verse1 ,i   
considered that the words which ,christ 
addressed to ,peter1 were applicable to 
all disciples2 and that no supremacy    
could be attributed to him from this    
passage1 more than from any of the      
preceding4  ,i was confirmed in this    
opinion1 when ,i read in the ,gospel of 
,st4 ,john1 that ,jesus1 speaking to all

 had made them nearly the same promise3 
,whose so ever sins ye remit1 they are  
remitted unto them1 and whose so ever   
sins ye retain1 they are retained1      
7,john1 #bj3bc27 and also by what ,st4  
,paul says to the ,ephesians1 ,ye are   
built upon the foundation of the        
apostles and prophets1 ,jesus ,christ   
himself being the chief corner-stone2 in
 whom all the building1 fitly framed    
together1 groweth unto an holy temple in
 the ,lord4 ,ephes4 #b3bj1 #ba4  ,i was 
still more strengthened1 when ,i found  
in the ,revelation1 that ,st4 ,john     
says1 the wall of the city had twelve   
foundations1 and in them the names of   
the twelve apostles of the ,lamb4 ,rev4 
#ba3ad4  ,by these passages1 and many   
others which ,i think it unnecessary to 
quote1 ,i discerned that ,jesus ,christ 
is the true foundation1 the corner stone
 on which the ,christian church rests3  
that all the apostles and prophets are  
indeed mentioned as its foundation1 but 
only because all their doctrines refer  

to ,him2 and ,i was convinced that ,st4 
,peter was in no degree more            
distinguished or more elevated than his 
fellow-labourers4 ,although ,i did not  
then understand1 at least not so fully  
as ,i do now1 the evangelical meaning of
 the #ahth and #aith verses of chapter  
#af of ,st4 ,matthew1 yet ,i was        
persuaded that the papacy or sovereignty
 of ,st4 ,peter could not reasonably be 
deduced from them ,finally my conviction
 that ,st4 ,peter was not above the     
other apostles1 was completed by        
observing what he says himself in his   
first epistle1 ,the elders which are    
among you ,i exhort1 who am also an     
elder #a ,pet4 #e3a2 by what ,st4 ,paul 
says to the ,corinthians1 ,i was not a  
whit behind the very chiefest apostles1 
#b ,cor4 #aa3e2 by noticing that ,st4   
,paul1 according to his own account1    
withstood him to the face1 because he   
was to be blamed2 ,gal4 #b3aa2 and that 
he severely and publicly reprehended    
him1 because he constrained the         

,gentiles to be circumcised2 by seeing  
how the common disciples of the church  
of ,jerusalem made no scruple of        
reproving ,peter1 because he went in    
unto men uncircumcised1 and did eat with
 them1 ,acts1 #aa3c2 how they required  
from him an explanation of his conduct1 
and how the apostle hastened to justify 
himself1 by relating to them exactly how
 the thing had happened4 ,finally1 by   
observing that when the apostles which  
were at ,jerusalem heard that ,samaria  
had received the word of ,god1 they sent
 unto them ,peter and ,john4 ,acts1     
#h3ad4  ,there can be no doubt1 thought 
,i1 as ,i perused and re-perused all    
these testimonies1 that ,peter was in   
every respect equal to the other        
apostles2 that he had no superiority nor
 jurisdiction over them4 ,had he been1  
had he thought himself1 or had others   
thought him1 the prince of the apostles 
and sovereign pastor of the church1     
would he have called himself an elder   
like unto the other elders8 ,is it      

possible that ,st4 ,paul would have     
declared himself to be 'not a whit      
behind him2' that he would have         
'withstood him to his face1' and blamed 
him publicly8 ,is it probable that mere 
believers1 common members of the church1
 should have ventured to dispute with   
him1 to require an explanation of his   
conduct1 or that he should have thought 
it necessary to satisfy them by giving  
one8#f ,is it likely that he would have 
been sent by the other apostles1 or have
 received their orders1 when it would   
have been his part1 had he been their   
chief1 to command and to send them8     
,footnote #f3 ,the popes1 his pretended 
successors1 have not been so obliging2  
they have been always solicitous to make
 their authority felt4  ,i needed no    
more evidence to be thoroughly convinced
 that all which is taught by the ,romish
 church of the supremacy of ,st4 ,peter1
 and of the sovereignty of the popes1   
his pretended successors1 was a fable   
destitute of the slightest foundation2  

at all events1 a doctrine no more to be 
found in the ,gospel than that of       
purgatory4  ,if ,i were surprised at    
this1 ,i was no less so when ,i         
observed1 that in the whole ,new        
,testament there was not one word which 
gave reason to imagine that ,st4 ,peter 
had ever preached1 or had even ever     
been1 at ,rome1 where the ,roman        
,catholics assert1 and believe as an    
article of faith1 that he was the first 
pope4 ,the ,acts of the ,apostles       
maintains the most profound silence on  
this subject1 and affords no ground     
whatever for the supposition4 ,all the  
,epistles leave it equally in darkness4 
,those of ,st4 ,paul to the ,galatians1 
to the ,ephesians1 to the ,philippians1 
to the ,colossians1 the second to       
,timothy1 and the ,epistle to ,philemon1
 all written from ,rome at different    
periods1 and that to the ,hebrews1      
written from ,italy1 make no mention of 
,peter's being there4 ,in the last four1
 the apostle speaks of his companions in

 suffering1 in labour1 and in the work  
of the ,lord1 but says not a word of    
,peter as being with him4 ,undoubtedly  
he would have mentioned him1 as he      
mentions ,tychicus1 ,onesimus1          
,aristarchus1 ,demas1 ,prudens1 ,livius1
 ,claudia1 c4 had he been at ,rome2 but 
neither his name1 nor any allusion to   
his abode in the capital of the world1  
is to be discovered in any part of ,st4 
,paul's ,epistles4 ,in my opinion1 there
 is no proof of his ever having been    
there1 much less of his having held the 
bishopric4 ,finally1 his own two        
,epistles furnish no evidence for such a
 supposition3 the first1 and in all     
probability1 the second also1 is written
 from ,babylon1 #a ,peter1 #e3ac1 and   
addressed1 not to the ,romans1 but to   
the strangers 7that is to say1 the      
converted ,jews7 scattered throughout   
,pontus1 ,galatia1 ,cappadocia1 ,asia1  
and ,bithynia1 #a ,peter1 #a3a1         
countries where1 it would appear1 that  
he exercised his ministry1 after having 

for some years preached to the church at
 ,antioch4  ,thus1 my children1 ,i      
discovered that these two primary       
doctrines of the ,romish church1 viz4   
purgatory and the supremacy of ,st4     
,peter1 had not1 at any rate1 been      
inculcated by the writers of the        
,gospel4 ,i cannot tell you what        
interest ,i felt in the new ideas ,i had
 acquired4 ,the ,new ,testament1 which  
,i was still far from regarding as a    
divine revelation1 appeared to me a     
collection of precious documents1 in    
whose authority ,i then began to feel   
some degree of confidence4 ,though ,i   
found this study novel and difficult to 
a poor uneducated artisan like myself1  
it was at the same time so attractive to
 me1 that ,i was induced to continue my 
researches4  ,i have already mentioned  
to you1 my dear children1 the invincible
 repugnance which ,i had always felt to 
receiving the sacrament as administered 
in the ,romish church4 ,i have said that
 nothing in the world could have forced 

me to this act1 by which it is profanely
 pretended that the creature ,,eats his 
,creator66 ,i could never even think of 
it without shuddering4 ,this doctrine1  
which asserts that ,jesus ,christ is    
present1 in body and in spirit1 in the  
consecrated wafer1 and that every       
communicant is actually nourished by his
 flesh and blood1 is1 of all the tenets 
of popery1 that which contributed the   
most to alienate me from the ,christian 
religion1 to which ,i attached it1 and  
to drive me to infidelity4  ,this1      
therefore1 now attracted all my         
attention2 and again ,i began to read   
the ,new ,testament1 entirely occupied1 
as previously1 by the one object which  
,i had in view4  ,i found nothing in the
 three ,gospels of ,st4 ,matthew1 ,st4  
,mark1 or ,st4 ,luke1 which gave me the 
least reason to suppose that their      
author had recognized the real and      
corporeal presence of ,jesus ,christ in 
the sacrament of the holy supper4 ,the  
words of the institution1 as related by 

