Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1882-12-26
A NEW REVELATION,

John Rilssa, Of st. Louis, the Prophet of
an Eclectic FaSth--A Compound of Lido
syncrGsSes.
One of the curiosities of st. Louis, ac-
cording to the Republican, of that city, is
John d. Wilson, a man with new religion,
which from the small beginning of meet
ing held last Sunday in a factory, with
perhaps dozen persons present, is to
spread until it takes possession of the
whole world-that is, unless Mr.. Wilson is
laboring under most egregious error.
According to the combined testimony of
the bOarders in the house where he lodges.
''the professor" as he is called, is not a
charlatan, and is himself tho first convert
to the new belief. He is treated with con-
siderable respect even by the gentleman
from the interior of Missouri who calls
himself 'Sir Walter" and who is now visit
ing the city for the purpose of unbending
his mind from the cares of business by
the apparently contradictory pro-
cess of getting on bender"
During an hours conversation with
the professor the other evening a report
er learned something of his history, and
of this religion which is to overthrow and
supersede Christianity. He is a mild
spoken, inofensive sort of a man, with
only as much education as is Obtainable in
the lower grade common schools. He is
Notwithstanding to his own account,
corroborated by those around him-to an
occasional loss of consciousness, during
which he supposes himself to be taken out
of himself by the controlling influence.
He believes he is inspired to write new
revelation, a portion of which he has al
ready completed, and to lead off body of
"the select" to home which will be chosen
for them in the West, where none of
them will want for anything, and where
none OF them can sin or suffer. He is by
no means fluent talker, and anything but
crank of &uiteau's school. Seemingly
always simple, yet in his idea of forming
"a community" he shows something of
shrewdness. He was, he says, believer
in the Christian religion until twelve years
ago, when, in Macomb, ILL.,, he began ex-
perimsnting with planchette. This led
him into other inquiries, and he claims to
have discovered that he was under con-
trolling influence that has ssshown me
things never before dreamed of, and the
deep meaning Of things which seem to
be plain on the surface. I was made to
investigate the New Testament, and /
found that instead of one Jesus, the histo-
ry of three was recorded there. The power
which controls me sent me to st. Louis to
commence tho work, which will eventually
spread over the world. I am its agent,
governed by it 50 that cannot err. I am
not to take the Bible and Christ away from
the world. They we're divinely sent, but
their mission is ended and am to give
men something better"
''Then you are infallible?" asked the re-
porter.
eff you choose to call it so. am guild
Cd so that can make no mistakes"
"What will you give the world for the
worn-ou religion?"
'Here it is, you will find it in that" said
he, taking roll Of manuscript from his
pocket. "This was written six years ago,
and have another copy. You can take 1t
and do what you please with it. give the
world something that Is according to rea-
son."
The reporter took the manuscript and
glanced over the first pages, which were
written in ink without regard to capital
ization or punctuation. He found there
strange mixture of all the beliefs and DIS
beliefs from the ancient Sanskrit creed
down the fatalism of John Calvin,
past Voltaire-even down to the evolution
theory, all in scraps and disconnected,
seemingly the work of an intellect dis
ordered by too much study of such things,
He asked Wilson if he had read of any of
these things in books. No, he had never
read Voltaire, knew nothing of the Vedas,
had never read an infdels writings.
"You seem to be a pantheist!" said the
reporter.
Mr.. Wilson was silent, and the question
was changed.
EYES," said he, 81 believe in a God in
everything; in the trees, tho rocks, in man,
in the whole universe; man is a part of
him. You will find it all there.
The reporter again referred to- the man
uscript, portion Of which is here given,
both as curiosity and as symptom of
Mr.. Wilson's peculiar mon0mania:
Snow it is the Creators plan to give the
people something new, but neither Judaism
nor Christianity will be done away with.
The Jew is still looking for his king, and
the Christian is looking for his Savior; and
they will continue to look until further
light comes that will reconcile all things,
showing why these prophecies were not