Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1840-1842, 1842-10-25
mILLERIsM IN FORMER TINES.

There have been two great events which b,v.
oiisr been predicted as jnst at hand-the mII,n
mum aud the end Of the world. Mr. Miller is, by
no means, the hrs, who has predicted the precise
time at which the latter events 10 occur viii he
seen from the following article copied from the
Charleston Advocate
"in the days OF Origen, Egypt was thrown into
commoton by the anticipated return ofChrist TO the
eafth OF establish his Mi.lennal reign. TEs conmo-
tiohcaused many 10 reject the Apocalypse Of John
from The sacred Canon, the mienaries having buit
Their 6eiei upon tho 20Ih chapter Of this book
Again, IN Germany, in the times OF Luther the pea
santry were carried away with the came opinion of
The approaching advent OF Christ, end his personal
reign upoR the earth. Every student Of history
knows what trouble originated from this source and
what grief these ianatcal notions gave 10 Luther
AND the other rsformers. In later days, Edward
isv,ng revived The same notion respecting the Mil
aiteisn ano second advent Of Cirst; ad IA. sd
IN daily expectation Of the glorious Epiphany
Connected with the millenal notion, has ordina.
rIly been the other, respecting the end OF the world
IL was extensively believed in the 10Th century
that the world would terminate at the end Of the
thousandth year alter the bifth of Christ. About
The year $50, as the expected period drew nigh.
Bernhard, hermit OF Tkuringa, boldly promul.
gated the certain assurance that al the end of the
thousandh year the letters OF Satan should be bro.
ken, AntichtIst should come and the confederation
OF inc WORD follow. The clergy adopted this dec
trine without delay; the pupits resounded with il;
and u was d.ffused with astonishing rapidty and
embraced with ardor. ProdigOus numbers Of peo-
pie abandoned their friends and families and ea,ih
ly possessions, repaired with precipitation 10 PAles-
tine, where they imagined Christ would des
cend again from Heaven, establish his throne on
Mount Zion, and judge the world And in
order to render the Judge more proptious.
they often made over their property 10 some
adjacent church or monastery. Others de
voted themselves by solemn oath 20 the services OF
tn. churches, converts, and Priesthood whose slaves
they became in the most rigorous sense OF the vo,d
performing daily their heavy tasks. when an
eclipse OF the sun or moon occurred tbs cities
deserted, and the miserable inhabitants betook
themselves TO rocks and csverns ns il these could
preserve them when all things should be dissolved.
/ In many places, temples, palaces and noble edit p
CO., public and private, were suffered to decay or
were deliberately pulled down, from notion the,
they were no longer Of any use, since the final dis.
solution Of all things was OF hand. Deeds Of Gift
TO religious houses, (some Of which are sill on re-.
cord) in the following words .lp2repins Han,s
rHisi fsrniino. &c, :. c. the end OF III, world being
now at hand, &c. $40 language (says Mysticism
IS sufficient TO express the confusion and despair
that ,ormen,ed them on ihs OCCASION"
The year Of terror arrived and passed away with.
ont any extraordinary eonvulsion. The people 10
turned to their homes repaired their buildings ard
resumed their former occupations. The only last
ing effect Of this supendous panic was the augmen-
ta,ion OF the temporal wealth Of the Church.