the first1 ,matt4 #bf3bf1 #bg1 #bh1 by  
the second1 ,mark1 #ad3bb1 #bc1 #bd1 and
 by the third1 ,luke1 #bb3ai1 #bj1      
reported with slight variations by the  
three ,evangelists1 and which ,i took   
great pains to collate and compare1     
conveyed no other idea than that of a   
commemorative ceremony1 designed to     
preserve and call to remembrance the    
sufferings1 the passion1 and the death  
of ,christ4 ,in my then wretched        
condition of unbelief1 the magnitude1   
the sanctity1 and the power of the      
sacrament did not strike my mind2 but1  
excepting that1 ,i imbibed from the     
consideration of these passages the     
views which ,i still hold4 ,so far1     
then1 ,i had not discovered the doctrine
 of the real presence2 but ,i thought ,i
 had indeed found it specifically       
established when ,i read these words3 ,i
 am the living bread which came down    
from heaven3 if any man eat of this     
bread1 he shall live for ever2 and the  
bread that ,i will give is my flesh1    

which ,i will give for the life of the  
world4 ,the ,jews1 therefore1 strove    
among themselves1 saying1 ,how can this 
man give his flesh to eat8 ,then ,jesus 
said unto them1 ,verily1 verily1 ,i say 
unto you1 except ye eat the flesh of the
 ,son of man1 and drink his blood1 we   
have no life in you4 ,whoso eateth my   
flesh and drinketh my blood1 hath       
eternal life1 and ,i will raise him up  
at the last day4 ,for my flesh is meat  
indeed1 and my blood is drink indeed4   
,he that eateth my flesh1 and drinketh  
my blood1 dwelleth in me1 and ,i in him4
 ,john1 #f3ea-ef4 ,these words appeared 
to me to be undoubtedly the foundation  
of the ,romish faith on this head4 ,i   
even thought that the writer of them had
 the establishment of this doctrine     
especially in view4 ,at that moment ,i  
was tempted to stop1 and to carry no    
further my researches on a doctrine     
which ,i thought ,i had found clearly   
set forth1 but the absurdity of which   
had never appeared to me so palpable4 ,i

 then felt an utter disgust towards the 
,gospel2 nevertheless1 internally       
spurred on by an invisible power1 which 
was then unknown to me1 but which ,i now
 recognize to have been the ,holy       
,spirit1 the author of all divine       
revelation2 and attracted1 as it were1  
in spite of myself1 by the ,spirit of   
,god1 who graciously purposed to teach  
me to appreciate1 and in time to        
receive1 the truth of his word1 ,i      
resumed my ,new ,testament1 which ,i had
 for a moment thrown aside1 and         
recommencing the perusal of the sixth   
chapter of ,st4 ,john1 ,i read it to the
 end1 which ,i had not done before4     
,when ,i reached the sixty-third verse1 
,i was struck as by a flash of light1   
which instantaneously discovered to me  
the mistake that ,i had at first made in
 the meaning of the six verses          
transcribed above1 and imparted a new   
value to the ,gospel4 ,when ,i read ,it 
is the ,spirit that quickeneth1 the     
flesh profiteth nothing--the words that 

,i speak unto you1 they are ,spirit1 and
 they are ,life1 ,john1 #f3fc1 ,i had1  
as it were1 the key of the chapter1 and 
no longer discerned in it the doctrine  
of the real presence4 ,i perceived that 
it in no way referred to swallowing and 
digesting1 with our corporeal organs1   
the body and blood of ,christ3 ,i saw   
that the expressions of eating and      
drinking were used figuratively1 and    
that they really signified nothing but  
knowing ,christ1 coming to him1 and     
believing in him1 as it is explained in 
the thirty-fifth verse of the same      
chapter1 where ,jesus ,christ says1 ,i  
am the bread of life2 he that cometh to 
me shall never hunger1 and he that      
believeth on me shall never thirst4  ,it
 was1 then1 as clear to me as the day1  
that ,jesus ,christ used the terms      
eating and drinking only in a spiritual 
manner2 and 7as ,i now understand them7 
as referring to that faith1 which1 while
 it is living and active in our hearts1 
unites us to him in an inexplicable     

manner1 and clothes us in his merits at 
the same time that it purifies and      
sanctifies our views1 our sentiments1   
and our desires4 ,after having thus     
discovered my error1 ,i found myself    
more than ever inclined to persevere in 
my reading1 and to search and see       
whether the doctrine of the real        
presence would not he better established
 in the subsequent parts of the book4   
,the further ,i advanced1 my dear       
children1 the more reason ,i had to be  
convinced that neither ,jesus nor his   
apostles ever intended to convey such an
 idea4 ,i should be too tedious were ,i 
to point out to you all the passages    
which ,i found expressly contradictory  
to this revolting tenet2 it will be     
sufficient to quote a few4  ,i found in 
the ,acts1 that the apostles saw ,jesus 
,christ ascend on high1 carried upward  
by a cloud which concealed him from     
their sight1 and that two angels        
appeared and said unto them1 ,men of    
,galilee1 why stand ye gazing up into   

heaven8 ,this same ,jesus which is taken
 up from you into heaven1 shall so come 
in like manner as ye have seen him go   
into heaven4 ,acts1 #a3i1 #aa4 ,there   
never was a priest1 said ,i1 there never
 was a ,roman ,catholic1 administering  
or receiving the sacrament1 that ever   
saw ,christ descending from heaven1 in  
this manner1 to enter into the bread4   
,nevertheless1 the angels declared that 
he should descend from heaven in the    
same manner as he went up into heaven4  
,i found1 in the same book1 that the    
heavens must receive ,jesus ,christ till
 the time of the restitution of all     
things4 ,acts1 #c3ba4 ,he is then1 said 
,i1 no longer corporeally on the earth4 
,i found1 in the ,epistle to the        
,colossians1 that ,christ sitteth on the
 right hand of ,god2 chap4 #c3a2 from   
whence ,i drew the inference that he    
certainly cannot be actually present on 
so many altars1 or in so great a number 
of wafers1 as the doctrine of the real  
presence necessarily supposes4  ,i      

found1 in the ,epistle to the ,hebrews1 
chapters #i and #aj1 the strongest      
declarations1 not only against the real 
presence1 but against the whole system  
of the mass1 by which it is pretended   
daily to renew the passion and sacrifice
 of our ,saviour4 ,when the apostle says
 that ,christ is entered into heaven    
itself2 ,heb4 #i3bd2 when he says that  
unto them that look for him shall he    
appear the second time without sin unto 
salvation2 ver4 #bh2 lastly1 when he    
says it is the will of ,god to sanctify 
us through the offering of the body of  
,jesus ,christ once made1 chap4 #aj3aj1 
and that this man1 after he had offered 
one sacrifice for sins1 for ever sat    
down at the right hand of ,god1 ver4    
#ab1 having by one offering perfected   
for ever them that are sanctified1 ver4 
#ad1 it appeared to me to prove1 with   
the most unanswerable evidence1 that the
 doctrine of the real presence1 and all 
connected with it1 was as far removed   
from the creed of the apostle as the    

east is from the west1 or as heaven from
 hell4  ,finally1 my dear children1 the 
very words of the institution of the    
,lord's ,supper1 related by ,st4 ,paul1 
#a ,cor4 #aa1 and to which ,i paid      
particular and repeated attention1 did  
not leave a shadow of doubt on my mind  
that the doctrine of the ,romish church1
 on the subject of the ,eucharist1 is   
utterly devoid of any foundation in the 
,gospel1 and must1 consequently1 have   
been derived from some other source4 ,in
 fact1 all that our ,saviour says on the
 occasion of instituting the ,lord's    
,supper1 clearly shows that it was a    
memorial of himself which he            
established1 and which he wished to     
leave behind him4 ,after having taken1  
blessed1 and broken the bread1 he       
commands that it should be eaten in     
remembrance of him4 ,having given them  
the cup to drink1 he adds1 ,this do ye1 
as oft as ye drink it1 in remembrance of
 me4 ,the words1 this is my body--this  
cup is the ,new ,testament in my blood1 

