Evening journal., 1893-09-07
DECIDED TO ALMIGHTY GOD.
CURIOUS DOCUMENT FOUND BY A
PHILADELPHIA LAWYER.

Peter and Hannah Armstrong Deed -Four
Square Miles In Sullivan County Away
From Humankind.
In these days Of singular and ecoen-
trio beliefs, religious and otherwise, the
average reader fails TO feel surprise for
almost any oddly Of this kind that he
hears about. Still there has in all
probability never been a more curious
instance Of religious fervor than an old
Sullivan county farmer and his wife
deciding four square miles of property to
Almighty GOD, and TO his heirs in Jesus
Missiah. The deed is on file in the
county court at Laporte, Sullivan county,
where it has been looked upon as a great
curiosity ever since it was executed in
1864
Recently George B Carr, the WELL
known Philadelphia lawyer, was taking
iaunt through Sullivan county with a
party OF friends. They visited Laporte
and there an acquaintance showed them
the deed as recorded in the records. Mr.
Carr was so deeply Interested in the deed
and the story connected with It that he
ordered a certified copy of the instru-
ment to be taken and forwarded to him
IN this city. This certified copy has
just arrived, and the following copy
Of it was Transcribed yesterday after
noon. That the certified COPY is authen
tic is vouched for beyond a doubt by the
signature Of the recorder of deeds Of
Sullivan county and his seal, which ac-
companies the oertihcation upon its
back The deed is indorsed Peter E.
Armstrong and Hannah, his wife, to
Almighty God" II reads as follows
"know all men by these presents. That
/, Peter E. Armstrong, and Hannah. my
wife, of the county of Sullivan, and State
of Pennsylvania, having redeemed from
the inhabitants of earth by lawful pur-
chase certain tract of land within the
boundaries herein described, and being
fully impressed and taught by the in.
spired Word of God and His Holy Spirit,
that his children should not claim to
own property Of any kind as individuals.
] but that they should render and conse.
crate unto God all things they possess,
for the common good of his people, who
are waiting for His Son from Heaven, and
who are willing TO live together in holy
fellowship, relying upon his word and
bounty, and to the end that his saints
may be fully separated from the world
and gather together and enjoy that light
and liberty which they did ia the once
faithful days of their theocracy-we do
make ana establish this deed of convey
ance this fourteenth day Of June, in the
year Of our Lord, one thousand. eight
hundred and sixty four
Whereas, In consideration Of the
kind, protecting care of Almighty God in
the past and present, which we do
hereby humbly acknowledge, and for the
exceeding great and precious promise of
unending life to those, who IN holy faith
and patience wait for the coming Of his
annointed Son to Judge the world, which
promise we have received from Him, who
is Creator and original grantor Of earth s
territory to the children Of men,
I'VE do, by these presents, deed, grant
and convey TO Almighty God, who inhab.
iteth Eternity, and TO his heirs in Jesus
Missiah. to the intent that it shall be
subjected to bargain and sale by man s
cupidity no more forever. all our right
and title (by human law interest and
claim OF any nature soever, in OF to all
that certain tract Of land and improve
ments thereof lying and being in the
county Of Sullivan and State Of Pennsyl
vania, being our part of parcel of land
within the following bounds:-"
(Ihen follows the description and
boundaries of the property
The deed, with its beautiful Ian.
guage and sentiment, impresses the
reader with admiration, but the instru.
ment and the story connected with II
, falls from the sublime TO the ridicu.
lous when these religious feelings arr
mingled with the common place and
inhexibie verbage OF the law. 1t i.
said that Mr.. Armstrong and his wife
we're most devout and pious people
during their lifetime, and the deed wa.
executed In a paroxism of religion.
mania. in which the grantor believed
that the human race were not individua
owners OF property, but the trustees o.
God
After the deed was placed on recors
on August the 4th, 1854, the propert,