, 1881-04-03
FALSE MESSIAHS.
THREE REMARKABLE SPECIMENS.

An interesting history might be written or
False ATesslahs, and especially of Sabatai
Sew, who about the middle OF the seven
tcenth century appeared at Smyrna and pro-
claimed himself to the Jews as their Messiah.
Eyciy1, says t1at - the report OF Sabatal and
his doctrine flew though those parts Of
Turkey. which the Jews Inhabited; they
were so deeply possessed of their new king
doln and their promotion to honor, that none
of them attended to business of any Kind,
except to prepare for Journey 10
Jerusalem" Unfortunately Sabatai was so
Jealous THAI lie was locked up in
the Castle Of AbydOs, where, we are told,
she composed new mode Of worship" Ho
was carried to Adrianople and bis divinity
nut to a singular test. The Grand SeignlOr
ordered him to be stripped naked ana set up
as a target for the archers to shoot at. If his
skin proved arrow-proof his pretensions
| were to be admitted. Upon this Sabatai ac-
knowledee'l himself to be humbug, and to
| NO llis life ,~rnca Turk, declaring that he
had long noen desi'>',s 6f milking so glorious
4 profession. The Jews, "lo were all ready
TO start for Jerusalem, we're mtch chagrined
ut this procecd1ng,-the historic, ,sa,s that
they ''were overcome with confQss. and de-
| lection of spirit.''
| Richard Brothers was one of the last,f tha
| False Nessials, and lie made good de1 of
| noise and not few converts in Englnd
| towards the close of the last century. Il
undertook to restore the blind to sight; h,
suw visions; he emitted prophecies; he pub
lIshed new Gospel, entitled, "a Revealed
knowledge of the Prophecies and Times. II
Among his disciples was Sharpe the cele
bratetl engrayer, together with Nr, IIaIked,
t Al : c. .aFr Il
| cradle learning. They locked Brothers up in
tue nladl1ousc, where he became eIalnored o1
Miss Cutt, who had BEEN in the sAlne place,
to whom hc wrote love-ctter OF 2ou pages,
King David. and future Queen Of the He.
! bIeWs.'' Afterward, when he BECAME sill
more enanlored, lie called her ''the recorded
daughter OF Dayl1 and Solomon" from
deed. l,icllaT1d died in Bedam. - ~>"A' '''
One last example Of religious pretensfon
| will bring US nearer home Robert Matthews,
better known as Matthias. came to New York
to work as house-carpenter, and was mar
ile1 Ill leeF. About 1879 he began to preach
in the streets OF Albany. He permitted his
beard tv GROW; he wore grotesque clothing
| he was repeatedly arrested for making dis
| turbance: he professed to be Jew; llo lie
claimed against Freemasonry; sometimes he
| When Matthews came to New ] 1ork he found
several respectable men and women already
| half crazcd BY religious decisions ready to
| receive him. lie declared, to them that s. he
| was the Spirit of Truth; that the Spirit Of
Truth had disappeared from the earth at the
! death OF the Matthias mentioned in the New
| Testament; that the Spirit of Christ had en-
| tered into that Matthias, and that he was
| the same Matthias, the Apostle Of the New
| Testament, risen from the dead" OF
course he obtained converts. Some of
| them were rich, and they spent their money
freely III making the kllaye comfortable and
| in dressing him expenSiye!y. Among other
| things he wore Il rich silken scarf, inter
| woven with gold. from Which were sus pended
| twelve golden tassels, emblenlatical Of the
| twelve tribes Of Israeli He denounced
pork be said, :: it win go crooked @ through
you, and the Holy Ghost will not stay ia you,
| but ore Or the other must leave the house
| Pr: ,oon.'' The result of all this tom
| fot.~. !: vas that the principal disciple was
I sent to Biooanlngdaie Lun2tic Asylum, while
| tile prophet was consigned 10 Bellevue uere
| which he greatly lamenteu. At Blooming
dale his disciple CAME gradually to his senses.
Matthews was released from Bellevue Hos
| pltal, and continued thereafter to preach
with undiuinlshed energy. Some Of his
dapes fa. eonyeyed their property to him, and
found out and discarded; and being suspected
OF poisoning one of his dupes, lle was arrested
| and brought fr0nl Sing Sung to New York for
examination. Subsequently he was tried Tor
sWlnttilny, and appeared at the bar ''in his
richest and most fantastic garb. with his
plnk-llned green caat. crimson sash, lace ruff
Hes at his wristbands, a silver sun. upun his
left and stars OF the same metal on the right
side Of his breast" The Indictment vas
abandoned, and Matthews taken to West
chester to be tried for the poisoning, but
upon this charge he was found not guilty.