The Sun.
London, England, 1870-05-28 00:00:00

CURIOUS ORIGIN OF A. RELIGIOUS SEC'

A correspondent of the New York World of May 1 gives
a curious account of a new religious sect which, under the
name of " Jehovah's Band " has lately arisen at Mocopin,
a village in New .3 ersey. The founder was one Nathaniel
Merrill, who, according to the-World's correspondent, one
day in harvest-time, " finding the sun overpoweringly hot,
retired to a neighbouring wood, and sat down beside a tree
to refresh himself with some apple-jack, and taking a
snooze." Instead of a snooze, however, he was seized
with an irresistible desire to fly, and, climbing the tree,
he spread out his arms, and threw himself forward, but
instantly fell to the ground. At this moment his bottle of
" applejack" was brought to his lips by some invisible
agency, and Mr. Merrill, taking " a horn," started towards
the meadow where he had been engaged hay-m aking, and in
the short space of twelve minutes accomplished the building
of nearly fifty haycocks, aided by some unseen power.
Then the desire to fly came upon him again, but, as be-
fore, the attempt ended in a failure. After which he
began a series of summersaultp, which he kept up for an
hour, feeling more refreshed when leaving off than when
commencing. Going home, Merrill announced that he
had been vouchsafed a new revelation, and, " the spirit"
entering him 'again, he danced, he puffed, he snorted, he
laughed, finishing by jumping on a table, and breaking
it down by the vigour with which he performed upon it.
Next day he called together a number of his friends, to
consult with them as to the course which ought to be pur-
sued to found a new religion. While the friends were in
counsel, a young man rushed in, and began the same per-
formances which Merrill himself had indulged in the pre-
vious day, claiming that he also was moved by" the spirit."
The infection seized all present, and soon they began
shouting and puffing and dancing and whirling round. On
the following Sunday, at the Methodist church, just as
the clergyman was about to begin to preach, Merrill
jumped up, and, as on the former occasions, commenced
puffing and dancing. He invited the congregation to join
him, saying that he was full of " the spirit," and that if
they would follow his example " the spirit " would enter
them also. About twenty persons, most of them women,
accordingly sprang up, and, joining Merrill, broke up
the congregation. Merrill, it appears, has since succeeded
in making many proselytes, among the rest two men of
property and influence. The regular meetings of the
sect are held on Sunday, on which day not
even cooking is allowed, and children are warned that
if they laugh or play they will be punished by
"the spirit." A mid-week meeting is held on Thursday
evenings. Children are not allowed to attend this meet-
ing, nor are young people permitted to join the athletic
performances; and if any one profanely laughs, the culprit
is at once arraigned and severely reprimanded. Converts
are baptised in a large pond near the village. The
members of "Jehovah's Band," it appears, believe in
the Bible, but they also believe that what they do while
under the control of "the spirit" is according to law.
They have already, we are told, expelled a number of false
brethren. One young man declared that he could dance
on cups and saucers without breaking them. Cups and
saucers were accordingly brought, and, upon their being
broken, the young man laughed what was thought a
worldly laugh. He was immediately expelled.