New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-07-25
TILE PEREECT ONEN.N

This j. the name OF new religious society
or sect which Mrs. Hannah Martin has founded
in Ohio. 1t appears that the Lady foundresS
and her sister believe Themselves TO have at
tanned absolute perfection This is a faith well
calculated to bring SAT- ,facton to the recipient
provided that other people can be induced to
accept the assumption with equal confidence.
1t is not indeed quite uncommon faith a.
Mrs. Hannah Martin seems to think. The hn-
man mind is prone TO adopt sell -laudatory
views, and perhaps if we should all lind our
selves under the conditions said TO exist in the
Temple of Truth the number OF only fair to
middling men and women confesSing their be-
lief in their own perfection would be 80 great as
10 a,toni>h the weak minds OF the unsopnstlcat-
cd. The only important difference between
MIS-. Hannah Martin and IL possible maJonty OF
her countrymen and countrywomcn is that
whereas the Latter conceal the real nature OF
their belief, she publishes 1t.
The effect OF this publication Ill her casc has
been somewhat remarkable She has led many
persons to believe what she says. II, however,
we examine the situation we shall find that
there /, "A reason for this outside OF the iniu-
ence of proba Dllity That influence III itself
would hardly account for the phenomenon, in
asnuch ~ though mankind are liable to believe
in personal perfection or peIfectibility, there is
no doubt hat most people are disposed to re-
gald the condition OF their neghbors Us melan-
chOly and diScounging. The old Lady who was
happy i'll the belief that everybody but herself
and her husband John would he lost, and who
even entertained serious doubts about John,
was type. Therefore il is difficult to under
stand how the Walnut Hills sect can have
given in to the theory OF Mrs Martins peiiec
ton, until we realize that all who join the new
i.ith anticipate perfection iOr themselves. This
of course makes everything lntcllIgible The
Perfect Ones " cohele upon the principle OF
mutual admiration MIS-. Ma tin Is superLltlvcly
perfect. Her followers are comparatively per
feet. All the rest OF the world ale positively
imperfect. That is il compact statement OF the
situation, and shows how much attraction there
must be in the new sect
All the old faiths assume the weakness and
continual tendency to err OF the members
This one holds out absolute perfection hcic be-
low Us the goal which may be attained by all
who fully recognize the divinity OF Mrs. Hannah
Martin 1t il clear that this programme All or,ls
scope for an immense deal of sell -giatuation
and cXultiuOn. Livery IcfltCt Onc Occu-
pies seat on the very top OF moral step
ladder, and looks forth doubtless with IL solt of
plying di>dain upon tie poor cIoituIes who
have not attained perfection. And there is al
ways, i'll some corner OF the taitE. work of this
curious kind going on. Just Is there has never
been commercial fraud too gross to lack vic
tins, 80 there has never been IN intellectual
absuIdity too prepO>tclOu> 10 find believers.
Mrs. Martin is not original. She is only tread
ing in the footsteps OF Johanna SoIthcotc and
score Of other hystelical women who have had
vision, and dlclmed dreams. and gathered long
| cared hock,. and talked NONSENSE, and made the
judiciOu> grove. "CIankiness Is in,eparhble
nom complete freedom of thought and speech,
and though it produces sometimes eccentric re-
Suits they aIe for the most part harmless. The
sect of tie " Perfect Ones " Is IN the nature ol