appeared to me only what they really    
are1 figurative expressions1 signifying 
that the bread represented his body1 and
 the wine his blood4 ,these words do in 
no degree change or modify the principal
 idea1 that of commemoration1 which runs
 throughout this action of our ,lord4   
,had it even been possible that these   
words had deceived me2 had ,i taken them
 in their literal meaning1 ,i should    
soon have been undeceived by those which
 immediately follow1 which in themselves
 utterly overthrow the doctrine of the  
real presence1 and the whole system of  
the mass4 ,these are the words3 ,as     
often as ye eat this bread and drink    
this cup1 ye do show the ,lord's death  
till he come4 #a ,cor4 #aa3bf4 ,after   
this declaration1 connected with so many
 others1 what further proof was wanting 
that ,st4 ,paul never believed that the 
bread and wine contained the actual body
 of ,christ8 ,i clearly saw that in this
 passage he meant that it is really     
bread we eat1 and wine we drink1 in the 

sacrament1 and not the actual body and  
blood of the ,son of ,god4 ,i perceived 
that he taught that the ,lord is not    
actually present in that ceremony       
according to the sense of the ,romish   
church1 because he distinctly says1 that
 by participating in it1 we do show the 
,lord's death till he come  ,in short1  
,i was convinced that1 according to ,st4
 ,paul1 it is not the body and blood of 
,jesus ,christ that the priests hold in 
their hands1 and which they offer as a  
sacrifice in the mass4  ,here1 my       
children1 ,i suspended my researches1   
convinced1 as much as it is possible to 
be convinced of any thing1 that the     
doctrine of transubstantiation is not to
 be found in the ,new ,testament4 ,i    
concluded that it must have the same    
origin as those of the papacy and of    
purgatory4  ,diverted as ,i had been    
from my usual occupation1 during the    
time that ,i had thus devoted to study  
and meditation2 obliged to maintain     
myself and you by the sweat of my brow1 

and having no other immediate subject of
 perplexity1 ,i returned to my daily    
labour1 and discontinued the perusal of 
the ,gospel4 ,my ,new ,testament had    
certainly gained much in my esteem2 but 
without stopping to consider exactly in 
what way ,i valued it1 ,i think ,i may  
say that it was not as containing the   
,word of ,god1 and the knowledge which  
is unto salvation4  ,thus not being     
really or heartily interested in it1 ,i 
replaced it a second time on the spot it
 had so long occupied on the            
chimney-piece of my room1 and eighteen  
months or two years passed without my   
thinking of consulting it anew4  ,during
 this period ,i married again3 your     
tender age1 and the care you required1  
which my business and absence prevented 
my giving you1 were the motives which   
induced me to take this step4 ,god in   
his fatherly kindness mercifully        
directed my choice1 though ,i had never 
thought of asking him to do so2 and you 
have found a second mother in her who   

has ever been to me the most estimable  
and best of friends4 ,during this period
 also1 ,i thought more of religion than 
ever before4 ,though ,i had read the    
,gospel only to satisfy my curiosity on 
the three points of doctrine that ,i    
have mentioned1 and although my         
attention had been exclusively directed 
to these points1 it is probable1        
notwithstanding1 that ,i had almost     
unconsciously imbibed some of the       
impressions which the word of ,god is   
calculated to produce1 and that even    
then ,i was in some measure under its   
secret influence4 ,one thing ,i am sure 
of1 that from that time some idea of    
religion1 although then comparatively   
vague and confused1 never left me2 ,i   
frequently caught myself musing on the  
origin of the universe1 on the          
vicissitudes of nature1 and on the      
future condition of those numerous      
beings1 who are seen for a short time on
 the earth and then disappear4 ,my own  
destiny1 also1 frequently engaged my    

thoughts4 ,but ,i was far from referring
 it to ,him1 on whom ,i now see that it 
entirely depends4 ,in all these thoughts
 ,god was excluded from the place he    
ought to have held4 ,with nothing but   
false and uncertain notions of him1 ,i  
was far indeed from regarding him as the
 vivifying principle1 which1 to the eye 
of the ,christian1 animates and         
embellishes every thing1 and as that    
pure light which lighteth every man that
 cometh into the world4  ,i am bound to 
tell you1 my children1 what was the real
 state of my soul at that time4 ,i was  
in so deplorable a condition of         
blindness and ignorance1 that sometimes 
,i thought there was no ,god1 but that  
he was an imaginary being2 and sometimes
 confounding him with the works of his  
almighty hands1 ,i attributed divinity  
to the material world4 ,the fool hath   
said in his heart1 there is no ,god1 and
 ,i dare not deny that these words of   
,david were for a long time1 and even   
perhaps at the period of which ,i am    

speaking1 applicable to me4 ,but while  
,i acknowledge that the natural         
corruption of my heart1 and the bad     
books ,i had read1 were in part the     
causes of the sad state ,i have         
described1 ,i cannot help also          
attributing the greatest part of them to
 the abuses1 the superstition1 and the  
errors which disfigure ,christianity in 
the ,romish church1 and which had so    
disgusted me that they had driven me    
into total infidelity4  ,such1 then1    
being in fact my religious state1 you   
may well believe1 my children1 that ,i  
was not happy2 for it is impossible to  
be so without trusting in ,god1 who is  
the source of supreme good and true     
peace4 ,i was assiduous in my           
occupation2 ,i frequented the society of
 my friends2 but1 my heart empty and    
incessantly craving after something     
which ,i could not obtain1 was never    
content4 ,my mind1 restless and         
agitated1 could no where find an object 
to fix and satisfy it4 ,listlessness    

followed me every where1 and seemed to  
increase upon me4 ,o how unhappy1 and   
how pitiable are those1 who are1 as was 
then1 without ,god1 without ,christ1    
without hope in the world6  ,i was in   
this wretched state when it pleased ,god
 to have pity upon me1 and to cause a   
ray of light to penetrate my mind4 ,one 
evening1 after the labours of the day1  
instead of going as usual to the club   
which ,i frequented1 ,i went alone upon 
the public walk1 where ,i remained till 
the night was far advanced3 the moon    
shone clear and bright3 ,i had never    
before been so struck by the            
magnificence of the heavens1 and ,i felt
 unusually disposed to reflection4 ,no1 
,i said1 7after contemplating for a long
 time the impressive scene before me17  
no1 nature is not ,god1 7for till then  
,i had entertained this opinion17 ,god  
is certainly distinct from nature3 in   
all this ,i can only recognise a work   
replete with harmony1 order1 and beauty4
 ,although ,i cannot perceive the       

,author1 whose power1 intelligence1 and 
wisdom are every where so strongly      
imprinted on it2 still1 both my reason  
and my feeling combine to convince me of
 his existence4  ,this conclusion1 which
 ,i sincerely adopted1 was the result of
 the reflections in which ,i had been   
that evening absorbed4  ,some days after
 this1 the examination of a watch1 its  
springs1 its various wheels1 and its    
motions1 brought me afresh to the same  
conclusion1 and for ever confirmed me in
 the belief of a ,god1 the ,creator of  
all things4 ,if this watch1 ,i argued1  
could not make itself1 and necessarily  
leads us to suppose an artist who made  
each part1 and so arranged the whole as 
to produce these movements--how much    
stronger reasons have we for concluding 
that the universe has a ,contriver and  
,maker8  ,i was no sooner fully         
satisfied of the existence of a ,god1   
than ,i trembled at the thought of his  
attributes1 and my relationship to him4 
,the sense of my unworthiness and       

sinfulness deeply affected me4 ,when ,i 
called to mind the many years ,i had    
passed in forgetfulness of this great   
,god2 in indifference to1 or in a       
culpable unbelief of his existence2 ,i  
felt that ,i must indeed be1 in his     
sight1 the most ungrateful1 and the most
 sinful of his creatures4 ,my next      
feeling was an anxious desire to amend  
my conduct1 and ,i determined to lay    
down such a plan for my future life1 as 
,i hoped might not be unworthy of that  
,being whose eye ,i then felt was upon  
me4 ,after having made many efforts to  
recall the best maxims of wisdom and    
rules of virtue that ,i had met with in 
the course of my reading1 ,i at length  
came to a resolution of examining what  
moral precepts the ,new ,testament might
 contain1 and whether it might not      
afford me the rules ,i was seeking for  
the regulation of my conduct4  ,this was
 the motive which brought me again to   
the ,new ,testament1 and induced me to  
undertake a fourth time the perusal of  

it4 ,i wish it were in my power to      
recount to you1 my dear children1 all   
the effects that the eternal word of    
,god produced upon my heart2 for from   
that time ,i recognised it to be1 what  
it is in fact1 the revelation of        
sovereign wisdom2 the genuine expression
 of the ,divine will2 the message of a  
tender and compassionate ,father1       
addressed to his ungrateful and         
rebellious children1 soliciting them to 
return and find happiness in him4 ,i    
wish ,i could retrace all the           
impressions that this divine message    
produced on my mind1 the vivid emotions 
,i experienced1 and the thoughts and    
feelings 7never1 ,i trust1 to be        
forgotten7 excited by that reading4  ,i 
was like a man born blind1 who should   
suddenly recover his sight in a         
magnificent apartment1 splendidly       
illuminated4 ,my feelings at least      
corresponded with those of a man under  
such circumstances1 were they possible4 
,how glorious was the light of the      

