FROM

THE

E V A N G E L I S T ,

BY WALTER SCOTT.

Go you into all the world, proclaim the good news to the whole creation:--he who be- lieveth and is immersed shall be saved; and he, who believeth not shall be condemned.
MESSIAH.
NO. 4.	CARTHAGE, APRIL 7, 1834.	VOL. 3.

      Wellsburgh, March 12th., 1834. Dear Walter, the Lord be with you. I wrote to you by Bro. Parker. I went with him to Bethany, whence I returned yesterday. They are well there, and retain a very pleasing remembrance of your visit. I mentioned to you that 43 had been immersed at Baltimore in a week, but the correct account is, that in 10 days 50 persons were added to the church there; 38 by immersion, 12 from Mr. Findley's (chiefly I think.) I send this for the purpose of giving you the following, as my piece will not be ready for some time.

	Yours affectionately.
R. RICHARDSON.

From the English Journals.

      Mr. Carne's account of the New Religion called Momierism, its early persecution, and its spreading growth, is very interesting. It resembles some of our own sects at home: men and women of every rank meet in equality; a preacher exhorts the assembly; and they, if so moved, confess their doubts, hopes and sentiments, in the face of the assembly! The author seems to partake of their sentiment and enthusiasm: for he says: "This system of the Momiers, though perfectly simple, is concentrated and strong, and bears with it the very elements of success and victory. No lofty or peculiar revelations are claimed, no member is exalted high above the rest for imitation, but the Minister and the poorest of the people, the avocat and the paysan, the lady and the washer-woman, all meet alike on the same kindred soil, drink of the same fountain of inspiration on a footing of perfect equality, speak of their hopes, fears and triumphs, with mutual sympathy and mutual kindness. All feel that they are embarked on the same troubled but exciting course, that the same tide wafts them onwards for good or for ill; for the system is purely a spiritual one, and at the same time an eminently social one. The interests of the society are admirably served by the private and earnest visits of the female members to families and individuals; they enter with an air of perfect simplicity, and being seated, commence a touching and earnest address on the subject of their best and highest interests. Two or three of their books or pamphlets are not forgotten, and are placed in the hands of the hearers. They have already their own hymn-books: many of the pieces are of original composition, and do no discredit to the genius of the composer; and treatises also, explanatory of their sentiments, touching on the darkness that shrouds so much of the land, the supineness that lulls the spirits of its people, and so on. No Friend, commonly called Quakers, however, can be more unassuming or persevering than these female disciples, whom the rest of the natives call Quixotes, and regard with dislike; but if success is the test of a good cause, they have it, and will reap it in future years more abundantly. The dry, cold, comfortless system of Calvin fails every day before these humble but untired and determined innovators--the Socinianism that has thrown its blasting shadow over the shores of the lake (Geneva) begins to give way before the sure but noiseless march of the obscure Momiers. A few years more, and they will most probably, be a powerful and flourishing body of people."

[Carne's letters from Switzerland. [95]

      *     *     *     *   Who can these people be? They are true believers in the Lord Jesus Christ for they are banishing Socinianism. They are advocates for the freedom of the will, for they oppose Calvinism. They are not Quakers for they sing hymns, convert their neighbours, and are animated by a different spirit. Nor are they Methodists for they are "all on a footing of perfect equality," their "system is simple," and they "claim no lofty or peculiar revelations." Who then can they be? Can it be possible that the Ancient Gospel has been restored to Switzerland--the land of political freedom--the land of Tell--the land where the scriptures were preserved untainted---the land of the Waldenses and Albigenses--the land sprinkled with the blood of saints and Martyrs? From what is said of them I should suppose that they are at most if not altogether Christians. At all events their account is interesting as exhibiting the progress of religious knowledge and the downfall of these pernicious sects and doctrines which have so long lorded it over the minds and feelings of men. How happy that man who shall be so highly honoured as to visit those ancient European kingdoms, and introduce there the simplicity of the truth and the blessings of the Gospel as it was preached on Pentecost! This indeed were an enterprise worthy of a Paul.

[The Evangelist 3 (April 1834): 95-96.]

      Robert Richardson's "Letter to Walter Scott" was first published in The Evangelist, Vol. 3, No. 4, April 1834. The electronic version of this letter has been produced from the College Press reprint (1980) of The Evangelist, ed. Walter Scott (Cincinnati, OH: Walter Scott, 1834), pp. 95-96. The text has been scanned by Colvil Smith and formatted by Ernie Stefanik.

      Inconsistencies in spelling, capitalization, punctuation, and typography have been retained; however, corrections have been offered for misspellings and other accidental corruptions. Emendations are as follows:

 Page       Printed Text [ Electronic Text
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 p. 96:     Calvanism. [ Calvinism.
 

      Addenda and corrigenda are earnestly solicited.

Created 7 September 2000.