Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1891-02-27
FALSE cHRlsTs NUMEROUS.
They Have Appeared In All Ages and In
Many Countries.

The oueer beliefs of the Indians Of
the Northwest concerning their Messiah
have aroused renewed interest in the
subject of false Christs. which Jesus
himself said would come after him.
especially just at the beginning OF the
end" According TO some the appear
ance of these pseudo Christs is one of
the signs that the coming OF the real
Messiah is near at hand; others. backed
bv the evidence of history. give the
advent of these inpostors but little
weight. preferring 10 treat them as
deluded fanatics, worthy only OF Il
place in some insane asylum. That
there is no sign" of anything in these
appearances, unless it is sign of a soft
SPOT in the head Of the impersonator
NAV be Inferred from the fact that not
less than twcnty-four different persons
presented themselves to the Jews
alone, claiming TO be Christ returned,
between the time of the cruciliXion
aud the year 1862. Many of these
"NIessiahsn were defended by the Jews
Mt an enormous cost of both life and
money. Especially is this true in the
case of Coziba of Barchocheba, one of
the most popular of the false Christs.
who arose rs the Messiah of the Jews
| in the second century afterthe ~ruciiix-
/ ion of Jesus Ohe Jews, of course. put
Jesus down among the false Christs).
and in whose defense lost over GOO, 900
men when the Romans made war upon
/ them in an attempt TO put down the
popular delusion.
In the sixth century "A remarkable
! impostor appeared ut Alexandria. in
Egypt. claiming to be Jesus of Nazareth
returned to earth. He showed scars
on his hand and feet where he said he
had been nailed to the cross six cent
uries before, and called upon the Egyp-
tians to follow him in q revengeful war
AGAINST the Jews. The chief ruler of
Egypt became one OF the impoStor' fol-
lowers and contributed an immense
army for making an invasion of Pales-
tine. Everything was in readiness
when the false Christ took down with
fever and soon died. just rs a COM
mon Egyptian would have done.
The tenth century was one prolific OF
false Chris,s. not less than eight OF
ten so-called 'Mcssiahs" making their
} appearance and being ministered to
by greater or less multitude of de-
luded followers during that century.
From the beginning of the eleventh
to the opening of the seventeenth cen
tury but few false ChriSts are recorded
The masses were becoming more gen
orally educated. and. therefore, less
likely TO become followers of sucl
, blasphemcrs. The extraordinary vile
, of Mordecai. IA German-Jew, who liveo
in 1862. gained him quite a reputation
, as Christ, but. sharper that he was
} he was at last compelled TO flee for hi
G life and end his days as an outcast
I Moses Chnrjorn Luzzatto, an Italian
= born in 1907, is said to have actually
j believed himself the predicted Messiah
He wrote "A Newer Testament" ant
I organized church, but did not max
r any considerable Roadway. He died i
l74O. while making efforts to prove hi
:, divine origin.
According to the Fremdenbidn c
i, Berlin a false Christ made his bow /
: Germany in August, 1872. He Gale
: himself "Jekutniel" Chronicles vi
). lS). King of Israel, and announce
Y that he had come to assume the thron
. of MS Empire as the true Messiah. III
e manifesto entitled, ITO Whom 1t Ma
/ Concern bore a seal which had tn
= crown of David on one side and
y Scrptural quotation on the other.
r. evidently found but few disciples. a. b'
it very little concerning him ever al
At peared in the German papers.
e In 1880. or Whereabouts, the moul
s. taiueers Of West Virginia attempted
;. create an excitement by pretending
!, believe in the divinity of one OF the
~ number. Eighteen hundred and eighty
1s eight gave Georgia Il trio of fall
"a Christs. woman,a negro by the nan
. of Edward james, and a white mi
&c named Dupont Bell. The woman
10 success ia the miracle line gained IN
ii. great reputation for awhile. jaime
in aud Bell were both finally committt
ne to the insane asylum. With Schwei'
en- furth as Christ OF the Rockford Oil
or "heaven.n and the Indian Messiah
Is the Rocky Mountains, we end III
es Curious Note" on false Christs. $
Of LOUIS Republic.
~ The Origin of Death.