Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1865-1869, 1866-01-16
RICHMOND WHIG.
"IHE YEAR 1896"
FOre-Warned. Fore-Armed.
10 tie Editor oftAe JHhig

10 the Editor Of tAe Whig:
beg space to Ollcr n few words documentary on
your editorial on the New Year. on say truly
The year which commences with tins day is one To
which, is most OF readers aware, great
portion OF the Christian world has been looking Tor
warl Tor centuries with eager expectation AS preg-
nInt with events OF mOmenOus Interest Tor the whOie
human race" You do not believe, however, that
''the millennium will commence this year, ahd add
1t seems 10 be agreed that the introduction OF the
stat, OF things peculiar 10 the millennium Is To be
gradual not viO.cn; or Immediate, and proceed to
rnumerate "many things to be done 6Jore that
blessed period shall open on the world-MahOmet-
ani,m and other religious lmpOstures TO be over
thrown-the Jews To be converted aud restored, and
the heathcn TO be converted 10 Christianity. In all
this YOU truly represent the popularity received Opn
ions ON the subject. Pardon me, however, for ven
turing to doubt the correctness Of the popular belief
and, by consequence, your conclusions and for Sug-
se>ting briefly few reasons against both In do
ing this | shall cOnine myself TO the plain dee
lIrLtons OF Holy Writ as the only arbiter on such
Il theme.
/. Is it "agrced" that the millennium is to be
gladual-nOt violent or immediate y On the con-
trary, many affirm, in the very words of Scripture
that the second coming Of Christ, which with them
is synchronOuS with the millennium, (his reign on
earth Tor one thousand years-Rev 20 ch.,) will be
as Il thief in the night, which is sudden, uneXpect-
ell that 1t IS at midnight" the cry is to go forth,
Behold the bridegroom cOmeth :" that the Lord
" that a snare II shall come upon all nations !"
that at such hour as you think not the Son OF
Man cOmeth :" that when they shall say peace and
safety, sudden destruction cOmeth upon them, &c.
How then, can all these, not TO cite many Others
which might be easily accumulated consist with the
theory OF ''grGfgdi" process Was the flood u
" gradual" or immediate process! We're not SOdom
and GOmarrah destroyed by sudden lire from Hea-
Vcnl We know who has warned his disciples that
as it was in the days of Noah when they were eat
ing and drinking &C. 50 shall the coming OF the Son
Of Man be-"
.. Is it not equally an assumption that the events
10 which you reter-the conversion of the Jews
and Gentilts, &c., are TO occur before the mil
icnium Where Is the testimony to sustain the
statements As the proof is upon the airmant if it
be not forthcoming, We conclude, logically that it
Is not true, and consequently, the whole class OF
difficulties resting on that hypothesis vanshes from
our path. But, on the contrary, it is maintained
that it is to accomplish these very objects that
Chist cOmes-and, having accomplished them, he
will introduce his millennial reign. The Prophet
Isaiah tells Us: Behold his reward is with him,
and his trOrh before him" If the nations are all
converted and the milieHiUH peace and righteous
ne-s and blesSedness already an accomplished fact
before he comes, what IrOrk Is before him ,; aud
why need he come at all The incOngruity OF such
a theory is apparent even on Pagan grounds, for
they give Us the maxim Nee Deus iRterSt HiSi,"
Ec. {" Let not the Deity appear in the except
Oh occasion uOrthy Gf has PrescHcc.'
Now, we are not left in the dark rs to this I" work
before Him.
The Psilmist David declares jehovah will give
HIN the heather (nations) for Ills inheritance, and
the utermoSt parts OF tire earth for His possession
and adds He shall rule them with rod of iron,
and L. eak them IN pieces rs pUtters vessel; that
" lie shall govern the nations on earth" &e. Dan
e teStiiies, That HIS kingdom shall break in pieces
and consume all (other) kingdoms and it shall stand
forever
Matthew records that lie was 4" born King of the
Jews aud shall rule His people Israeli Luke, that
- TIE Lord God shall give unto Him the throne of
His father David and that He shall reign over the
house of Jacob forever" Paul, " That God hath
appointed Il day n which He will judge (rue) tie
World in righteousness by Him." and John, The
ReveatOr " That the kingdoms OF this World shall
become the kingdom OF our Lord and His Christ;
" That tie should smite the nations with His sharp
sword" Shall be King of kings and Lord of
lords" Nc. " That in righteousness lle doth judge
aud make war" While other Prophets describe Him
the Lorl of Hosts, mighty in BATTLE " The
Lion OF the Tribe OF Judah who shall destroy them
who now (by oppression, violence and tyranny de-
siruy the earth" That His enemies shall lick the
dust before Him" &c.
