The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1844-11-15
From the U. S. Saturday Post.
MILL Z r | S NJ.

We several times proposed to make the subject
of "Millersm, as it is termed, the subject of an
article for the Post, during its former paroxysms,
but forbore, partly from disncllnation to meddle
with the faith of any man, or set of men, and
partly because the deusion would, we thought,
work its own cure, by the Justification of the pro-
phecy, in the going by Of the time at which ITS
consummaon was placed. And, as that period
passed, and "the world and all that it inherits"
still remained firm. and undestroyed, we looked to
see the matter completely at an end, and people
returning to their accustomed occupations, and to
their sober senses.
But, to our great astonishment, we now find
the deluslon resuming its sway with, If not more
general extent more extravaganza than ever
We learn not only in this city, but at other and
distant points, the zeal of pseudo-prophets has
again blown up the excitement We lind the
believers carried into the most strange conduct,
and the most pitiabe perverson of all the rules OF
duty, and of all the obligations, both of religion
and OF prudence. We hear of women arrayed in
'ascension robes" desertng the care of their
households, and sitting down in upper rooms,
some even in unfinished garrets, 10 be as near to
heaven as possible, and there awaiting the ''second
advent" We hear of such crowds besettlng the
places of evening meetings of the believers, that
the arm of the civil power compelled to interpose
and close the places of meeting, to save the peace.
We find the disciples of Mr.. Miller and his
followers closing their stores, giving away their
goods, and pasting notices on their shutters that
their shops are closed to wait 'lhe coming of the
King of Kings"
Painfully absurd as is such conduct, we have no
disposition to make it the subject of ridicule,
although the temptation to do so is strong; and
although, perhaps, exposure OF the absurdity Of
such conduc ct is the best argument against It, But
we have collected to-day, list of few OF the
most prominent delusions of this nature in the
history of the world and present them as but
part of the experience of the past in order to show
the disappointed in their expectations, that they
are not the first in order Of time, nor the only
ones, by many thousands, who have been carried
away by such fancies.
Without referring to the delusons Of the Jews,
who looked for temporal reign of Christ as an
earthly potentate, or the mistaken among the early
Christians who confidently predicted the second
advent of the Saviour as TO occur at the end OF
the Roman Pagan empire, giving him also an
earthly kingdom; or 10 the manner in which the
end of the crus ades and the victory OF the Chris
tian over the Moslem would establish that king
dom,-we will look to the later manifestations OF
the consequences OF mstakng the promises of the
gospel, and confoundng things, spiritual and tenn
pora 1t is sufficient to say that the later delu-
sions are but perpetuaton' of the error OF those
who in early times rose, and saying, q am Christ,
deceived many.
1t the year 1912, it was predicted that the Med
iterranean sea should be dried up, that believers
should pass to Jerusalem on foot, there to build up
the new city After what we have seen in our
own time, it will readily be credited tbatltay was
filled with pilgrims waiting the drying up OF the
sea, to commence their journey; and the misery
which these persons suffered, and which they
inflicted upon their friends and dependents by
their infatuaton, will be easily imagined.
In 1924, John Stoferus, mathematician and
astrologer Of Sumbia, predicted great deuge,
and he was SO far believed, that those who owned
ands near the sea, sold out at great loss. Books