Matthias and His Impostures; Or, the Progress of Fanaticism. Illustrated in the Extraordinary Case of Robert Matthews, and Some of His Forerunners and Disciples (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1835 Excerpt: ... as long as she was with us, a pleasant spirit. Mrs. Matthews was represented by her husband as a very wicked woman. Sometimes we would remember Mrs. Laisdell's "words respecting her father, which, taken in connection with Mrs. Matthews's statement to Mr. Folger, while he was at Albany, in which she mentioned some extremely brutal treatment, would excite doubts. But this was repeated to Matthias, and he denied it entirely, and pronounced her one of the greatest of liars, whose word could not be taken for any thing. Mr. Pierson would say, when the subject was mentioned to him, that ' Joshua, the_ high-priest, must be found with Satan at his right hand to resist him, as declared in the third chapter of Zechariah.' Mrs. Folger has seen Mrs. Matthews since our separation from Matthias, and she appeared to be an agreeable woman. Her accounts to Mrs. Folger of her sufferings with Mr. Matthias, awakened her sympathies for her, and she expressed her regret to Mrs. Matthews that she had not come to Zion Hill when sent for. " Matthias once whipped the coloured woman (Isabella) under the following circumstances. She was quite unwell, which Mrs. Folger observed, and asked Matthias, who came into the kitchen, if she might lie down, a request that was granted. She, however, did not avail herself of the permission, but sat down by the kitchen fire. Matthias again visited the kitchen within an hour or two--found one of his sons in some mischief, which he corrected him for, and the coloured woman undertook to intercede, which was offensive to Matthias, as it was a female intercessor, possessed of a sick devil withal--upon which he quickly lashed her with his cowhide, saying, ' Shall a sick devil undertake to dictate to me V She then denied that she was sick, and w...