The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1832-10-02

| shs house Or an old acquaintancs. He
pretended to have q commission from
Heaven. spoke Of himself us belonging
10 the lineage Of prophets, said that
bis father was inspired before him, re-
proved all profane language with great
solemnity, and expressed the utmost hor-
ror AT any irreyerent proposaito cut of
his heard. In the course of the summer
he fell in with some opulent disciples
who raised him from the necsssitous con-
dition in which they found him, and ad-
mitted him an inmate in their houses
Hereupop Matthews began to advance
higher pretensions thar before--it is ev-
en- said thst he claimed to be the Mes
siah in person, whose second advent,
looked for by all the churches, had now
arrived. One Of bis, followers, a person
of wealth and respect ctability il is said, be-
gan TO fancy himself to be John the Bap-
list, the herald of his second coming.
and accordingly, suffered his beard to
grow, that he might more aptly repre-
sent the part. A Kind offestiyal was in-
stitnted, called The Lotd's Supper. but
administeredsin in a difserent manner from
that ceremony in sepysp psaown cbuBciI.
At the head or table loaded with good
things for the rsustSndricU Of the body,
sat the beretarch among This disciples,
with gold watch in his pocket, and
dressed in frock coat embroidered with
gold lace. furnished by the muni6cence
Of his new friends. Here with great
dignity; Of manner he dispensed both
material and spiritusl food, eonversing
rather lncoberently on, religious iopicss
for the doctrines of this sect do not ap-
pear to have rtuken any definite FORM
"A religion Of which one Of the essential
ceremonies is a good supper, offered
gratis to all who chose to partake,
must Of course find some adherents
who would 60 the length of the supper,
even if they did not assent 10 the rest
of the doctrines, Matthews had gem
orally, besides the few who 90 generous
ly patfonised him, little knot Of guests
and listeners at the Inspired colloquies
which he held during these repasts. z
Within a day or two past those pro-
ceedings have been broken up. Mat
thews has been sent TO Bridewell, We
presume on the vngrant act and one Of
his followers to the lunatic Asylum
We do not profess TO be particularly
informed of the circumstances under
which it has been thought it to imprison
Matthews; but if the preachers Of q new
sect are to be sent to jail nddsr the va.
graut act, what 10 10. become of the
preachers Of the old. In q community
under which the utmost liberty OF con-
science is allowed, ,,the civil magistrate
cannot discriminate. between trsie and
false religions, 50 az to send one man
to Jail for an imposter merely becadse he
breaches certain doctrines, and is main
tainsd by lis. .followerss and let stherSgo
at large. If one preacher may be i'm
carcerated, the rest are dot safe. There
may however be, and W presume there
are, facts to warrant tho apprehension
of this man, with whichswe are. not lac-
quainted. There is q story that the offi-
Ger who seized him, clipped his beard
with pair of shears before taking him
TO prison, and exchanged the costly dress
his friends had given him for the garh of
. criminal. This, we presume, 10 a mis-
N. Y. Eve. Post.