The Minnesota pioneer. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn. Territory) 1849-1855, 1850-07-04
John Ma6t.

John Maffit was born in the city Of
Dublin, Ireland, in the month Of Deccm-
Der, 1890. He was bred tailor, and
emigrated to this country to pursue his
calling, leaving his wife and children
behind him. Previous to his departure
from Dublin, however, Maffit had pros
trated himself in paroxysm of religious
enthusiasm before the altar at Metho-
dist conventicle, and consequently set
sail full of grace. He had got no fur
ther from the emerald shores that wit
messed his conversion, however, than
the Isle of Man, when the hankerings
after the vanities of this world led him
into dissipation and wine bibing but
these backslidings we're purged by the
next instalment Of sea-sickness, and he
landed in this country fresh with the
odor of renovated sanctity. Shortly
after his arrival, he. obtained work as a
Ejourneyman tailor, at the shop of Sco-
field, Phelps s. Holmes, then situated at
the corner of Broadway and Wall-street,
and remained with them for 3 months.
During this period, he had been regular
in his attendance at the principal Metho-
dist churches in the city and acquired a
great deal of admiration for his gaudy
rhapsodies in the way of prayer: He
was much sought after by the brother
hood, and what was still more congenial
to him, he reaped an abundant homage
from the ladies'. The tailor became in
toxicated with the court he received,
and yielding to the temptations which
were held out to him, he resolved to
spring from the shop-board into the
pulpit, and become leader of the
faithful.
His new vocation worked well. He
had a dashing, inflated style of speech,
an extravagant and distorted imagery,
and an energetic manner, which, aided
by some theatrical display. carried away
the weak intellects which listened to him
with the notion that he was great man.
While thus progressing, Maffit found
that he could offer no pretext to congre-
cations that were petting him, for leav-
ing his wife and family in Ireland, so
though it was doubtless not desired by
him, he was obliged for decorum's sake
to send out for her and his two children
to ioin him. In due time they came,
and the grace and quiet virtues of the
wife were further contributions to his
popularity. Maffit put them, however,
to different use. He gave rein to his
inordinate passion, and made them the
shield to his transgressions. So bold
did he become, that his famiIiarities with
the beauties Of his congregation were
soon the subject of common scandal out
of the fold, while within it, even the
most faithful were at times smitten with
something less than a heavenly senti-
ment of conviction, at his undue efforts
with their wives and daughters Maffit
therefore, though he lived in the blaze o.
great reputation for eloquence and eff
cheney, did not enjoy that odor Of sane
tity which belonged to the old fathers o.
the church. Wherever he went he was
suspected of some intrigue, or charged
with some garter peccadillo and il
always so happened, that though he
made up show Of disproof for the
church, the majority of people tina,
looked on, believed him guilty of every
thing that was charged against him
These things, however, accumulated Sc
strongly against Mafiit, and his course
of life was so scandalous to the doc
trines he professed, that Joseph I. Buck
ingham, the editor Of the Boston Gal
axy, undertook, in 1922, the task of hi
exposure and castigation. He accuse.
Mafiit of "lying, hypocrisy, in6deIity t.
the Christian religion, mischievous tat
tling, lewd and indecent behavior tt
. females, violations of confidence, ant
the pilfering Of the sermons of other di
vines, to foist off as original production
of his own." On these charges bcin!
made, Maffit exhibited great indigna
ton, appealed to his congregations t.
frown down the ungodly libeller, bu
. finally was pushed by mistaken friends
: who did not altogether know his vulnera
bility, to commence prosecution agains
his reviewer. The case created grea
n excitement. Buckingham did not at
n tempt to shrink from the full responsi
: bility that he had assumed. He JUST
: fed all he had written, and put it fort
t anew upon his pleadings, in the form {
e direct specifications, with pledges {
r proof The trial came on-Buckine
$ ham triumphantly made out his case
r and Maf1it was condemned, in his ae
: quittal, and dismissed the church.
o This result would have finished an OF
a dinary mans career, but Maffit had
g degree of audacity that almost amounte
c to genius, so he continued on preachin
i in other parts of the country, as a so
,, of improvisatore upon the order. Th
e had its advantages as well as disat
vantages; for, on appeals to charity, h
could collect more than under ordinar
= circumstances, while in the way of fl
W male sympathy, the harvestwas ofcours
?, much greater, from fountains which h
IS moral distress had so deeply stirre,
l. The separation of his wife too, whic
l. proceeded from the dignified volition
1t the lady, gave him, at the same tim
h some license, and for long time
n roved free commission, shielding tn
n recklessness under the cover Of eccel
,. fr.c;fy md otopipr Eo, hic re al offeuco