Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1882-08-30

9oOoh" tiiiV III INC pcrsOu Oh MIS-.
Dora Beekman. Occasionally he
would break away from what he was
trying to explain, and pitch into the
Methodist church. He said he did
not wish to offend any one, but he
said those things because he had TO f;
he couldn't help it it was the truth.
He introduced many talks he had
with ministers and professors, and
said that one of them had told him
that he (Swineforth) was so badly
mixed up in his theology that he
wouldhever be able to disentangled
himself. Mr.. Swineforth said he did
not think he would be able to olsen
tangle himself, and our reporter
agrees with him.
For some time all that could be
made out of the harrangue was that
the present system of religion as
taught by the churches was all wrong,
and that the perfection system of re-
ligion was the only true way to i'm
mortal life.
After listening YEARLY to such
stuff for some time, our representa-
tive obtained what he visited the
meeting for, and that was a plain
declaration of the perfection faith.
Mr.. Swineforth said: eff you do not
believe that Mrs. Dora Beekman is
the Christ, you are lost man."
This then is the perfection doctrine.
If you believe that Mrs. Dora Beck
man is Christ, you are all right, and
if you do not, your chance of enjoy
ing the heavenly glories are not very
bright.
Having believed in Mrs. Beekman's
divinity, you become, if we under
stand it right, an immortal on earth |;
you can not sin, and you can not do
wrong. This is an easy way of get
ting immortal glory, but the perfec-
Zionist need not expect that he will be
the more readily trusted by the peo-
pie Of the world because of his be-
lief that he can do no wrong.
The perfectionists do not believe in
earthly organization. Their society
is too good, too sacred, and too divine
to be designated by a term, and there
is no human word worthy of being
applied to them. They are Gods
people. They object to salaried min
listers, but they appear to believe in
deadheadism. One member said to
an outsider: "My thoughts are as
far above your thoughts as the
heavens are above the EARTH"
The greater part of the disciples
appear to readily swallow what Mr..
Swineforth breaches, and many of
them seem sincere in their belief, but
Mr.. Swineforth does not impress one
with the belief that he believes such
creed. The exhorter appeared to
alir scribe as q wolff among sheep,
and for person who claims to be SO
full of divine grace, he talks too
much about himself and his pretend
ed prosecutions. Being in a free
country, he can, of course, believe
what he likes, but when there is a
danger that his teachings will be the
means of a voyage to Kalamazoo
by a number of unsuspecting follow
ers, is it not going too far? Does it
not tend to- undermine the founda-
ton of society and strengthen the
ranks of skepticism?
If our reporter speaks plain on this
fraudulent and sacrilegious doctrine,
it is not because of any personal en-
nifty to the man Swineforth, but, be.
cause like him, he must, in the inter.
est of truth, tell what he believes to
be the truth, and if he says the per-
lection system is fraud, a sacrilege
sham and a dead-beat, it is in the
interest of truth, and, like Mr.. Swine.
forth, he is impelled to say so whether
he likes or not.
The number of perfectionists is
not very large, but, from reports, il
has already done immense damage
to many households. 1t has brought
GOODNESS and trouble to several fam
lies it is working estrangment be
tween husband and wife, and like 9
demon of misery it has spread its
hideous wings over many an happy
household.
In trying to explain how the whole
world was to be saved by Mrs. Beck
mans presence being confined to
small locality, he drew parallel O
how Christianity was spread over thu
world, and yet the first Christ re
NAMED only in the Holy Land, and
said why did Christ remain there
Why did he "not take train and g
to Egypt" The answer might be
Because in those days there were
no railway trains" We have devoted
considerable space to Mr.. Swinefortl
and his teachings because we believ'
i Al