A NEW RELIGION.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume I, Issue 33, 7 January 1884, Page 3

A NEW RELIGION.

Tux inhabitants hf Sehuyler county, Illinois, are scendalixed by the rityid progress which is being made by a new religion, which is about a year old, and which seems t 0 be akin to Mormonism and Free Love, The headquarters of this hew sect are at Erwin, and its founder is the Kev. Caleb Anderson, formerly a Methodist Minister, who is credited with the possession of considerable eloquence and magnetic powers.” Mr. Anderson, who is described as being tall and handsome, with attractive manners, and about forty-five years of age, haviiig been blamed by the Methodist Conference far having introduced several innovations intb the doctrine which he preached, left the Church, and announced that another ea-Methodiet minister, Mr. Maybum, had been sent by God to spread light upon earth. A sect called tbs 11 Pilgrim Hand” was then founded, Rayburn being treated as its deity, and his name subsf-Auti'd for that of the Almighty in ,the prayers and hymns, The •’ Pilgrim Band ” held its meetings in a teat, or tabernacle, as it is called, upon the land of a wealthy farmer, who was so indignant at their proceedings that he had the tent taken down and thrown into the road, The “ Pilgrim Hand ” succeeded in having him prosecuted and fined for this act by a judge who sympathised with their views, and they also posed as martyrs, end gained many fresh recruits. Mr. Caleb Anderson and Mr. Rayburn then announced that it had been revealed to them in a dream that they were to erect their tabernacle upon another site, the owner of which, however, refused to give it up, and they were finally presented with a piece of land from the postmaster at Euwin, and began to collect subscriptions. Soon after this, one of the proselytes recanted, find disclosed the fact that Mr. Caleb Anderson had repudiated hie wife and taken a maid servant fts a ’• spiritual spouse,” abandoning his children upon the ground that they were " children of ain,” having been th. issue of a " marriage of darkness," At a recent meeting Mr. Caleb Anderson announcer, that a new prophet would be born this year at Erwin, of whom he would be the father, and a few days afterwards a sister of the new religion stated that sire had received a divine message to the efiect that she would be thi mother of the new-born prophet. This announcement is stated to have given grea; satisfaction to her husband. These “ revelations ” having become known, a number of the unbelievers in Erwin forced their way into the tent while the" Pilgrims "were going through their grimaces and contortions, ano drove them out. For this nine persons wen arrested and fined ten dollars each. The “ Pilgrim Band,” it is stated, number, amongst its members several of the wealthiest and most influential families in Schuyler county,