,gospel to me6 ,i sought for morality1  
and ,i found there the most simple1     
clear1 complete1 and perfect system of  
morality that could be conceived2 and   
there ,i found precepts suited to every 
circumstance that could present itself  
in life1 as a son1 a brother1 a father1 
a friend1 a subject1 a servant1 a       
labourer1 a man1 a reasonable creature3 
my duty in every relation of life ,i    
there found inculcated in the most      
admirable manner4 ,i could not imagine  
one moral duty for which ,i did not     
there find a precept2 not one precept   
unaccompanied by a motive2 and no motive
 that did not appear to me to be        
dictated by reason1 or enforced by an   
authority against which ,i felt that ,i 
had nothing to object4 ,i observed two  
kinds of precepts which1 though tending 
to the same end1 i4e4 perfection1       
produced a different effect upon me4    
,the positive precepts presented to my  
mind an idea of the high degree of      
holiness at which that man would arrive 

who could keep them without a single    
violation4 ,the negative precepts1 by   
leading me to a close self-examination1 
impressed me with a deep sense of my    
corruption1 and convinced me that the   
authors of them must have possessed a   
profound knowledge of the human heart in
 general1 and of my heart individually4 
,who then1 said ,i1 were the writers of 
this book8 ,and when ,i reflected that  
they were poor1 uneducated mechanics    
like myself1 the question immediately   
presented itself--how could fishermen1  
tax-gatherers1 and tent-makers1 acquire 
such extraordinary sagacity1            
penetration1 wisdom1 and knowledge8 ,ah6
 ,i exclaimed1 this is indeed a problem1
 which can only be solved by admitting  
their own assertion1 that the ,spirit of
 ,god directed their pens1 and that all 
they wrote was divinely inspired4 ,such1
 my children1 was my conclusion after   
this examination of the morality laid   
down in the ,gospel4  ,thus ,i          
recognised the divine origin of the ,new

 ,testament1 and took my first step     
toward ,christianity4  ,when ,i had once
 acknowledged the divine origin of the  
morality of the ,gospel1 reason and     
personal experience combined to convince
 me of the truth and divine source of   
the doctrines on which it was founded4  
,if ,god inspired the apostles1 and     
enabled them to give to the world the   
purest and most perfect system of       
morality that can be conceived1 is it to
 be supposed that in the remainder of   
their writings he would leave them to   
themselves1 and permit error or         
imposture to be mixed and confounded    
with truth8 ,no3 from the same source   
cannot proceed sweet waters and bitter4 
,as the moral precepts of the ,gospel   
are divinely inspired1 so1 likewise1    
must be its doctrines4 ,this reasoning  
appeared to me incontrovertible1 and ,i 
received with full conviction the whole 
contents of the ,new ,testament1 as     
dictated by the ,spirit of truth4  ,from
 that time ,jesus ,christ1 his history1 

his divine character1 his miracles1 the 
end for which he came into the world1   
his sufferings and death1 attracted and 
absorbed my whole attention4 ,at the    
account of his passion1 which1 till     
then1 ,i had read with indifference1 my 
heart was melted1 and my eyes overflowed
 with tears4 ,in short1 ,i found and    
felt such a suitableness between the    
wants of my sinful soul1 destitute as it
 was of all peace and comfort1 and the  
work which the ,saviour had accomplished
 by his death on the cross1 that ,i no  
longer doubted that the promises of the 
,gospel were personally addressed to me4
 ,i believed that ,jesus ,christ had    
offered himself a sacrifice for me1 to  
expiate my sins1 and to reconcile me    
unto ,god2 and from that moment ,i have 
enjoyed an inward peace1 the source of  
which ,i believe to be faith in ,christ 
alone--a peace which the world can      
neither give nor take away1 and which1  
as ,i myself have frequently            
experienced1 is alone able to support   

and strengthen us through all the       
sufferings and afflictions of life4  ,in
 this manner you see how1 a sinner and  
prodigal as ,i was1 our heavenly ,father
 met me1 and received me to the arms of 
his mercy2 how he made known to me his  
free grace and heavenly gift1 of which  
,i was utterly unworthy4 ,it is his     
grace that has accomplished all in me4  
,he it was who began1 who carried on1   
and who1 ,i trust1 will perfect this    
work of salvation4  ,without his        
intervention1 that is to say1 without   
the aid of his ,spirit operating upon my
 heart1 it never could have experienced 
a real conversion4 ,to him also do ,i   
ascribe1 with gratitude1 my admission   
into the protestant church1 of which ,i 
have now the privilege of being a       
member--as ,i shall proceed to tell you4
  ,having found1 as ,i have already     
said1 peace and joy in that word of ,god
 which ,i had received with my whole    
heart1 ,i immediately felt the desire   
and the need of intercourse with gospel 

,christians2 ,i was convinced that such 
there were1 because the ,saviour had    
promised that the powers of hell should 
never prevail against his church4 ,but  
not finding them in the ,roman ,catholic
 church1 which presented to me nothing  
but a religion of tradition1 equally    
degenerate in doctrine and worship1 ,i  
was greatly at a loss where to find the 
real ,christians for whom ,i was in     
search4  ,for the first time in my life 
the thought occurred1 ,is it possible   
they may be among the protestants8 ,but 
instantly ,i repelled an idea which     
early prejudice had rendered revolting  
to me4 ,in places inhabited exclusively 
by ,roman ,catholics1 where the         
doctrines and worship of the protestant 
,christians are little known1 the term  
protestant is regarded by most as       
synonymous with heretic1 blasphemer1 and
 reprobate4 ,the people generally are   
imbued with these prejudices1 which are 
diligently kept up and disseminated by  
some among them1 and ,i myself was at   

that time too much under their influence
 to admit1 at once1 that the protestants
 could be the true ,christians for whom 
,i was seeking4  ,soon1 however1 the    
thought returned2 and as ,i reflected on
 that declaration of ,st4 ,paul1 ,all   
that will live godly in ,christ ,jesus  
shall suffer persecution1 #b ,tim4      
#c3ab1 possibly1 said ,i1 these         
protestants may be calumniated on the   
very ground of their religion being more
 in accordance with the ,gospel4 ,many  
other passages of ,scripture presented  
themselves to my mind1 which led me to  
believe that this supposition might be  
correct4 ,i therefore determined to lose
 no opportunity of clearing my doubts   
upon this point4  ,as there were no     
protestants either in our town or       
neighbourhood1 whom ,i could consult1 ,i
 determined to write to the only one ,i 
knew2 and though but little acquainted  
with her1 ,i ventured to request that ,i
 might be apprised of1 her pastor's next
 visit1 signifying that ,i was anxious  

to consult him on a subject of          
importance4 ,either she did not         
understand my letter1 or from some other
 motive1 her answer1 though obliging was
 not satisfactory on that point which   
most interested me4  ,i waited patiently
 for some time1 and applied myself      
diligently to reading and meditating on 
the word of ,god1 which had become like 
necessary food to my soul4 ,in all my   
prayers ,i entreated the ,lord that he  
would condescend to direct me to those  
true ,christians of whom his church was 
composed1 and permit me to become one of
 their number4 ,i felt a confidence1    
from all that ,i had experienced1 that  
my divine ,benefactor would grant my    
request whenever he saw it good for me2 
this confidence quieted me1 but could   
not remove my desire to ascertain what  
the protestant religion really was4     
,one day1 particularly1 this anxiety    
became stronger than ever1 and          
degenerated1 ,i acknowledge1 into real  
impatience4 ,i was unhappy at my lonely 

