The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1879-05-22
IN. Y. Tribune.l
The Thugs of Pocasset.

| 1t appears that the sacrifice" in Pocas
set last week of the Freeman child by its
father was approved not only by the
mother of the poor baby, but by the whole
sect of Second Adventists, to which the
| Freemans belong The murderer and
| his wife are reported to be well-meaning
| and intelligent, and hitherto were care
| full, afectionate parents and the men,
bers of the sect to which they belong in
Pocasset have been so far law abiding,
educated folks, fact which makes their
adoption of the necessity of murder as q
part of their creed more alarming. To a
certain extent every man has right to
regulate his conduct by whatever relig-
ious fancies he chooses, no matter how
fantastic. But when religious frenzy is
strong enough to induce a father and
mother to murder their child and sleep
TRANQUILITY by its dead body, and to lead
twenty seven other fanatics to accept
calmly the deed as proper one, and to
conceal it, it is time for the public to
look into the matter.
There have always been in every divis-
ion of the Christian Church believers in
the Second Advent: that is. that Christ
would come at some indefinite time, in
person, again to the earth, to reign
thousand years. From Iren@us and JUS
tin Martyr to the clergymen out of all
the Protestant sects who assembled in
this city last October, this doctrine has
had good men for its defenders. But,
unfortunately, in every age there have
been, too, unreasoning and fantastic
thinkers, who, going beyond this vague
belief, have fixed on a certain time for
Christ's coming and placed it within their
own generation. The beasts with horns
r 81 Al
and countless other prophetic types, have
served from age to age as figures by
which the problem was worked out and
the time fixed for His appearance. The
Church confidently expected Him in the
first, second and fifth centuries In later
tirsAs the date was positively settled at
1886, aIis1c-gain in 1S43. DIR. Cumming
would not consent to delay the Judgment
Day beyond 1866, or at the very furthest
1867. Many of our readers can remem-
Der the wild fervor of the Millerites, who
destroyed their property and made ready
their ascension robes, so positive was
their faith. Doctor Cummings disciples
belonged to better educated class, but
their faith was as fervent and their con-
sequent disappointment as great. At the
present time a large body of believers,
led by Doctor Seiss of Philadelphia, con.
AuShIiy SAptCb Gu0 dpp0drdHC0 VI OHFlSt
within a very few years. They believe
that the righteous dead will be raised
when he comes. 1t is very easy to un-
derstand how this faith, though harmless
enough in itself, is likely to be cherished
by morbid minds and to bring them to
the insane condition of the sect in Po-
casset. They reason, not unnaturally,
that if the dead are to be raised in hap
piness in year or two, it is an unselfish
and heroic act in a parent to kill his
child and so save it that year or two of
earthly sin and suffering In fact, the
doctrine in every age has invariably led
men into wild excesses. The
were Second Adventists. So
were CromwelPs soldiers, calling them
selves Saints, and Staying women and
children in the name of the Lord. So
were the Brethren of the Free Spirit,
filthy in morals as in person. Oddly
enough, belief in the immediate COM
ng of their Master has tempted morbid
men into almost every crime.
Christian men and women who find
.hese fantastic dreams of glory based on
horned beasts and walls pleasant, would
10 well to lay them aside and take up the
zeal work and hard actual life which
Iod has given them to live.
AS for this doctrine of sacrifice"
evolved out of these dreams, we hope the
Massachusetts, Courts will give it as sharp
treatment as can be awarded to insanity.
Not only Freeman and his wife but the
tribe of fanatics should be
punished, as an example. Nothing So
oers an American religious fanatic like
title cold law. We are in favor of relig-
GUS liberty, but not to the extent of
rhuggism.