All this YOU will admit, implies that it is Jytorce
even by military power he shall subdue all nations
uuto himself. Now, you observe the theory you en-
dur,c cOmpclS the accomplishment of this great work
by preaching; that nations are To be subdued; made
Ia lick the dust; Kingdoms to bo broken in pieces,
consumed, &c., by preaching 10 them. Vain eNpec-
tat,on! !, therefore, speak adyisedly when say
by fOrce for we 3re shut up to the alternative Of
Gods righteous authority over mankind, which be-
@ @ IL @ The i s & ct Ea r5 qd vft these six thousand
years for the Gospel, called by ST. Paul. the mln-
stry Of reconciliation" is Gods message Of mercy
and persuasion - To flee from the wrath to come;
aud Il has proved are bound to confess, so far,
a dea{ future. st. Paul declares that, in
his day, it had been preached to all the
world" Of his contemporaries every ma
ton under Heaven" yet it had not then, nor
has it yet proved eiGaciOus to the conversion of any
single nation not even the inhabitants OF any one
province or city, The fruits Of our Lords personal
preaching, aided by the Apostles, for three years and
a-half, were only lone hundred and twenty" per-
sons (Acts, ch. l. Y. l5) Now let any candid man
work out this problem. If the Divine Author aud
Fn>hcr Of the faith, and his inspired cO-aborers,
with wisdom and e,0quence all divine, whose
teachings illustrated and confirmed by the
most stupendOuS miracles, aud all united and speak
ing the same things did not succeed in their life
time, and by their inceSSant labOrS, in converting
the people Of any city, how long will It require
for their iallble successors, unnSpred, divided IN
faith aud doctrine, aud without the argument OF
miracles to convert all the rOridy Now persuasion,
l. e., the force of argument, having failed what re
mains but the argument OF IOrce This must he
cXrrted in order to fulfill the Scripture predictions
aud make good Gods promises that the seed of the
Woman shall bruiSe the Serpents head, and that in
AhrIham's seed who is the Christ shall all the
nations OF the earth be blessed"
Ia this view of the case, may reverently say
that this plan OF proceeding has been chosen by Jc
huvah arising out of mans peryerSeneSs, and the
consequent necessities OF the situation from the be-
ginning. True, the Gospel contains Gods nvi-
E,t0us and Offers of reconciliation and pardon to
guilty man, but the have rejected it, it has
been preached " rs a ictAeSS among ali nations
and as means of d" taking out from among them
Individually people for his name Acts, 10th
chapter. Thus we see, obviously, that the world
does not POSSESS the means of rectifying its own
evils ana disorders or if it does, it will not use
them aud that unless the remedy comes nom with
out-irom Divine interpoSition in human Affairs
the planet and the must always remain the vic
tins of ucparabie wrongs and hopeless ruin.
The long pending controversy can only, therefore,
ended by the weaker party in the heaycn'darng
struggle heing Subdued, and reduced to obedience
by the Strongcr-by the final triumph Of Truth over
fdlSehOOd, right wrong, wisdom over folly,
strength over weakness, judgment and mercy over
guilt and violence, Christ over Satan, and finally
and for has highest good, God man. This
summation, deyoutly 10 be wished, be abund-
aHty demonstrated by many other infAllble proofs
but to say more at present would be inconsistent
with my promise 10 be brief. | may ask your leave,
however, to pursue the subject in more number.
Meantime remain
Your Friend and Subscriber,
\. Il. MAGRUDER,
Near Brevard's Station, North Carolina.