and isolated situation1 without a friend
 to whom ,i could communicate my dearest
 interests2 ,i believe ,i could have    
gone a hundred miles to have found any  
one who thought and felt as ,i did4 ,it 
was at this moment of perplexity and    
weariness1 on my return home1 at the    
close of a day's work1 that the thought 
struck me of consulting my wife1 your   
present mother1 and ,i had a            
presentiment that through her ,i should 
discover what ,i so long wished to know4
 ,she is1 as you know1 a native of      
,libos1 and ,i remembered having heard  
her say that there were protestants     
residing in that town and neighbourhood4
  ,when the supper was ended1 and we    
were seated by the fire1 each in our    
chimney-corner1 she took her work1 and  
,i began the conversation nearly in the 
following words3  ,annette1 said ,i1    
have ,i not heard you say that there are
 many protestants in ,libos and the     
neighbourhood8  ,yes1 ,bayssire1 she    
replied1 there are a great many1 but    

they are a good deal scattered about the
 country4 ,they belong to the church of 
,mont ,flanquin1 where their priest or  
minister resides4  ,and do you know any 
of them8 ,have you ever spoken to them1 
or been at their houses8  ,o yes1 ,i was
 acquainted with many families2 ,i knew 
,mr4 ----1 and ,mr4 ----1 c4 c4 7,i     
suppress names47 ,i have been employed  
in their houses1 and seen them          
frequently4  ,well1 then1 can you tell  
me what sort of people they are1 and    
what their characters and habits8  ,o   
yes1 ,i can assure you that they are the
 best set of people in the world4 ,they 
are esteemed1 loved1 and respected by   
every one3 ,i never heard any thing but 
good of those ,i knew1 and they always  
appeared to me to conduct themselves    
irreproachably4  ,illustration3 ,,peter 
,,bayssiere  ,i continued to question   
your mother on the manner in which the  
protestants brought up their children2  
how they treated their servants1        
strangers1 and the poor4 ,i asked if    

domestic harmony prevailed among them1  
and how they conducted themselves as    
parents and children1 brothers and      
sisters4  ,all her answers tended to    
convince me that pious protestants lived
 under the influence of the word of     
,god2 and at each disclosure she made1  
7though unconscious of the value ,i     
attached to it17 ,i said to myself1     
,this is the morality of the ,gospel4   
,satisfied on this point1 ,i turned to  
another3  ,how do the protestants spend 
their ,sabbaths and festivals1 ,i asked1
 separated as they are from each other  
and their church8 ,do they ever assemble
 for prayer1 or do they live without    
worship8  ,o1 no6 they don't live       
without worship2 they have their divine 
services2 they are at too great a       
distance from their minister and each   
other to meet every ,sunday1 but they   
have a church in the country where they 
assemble many times in a year1 ,i       
believe once a month2 and at other times
 they meet for prayer at their own      

houses4 ,oh6 then they have a church    
near ,libos8 ,i should very much like to
 know1 said ,i1 how they conduct their  
worship1 and what they do at their      
church8  ,i can tell you perfectly1     
replied your mother1 for ,i was present 
at one of their assemblies4 ,there is   
nothing grand or striking in their      
churches2 they contain neither altar1   
chapel1 images1 nor any ornament        
whatever1 but consist simply of four    
whitewashed walls4 ,at the lower end is 
a pulpit1 like that used by our priest1 
in front of which is a table1 and around
 it are seats occupied by the elders4   
,the rest of the church is fitted up    
with benches1 placed in order1 on which 
the congregation seat themselves as they
 enter4  ,i observed that most of them1 
before they sat down1 leaned upon the   
back of the seat before them1 and seemed
 to be in the act of prayer4 ,their     
service was as simple as the building1  
devoid of ceremony4 ,when the           
congregation had assembled1 one of the  

elders ascended the pulpit and prayed   
aloud in ,french2 then he gave notice   
that he was about to read the word of   
,god2 and having requested their        
attention1 he did read1 for some time1  
from a great book1 which they told me   
was the ,holy ,bible4 ,he then offered  
prayers1 and preached a sermon1 which   
gave me great pleasure at the time1 but 
which ,i now forget4 ,i well remember   
that throughout the service there was no
 noise nor disturbance of any kind in   
the church1 and one feeling seemed to   
pervade the whole3 this struck me       
forcibly4  ,in this description of the  
protestant worship1 imperfect as it was1
 ,i thought ,i could recognise those    
traits of simplicity that characterized 
the worship of the primitive christians3
 and when your mother had finished1 ,i  
said to myself1 ,this is indeed like the
 worship recorded in the ,acts of the   
,apostles4 ,but ,i added1 without       
allowing her to perceive the extreme    
satisfaction that this information      

afforded me1 ,is this all you know of   
the protestant worship8 ,did you never  
see them receive the sacrament8  ,yes1  
,i have1 she replied1 on that same day1 
which was the only time ,i ever entered 
their church4  ,do tell me1 then1 how   
was it conducted8  ,i told you1 if you  
remember1 that there was a table in     
front of the pulpit3 this table was     
their altar2 it was covered with a very 
white cloth3 in the middle of it were a 
plate of bread and two chalices of wine4
 ,when the minister had finished        
preaching1 he took a book1 and read from
 it some beautiful passages on the      
communion1 sufferings1 and death of     
,christ2 he also spoke of the duty of   
communicants2 then every one stood up   
while he prayed3 after which he         
descended from the pulpit1 and came in  
front of the holy table2 he here        
repeated aloud some words which ,i have 
forgotten1 and took a small piece of    
bread and ate it2 this done1 he took the
 two cups in his hands1 and again saying

 something that ,i did not hear1 he     
drank some of the wine4 ,the elders then
 approached the table1 and each received
 a piece of bread1 which they ate1 and  
drank a little of the wine from the cup 
which was presented to them4 ,the rest  
of the congregation did the same1 the   
women after the men2 and when all had   
communicated1 the minister re-ascended  
the pulpit1 gave another exhortation1   
offered a concluding prayer1 and closed 
the whole by urging upon them the care  
of the poor4  ,this1 thought ,i1 is     
indeed the supper of the ,lord6  ,the   
conformity that ,i had already observed 
between the practices of the protestants
 and those of the primitive christians1 
created in me a feeling of joy which ,i 
had never before experienced4 ,i        
desired1 with renewed ardour1 to search 
to the bottom of their doctrines1 and   
from that time ,i anticipated that ,i   
might myself become a decided           
,protestant4 ,this expectation1 my      
children1 soon increased into a         

certainty4  ,on the tenth of ,february  
last1 two pamphlets fell into my hands2 
one was published by a ,roman ,catholic 
priest1 and contained an attack on the  
protestant religion3 the other was an   
answer1 in defence of that religion1    
written by a protestant minister3 these 
were the first words of religious       
controversy ,i had ever read1 and       
eagerly did ,i devour these two little  
works4 ,that of the first 7which had    
been written on the occasion of a       
respectable family having recently      
embraced the ,protestant faith7         
contained nothing that was solid1 or    
that ,i could not have refuted in the   
very words of ,christ and his ,apostles2
 therefore ,i did not dwell upon it4    
,but the second1 under the title of ,a  
,letter to ,malanie1 was the very thing 
,i wanted1 and was so anxiously desiring
 to find--an exposition of the          
protestant creed1 or at least of its    
most essential points4 ,it taught me    
that the ,gospel was their only rule of 

faith1 worship1 and conduct3 that they  
admitted all that they found established
 by the ,holy ,scriptures1 but rejected 
every thing else1 and especially        
prohibited the invocation of saints1 the
 worship of images1 of relics1 and of   
the holy ,virgin4 ,it taught me that    
they worshipped ,god alone1 through     
,jesus ,christ his ,son2 that their only
 hope of salvation was in his mercy1    
revealed in the sacrifice of the cross  
of ,christ2 that they recognised no     
other ,mediator1 no other ,advocate1 and
 no other ,intercessor with ,god1 than  
him who gave himself as such1 and who   
alone has the right of saying to        
sinners1 ,come unto me and ,i will give 
you rest4 ,it taught me that they       
believed no more than myself in         
purgatory1 in the supremacy of the pope1
 or in the real presence1 c4 ,in short1 
it taught me that the protestants       
received and professed no other than    
primitive ,christianity4  ,it would be  
impossible for me to tell you how       

