The Massachusetts spy, and Worcester County advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1825-1831, 1830-12-22
From he tphilaaeIphia) d S. Gazette.
LOt THERE


appearance of a person in the upper part Of
New York State, who was preaching q
rev religion, founded upon a new bible
given to him by an angel. The revelation
then was engraven on metal plates. We
thought that the matter would rest with the
simple souls with whom it began, hut We
lind that the new doctrine is gaining many
believers; societies have heen formed, and
leaders established. We have not heard
that any candidate for president has been
nominated. We find the following account
In the PainsviIle lOhio) Gazette:
About couple of weeks since. three
men, calling themselves Oliver Cowdry,
David Whitmer, and Martin Harris, APP
peared in our village, laden with new
revelation which they claim to be codicil
to the New Testament. They preached in
the evening in the Methodist Chapel, and
from certain indications, conceiping they
might do more good other where's, departed
for Kirkland, where is ",common stock
family" under the charge of Elder Rigdon,
a Campbelite leader of some notoriety.-
The men claim to act under commission
written by the finger of God"-ihey are
very enthusiastic, tolerably resolute-but
fiom what we can learn, need that stead
fast, determined resolution, and popular
talent, which are necessary to ensure any
considerable degree of success in a new
project.
The account which they give is substan-
tally as follows:-at recent period an an
gel appeared TO a poor, ignorant man, resid-
ing in or near Palmyra, in Ontario County,
in the State of New York, directed him to
open the earth at place designated, where
he would find the new revelation engraved
plo af of oil In oh 70 IL
1estial messenger, Smith repaired to the
spot, and on opening the ground discovered
an obleng stone box, tightly closed with ce-
meut. He opened the sacred depository,
aud found enclosed bundle of plates re-
sembling gold, carefully united at one edge
with three silver wires, so that they appear
ed like book. The plates were about z
inches long and 6 broad, and the whole
pile was about inches deep, each plate
about the thickness of tin. They were en-
graved in character unintelligible to the
learned men of the United States, to many
Of whom, it is said, they have been present
ell. The angel afterwards appeared to the
three individuals, and showed them the
plates. To Smith was given to translate
the characters, which he was enabled to do
by looking through two semi-transparent
stones, bat as he was ignorant of the art of
writing, Crowdy and the others wrote as
Smith interpreted. They say that part of
the plates escaped from them in supernat-
ural manner, and are TO be again revealed,
when the events of time shall require them.
The three individuals above named, have
subscribed their names to an article in the
book, in which they solemnly declare that
they saw the angel, and that he assured
them that the book was divine revelation.
They say it was written by the prophets of
Col during the period embracing the time for
600 wears before, and several hundred after
the Christian era. 1t predicts, we under
stand, almost all events which have come
to pass, such as the American revolution,
&c.
These men are believed BY their follow
ers to be propheis-and they say that the
world is soon to come to an end-wIthin Is
years at longest.
By the world coming TO mn end, they
only mean that the incorrigible will be cnl
off 10y variety Of means, leaving only the
true believers. They have now gone ives,
for a country they know not where, west o
the Mississippi, where they say is HoI,
Spot, and there they are to establish New
Jerusalem into which win be gathered
sfl the natives who they say are descend
ants of Manasseh. They are to be fec
by the spirit and will know the GROUND
when they place their feet on it.
Immediately after their arrival here, Ell
der Rigdon embraced the new doctrine
and was baptized for the third time
once as regular Baptist, once as a Camp
belie, and now as disciple of the new
revelation. He says he has hitherto igno
rantly preached heresy. His flock, we un
derstand, have principally followed then
shepherd, and for the second, and some fo
the third time, haze gone down into the
water. We are told that the number hap
tized into the new order, is rising OF on,
hundred"
When we read of such decisions or fol
lies in times past, we mourn ever the igno
rance and credulity of days when III
march of science was Glow and brief; hu
these are the productions of our own times
the vagaries ofithe 18th century. LIE
us, when we regard them and others tina
characterize the age, learn little humilit,
for ourselves. and exercise charity for on
predecessors.
NAMES on Trees. In the last numbe
of DR.. Brews;er's Journal there is curion
paper on Inscriptions in Living Trees
translated from the Swedish Words o
AgurSs are olleh idiy cut on trees and tn
general opinion is, that they are soon oblit
Grated by the growth of the wood. 1t ap
pears, however, from number of example,
cited that they are faithfully retained in III,
Tree as long as 1t endures; and that. if it i
not seriously injured, the number Of concen
trio rings of wood found above the inscrip
ton will accurately denote the time wber
II was cut. Professor Laureh of the Uni
versity of Lund, made two inscriptions il
two beech trees, in 1749. The one wa
opened in 1856, and had the inscriptio,
remaining, with eight rings of wood over il
the other in l764, and had sixteen ring
over it. Bishop FAKE sent lately to N,
museum ofLund two peices of wood from
tree which grew near Helzinborg. ant
(which, during the saving and cleaninn