The Ashburton Guardian. Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit. SATURDAY, OCTOBER 6, 1888. THE JEZREELITES.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1963, 6 October 1888, Page 2

The Ashburton Guardian. Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit. SATURDAY, OCTOBER 6, 1888. THE JEZREELITES.

One of our subscribers has forwarded tv ua •- tr-fwjuoefc-- Uxai,. JJLiiaaiag _that-xa~ cently two missionaries oi the so-called ' New and Latter House of Israel ' have boen preaching m Ashburton," wo would give our readers " some information as to the sect to which these peoplo belong." He kindly forwards with his letter a copy of the " Australian Christian Standard," which contains an editorial on the subject, but much fuller details can be found m the " Canterbury Times " of the 28th ulto. We remember reading abont these people also m the English papers some years ago, and we think the following short statement comprises the galient features of one of the most curious instances of the limitless credulity of ignorant religious enthusiasts which have occurred during the present generation. In the year 1875 a common soldier named James White having joined the body known as Christian Israelites, began to declare himself as a special messenger of God, and obtained a certain number of followers. The next year he was sent with his regiment to India, but was bought out, and returning to England, brought out a manuscript called the "Flying Roll," which professed to be "God's lost message toman" and of which White was supposed to be the chosen exponent. White gave a copy of this " Flying Roll " to leaders of the Christian Israelite Church, to be read m proof of his claims, but they consigned it to the flames. To one of these he declared, " lam the great I am, that have come to take proceedings against you for burning the ' Flying Roll/ " but nothing came of the denunciation. White then changed his name to James Jeroboam Jezreel, established the headquarters of a new sect, " The New and Latter House of Israel " at Bromp ton, took tho Woodlands as his residence, and founded the colony which at presont exists, one of tho elementary precepts of whoße faith appears to have been that members should dispose of all their worldly goods and hand the proceeds to tho " Messenger " or Prophet, to form a common fund, " Jejsreel "is said to have proclaimed himsolf immortal and that his mission was to gather God's elect together against the second advent of Christ, for whom ho was to build a tabernacle. Among his disciplcß were numbered persons possessed of a considerable amount of worldly goods, and it is said that one of these, a lady, contributed to "the Lord's treasury," that m to Bay the treasury of the sect, no less a sum than £30,000. Wo believe the erection of tho bo called Tabernacle was actually commenced and that a largo sum has boon expended upon it. " Men and women " (says the " Christian Stan dard ") — Americans as well ag English and Scotoh— infatuated with the "Flying Roll," and believing m Jezreel and his wife as Heaven-sent messengers, gavo up lucrative positions, broke up their homes, converted all their possessions into cash and poured them into the treasury, and then when aftor a time the scales had fallen from their eyes they — men with wives and families have > boen compelled to go into the world and begin life again. The history of the sufferings of some of these people would make a heart-rending story." James Jeroboam Jczreel alias James White, however, went the way of all flesh about three years ago, and it might j have been supposed that with his death the delypion of bif f«»ajic.aj followers •

Would have died out. But his wife Clarissa, nee Kogors, tho daughter of a Chatham dockyard sawj'er wns equal to tho occasion, and it was discovered, or supposed to bo discovered that Jezreel had not lived up to his high calling, and had therefore been takon away, his mantle and mission defending upon Clarissa, who was believed to have been divinely proclaimed as tbo " Queon Esther" of the new dispensation. Assuming her late husband's place and privilege, " Queen Esther " became tho prophetess nnd leader of thin curious sect. This is what we read of her : — " She has boon termed mercenary, sybaritic and despotic ; sho may havo I een all these, It is certain she lived m luxury ; that her tablo was stocked with tho choicest edibles, that she possessed true feminine proclivities for fashionable dress, and that day after day she could be seen driving through tho streets of Brompton and Chatham m a pair horso carriage, on the box of whioh sat tho familiar Jezreelito coachman. At tho open services she would read or recite extracts from tho * Flying Roll/ m a monotonous and quick tone of voice. It was impossible to follow the context. String upon string of quotations would flow from her lips to tho satisfaction of tho faithful and the wonderment of the Gentiles. At tbo private services it was customary for her to play upon the harp. The cardinal points, North, South, Hast, and West, were each placed over high seats representing thrones, on two of which < virginß,' of tender years, and dressed m white were seated ; the other two thrones being occupied by ' virgins' of riper years m tho persons of Mrs Jczroel and Mrs Rogers, iho former used to wave a short iron rod and deliver extracts from the ' Flying Roll,' sometimes from memory, and sometimes from the book. When this iron rod was given to her by Jezreel, she was supposed to bo under the influence of the ( spirit.' Among the general public she has been both pra'fad and slandered. Once when a London contemporary published an article on tho ' New and Latter House of Israel/ she denied many of the state ments by a letter, though she seldom wrote, except m the • Messenger of Wisdom ' of which she was editress," For the past three years she has evidently been having a good time of it, but she was not destined long to enjoy her prestige and power, for on the 30th Juno last at Chatraan she also breathed her last aftor a very remarkable career being then intho twenty-eighth year of her age. Kven the death of " Queen Esther " seems not to have cured the Jezreelitcs of their delusions, tor we are told that " Deliberations are now going on to test the propriety of little David iiogers being appointed to succeed her; said little David being the " eon ol Joshua Rogers, a brother of i^ueen Esther now resident m New Zealand " and for aught we know the Bon of the very £Lr and Mrs iiogers who were the other day pushing the propaganda of the JeEreelito faith m Ashburton. Fuller particulars can be found m the articles to which we have referred above but tho foregoing outline of this singularly silly delusion and its so-called prophet and prophctcs, should surely suffice to put all sensible people on their guard against wasting their time and money by attending the ministrations or purchasing the publications of the mit^iojiftrlej__oX_l^'hjo_^ew_and Latter House of Israel? 7 "