rejoiced ,i was to find my most intimate
 feelings expressed by a minister of a  
religion founded on the ,gospel4 ,from  
this1 and from all that your mother had 
told me1 ,i clearly saw that the        
,protestants were unjustly accused and  
misrepresented by the wicked or the     
ignorant1 and that they were in truth   
those christians1 according to the word 
of ,god1 to whom the promises of the    
,gospel are made4 ,from that time ,i    
acknowledged them as my true brethren in
 ,christ ,jesus1 and my chief desire was
 to be admitted into their communion4   
,i clearly foresaw1 my children1 that by
 making an open avowal of my religious  
principles1 and by publicly declaring   
myself a ,protestant1 ,i should raise   
many violent passions against myself1   
and expose myself to a thousand trials2 
but the truth was dearer to me than     
life1 and conscience spoke louder than  
the fear of man4 ,i resolved1 therefore1
 without hesitation1 to confess my      
,saviour before men1 let the result be  

what it might1 and ,i immediately wrote 
to ,mr4 ----1 the pastor at ,nrac1 and  
the author of the letter ,i had read1   
requesting the assistance of his        
experience and kind advice4 ,in short1  
after ,i had been eleven months in      
correspondence with this excellent      
minister of the ,lord2 after ,i had     
visited him1 in order to acquaint him   
more fully with the state of my mind1   
and to enjoy the privilege of his       
instruction2 after ,i had frequently    
attended the performance of ,protestant 
worship and their different religious   
ordinances2 after ,i had carefully      
compared these1 as well as their        
doctrines1 with the only standard of    
truth1 the word of ,god1 and was fully  
convinced of their perfect accordance1  
,i no longer saw a motive for delay1 but
 requested admission1 and was received  
as a member of the ,protestant church4  
,on the twenty-third of the ,december   
following1 ,i went to ,nrac1 and on     
,christmas day1 in the presence of the  

whole congregation1 having1 as ,i trust1
 first given my heart unto the ,lord1 ,i
 became publicly united to his saints1  
and received the sacred symbols of the  
body and blood of my ,saviour at the    
,lord's ,supper1 and pledged myself to  
remain faithful to him till death4 ,i   
trust that he will vouchsafe to me his  
assistance for the fulfilment of this   
promise1 and manifest his strength in my
 weakness4  ,thus it was1 my beloved    
children1 that ,i became a member of the
 ,reformed ,church of ,christ4 ,i have  
now explained to you the circumstances  
and motives that have led me to its     
sanctuary4 ,in the presence of ,god ,i  
attest the truth of all ,i have now     
written4 ,the ranks of the true church  
are not recruited by means of bribery1  
deceit1 fraud1 false miracles1 or       
compulsion2 all means are rejected but  
instruction1 reason1 and persuasion4    
,this church has been formed1 and still 
exists1 notwithstanding the blows that  
have been levelled at it2 and it will   

for ever continue1 in spite of all the  
rage of hell2 sustained by the simple   
exhibition of that ,gospel which is its 
only guide and support4  ,may it please 
that ,god whom ,i supplicate for the    
salvation of all men1 and more          
especially for the conversion and       
prosperity of my enemies1 to give his   
grace to you1 my children1 that you may 
be found among the number of those who  
shall be saved4 ,happy should ,i be1 not
 only to be your natural father1 but    
also your spiritual father6 ,happy1     
indeed1 should ,i be1 if at that great  
day1 when we shall appear before ,god to
 receive the sentence of our eternal    
destiny1 ,i might be able to present    
myself and you1 without fear1 and say1  
,here1 ,lord1 am ,i1 and the children   
thou hast given me4  ,p4 ,,bayssiere4   
,montaigut1 ,dec4 #ca1 #ahbf4     ,,the 
,,history  ,,of ,a  ,,bible4            
,,history ,,of ,a ,,bible4   ,after     
remaining a close prisoner for some     
months in a bookseller's shop1 ,i was   

liberated1 and taken to the country to  
be a companion to a young gentleman who 
had lately become major4 ,the moment ,i 
entered the parlour where he sat1 he    
rose up and took me in his hands1       
expressing his surprise at the elegance 
of my dress1 which was scarlet1         
embroidered with gold4 ,the whole family
 seemed greatly pleased with my         
appearance2 but they would not permit me
 to say one word4 ,after their curiosity
 was satisfied they desired me to sit   
down upon a chair in the corner of the  
room4 ,in the evening ,i was taken up   
stairs1 and confined in the family      
prison1 called by them the library4     
,several thousand prisoners were under  
the same sentence1 standing in rows     
around the room2 they had their names   
written upon their foreheads1 but none  
of them were allowed to speak4  ,we all 
remained in this silent1 inactive       
posture for some years4 ,now and then a 
stranger was admitted to see us3 these  
generally wondered at our number1       

beauty1 and the order in which we stood2
 but our young jailor would never allow 
a person to touch us1 or take us from   
our cell4  ,a gentleman came in one     
morning and spoke in high commendation  
of some ,arabians and ,turks who stood  
at my right side2 he said they would    
afford fine entertainment on a winter   
evening4 ,upon this recommendation they 
were all discharged from prison1 and    
taken down stairs4 ,after they had      
finished their fund of stories1 and had 
not a word more to say1 they were       
remanded back to prison1 and one1 who   
called himself ,don ,quixotte1 was set  
at liberty4 ,this man1 being extremely  
witty1 afforded fine sport for ,william1
 7for that was our proprietor's name47  
,indeed1 for more than a fortnight he   
kept the whole house in what is called  
good humour4 ,after ,quixotte had       
concluded his harangues1 ,william chose 
a ,man of ,feeling for his companion1   
who wrought upon his passions in a way  
which pleased him vastly4 ,william now  

began to put a higher value upon his    
prisoners1 and to use them much more    
politely4 ,almost daily he held a little
 chit-chat with one prisoner or another4
 ,mr4 ,hume related to him the history  
of ,england down to the ,revolution1    
which he interspersed with a number of  
anecdotes about ,germany1 ,france1      
,italy1 and various other kingdoms4 ,dr4
 ,robertson then described the state of 
,south ,america when first discovered1  
and related the horrid barbarities      
committed by the ,spaniards when they   
stole it from the natives4 ,william wept
 when he heard of their savage treatment
 of ,montezuma4 ,rollin next spoke2 he  
related to him the rise and fall of     
ancient empires2 he told him that ,god  
was supreme governor among the nations2 
that he raises up one to great power and
 splendour1 and putteth down another4   
,he told him1 what he did not know      
before1 that ,god had often revealed to 
some men events which were to happen    
hundreds of years afterwards1 and       

directed him to converse with me1 and ,i
 could fully inform him on that subject4
 ,william resolved to converse with me  
at a future period1 but having heard    
some of his relations speak rather      
disrespectfully of me1 he was in no     
hurry4 ,at length my prison door was    
unlocked1 and ,i was conducted to his   
bed-room4  ,illustration3 ,,history ,,of
 ,a ,,bible4  ,my first salutation      
struck ,william4 ,in the beginning1 said
 ,i1 ,god made the heavens and the      
earth2 and then proceeded to make man1  
whom he placed in a garden1 with        
permission to eat of every tree that was
 in it1 except one4 ,i then related the 
history of ,adam1 the first man3 how he 
was urged and prevailed upon by the     
devil not to mind ,god's prohibition1   
but to eat of the forbidden tree2 and   
how by this abominable act he had       
plunged himself and posterity into      
misery4 ,william not relishing this     
conversation1 closed my mouth1 desiring 
me to say no more at that time4  ,a few 

days afterwards he allowed me to talk of
 the wickedness of the old world3 how   
,god sent ,noah to reprove their        
iniquity1 and to threaten the           
destruction of the whole world1 if they 
did not repent and turn to the ,lord2   
that the world were deaf to his         
remonstrances2 and that ,god at last    
desired ,noah to build an ark of wood1  
such as would contain himself and       
family2 for he was soon to destroy the  
inhabitants of the earth by a deluge of 
water4 ,this conversation was rather    
more relished than the former4  ,the    
next opportunity1 ,i gave him a history 
of the ancient patriarchs1 showing the  
simplicity1 integrity1 and holiness of  
their lives1 extolling their faith in   
,god1 and promptness in obeying all his 
commandments4 ,william became much more 
thoughtful than ,i had seen him upon any
 former occasion4 ,what ,i told him he  
generally related to his friends at     
table4 ,their conversation was now more 
manly and rational2 formerly they       

