The Washington times., 1902-09-14
Leader of Sect of Lon
don Missionaries Makes
Announcement.
PUBLIC INTEREST AROUSED
Assertion Was at Secret Meeting of
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES Accept Pas
tors Statement Implicitly-Police to
Protect Church Today.


CORY of eccentric religious sects which
exist in every country there comes pc
riodically some marvellous pretension
which usually, however, is stirring onl,
in its own environment. One of thes,
this week furnished striking exception
1t has drawn the astonished scrutiny O
all London and excited the keenest GU
riosity in the country. 1t is a bod,
calling itself Agapemonites. whose lead
er last week declared to a fully be-
lieving congregation that he was Christ
His declaration was only intended foi
the faithful. whose admission had beer
tested by secret Masonic signs. Some
body from the outer world succeeded l.,
passing the portals and gave the publiS
this revelation.
A Sect of Missionaries.
lated boast of blasphemous charlatan
seeking notoriety. history of the sect
and the leader, however, placed them
among those strange bodies of emotional
Missionaries where a certain type of mind
finds relief in fantastic recoil from ma
terialism.
The colony of Agapemonites has been
living for over a year at Clapton. quiet
suburb of Northeast London. Their lead
er, J. H. Pigott, resides and conducts a
church there, at which the congrega-
tion has been worshiping privately since
last January Till last Sunday, when ad-
mission WAS by recognition and signs.
He then declared himself to be Christ
viewers or any articles in the newspa.
pers. but his congregation has made the
following declaration:
I'VE have found Christ. He has come
as We know it. We saw him Sunday We
care not for the world or the public. We
have known for some time of his com
ing, and our hopes have been realized .
The members number over 200. They
are neither rich nor poor, but comfort
ably of. They meet the needs of the
church from their own purses, and ask
nothing from the non-believer. They
dress as il. in mourning.
Day of Grace Past.
Their belief. in waiting for the pas
tcr's self revelation, was that the. day
of grace was past. and the day of judg.
ment was at hand. together with The
second coming of the Messiah. 1t waA
therefore time for praise. not for
been shut. and the merits of men and
women had already been weighed. Their
hymn book. which is termed The Voice
OF the Bride shows this belief
There is no marriage among them, nor
Is there baptismal font in the church
With the coming of the Messiah so near
they do not have time for such vanities
as courtship and marriage. Those who
were already married live as brother
and sister.
Pigoit's wife is quiet. kindly wom-
an, who has always absolutely believed
in her husband. 1t is the personality
of Pigott himself which chiefly excites
the outer world. He is the son of
rich landowner whose family resided on
their own estates in the west of Eng
land for many generations. He was edu-
Gated at Cambridge University, and be-
came clergyman of the Church of
ElRldIu- but tndl lie was 100 uQ-
eyentful for his ardent spirits.
Led Wild Life.
Then. according to his own admission,
he led wild life in many parts of the
world. He had been gold digging in
California, coffee planting in Ceylon, and
salmon fishing in Northwest America |
He had been sailor before the mast, |
leading very loose life, until the
CHEEKY invitation of an old sailor brought |
him back to the faith. He was after |
ward a major in the Salvation Army, |
which he quit to enter his present seat.
and was the first to be called Bride of |
Christ"
Pigott is man sixty years old. tall,
dark, clean shaven, and ascetic looking.
His leadership came three years ago, on
the death Of Henry Prince who preached
that the second coming of Christ would
be made known through him on his
death-bed. He prophesied that the creed
would be fulfilled in his successor. The
ashes of Prince were placed in the Clap
ton Church, as a talisman of faith.
Warned by Clergymen.
Many eminent clergymen. knowing the
of Pigott. have written
warnings to Christians against him. All
who know him concur that he has a
curious magnetism and charm of manner.
He is generally acquitted of practicing
luxurious living. for which his predeces-
,or. Mr. Prince. was notorious
1t will be necessary TO have elaborate
police arrangements for tomorrow, when
he public service is announced at the
l bode of Love. as the Clapton Church
s described. Crowds have been hooting '
'igott over his garden wall, but he has
lot spoken 10 anybody except the faith {
ul since last Sunday. ,
Sunday Concert at the Arsenal. {
The following program will be render 1