The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1851-09-12
THE GREATEST WONDER OF
THE AGE.

man says In our opinion the most
extraordinary wonder connected with
the present century is the SUCCESS oil
Mormonism. Sixteen years ago
there were less than twenty-five
Mormons in the world; at the present
time, there cannot be much less than
half million. In England. they mum
Der about 10000; while the number
in Deseret is so great, that in less than
Eve years they will have State of
Neir ovn. with Senators and Repre-.
sen,atives in Congress. The Nor.
mons have increased more in ten
years than Christianity increased in
the first century. How can these
things be accounted for? That such
a tumble Of absurdites as Joe Smith
"feceived from Heaven" should have
met with any favor from an aye ilIu
mined with gas, and stocked with
clergymen and penny ne wspapers. is
fact so at variance with probability.
that posterity will waste as much ink
on discussion, as we have devoted 10
the Apocalypse. Mormonism was
once supposed 10 be ia short.lived
imposition" Its present strength.
however. shows that it possesses the
elements not only of extension. but
longevity. 1t has become fixed fact
and from the rapid manner IN which
it is making proselytes among the
sheep which belong to other folds. it
is quite probable that the year 5000
will find that the followers Of Joe
Smith, west Of the Mississippi, will
outnumber those of Jesus.
Smith is the only successful impos.
ter that has appeared since Mahomet.
The following list of those who have
imposed on the gullabilty OF mankind
for the last five centuries. may prove
interesting TO- our readers:
LIST. Gonsalvo Martin. a Spaniard.
pretended to be the angel Michael; he
was burnt by the lnquisition Of Spain,
ia 1860.
End. George David, son Of a wa.
terman at Client. styled himself the
nephew Of God. sent into the world to
adopt children worthy Of Heaven; he
denied The resurrection, preached
against marriage, in favor OF com.
munity Of won en-, and taught that the
body only could be defIed by sin; he
had many followers; died at Basic,
1856
Sd. Sabbata Levi, Jew OF Smvr.
ma, amused the Turks and Jews
long time at Conslanlinople and other
places, by personatiag our Saviour,
1905.
4th. Elizabeth Barton, styled The
Holy maid Of Kent, spirited up to
hinder the Reformation. by pretend.
ing to inspiration from Heaven, fore.
telling that the King would have an
early death Il he divorced Catherine
Of Spain. and married Anne Boleyn.
She and hei contedera,es were hanged
at Tyburn. 1884.
18th. William Hacket, a fanatic.
personated our Saviour, and was ex'
ecuted for bIasphemy. in 1891.
9th. James NayIor persona'ed our
Saviour; he was convicted of bias
phemy, scourged, and his tongue bored
through with "A hot iron on the piIlory,
by sentence ofthe House OF Commons.
underCromweII's administration, | CSC.
7th. Johanna Soutcote. made her
appearance in the middle part Of the
last century. She proclaimed her
conception of Messiah, and had a
multitude offollowers. Johanna died
in l7l4.
In the United States, we have had
several noted imposters. Among the
more considerable may be mentioned
Matthias. who took his rise in Albany.
In 1880. Matthias gave out that he
was the Messiah, and as such, sue.
ceeded in imposing himself on some
of"the best informed families" in New
York. Folger. "a merchant prince"
Of the Metropolis, was so certain that
Matthias was the son Of God, that he
surrendered TO his spiritual keeping
not only the whole Of his property,
but his wife. family and connections.
The success of Matthias, for a time.
created an immense sensation through
out the whole Stnte-his besotted fol.
lowers going so far as even to quar-.
rel for the privilege Of washing his
feet. Matthias was house. carpenter
by trade-of very limited education--
repulsive appearance, long beard. and
soiIed manners. The triumph of such |
a god. shows how little capital is re.
quired to palm off a religious imposi-
ton on the best regulated community.
Matthias died some seventeen years
since. his successor being Joe Smith.
whose victories over common sense
are now seen in every part Of Europe
and America.