conversed only about horses1 hounds1    
dress1 c4 now about the history of the  
world1 its creation1 the remarkable men 
who had lived in it1 the different      
changes which had taken place in        
empires1 kingdoms1 c4  ,he was          
wonderfully taken with the account ,i   
gave of that nation whom ,god had chosen
 for his own people1 viz4 the ,jews4 ,i 
told him how wonderfully ,god had       
delivered them from captivity in ,egypt2
 how he drowned in the ,red ,sea an army
 of ,egyptians1 with their king at their
 head1 who were pursuing the ,jews4 ,but
 when ,i told him of the holy law of    
,god1 and expatiated a little upon it1  
he shrugged up his shoulders and said it
 was too strict for him4 ,well1         
,william1 said ,i1 cursed is every one  
who continueth not in all things written
 or commanded in that law4 ,he pushed me
 aside1 ran down stairs1 and soon became
 sick and feverish4 ,his mother begged  
of him to tell her of his sudden        
distress4 ,he said ,i had alarmed him   

exceedingly2 that he found himself a    
great sinner1 and saw no mercy for him  
in the world to come4 ,his mother came  
running up stairs1 and in the heat of   
passion locked me into my old cell1     
where ,i remained in close confinement  
for some days4 ,but ,william could not  
dispense with my company2 accordingly ,i
 was sent for4 ,i found him very pale   
and pensive2 however1 ,i faithfully told
 him1 that the imaginations of the      
thoughts of the heart are only evil1 and
 that continually4 ,he said he lately   
began to feel that2 he had tried to make
 it better1 but could not4 ,upon this a 
stranger entered the room1 and ,i was   
hid at the back of a sofa1 because the  
family were quite ashamed that ,i should
 be seen talking with ,william4 ,the    
stranger remarked that he had seen him  
talking with me1 assured him that ,i    
would do him much more harm than good3  
that ,i had occasioned great confusion  
in the world1 by driving many people    
mad4 ,on this1 they all joined in       

scandalizing my character1 and ,i was   
again confined to my old cell4  ,but    
when my ,god enables me to fix an arrow 
in any sinner's heart1 the whole        
universe cannot draw it out4 ,william   
was always uneasy when ,i was not with  
him2 consequently he paid me many a     
stolen visit4 ,i told him one day not to
 trust in riches1 for they often took to
 themselves wings1 and flew from one man
 to another1 as ,god directed them4 ,job
 once possessed houses1 lands1 sheep1 a 
flourishing family1 all of which were   
taken from him in a few hours2 but ,god 
never forsook him4  ,william's friends  
got him persuaded to take a tour for a  
few weeks1 to remove the gloom which    
hung upon his mind4 ,he did so2 but he  
returned more dejected than ever4 ,the  
moment he arrived ,i was sent for to    
talk with him4 ,i directed him to behold
 the ,lamb of ,god who taketh away the  
sins of the world3 ,i said there was no 
other name given under heaven among men1
 but the name of ,jesus1 by which they  

could be saved2 that ,god so loved the  
world as to send his ,son into it1 to   
save it by his death4 ,i then went over 
the whole history of the ,saviour1 from 
his birth at ,bethlehem to his death on 
,calvary2 describing his resurrection1  
and pointing out the evidence of it2    
then led his attention to ,bethany1     
describing the marvellous circumstances 
attending his ascension to his ,father2 
and testified to him the wonderful      
effects which followed in the immense   
increase of conversions to the faith4 ,i
 then enlarged upon ,christ's commission
 to his apostles1 commanding them to    
publish to every creature under heaven  
the glad news that ,christ had died for 
the ungodly2 had finished redemption1   
and ascended up on high to receive gifts
 for men1 and to bestow them on all who 
believed ,god's testimony concerning    
him4  ,god opened the mind of ,william  
to perceive the importance and truth of 
these things4 ,he began to hope in ,god1
 through the offering of his ,son a     

sacrifice for sin4 ,i advised him now to
 follow holiness1 without which no man  
shall see the ,lord in heaven1 or can   
continue to see his glory on earth2 to  
have no fellowship with wicked men2 to  
be a faithful steward of whatever ,god  
had given him4 ,i told him how ,christ  
rewarded those who overcame all their   
enemies through faith in his blood1 and 
by believing the word of his testimony4 
,this conversation made him very happy1 
and he left me1 rejoicing in the ,lord4 
,sometime after1 he came with a         
sorrowful heart1 complaining that he did
 not feel the ,lord's presence2 that    
,god had forsaken him4 ,i assured him   
that was impossible2 for ,god expressly 
says he will never leave nor forsake his
 people2 and that he changes not in his 
love to them4 ,i warned him to be       
cautious how he spoke against ,god1 for 
such language is calling ,god a liar4 ,i
 told him likewise1 that the church had 
once preferred a similar complaint      
against her ,god2 upon which ,jehovah   

protested that it was possible for a    
mother to forsake her infant child1 but 
impossible for him ever to leave or to  
forsake his people2 for he had pledged  
his word to the contrary4 ,wherefore ,i 
warned him to be no more faithless1 but 
believing2 and by doing so he would     
glorify ,god greatly before men3 it     
would tend to make men think more       
favourably of ,god1 and probably lead   
some to seek an interest in his favor1  
who otherwise would not4 ,upon this he  
cried out with tears1 ,lord1 ,i believe1
 help thou my unbelief4 ,i change in my 
love1 but thou changest not4 ,william   
left me1 determined to rejoice evermore1
 and to pray without ceasing4  ,at first
 his friends thought religion had made  
him less happy than he was before2 now  
they declared they had never seen him in
 such good spirits1 and so truly happy4 
,they began to wish they were like him4 
,william longed for the coming of the   
,lord1 while they trembled at the very  
thought of it3 they rather wished he    

might never come4 ,this was a great     
advantage he had over them by the grace 
and tender mercy of the ,lord4 ,he      
exhorted them to come to the same       
,saviour1 and he would receive them also
 with open arms4  ,william was          
afterwards brought into great           
affliction4 ,i told him ,god sent it to 
him for good1 to make him more holy1    
humble1 dead to sin and the world1 and  
more fit for heaven4 ,he believed me1   
and praised ,god for his attention to   
him1 to send this messenger of          
affliction to do him good4 ,a person who
 came in1 expressed sorrow at seeing him
 so pained4 ,william replied1 don't     
sorrow for me2 rejoice rather1 because  
,god has said that our light            
afflictions1 which are but for a moment1
 work out for us a far more exceeding   
and an eternal weight of glory4 ,i am   
willing to be sick1 or to die1 or to    
recover1 just as ,god pleases2 whatever 
pleases him pleases me4  ,i was never   
from him during his sickness2 he praised

 ,god daily that he had ever seen me4   
,he was happy only when he talked with  
me or about me4 ,he recommended me to   
all who came near him1 declaring that my
 words created a heaven in his soul4 ,he
 found me to be the mouth of ,god to    
him4  ,william was completely recovered 
from his indisposition1 by which his    
knowledge of ,god1 and experience of his
 faithfulness and love1 was much        
increased4 ,i continued his bosom       
companion for many years4 ,he talked in 
the fear of ,god1 and in the comforts of
 his ,holy ,spirit1 till at length he   
entered1 with triumph1 into the eternal 
joy of his ,lord4         99       99   
99       99       99  ,after conducting 
,william to the gates of the ,new       
,jerusalem1 ,i was sent for to reside   
with a young man in the middling ranks  
of life1 who had received a liberal and 
religious education from his parents1   
lately removed from this poor world4    
,the effects of their example and       
counsel were evident in all his conduct4

