The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-12-28
German, Italian, Danish, Norwegian, and
many other languages

German, Italian, Danish, Norwegian, and
many other languages
SwEDENBoRGIANs.
The New Jerusalem church is another
outcome of alleged personal divine revela-
ton to man. According to its belief the
old heavens and the old earth have already
passed away and all things are become new;
and the second coming of Christ, to which
the world looks forward, has already taken
place IN his personal appearance to En-
manuel Swedenborg and his revelation to
him of the doctrines of the new church.
Swedenborg, who was very learned man,
was 81 years old when he began to receive
his alleged divine visitations. His condi-
ton at the time of these visitations he
describes as middle state, between sleep
ing and waking, in which spirits and angels
are seen and heard and touched. While in
| this state he claimed to see the inhabitants
OF other continents and to hold converse
with the jewellers in the planets in this and
other worlds. by virtue of this presence"
ne said, II have conversed with apostles,
departed popes, emperors, kings, and with
Luther, Melancthon, Calvin and many
others" And in these visions were re-
vealed to him the doctrines of the new
church, which he published in his "Arcana
C9lestia," Latin work III eight quarto
volumes, which 1T took him eight years to
write.
In December, 1888, young English
printer. Robert Hardmarsh, formed a So
ciety for the study of Swedenborg's works
In the following year a similar society was
organized In Philadelphia. From these two
societies has developed the Church of the
New Jerusalem" which has now some sixty
churches in England and about eighty in
this country The membership of most of
the churches is, however, very small. New
York and Brooklyn have each a large and
prosperous church, the first at ia East
Thirty fifth street, under the ministry of
Rev. Samuel E. Seward, and the latter on
Monroe place, in charge of Rev. j. c.
Ager.
THE MUGGLEToNJANs.
Considering the claims which many of
these sects put forth and the slender evil
dence on which they are based, their fire.
quent longevity is remarkable. The Mug
gletonlans, for instance, one of the most
outrageous claimants of special divine reve-
lation, have only recently become extinct,
after survival of more than two centuries.
They were founded by Ludovick Muggle-
ton, London journeyman tailor, and a
man named Reeves. They declared that
| they were the two witnesses spoken of in
Revelations XII, g. who were to prophesy
L. 03 score days clothed in sackcloth, and
that it was their mission to prophesy during
the latter days, which had then arrived.
They declared themselves possessed of power
| to destroy all who opposed them.
They affirmed that earth and water was
| not created, but self formed, that the evil
one became incarnate in Eve, that the
father was the sufferer on the cross, having
left Elijah in charge of heaven while he
came below to save the world, and finally,
that Muggleton was Aaron and Reeves,
Moses. For a time they had an enormous
following, and only recently the last Mug
gletonian passed away.
wILKINsoNIANS.
In our own land not less marvellous claims
have been made. In this very state, at the
close of the last century, the Wilkonsonians
were a prominent body. They were the
followers of Jemima Wilkinson, who formed
NEW Jerusalem in Yates county. When
25 years of age she claimed that she had
been raised from the dead, and by virtue of
her new life, could prophesy, work mira
cles and live herself sinless life. She de-
clared that she was the person by whom
the millennium was yet to be appointed. 1t
is told of her that once she announced her
intention to walk across Seneca lake. She
then asked her followers if they believed
that she had the power to do so. "Most
certainly" they cried, with one accord.
"Then," said she, ''the necessity for my
doing it is thereby removed
wAKEMANITES.
Alta later date the Wakemanites at
tracted the eyes of the world to New Haven
Conn. In the belief of many an old woman
Rhoda Wakeman was believed to be a di-
vinely commissioned prophecies. She
claimed all the powers of prophecy and
miracle which such fanatics always con-
ceive themselves possessed of. Some of her
attributes were OF a more billicose order
and it was those which finally led to the
overthrow of what threatened to become q
remarkable period of religious excitement.
She conceived one of her followers, an old
farmer named Justus Matthews, to be pos
sessed of an evil spirit. Death and death
alone was the cure for such a disease. With
frightful curses she ordered his immediate
extinction, and the old man innocently con-
ceiving himself to be an instrument OF
evil, willingly submitted to be murdered.
RUSSIAN SECT.
The idea that self destruction, and, in
deed, death in any form, is a powerful
means of gaining divine favor is strikingly
illustrated in the history Of the Morelst-
schiki, a sect of Russian dissenters still in
existence. At certain date of the year
they meet at an appointed place. A deep
pit is dug, into it are thrown straw, wood
and other combustibles, and ere long an
earthly orthodox hell is raging. Mean
while weird hymns relating TO the cere-
mony are sung. At first there is but little
excitement, but as the hymns grow louder
the enthusiasm grows greater, and event.
ually, in paroxysm of religious joy, man
after man leaps into the fire, consigning
themselves, they believe. to a glorious
martyrdom.
These, one and all, are faiths which have
been credited, and leaders who have been
admired and followed in the nineteenth
century.