A SINGULAR SECT.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1500, 7 March 1887, Page 2

A SINGULAR SECT.

The Home correspondent of the " New Zealand Timea " says :— I referred a long time ago to a singular collection of harmleas Imbeoiles who have baen ga hiring together near Chatham under the title of " The now and better Housa of Israel," A heid fellow oiling himself Jtzreel imagined himself to be inspired, and wrote a rabid pamphlet called the " Flying Roll," wherein he propounded the theory that tbe judgment of this world was to be speedily pronounced, but that m the inevitable and approacbing doom a romr nant of 144,000 might he saved by taking his a civic, and placing m his hands, for the common good, any available cash they might chance to be prs.essed of, which money was to.be expended m building an immense temple, presumably to hold the said remnant, at ate . st of £50,000. Strange to soy, and yet no. strange when wo remember Carlyle's dictum, he haa found many aaherents, and building operations are going on at the rate of £10,000 to £12,000 a year. Unfortunately, however, for " Je?.eel," death has upset his calculations, _nd he has gone to tind rent elsewhere. This untoward event has bo exercised tho faithful remnant that they are wavering m their allegiance, but Mrs Jez'ee', who has enrvlved her husband, is evidently iqual to the oco. 83lon, and Ib casting forth the feeble-kneed members with a startling energy. Aa theae importunate persons hid surrendered their all to tbe prophet and were living m common the result may be imagined. Penniiesß and homeless, they are wandering about, a lamentable spectacle of ignorance and duplicity. Tho worst featuro of it is that many onoe happy booae. have been destroyed by the father or mother or both, ! yielding to the seductions of the pretender; ! and one oase is particularly u_ent)ono.l j where a man m a good commercial post- . tion surrendered his wordiy proepoote, and left his wife and children to the oare of j a pitiless world. It is a misfortune the ■ Governcoent pannot interfere and stop auoh indeoent tomfoolery : but this is a free oountry, and wo pride puiQelyes on cur olvil »nd religious liberty. -^^^