 ,he lived what men call a good moral   
life1 his deportment was very agreeable1
 and his sobriety was commended by many4
 ,he regularly conversed with me twice  
every day1 and prayed in his closet     
morning and evening4 ,on ,sabbath ,i    
talked to him from dinner to tea1 and   
from tea to supper4  ,an old uncle of   
his perpetually exhorted him to go      
abroad to amass a fortune4 ,he did not  
at first relish the advice4 ,one day he 
consulted me4 ,i bluntly told him to be 
content with such things as he had2 not 
to hasten to be rich1 for he would      
thereby pierce himself with many        
sorrows3 that numbers were ruined       
through the deceitfulness of riches4    
,labour not for the meat that perisheth1
 said ,i1 but for that which endureth to
 everlasting life4 ,after this          
conversation1 he reasoned with his uncle
 against leaving his country and friends
 merely to make money in a foreign land3
 he declared that the object was a      
pitiful one to an immortal creature1 who

 must soon bid an eternal adieu to the  
affairs of time4 ,however1 after        
standing his ground for some months1 he 
consented to go a voyage to the ,west   
,indies4  ,he set sail from ,liverpool1 
and took me along with him4 ,as there   
were several passengers in the ship1 all
 of whom were profane sinners1 he was   
ashamed to let me be seen2 of course ,i 
was hid in a corner of the state-room1  
completely masked4 ,on the first        
,sabbath morning1 he took a single peep 
at me before the other passengers awoke4
 ,i hastily told him to remember the    
,sabbath to keep it holy2 that ,god was 
every where present to witness the works
 of men4 ,he resolved to abide by my    
advice1 and to keep at as great a       
distance from those on board as he well 
could4 ,they asked him to take a hand at
 cards1 but he refused4 ,pho6 said they1
 we have got one of your superstitious  
,christians along with us2 we shall have
 nice sport with him4 ,they teased him  
with his religion the whole day1 and    

poor ,george could not well bear it4    
,one bold sinner asserted1 that before  
they reached their destination1 they    
would have all his enthusiasm hammered  
out of him4  ,george having none to     
encourage or countenance him1 and not   
possessing firmness sufficient for      
confessing me before men1 resolved to   
dispense with his religion during the   
voyage1 and to comply with their        
abandoned customs1 while he continued in
 the ship4 ,thus he fell before         
temptation4  ,one day in the midst of   
his merriment1 he recollected an advice 
which ,i had solemnly given him4 ,it was
 this3 ,when sinners entice thee1       
consent thou not4 ,immediately he rushed
 out of the cabin1 threw himself on his 
bed1 and wept bitterly4 ,he cried out1  
7but not so loud as to be heard17 ,i    
have ruined my soul1 ,o what would my   
worthy mother have said1 had she        
witnessed my conduct for days past4 ,on 
his return to the cabin1 the sadness of 
his countenance was observed by the     

company2 they laughed heartily and      
assured him that his reluctance to join 
them in what they termed sociality1     
arose from the prejudices of education3 
that he must endeavour to banish all his
 fears of futurity1 and mind present    
enjoyment4 ,these and similar           
observations gradually unhinged the     
principles of young ,george1 and before 
reaching their destined port1 his checks
 of conscience were almost gone4 ,what a
 dreadful state1 when man's conscience  
ceases to be his reprover6 ,men are     
often glad when they obtain this        
deliverance1 but the infatuation is as  
shocking to a pious mind as to see a man
 in flames rejoicing in the heat which  
will infallibly consume him4 ,after the 
arrival of the ship1 we all went ashore2
 and ,george was soon fixed in a very   
advantageous situation for money making4
 ,when the first ,sabbath arrived1 he   
protested against transacting business  
on that day1 declaring that he had never
 been accustomed to any thing of that   

kind4 ,they advised him to labour hard  
seven days in the week1 that he might   
return sooner to the country from whence
 he came2 and at length prevailed on him
 to conform to their infidel practices4 
,i told him that for all these things   
,god would bring him into judgment2 that
 he was like the rest of the wicked1 who
 waxed worse and worse2 that he did not 
love ,jesus ,christ1 else he would keep 
his commandments1 notwithstanding all   
the raillery and reproach to which he   
was exposed4 ,i warned him that whoever 
was ashamed to confess ,christ before   
men1 of him would he be ashamed in the  
presence of his ,father and the holy    
angels4  ,in a few months he became as  
wicked and abandoned as any on the      
island4 ,he made a present of me to a   
poor native1 who could read a little    
,english4 ,i frequently conversed with  
him1 but he could not understand what ,i
 said4 ,he often desired me to speak to 
his companions4 ,a few were greatly     
affected with what ,i said4 ,they often 

called upon me4 ,sometimes they         
pleasantly said my words made them very 
happy1 they desired to go to that happy 
world which ,i commended so highly4     
,they fervently prayed to ,jesus to take
 them to it4 ,an old slave creeped in   
one day1 inquiring if ,jesus could do   
any thing for very bad people4 ,i       
replied1 ,it is a faithful saying1 that 
,christ ,jesus came into the world to   
save sinners1 even the chief4 ,he is    
able to save unto the very uttermost all
 who come unto ,god through him4 ,the   
black man1 bathed in tears1 exclaimed1  
,good book6 tell me good news6 ,like the
 ,ethiopian eunuch1 he went away        
rejoicing4  ,after some years ,i was    
sent for in great haste to visit my old 
proprietor ,george1 who by his          
intemperance was brought to the gates of
 death4 ,in his affliction he remembered
 me4 ,i told him fools make a mock at   
sin1 but sin finds them out4 ,god had   
been long angry with him every day4 ,he 
confessed he had been a great sinner4   

,he said that bad company had been his  
ruin3 that by following their example he
 had destroyed a fine constitution2 that
 in his distress his bottle companions  
had all forsaken him2 they could not    
bear the thought of death4 ,had ,i my   
days to begin again1 said he1 ,i would  
flee from a swearer or a drunkard1 as ,i
 would from the plague4 ,he prayed      
fervently that ,god would forgive his   
iniquity for the sake of his ,son ,jesus
 ,christ4 ,his fever increased1 and in a
 few days he went the way of all the    
earth4  ,after this ,i became the inmate
 of a respectable family which had long 
been on the island4 ,the master and     
mistress were professors of religion1   
but during their residence in the island
 they had neglected many of its most    
important duties4  ,at length one of    
their children became ill and died4     
,they came to me for consolation4 ,i    
gave them to understand1 that it was    
because they had gone astray that they  
were afflicted1 and that their          

affliction was designed to call them    
back to duty4 ,they were at length      
persuaded of their error1 and praised   
,god that he had loved them so much as  
to chastise them4 ,they now strove to   
serve ,god with all their hearts4 ,they 
listened to me when ,i told them that   
they should instruct their children in  
religion on every proper occasion1 both 
when they sat in the house and when they
 walked by the way4 ,the youth of that  
family became at length distinguished   
throughout the island for every virtuous
 and amiable quality4  ,but what did    
more to make religion respected in that 
house1 was the practice of family       
prayer4 ,i was brought out night and    
morning1 and permitted to speak before  
all the family1 which was seated around 
the room in a respectful and attentive  
attitude4 ,i seldom spoke with more     
effect than on these occasions4 ,i      
addressed every member of the family in 
their turn4 ,i commanded the parents to 
treat their children with mildness1 and 

the children to obey their parents4 ,i  
told the little ones that ,christ took  
little children in his arms and blessed 
them2 and bade the servants do their    
duty to their master1 and the master to 
be kind to his servants4 ,and when my   
instructions were finished1 all in the  
house united in singing a hymn to ,god2 
and ,i believe they sometimes made      
melody in their hearts4 ,when they had  
sung1 my master would kneel and offer up
 a humble prayer to ,god4 ,these        
exercises caused harmony to prevail     
throughout a numerous family4 ,i        
observed also that although the         
inhabitants of the island did not relish
 my master's piety1 yet he every day    
obtained more and more of their respect1
 as his piety increased4  ,i have lived 
many years1 and have seen all those     
children grown up 7,i believe through my
 instructions7 in the fear of the ,lord4
 ,i was by the bed-side of their parents
 when the messenger ,death came to call 
them away4 ,i spoke to them of the joys 

of heaven1 and of its inhabitants1 who  
sing praise to the ,lamb1 and cease not 
day nor night4 ,they cried1 ,lord       
,jesus1 come quickly1 and ascended to   
glory4  ,i have always been a faithful  
friend to all who have sought           
acquaintance with me4 ,i will be        
faithful to thee1 reader6 ,i will show  
thee the only path that leads through   
this world to heaven4 ,follow my        
instructions1 and you will arrive there 
in safety4    ,,end