Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1894-05-25
RELIGIOUS FANATICS.

tits strange that psopis who seem
possessed Of Ordinary good sense ln ,ne
every day aGiIrs Of NE often are Yea
away by q religious movement when
hasIn II neither l1gic nor pruicnce'
Another instance OF this pecu'
liar hlnd " work j. agi,nuns
section Of california. a stranger
has pre.outod himself boo thr Vicinity
Of Fresno. announcing himaclf ns ihu
Messiah. lie says ha hos been plac ed
above 80. potcrand hcr,a'icfwilIs'anl
Of heavens gate. welcoming Toe
righteous to glory and sending the
wicked To everlasting nc. Tie has
succeeded 90 collecting "a c1n'iiciaule
baud OF disciples, some of the men
abandoning their farms, aud women
negiecung their children to follow
him. one woman, Mrs.. william
welsh, was sen, Co tho stockton asy'
lun tbs week u.s. a roiult Of bic
hnranruca. She attended his meet.
Jugs anu was 90 carried away ~ hir
remarks that che tore OIL her clothing
aud ran from house 10 house crying
that che was making straight tho path
Tor tho coming % the Messiah.
The people In the locality who do
not like the strangers preaching arc
giving him additional noiouc,y by
ao,ive opposition outfiio % legal
methods. ON one occasion this week "a
committee of citizens waited on him
aud gave him thirty minutes 20 leave
the town, under threat Of death. He
moved 10 u,lghbotiug settlement
He claims that ho can WORK mimclta,
hcal tho slck, cure tue blind aud raise
the dead n ho wants 20, but says be-
does not want 10 Jo a. Hc claims no
name, no church, no family, no ma
ton. lie says that Christ fulfilled tho
Old Testament and he viii now iulhll
the New Testament.
There h n practical sido 10 the
work Of this new ptotondor. lie
hives On the contributions Of his
followers, and is collecting al
the money he can get To those
who donate literally ho promises
special blessings In heaven, which Ia
his teachings at least are putchaseablo
with the riches Of mon. or course tie
money he collects Il 10 be- used tor a
great divine purpose, AMI Il r. quite
likely that u he II allowed TO 20 ON a
little longer II will develop that tnis
especial purpose Ia " accumulate a
snug fortune for his private benefit
II In country where there IA no
much preIensv Of preaching Christian.
ny the people we're taught the princi-
pie Of testing doctrine, anu religious
teachers which was promuigatod by
the Lord snd His Apostles 10 on.
cient times, there would DO lees
danger Of any being led astny
either by designing men VI fanatics.
But perhaps " the people were taught
10 apply that tosi It would throw n
good many preachers out u job, ~ Il
would exhibit them In their true posi-
ton. The rule laid down Anoicn,ly
for lhu guidance OF the people was that
thoso only who abode Ia tho doctrine
Of Chris, we're 10 be- received; AMI ~
any come unto you aud bring not that
doctrine, receive him not into your
houses neither hid him d5ispucd. for
he that hidGrth him Godsprud 10 pat.
lator Of hi- evil dccis;" also that the
divinity Of the doctrine itself was 20 BE-
proven, for those who do the will Of the
Father were promised that on doing
10 they should "Enow Of the doctrine,
whether Il b. Of God." when a
doctrine l. thus calmly tested by the
scriptures anu The testimony referred
to, the position Of these who advocate
it's not difficult TO determine.